New evidence on the structure and age of the Bestyakh Terrace of the Lena River (Ust-Buotama Outcrop)

The Lena River provides important records for understanding the Quaternary history of North-East Siberia. At present, the structure, origin and age of the elements of the Lena River valley remain unresolved. This article presents the results of lithofacies analysis and absolute dating of the Ust-Buotama section exposing the Fourth (Bestyakh) fill Terrace in the middle Lena River valley. Three stratigraphic units have been recognized in the section: lacustrine–alluvial deposits at depth of 120–85 m depth from the surface correlated with the Middle Pleistocene Mavra formation of Central Yakutia; eolian deposits of the Late Pleistocene D’olkuma formation (depth 85–23 m), and eolian deposits of the Holocene wind-blown dunes (from the depth of 23 m to the surface). First quartz and K-feldspar ages have been obtained for the section using luminescence dating. The age relations and standard tests have shown the reliability of the chronology obtained. This chronology suggests that sediments of the Mavra formation were deposited no later than 300 ka, and their stratigraphic position implies a preliminary correlation with the Tobolsk time of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 11-9). Deposition of the D’olkuma formation took place from late MIS 3 (29–30 ka) to the late MIS 2 (14–15 ka), reflecting the period of eolian activity when sand dunes and sheets were formed. The periods of eolian accumulation alternated with deflation periods at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Short periods of stabilization of the eolian landscape are indicated in the section by poorly developed paleosoils. The uppermost part of the section consists of the Late Holocene dune sediments which accumulation started ~400 years ago during the Little Ice Age. These findings infer that the Bestyakh Terrace is not a fluvial terrace in the classic sense, but rather the remaining part of a complex deflational and depositional plain. Much of the terrace sediments appear to have been formed under subaerial conditions in cold, dry environments of the late Pleistocene.

1. Alekseev M.N., Grinenko O.V., Kamaletdinov V.A. et al. Neogenovye i chetvertichnye otlozheniya Nizhnealdanskoj vpadiny i srednej Leny (Central’naya Yakutiya) [Neogene and Quaternary Deposits of the Lower Aldan Depression and the Middle Lena (Central Yakutia)]. Geological excursion guide. Yakutsk, YaNC SO AN SSSR, 1990, 42 p. (in Russ.).

2. Galanin, A.A. Late Quaternary sand covers of Central Yakutia (Eastern Siberia): Structure, facies composition and paleoenvironment significance. Kriosfera Zemli 2021, 25, 3–34. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.15372/KZ20210101

3. Galanin A.A., Pavlova M.R., Klimova I.V. Late Quaternary dune formations (D’olkuminskaya Series) in Central Yakutia (Part 1). Kriosfera Zemli [Earth’s Cryosphere], 2018, vol. XXII, No. 6, p. 3–14. (In Russ.).

4. Galanin A.A., Pavlova M.R. Late Quaternary dune formations (D’olkuminskaya Series) in Central Yakutia (Part 2). Kriosfera Zemli [Earth’s Cryosphere], 2019, vol. XXIII, No. 1, p. 3–15. (In Russ.).

5. Zol’nikov, V.G., Popova, A.I., 1957. Paleogeograficheskaia skhema chetvertichnogo perioda ravniny Tsentral'noi Iakutii [Paleogeographic scheme of the Quaternary of the plain of Central Yakutia]. Trudy Instituta biologii 3, 5–8. (In Russ.).

6. Ivanov M.S. Kriogennoe stroenie chetvertichnyh otlozhenij Leno-Aldanskoj vpadiny [Cryogenic Structure of the Quaternary Deposits of the Lena-Aldan Depression]. Novosibirsk, Nauka, 1984, 126 p. (in Russ.).

7. Kamaletdinov V.A., Minuk P.S. Structure and characteristics of sediments of the bestyakh terrace of the middle Lena River. Byulleten’ Komissii po izucheniyu chetvertichnogo perioda AN SSSR [Bulletin of the Commission of Quaternary Research of AS USSR], 1991, No. 60, p. 68–78 (in Russ.).

