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Holocene organic carbon burial rates in the southeastern Swedish Baltic Sea

Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota Duluth, 2205 East 5th Street, Duluth MN 55812, USA, syu{at}d.umn.edu, GeoBiosphere Science Center, Department of Geology/Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden

Björn E. Berglund

GeoBiosphere Science Center, Department of Geology/Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden

Per Sandgren

GeoBiosphere Science Center, Department of Geology/Quaternary Sciences, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden

Steven M. Colman

Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota Duluth, 2205 East 5th Street, Duluth MN 55812, USA

To estimate Holocene changes in organic carbon mass accumulation rates (C_org MARs) in the southeastern Swedish Baltic Sea, two sediment cores were studied in combination with biogeochemical modelling. Prior to 11 300 cal. BP, C_org MARs were extremely low, indicating low organic matter production on the catchment of the Baltic Ice Lake. Following a brief regression, the Ancylus Lake stage occurred between 11 100 and 9800 cal. BP. C_org MARs increased substantially during this period because of enhanced washing in of terrestrial organic matter, when boreal forests were initially established. The prominent marine stage, known as the Littorina transgression between 8500 and 3000 cal. BP, is marked by a minor increase in C_org MARs. Our modelling reveals a changing terrestrial organic carbon input between 100 and 1000 g/m² per yr that accounts for 30—80% of total organic carbon in sediments of the southeastern Swedish Baltic Sea, with maximum values (c. 20 x 10³g/m² per yr) occurring during the Bronze/Iron Age transition at about 3000 cal. BP. C_org MAR in the entire Baltic basin is estimated at 3.01 x 10⁶ t/yr during the pre-industrial Holocene, comparable with other large inland water bodies. Regardless of the source of carbon, our data indicate that the Baltic basin is an important sedimentary reservoir for organic carbon storage and thus should be included in accounting for global terrestrial carbon cycling during the pre-industrial Holocene.

Key Words: Holocene • Baltic Sea • southeastern Sweden • organic carbon burial rates • early diagenesis • carbon cycling.

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