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Lipid-biomarkers have been used to reconstruct environmental changes in lacustrine systems on a range of time scales. Lake sediments are excellent archives to apply these tools due to their rapid and amplified response to environmental pressures. For the past thirty years, the hypersaline lagoons of the Rio de Janeiro coastal plain have been studied as natural laboratories for the observation of the biogeochemical processes involved in modern dolomite precipitation. Here, we apply a multiproxy approach to characterize two depositional stages during the Holocene that may have triggered primary dolomite formation in these lagoonal environments. A first stage, with two sub-stages (1A − 6.1 to 4.2 kyr. BP; 1B − 4.2 to ∼3.6 kyr. BP) was deposited during the sea-level rise, with sediments containing an abundance of long-chain n-alkanes with 2H-depleted (δ2Hn-alk) signatures indicating riverine inputs of terrestrial organic carbon during prevailing wet conditions. A second stage (, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 337, ISSN:0016-7037, ISSN:1872-9533

Lake Petén Itzá (Guatemala) possesses one of the longest lacustrine sediment records in the northern Neotropics, which enabled study of paleoclimate variability in the region during the last ∼400 000 years. We used geochemical (Ti, Ca/(Ti+Fe) and Mn/Fe) and mineralogical (carbonates, gypsum, quartz, clay) data from sediment core PI-2 to infer past changes in runoff, lake evaporation, organic matter sources and redox conditions in the water column, caused by hydrological changes in the northern Neotropics during Marine Isotope Stages (MISs) 3–2. From 59 to 39 cal ka BP climate conditions were relatively wet, and the lake was marked by higher primary productivity and anoxic bottom waters. This wet environment was interrupted for two periods of possible low water level at 52 and 46 cal ka BP, when our data suggest higher evaporation, high terrestrial organic matter input and persistent oxic conditions. Between 39 and 23 cal ka BP, evaporation and input of terrestrial organic matter increased considerably, lake level declined, and lake bottom waters generally became oxic. These conditions reversed during the Last Glacial Maximum (23.5–18.0 cal ka BP), when runoff and lake productivity increased, and rising lake level caused bottom waters to again become anoxic. Comparison of our hydrologic proxy data with sea surface temperature anomalies between the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean suggests that changes in the intensity of the Caribbean Low-Level Jet (CLLJ) may have influenced long-term changes in runoff during MISs 3–2. Higher intensity of the CLLJ during the onset of MIS 3 and the LGM might have led to greater runoff into the lake, whereas the MIS 3–2 transition experienced a weaker CLLJ and consequently less runoff. A refined, high-resolution age–depth model for the PI-2 sediment core enabled us to identify millennial-scale Greenland interstadials (GIs) 14–2, Greenland stadials (GSs) 14–2 and Heinrich stadials (HSs) 5–1. In general, HSs and GSs were characterized by drier conditions. In contrast to GSs and HSs, GIs were characterized by greater runoff and overall wetter conditions, with the most pronounced GI peaks between 40 and 30 cal ka BP. Whereas GSs 9, 8, 7 and 6 began with abrupt increases in evaporation and ended with gradual increases in humidity, GSs 11 and 10 showed reversed patterns. The Lake Petén Itzá paleohydrology record, along with other regional paleoclimate records, led us to conclude that shifts in the position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) altered moisture delivery to the lake on millennial timescales. During GSs and HSs, high evaporation from Petén Itzá (dry climate conditions) was associated with a more southerly position of the ITCZ, whereas wetter GIs prevailed during a more northerly ITCZ position. Although abrupt millennial-scale shifts in ITCZ and hydroclimate between GSs/HSs and GIs can be linked to instabilities in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), longer-term changes were additionally influenced by changes in atmospheric convection linked to modulations of the CLLJ in response to ΔSST between the equatorial Pacific and tropical Atlantic.

Strontium-rich micropearls (intracellular inclusions of amorphous calcium carbonate) have been observed in several species of green microalgae within the class Chlorodendrophyceae, suggesting the potential use of these organisms for

Tierra del Fuego in Argentina is a unique location to examine past Holocene wind variability since it intersects the core of the Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds (SHWW). The SHWW are the most powerful prevailing winds on Earth. Their variation plays a role in regulating atmospheric CO2 levels and rainfall amounts and distribution, both today and in the past. We obtained a piston core (LF06-PC8) from Bahia Grande, a protected sub-basin at the southern margin of Lago Fagnano, the largest lake in Tierra del Fuego. This article focuses on the uppermost 185 cm of this core, corresponding to laminated sediment from the last similar to 6.3 ka. Laminations consist of millimetre-scale paired dark and light layers. Previous studies and new geochemical analysis show that the dark and light layers are characterized by differing concentrations of Mn and Fe. We attribute the distribution of Mn and Fe to episodic hypolimnic oxic-anoxic variations. The age model suggests an approximately bidecadal timescale for the formation of each layer pair. We propose a new model of these redox changes with the SHWW variations. The most likely phenomenon to produce complete water-column mixing is thermobaric instability, which occurs in colder winters with low-intensity SHWW (El Nino-like conditions). In contrast, windier winters are characterized by higher temperatures and reduced mixing in the water column, facilitating a decline in oxygen concentration. Laminations, and the inferred presence of periodic hypolimnion redox changes, are common features of the past similar to 6.3 ka. Geochemical proxy variability is compatible with an intensification of El Nino/Southern Oscillation activity during the past similar to 2 ka., Beatriu de Pinos postdoctoral programme at Agencia de Gestio Academica i Universitaria at Generalitat de Catalunya, National Science Foundation (NSF) ATM-0408668 EAR-1103550, Spanish Government CTM2017-89711-C2-1-P, European Union through FEDER funds, Spanish Government RYC2015-18966

