The spatio-temporal distribution of elements in the bottom sediments of Lake Onego and small lakes located on the catchment area of Onego Ice Lake

Abstract

The work presents the results of a comprehensive mineralogical and geochemical study of Late Pleistocene-Holocene bottom sediments of Lake Onego and small lakes located in the territory belonging to Onego Ice Lake. Methods of ICP-MS, atomic absorption spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence analysis, X-ray phase method (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and gamma-spectrometric method were used. The geochemical composition of the terrigenous fraction reflects the mineral composition and is permanent for the all bottom sediments cores of Lake Onego and small lakes during time interval about 12.000 years. For the first time, detailed mineralogical studies of sediments have shown that the composition of mineral associations of the terrigenous fraction is similar in the bottom sediment cores of Lake Onego and small lakes. The association of authigenic minerals in bottom sediments is distinguished by the presence of pyrite framboids in small lakes, and crystalline aggregates of Fe-phosphate, ferruginous illites and chlorites in Lake Onego. Sedimentation rates established by the study of correlations the indicator technogenic radioisotope 137Cs and atmospheric 210Pb. In the bottom sediments of small lakes, sedimentation rates vary from lake to lake, as well as in various areas of Lake Onego in the range from 0.05 cm/year to 0.30 cm/year.