The lake level of the Dead Sea, Southern Levant, has fluctuated with an amplitude of ∼250 m in response to the last glacial-interglacial cycle. This exceptional sensitivity to climate change, and the availability of long sedimentary archives, make the Dead Sea a benchmark for long quantitative paleohydrological reconstructions. However, discontinuities and chronological uncertainties in the marginal sedimentary record have hampered the reconstruction of Dead Sea lake levels beyond the Last Glacial (70–14 ka before present, BP). Here, we apply a two-pronged methodology. First, we measure the lake water density along ICDP deep core 5017-1-A using a new method, Brillouin spectroscopy on two-phase halite fluid inclusions; we combine it with the composition of pore water and the thickness of halite layers in the core to reconstruct lake level, volume, mass balance and subsidence rate. Second, we tune the chronology of lake levels from outcrops by matching it to the chronology of the deep core. The resulting lake level reconstruction, spanning 237–70 ka BP, is validated by the excellent agreement between outcrop- and mass balance-based methodologies. It shows a long-term recession of the lake, its level decreasing from one interglacial to the other, down to a Holocene record low. There are two reasons for this lake level fall. First, with an average rate of 2.65 ± 0.15 m/ka, subsidence has outpaced sedimentation at least over the last ∼130 ka. Second, by reducing the solute inventory of the lake, massive halite precipitation events such as that of 131–116 ka BP have durably increased surface water activity and evaporation, and thus lowered the lake level, up to today. Conversely, our analysis suggests that, during 191–11 ka BP, the dissolution of Mount Sedom salt diapir and freshwater inflows provided to the lake about three times the mass of solute NaCl contained in the modern Dead Sea (in 1985). This massive solute influx, occurring mainly during glacial highstands, strongly contributed to lowering surface water activity and evaporation and, therefore, to increasing the lake volume. Our results suggest that Dead Sea lake levels are more accurately interpreted in terms of climatic change if surface water activity is taken into account.

High-mountain lake records in semiarid foreland settings, such as the central Andes of North-western Argentina, are highly restricted and often deprived of well-preserved microstratigraphic information to analyze palaeoenvironmental changes and their causes, particularly for periods prior to the Last Glacial Maximum. Laguna La Salada Grande (23°S/65°W, 4063 metres above sea-level) is a closed shallow lake located at Cordillera Oriental, North-western Argentina with a unique depositional record, including geomorphic and stratigraphic evidence of palaeoenvironmental changes since the Late Pleistocene. In order to understand the depositional dynamics of this mountain lacustrine system at different timescales, limnogeological multiproxy analyses together with a radiocarbon and 210Pb-based chronology were applied on massive and laminated sediments from La Salada Grande. Laminated deposits were further analyzed using novel sub-centimetric mineralogical, textural and geochemical automated methods (including a combination of micro-X-ray fluorescence and quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN®). Thick laminated microfacies at the beginning of the sequence record a deep and organic matter productive palaeolake prior to ca 34 ka (1 ka = 1000 years before 1950), that changed into a highly fluctuating shallower-palaeolake with frequent detrital influxes after ca 34 ka. Microstratigraphy of the coarser-grained detrital laminae between 31 ka and 25 ka reveals irregular and probably sub-centennial high-energy discharge events, pointing to convective atmospheric activity as the main trigger. After ca 21 ka the lake evolved to deeper water-level conditions resulting in fine-grained deposits with limited delivery of coarse-grained sediments, followed by an abrupt lake level drop and incision. The multi-millennial palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of La Salada Grande, and its correlation with other palaeoclimate records, shows a close link between the lacustrine depositional processes and palaeoclimate changes associated with the South American summer monsoon dynamics. This multifocal research in such an understudied environment provides key knowledge about lacustrine functioning and discharge events−climate interactions of mountain lakes of semi-arid climates., Sedimentology, 69 (6), ISSN:0037-0746, ISSN:1365-3091

An unsuspected biomineralization process, which produces intracellular inclusions of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), was recently discovered in unicellular eukaryotes. These mineral inclusions, called micropearls, can be highly enriched with other alkaline-earth metals (AEM) such as Sr and Ba. Similar intracellular inclusions of ACC have also been observed in prokaryotic organisms. These comparable biomineralization processes involving phylogenetically distant microorganisms are not entirely understood yet. This review gives a broad vision of the topic in order to establish a basis for discussion on the possible molecular processes behind the formation of the inclusions, their physiological role, the impact of these microorganisms on the geochemical cycles of AEM and their evolutionary relationship. Finally, some insights are provided to guide future research.

Exopolymeric Substances (EPS) form biofilms in which the vast majority of prokaryotic organisms develop and thrive. They are ubiquitous, harbor metal and chemical species binding properties and can be the matrix for bio/orgamineralizations. Because of these properties, EPS have also been proposed as some of the most ancient traces of microbial life on Earth. They form sedimentary structures diagnostic of biological activity in some of the most ancient sedimentary rocks of the Archean. However, the metabolisms hosted by such ecosystems remain poorly understood given poor preservation and specificity of the available molecular, isotopic or fossilized signatures. Deep time paleobiological research therefore needs for new ways to unlock the history of the rare and variably preserved sedimentary rocks of these ages, by looking for new proxies that could help characterizing microbial ecosystems and better understand the co-evolution of the geosphere and the biosphere.We here attempt to describe trace metal signatures of a modern, arsenic-rich lacustrine microbial mat fueled by oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis as an analog to better understand how microbial mats and their sedimentary and chemical signatures can be preserved in the Archean sedimentary record. We coupled in-situ imaging of a microbial mat from modern Dead Sea shore with SEM, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray mapping, to (meta)genomics data and chemical analyses. Arsenic enrichments in the anoxygenic photosynthetic layer of the mat reached a 10’000-fold level, and was associated to Mg-Si-rich EPS. The latter ultimately mineralized into aragonite clusters with a co-enrichment of Sr, Mn and Mo. At the mat scale, the mineralized zone (rich in Fe, Sr and Ca from authigenic calcium carbonates and detrital clay) is clearly located above the As-enrichment layer, in association with Mn. These data support a chemically dynamic microbial mat where microbial activity, EPS chemical affinity and environmental processes lead to specific organic and mineralized chemical signatures linked to metabolic activity. Metagenomics and synchrotron-based speciation analyses shall confirm the links between elemental enrichments and the microbial metabolic pathways.We parallel this study to a well characterized microbial system of the Archean, the stromatolitic units of the Tumbiana Lake (2.72 Ga, Pilbara, Western Australia). In this environment, microbial mat accretionary behaviour has formed limestone stromatolites harboring layered nanopyrites embedded in carbonaceous material and chlorite (Marin-Carbonne et al., 2018). C, N and S isotopes of mineral fractions have suggested a connection of photosynthetic activity, sulfate reduction and methane cycling, potentially influenced by arsenotrophy (e.g. Thomazo et al., 2009; Sforna et al., 2014; Lepot et al., 2019). This is likely the most diverse undisputed microbial environment of the Archean. Our trace-elemental mapping using PIXE suggests co-enrichment of Mo and As in association to the nanopyrite-OM layer, that could be attributed to arsenotrophic and anoxygenic photosynthetic activity, in a similar fashion than argued for in the Dead Sea mat. Simulated diagenesis experiments are planned and should be able to provide chemical insights into the transformation of microbial mats to their fossilized counterparts at the microscale, to further validate the promises of metal biosignatures for reconstructing Archean ecosystems.

The hypersaline Dead Sea and its sediments are natural laboratories for studying extremophile microorganism habitat response to environmental change. In modern times, increased freshwater runoff to the lake surface waters resulted in stratification and dilution of the upper water column followed by microbial blooms. However, whether these events facilitated a microbial response in the deep lake and sediments is obscure. Here we investigate archived evidence of microbial processes and changing regional hydroclimate conditions by reconstructing deep Dead Sea chemical compositions from pore fluid major ion concentration and stable S, O, and C isotopes, together with lipid biomarkers preserved in the hypersaline deep Dead Sea ICDP-drilled core sediments dating to the early Holocene (ca. 10,000 years BP). Following a significant negative lake water balance resulting in salt layer deposits at the start of the Holocene, there was a general period of positive net water balance at 9500-8300 years BP. The pore fluid isotopic composition of sulfate exhibit evidence of intensified microbial sulfate reduction, where both δ34S and δ18O of sulfate show a sharp increase from estimated base values of 15.0‰ and 13.9‰ to 40.2‰ and 20.4‰, respectively, and a δ34S vs. δ18O slope of 0.26. The presence of the n-C17 alkane biomarker in the sediments suggests an increase of cyanobacteria or phytoplankton contribution to the bulk organic matter that reached the deepest parts of the Dead Sea. Although hydrologically disconnected, both the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea microbial ecosystems responded to increased freshwater runoff during the early Holocene, with the former depositing the organic-rich sapropel 1 layer due to anoxic water column conditions. In the Dead Sea prolonged positive net water balance facilitated primary production and algal blooms in the upper waters and intensified microbial sulfate reduction in the hypolimnion and/or at the sediment-brine interface.

There is still a paucity of hydrological data explaining the relationship between (rapid, millennial‐scale) climate forcing and Mediterranean rainfall since the Last Glacial. We show that distinct lake‐level fluctuations at Lake Trasimeno (Italy) are associated with changing aridity in the central Mediterranean during the last ~47 800 years. The lake‐level fluctuations are reconstructed based on carbonate mineral content and carbonate mineral species, as well as the stable oxygen and carbon isotope (δ18O and δ13C) geochemistry of endogenic carbonates. Low lake levels are linked to high carbonate, Mg‐calcite and aragonite contents, and high δ18O and δ13C values. Inferred hydrological changes are linked to glacial–interglacial and, tentatively within the limitations of our chronology, to millennial‐scale climate variability as well as the intensity of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), during intervals equivalent to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), a stronger AMOC associated with Greenland interstadial periods (Dansgaard/Oeschger (D/O) warm periods) and stronger Asian monsoon probably coincide with increased precipitation in central Italy as inferred from high lake levels at Lake Trasimeno. Periods of weak AMOC intensity such as during Greenland stadials (D/O cold periods), during Heinrich events, and weak Asian monsoons are correlated with lake level lowstands, which imply relatively dry conditions in central Italy. Lake Trasimeno’s water level during the LGM and the Lateglacial (MIS 2) is relatively stable, with recorded changes showing distinct similarities to orbital configurations. Although muted, high latitude climate forcing is still evident in the data during peak glacial conditions. The transition from D/O‐like hydrological variability at Lake Trasimeno during MIS 3 to orbitally controlled fluctuations during the Lateglacial to Holocene transition coincides with an increasing amplitude in local winter and summer insolation, probably indicating increasing seasonality and a larger temperature gradient between low‐ and high‐latitude settings., Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001655

Changing redox conditions in water columns or sediment–water interfaces of lakes are captured as sedimentary archives, and are often influenced by climate. Their study therefore permits the reconstruction of past climate change on (sub-) annual to longer timescales. In Lago Fagnano (54°S Argentina/ Chile), a large oligotrophic and deep-oxygenated lake, alternations of light grey clay and dark greenish and black laminae are preserved throughout the Holocene sedimentary record. This study aims to clarify the mechanism of laminae formation and preservation in Lago Fagnano, and their relation to changing redox conditions in the lake. High-resolution major element scanning and mapping along with detailed mineralogical analyses of sediment cores allowed identifying Fe-oxides, Mn-oxides and Fe-(mono) sulphides as responsible for the lamination. Based on the interpretation of redox processes at the current sedimentary redox boundary and of buried palaeoredox fronts underlying mass-transported deposits, the greenish laminae enriched in Fe-oxides are interpreted as palaeo-redox fronts. The preservation of such former interfaces in Lago Fagnano sediments is most likely promoted by rapid increases of sedimentation due to higher runoff related to stronger Southern Hemisphere Westerlies. The formation of black laminae, showing only traces of Fe-(mono) sulphides and organic matter, is obscured by oxidation and early diagenetic processes, i.e. degradation and partial pyritization. These layers were presumably generated by small changes in bottom-water oxygenation due to reduced mixing and/or higher productivity. This study highlights the value of high-resolution sediment-geochemical analyses to better understand redox and diagenetic processes in oligotrophic mixed lakes.

In unicellular organisms, intracellular inclusions of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) have been initially described in cyanobacteria and, later, in unicellular eukaryotes of Lake Geneva (Switzerland/France). Inclusions in unicellular eukaryotes ‒named micropearls‒ consist of hydrated ACCs, frequently enriched in Sr or Ba, displaying internal oscillatory zonations due to variations in the Ba:Ca or Sr:Ca ratios. The analysis of our database consisting of 1597 micropearl analyses from Lake Geneva and 34 from Lake Titicaca (Bolivia/Peru) has shown that a certain number of Sr and Ba-enriched micropearls from these lakes contain As in amounts measurable by EDXS. A Q-mode statistical analysis has confirmed the existence of five geochemically distinct morpho-chemical groups of As-bearing micropearls, among which a new category identified in Lake Geneva, where As is often associated with Mg. This new type of micropearl is possibly produced in a small (7-12 m size) bi-flagellated organism. Micropearls from Lake Titicaca, which contain Sr, are found in an organism very similar to Tetraselmis cordiformis, observed in Lake Geneva. Lake Titicaca micropearls contain higher As concentrations which can be explained by the high As concentration in the water of this lake. The ubiquity of the biomineralization process observed points to the need for better understanding of the role of amorphous or crystalline calcium carbonates in As cycling in surface waters.

The most favourable locations for the development of saline lakes are in the rain-shadow of mountain ranges, which provide large areas of precipitation catchment while the base of the basin is under arid climate and exposed to evaporation. These conditions are found in Extra-Andean Patagonia under the rain-shadow generated by the Andean cordillera. There, an endorheic basin with two shallow and saline lakes, Cari Laufquen Chica (CLC) and Cari Laufquen Grande (CLG), was studied with the aim of analysing the factors that condition the hydrochemical processes acting in the formation of evaporites associated with these environments. A monitoring network was installed and five surface and groundwater survey campaigns were carried out at different points in the basin to define groundwater flow and also to extract samples. In situ pH, electrical conductivity and temperature and laboratory physicochemical determinations of major ions and stable isotopes of the water were measured. SEM-EDS and XRD analyses of saline crusts from the edge of the lakes and adjacent sediments were carried out. The obtained results allowed identifying that CLC and CLG saline lakes have different surface water-groundwater configurations. CLC is a flow-through shallow lake, while CLG is a discharge shallow lake. The analysis of the saline precipitates and the chemical facies of the water allows identifying cycles of dissolution, evaporation and precipitation in both saline lakes. However, the different groundwater flow between the two lakes is reflected in their salinity as well as in the evolution and development of saline precipitates. CLC saline lake shows a dissolution-precipitation trend of thenardite and Ca-Mg carbonates, whereas CLG saline lake displays a trend of dissolution-precipitation of halite, thenardite and trona with strong dominance of halite. The present study identifies for the first time the main factors conditioning hydrochemical processes in these saline lakes of extra-Andean Patagonia. Our results indicate that the hydrological configuration with respect to the groundwater flow is the prevailing factor setting the hydrochemical processes that trigger the formation of salt crusts.

Geometric morphometric methods are powerful tools to discriminate between closely related ostracods taxa as well as to study the relationship between their morphological variations, taxonomy and paleoecology. In this study, valve outline analysis allows the discrimination between the non-marine ostracod C. silvestrii and R. whatleyi juveniles, pointing out differences in the posterior valve area and surface ornamentation. Modern female specimens of C. silvestrii from 23 sites located in a spatial transect (41 to 51 °S) exhibited extensive morphological variability, on the basis of which three morphotypes (acuminated, transitional, subtruncated) were determined. Multivariate analyses showed that acuminated and transitional shapes are not arranged in groups but the subtruncated morphotype, previously described as E. cecryphalium, seems to be associated with low water conductivity (372 µS cm-1), dominant cold (5 oC) and windy (8.6 m s-1) climatic conditions. The fossil cluster which included nine cores spanning the last 15.6 kyr, only covered acuminated and transitional shapes, which may indicate that these lineages might be older than the subtruncated morphotype. In addition, morphological differences between reproduction modes suggested that parthenogenetic females exhibit de posterior margin more acuminate than sexual females. These results set the ground for more precise ecological and paleoenvironmental studies in Patagonia., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo

Lake levels in hydrologically closed-basins are very sensitive to climatically and/or anthropogenically triggered environmental changes. Their record through time can provide valuable information to forecast changes that can have substantial economical and societal impact.Increasing precipitation in eastern Patagonia (Argentina) have been documented following years with strong El Niño (cold) events using historical and meteorological data. Quantifying changes in modern lake levels allow determining the impact of rainfall variations while contributing to anticipate the evolution of lacustrine systems over the next decades with expected fluctuations in ENSO frequencies. Laguna Carrilaufquen Grande is located in the intermontane Maquinchao Basin, Argentina. Its dimension fluctuates greatly, from 20 to 55 km2 water surface area and an average water depth of 3 m. Several well-preserved gravelly beach ridges witness rainfall variations that can be compared to meteorological data and satellite images covering the last ~50 years. Our results show that in 2016 lake level was the lowest of the past 44 years whereas the maximum lake level was recorded in 1985 (+11.8 m above the current lake level) in a position 1.6 km to the east of the present shoreline. A five-years moving average rainfall record of the area was calculated smoothing the extreme annual events and correlated to the determined lake level fluctuations. The annual variation of lake levels was up to 1.2 m (e.g. 2014) whereas decadal variations related to humid-arid periods for the interval 2002 to 2016 were up to 9.4 m. These data are consistent with those from other monitored lakes and, thus, our approach opens up new perspectives to understand the historical water level fluctuations of lakes with non-available monitoring data. Laguna de los Cisnes in the Chilean section of the island of Tierra del Fuego, is a closed-lake presently divided into two sections of 2.2 and 11.9 km2, respectively. These two water bodies were united in the past forming a single larger lake. The lake level was ca. 4 m higher than today as shown by clear shorelines and the outcropping of large Ca-rich microbialites. Historical data, aerial photographs and satellite images indicate that the most recent changes in lake level are the result of a massive decrease of water input during the last half of the 20th century triggered by an indiscriminate use of the incoming water for agricultural purposes. The spectacular outcropping of living and fossil microbialites is not only interesting from a scientific point of view but has also initiated the development of the site as a local touristic attraction. However, if the use of the incoming water for agriculture in the catchment remains unregulated the lake water level might drop dangerously and eventually the lake might fully desiccate.These two examples illustrate how recent changes in lake level can be used to anticipate the near future of lakes. They show that ongoing climate changes along with the growing demand of natural resources have already started to impact lacustrine systems and this is likely to increase in the decades to come.

Chlorodendrophyceae are a class of unicellular green algae widespread in the aquatic environment (seawater, brackish water, and freshwater) that have recently been discovered to form intracellular carbonates. These mineral inclusions, called micropearls, are mainly composed of hydrated amorphous calcium carbonates (ACC) in which strontium can also accumulate at high concentrations. Under natural and culture conditions, the Sr/Ca ratio of micropearls can be 200 times higher than in their environment, suggesting that Chlorodendrophyceae species may be considered as potential candidates for new bioremediation methods regarding radioactive 90Sr water contamination. Because very little is known about this phenomenon, ongoing experiments with laboratory cultures are providing essential information about the cellular mechanisms involved in this newly discovered biomineralization process and its impact on the geochemical cycles of Ca and Sr.

Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) is becoming a paleo-proxy of choice for many marine environments. However, there are few studies from tropical sites and even fewer from tropical marine sediments exposed to factors damaging the DNA such as elevated sea surface water temperature or UV radiation. Here, we report successful extraction of DNA from a marine sedimentary core retrieved from the Bismarck Sea, off New Papua Guinea, where the mean annual temperature is about 29°C. The core MD05-2920 covers the last 385 000 years. We analyzed samples from 20 layers, where the isotopic measures of δ18O isotopic composition of benthic foraminifera show significant palaeoceanographic changes from glacial to interglacial periods. We apply a metabarcoding approach using specific 18S primers for planktonic foraminifera, diatoms, and radiolarians. Even if the amount of DNA declines throughout the core, the patterns of successional changes in species communities of these three taxonomic groups are well archived. Our study shows that it is possible to reconstruct the planktonic community even from very old sedaDNA samples from a tropical marine sedimentary core.

Appeared more than 3.5 billion years ago, microbialites represent one of the oldest ecosystems on Earth. These architects of oxygenic photosynthesis dominate the fossil record for nearly 80% of Earth's history, having influenced the evolution of the planet notably by changing the properties of the atmosphere. Despite a dramatic decline in their abundance from the start of the Phanerozoic, they still develop today in a wide spectrum of depositional environments (The Bahamas, Australia, Brazil, etc.). The spatio-temporal distribution of microbialites therefore make them a valuable archive of both life and Earth evolution. However, after nearly 100 years of research, their origin as well as their environmental significance is still a matter of debate. Little is known about microbialite formation, in particular the relative roles of microbial versus environmental factors ruling their growth. Laguna de Los Cisnes located at 53 ° 25' S and 70 ° 40' W in Chilean Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, provides us with a unique site to fill this gap. This basin was formed during the retreat of the ice following the last glaciation about 10,000 years ago. Subsequently, the lake was densely colonized by microbial mats that developed the presently living and fossil carbonate microbialites. We have explored the relative contribution of environmental versus biological factors controlling microbialite morphogenesis across various scales. Macroscopically, these organo-sedimentary deposits have an extension of almost 8 km2 encompassing several morphologies exceptionally large with maximum heights and widths of 1.5 m and 5.0 m respectively. Crater-like shapes are dominant, displaying a spherical to elongated character most frequently unfilled. Both spatial distribution and temporal succession of morphotypes indicate that the dominant physico-chemical character of the water is critical in the localization as well as in the style of the microbial carbonate factory, which in turn is reflected in the morphological character of the subsequent deposit. The microbialite meso-structure reveals a pattern of three lithological distinctive stacked layers. This fabric reflects a multiphase history of formation, linked with the ecological succession of specific bacterial communities throughout time that are still strongly influenced by the prevailing environmental conditions. Interestingly, the simultaneous occurrence of various living bacterial mats provides insights regarding the microscale interactions between the different compounds of the bacterial ecosystem (cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, green algae and diatoms) and their relative roles in the calcification processes. Finally, the presence of extraordinary well-preserved fossil outcrops along with living microbialites gives a temporal dimension to this study, laying the foundation for the development of a new formation model. By applying the latter to other microbialites outcropping at different geographical and temporal scales, the microbial carbonates of Laguna de Los Cisnes can provide critical information to better reconstruct the dominant environmental conditions during the early evolution of life on Earth.

Lake sediments bear valuable information allowing multidisciplinary research to address paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions at regional to global scales. Sedimentological, geochemical, paleontological and biological tools are commonly used to tackle these questions, which are generally driven by a set of intricated parameters. Among them, the importance of biogeochemical cycling is largely acknowledged in the lake (paleo-) water columns and has been at the heart of most paleolimnological studies. The way these signals are transferred to lake sediments has largely been studied. However, microbial communities - the principal actors in the biogeochemical cycling framework - keep being active in the sediment, and continue to influence the preservation and retention of organic and inorganic matter while buried. Gathered within the “early diagenesis” black box, these processes, once qualified, can help better interpret the proxies they may influence, and even constitute new ones. Within this work, we provide examples showing that the integration of studies of the subsurface biosphere within geo- and paleo-limnology investigations can help unlock or secure the potential of multiproxy analysis for reconstructing the paleoenvironments, paleoclimates and paleo-ecology of lake basins. The use of now well-developed OMICS methods, through the analysis of environmental and/or ancient DNA and lipids in particular has been coupled to mineralogical, isotopic and magnetic information in the Dead Sea (Levant) to demonstrate the differential preservation of mineralogic and sedimentologic signals along the last two glacial-interglacial cycles (Thomas et al., 2015, 2016; Ebert et al., 2018). Similar signals have been unlocked in Lake Towuti (Indonesia) and in Laguna Potrok Aike (Argentina) (Vuillemin et al., 2015, 2017). In Lake Ohrid (North Macedonia/Albania), environmental DNA has provided limited inputs on that perspective (Thomas et al., 2020), but has shown that ancient/fossil DNA could provide valuable information regarding the lake primary productivity and the status of its watershed land-cover. Integrating OMICS methods to tackle the identity and activity of the ancient and modern subsurface biosphere of lakes therefore holds an immense potential not only for microbiology investigations, but also for paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions.Ebert et al. (2018) Overwriting of sedimentary magnetism by bacterially mediated mineral alteration. Geology 46, 2–5.Thomas et al. (2016) Microbial sedimentary imprint on the deep Dead Sea sediment. The Depositional Record 1–21.Thomas et al. (2020) Weak influence of paleoenvironmental conditions on the subsurface biosphere of lake ohrid over the last 515 ka. Microorganisms 8, 1–20.Thomas et al. (2015) Impact of paleoclimate on the distribution of microbial communities in the subsurface sediment of the Dead Sea. Geobiology 13, 546–561.Vuillemin et al. (2015) Recording of climate and diagenesis through fossil pigments and sedimentary DNA at Laguna Potrok Aike, Argentina. Biogeosciences Discussions 12, 18345–18388.Vuillemin et al. (2017) Preservation and Significance of Extracellular DNA in Ferruginous Sediments from Lake Towuti , Indonesia. Frontiers in Microbiology 8, 1–15.

International audience; The use of lake sedimentary DNA to track the long-term changes in both terrestrial and aquatic biota is a rapidly advancing field in paleoecological research. Although largely applied nowadays, knowledge gaps remain in this field and there is therefore still research to be conducted to ensure the reliability of the sedimentary DNA signal. Building on the most recent literature and seven original case studies, we synthesize the state-of-the-art analytical procedures for effective sampling, extraction, amplification, quantification and/or generation of DNA inventories from sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) via high-throughput sequencing technologies. We provide recommendations based on current knowledge and best practises.

Fe speciation and Fe isotopes have been widely used to reconstruct past basin dynamics and water redox conditions. However, sedimentation and early diagenesis of such proxies eventually alter any primary climate signal. In this work, we disentangled the processes occurring at the redox front below the sediment-water interface of a ventilated deep-water lake (Lago Fagnano, Argentina/Chile). A sequential extraction protocol was applied to characterize two reactive Fe pools: Fe oxyhydroxides and reduced iron. Subsequently Fe isotopes were constrained to determine the main processes mobilizing iron. At the redox front, ferric minerals reach a δ56Fe of -1.3 ‰ resulting from fluid upward migration and oxidation of dissolved Fe and likely following a Rayleigh distillation effect. Right below, low ferric Fe concentrations indicate Fe reduction which fuels the dissolved Fe pool. Consequently, as the sedimentation proceeds, light Fe is in constant upward migration along with the redox front. However, an increased sedimentation (e.g., turbiditic events) interrupts this dynamic cycle and the Fe rich redox front can be partially preserved. Additionally, oxidation of dissolved Fe is compromised and can be recycled in the formation of ferrous minerals, such as Fe monosulfides and amorphous phases, which show light Fe isotopes reaching a δ56Fe of -1.7 ‰

International audience; Halite traps inclusions of the mother fluid when precipitating. When unchanged, the density of these fluid inclusions (FIs) records the water temperature T f at the time of crystal formation. As halite is ubiquitous on Earth and geological time, its FIs possess a high potential as temperature archives. However, the use of FIs in halite as an accurate palaeothermometer has been hampered due to limitations of microthermometry, the most commonly used analytical method. Here, we show how Brillouin spectroscopy in halite FIs bypasses these limitations and allows recovering Tf to within 1 °C or less. To demonstrate this, we measured samples synthesised at 24.6 ± 0.5 °C and 33 ± 1 °C, and obtained 24.8 ± 0.4 °C and 31.9 ± 0.4 °C, respectively. This novel approach thus provides an accurate palaeothermometer for lacustrine and marine environments. Moreover, Brillouin spectroscopy solves the long‐standing debate on damage of halite fluid inclusions through quantifying the acceptable temperature excursion for preserving elastic behaviour: [l /(1 µm)]−0.64 × (90 °C), where l is the FI size. This threshold is lower for FIs close to the surface of the host crystal or to another FI. We also list ‘best practices’ for applying both microthermometry and Brillouin thermometry.

Changes in the ostracod assemblages from two sediment cores collected from Lago Cardiel in southeastern Patagonia (49°S) reflect the main regional abrupt climatic changes over the last 15.6 cal. ka BP. Shifts in species abundance and switches in dominances suggest that these were mainly driven by variable salinity. During the Late Pleistocene, Limnocythere rionegroensis was abundant and dominant, indicating waters with high salinity and prevalence of evaporative processes. Between 12.6 and 10.8 cal. ka BP, Lago Cardiel expanded markedly and reached an Early Holocene highstand of +55 m above present lake level. A major change in ostracod assemblage in which Limnocythere patagonica appears as the dominant species in parallel with the disappearance of L. rionegroensis and Eucypris aff. cecryphalium mirrored this transitional period between the cold and dry Late Pleistocene and the humid and warm Early Holocene. Over the last 4 cal. ka BP, L. rionegroensis returned to the species assemblage and Riocypris whatleyi increased its abundance pointing towards increasing salinities. The variations in size, shape and ornamentation of L. rionegroensis and R. whatleyi fossil valves were examined using geometric morphometric techniques and further compared to those of modern Patagonian sites. Limnocythere rionegroensis specimens displayed high morphological variability during the evolution of Lago Cardiel. More specifically, the switch in reproductive mode – from sexual to parthenogenetic– and the increase in valve ornamentation around 12.7 cal. ka BP suggest that these changes were promoted by the hydrological alteration that occurred in the Late Pleistocene. This exercise provides a robust range of morphological variation for these proxies, which will be useful in further taxonomic and palaeoenvironmental studies adding more information about different factors influencing the observed morphological trends. Fil: Ramos, Lorena Yésica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Alperin, Marta Ines. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentina Fil: Schwalb, A.. Technische Universität Braunschweig. Institut für Geosysteme und Bioindikation; Alemania Fil: Markgraf, Vera. University of Colorado; Estados Unidos Fil: Ariztegui, Daniel. Universidad de Ginebra; Suiza Fil: Cusminsky, Gabriela Catalina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina

The endorheic nature of Lake Trasimeno in combination with its position in central Italy makes it a relevant site to better constrain spatial differences in Holocene climatic variability in the Mediterranean area. Herein, we present a high-resolution ostracod record from the Holocene section of an 8.59-m-long sedimentary core, which is compared with historical data to distinguish anthropogenic and climatic signals. The occurrence, abundance and vanishing of ostracod species are directly controlled by lake-level variations, which are in turn related to global and regional climatic changes (i.e. moisture variations). The total organic carbon content as well as observed lithological changes provide additional information about Lake Trasimeno’s hydrological and trophic conditions in the past. Most important variations have been identified at ca. 10,000 cal. yr BP, when the lacustrine basin changed from a temporary to a permanent waterbody (from Sarsicypridopsis aculeata to Candona angulata association). The highest lake level and the total absence of ostracods occur at around 9000 cal. yr BP. The recorded humid phase persisted up to ca. 4200 cal yr BP since when a lake-level decreasing trend started and continued until the present day ( Candona angulata, Cyprideis torosa and Darvinula stevensoni associations). The frequency of changes in the relative abundance of the main species shows centennial variations (i.e. C. angulata, C. torosa and Darvinula stevensoni). As historical evidences yield that human interventions to control the lake level remained unsuccessful in the past, Lake Trasimeno records an almost pristine climatic signal during most of the Holocene, which is quite unusual in the highly populated Mediterranean area.

A multiproxy approach in a sediment core from Lake Trasimeno has been used to reconstruct the climate history of central Italy during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene period (ca. 47,000–9,000 cal yr B.P.). Ostracod assemblages and sedimentological data (lithology and carbonate content) have been used to infer past hydrological changes in the area. Ostracods were analyzed throughout the core using diversity indexes and multivariate statistic analyses (Cluster and PCA). Three main associations linked to lake level and salinity variations were recognized: 1) the C. torosa association, indicating permanent lacustrine conditions with high lake levels and low salinities; 2) the S. aculeata association, linked to very shallow/temporary waters with higher salinity conditions; and 3) the S. aculeata-E. mareotica association pointing to temporary water conditions and the highest salinities. Furthermore, the presence of C. fuscata and L. blankenbergensis during wide parts of the Late Pleistocene indicates temperatures lower than present days. Alternations of these three ostracod associations compares well with the oxygen isotope curve from Greenland (NGRIP) and are thus interpreted as climatically driven. At the Holocene transition (Termination 1), the ostracod associations indicate a delay in the increasing warming and humidity with respect to the NGRIP temperature record.

Salt deposits found throughout the geological record and across the globe are witnesses of extreme paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions. However, little is known about the hydrological conditions that gave rise to these deposits, and the role of temperatures is even less constrained. Here we have used a new technique, Brillouin spectroscopy, to investigate the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions that led to the deposit of a thick salt sequence in the Dead Sea during the Last Interglacial (LIG, ~135,000 to 115,000 years before present). Through measuring the speed of sound inside halite fluid inclusions (FIs), this method provides the parent brine temperature and salinity at the moment of crystal growth. We applied it to several tens of halite intervals from the 450-meters-long core 5017-1 drilled in 2010-2011 in the deepest part of the Dead Sea in Palestine within the framework of the Dead Sea Deep Drilling Project (DSDDP). The application of Brillouin spectroscopy to this record provides a unique quantification of temperature and hydrological changes in this area during the LIG and outlines a radically new narrative for the climate of the region during this period. The example of the Dead Sea shows that Brillouin spectroscopy on halite FIs is in position to provide valuable data to test the efficiency of climate models and to better understand the processes that lead to the deposition of salt giants.