8. Katasonov, E.M., Ivanov, M. S., 1973. Kriolitologiia Tsentral'noi Iakutii (ekskursiia po Lene i Aldanu): Putevoditel' [Cryolithology of Central Yakutia (excursion on Lena and Aldan): Guide]. Izd. OUPES SO AN SSSR, Iakutsk. (In Russ.).

9. Kovalyukh, N., Skripkin, V., 2007. Radiocarbon dating of archaeological ceramics by liquid scintillation method. In: Radiocarbon archaeological and paleoecological studies. IIMK RAN, St. Petersburg, pp. 120–126. (In Russ.).

10. Kolpakov, V.V. Palaeogeography of the Quaternary period in the lower reaches of the Lena River//Izv. vuzov. Ser. geol. i razv. 1966. № 5. pp. 41-48. (In Russ.).

11. Kolpakov, V.V., 1983. Aeolian Quaternary deposits in the Lena area of Yakutia. Bulletin of the Commission of Quaternary Research (Billyuten po izuchen. chetvert. perioda), No. 52, 123–131. (In Russ.).

12. Korzhuev, S.S. Geomorphology of the middle Lena Valley and surrounding areas. – Moskva: Izdatel’stvo AN SSSR, 1959. – 152 pp. (In Russ.).

13. Kut, А.А., 2015. Aeolian-permafrost dune massifs (tukulans) in Central Yakutia: their structure, genesis, age and distribution patterns. Extended abstract of Cand. Sci. (geol.-mineral.) Dissertation. Yakutsk, 22 pp. (In Russ.)

14. Pravkin S.A., Bolshiyanov D.Yu., Pomortsev O.A. et al. Relief, structure and age of Quaternary sediments of the river valley. Lena in the Yakutsk bend. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Nauki o Zemle [Bulletin of St. Petersburg University. Earth Sciences], 2018, No. 63 (2), p. 209–229. (In Russ.).

15. Soloviev P.A. Kriolitozona severnoj chasti Leno-Amginskogo mezhdurech’ya [Cryolithozone of the Northern Part of the Lena-Amga Interfluve]. Moscow, AN SSSR, 1959, 144 p. (In Russ.). Spektor, V.B., 16) Spektor, V.V., 2002. O proiskhozhdenii vysokoi Leno-Amginskoi perigliatsial'noi ravniny [On genesis of high Lena-Amga rivers periglacial plain]. Kriosfera Zemli VI, 4, 3–12. (In Russ.)

16. Buylaert, J.-P., Jain, M., Murray, A.S., Thomsen, K.J., Thiel, C., Sohbati, R., 2012. A robust feldspar luminescence dating method for Middle and Late Pleistocene sediments. Boreas 41, 435–451. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1502-3885.2012.00248.x

17. Guerin, G., Mercier, N., Nathan, R., Adamiec, G., Lefrais, Y., 2012. On the use of the infinite matrix assumption and associated concepts: a critical review. Radiat. Meas. 47. 778-785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2012.04.004

18. Hunter R.E. Basic types of stratification in small eolian dunes// Sedimentology, 1977, vol. 24, p. 361-387. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1977.tb00128.x

19. Kurbanov R., Murray A., Thompson W. et al. (2021). First reliable chronology for the early Khvalynian Caspian Sea transgression in the Lower Volga River valley // Boreas. Vol. 50. No 1. P. 134–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12478

20. Murray, A., Arnold, L. J., Buylaert, J-P., Guérin, G., Qin, J., Singhvi, A. K., Smedley, R., & Thomsen, K. J. (2021). Optically stimulated luminescence dating using quartz. Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 1, [72]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-021-00068-5

21. Murray, A.S., Helsted, L.M., Autzen, M., Jain, M., Buylaert, J-P., 2018. Measurement of natural radioactivity: calibration and performance of a high-resolution gamma spectrometry facility. Radiat. Meas. 120, 215-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2018.04.006

22. Murray, A.S., Marten, R., Johnston, A., Martin, P., 1987. Analysis for naturally occurring radionuclides at environmental concentrations by gamma spectrometry. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 115, 263-288

23. Murray, A.S., Wintle, A.G., 2000. Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol. Radiat. Meas. 32 (1), 57-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1350-4487(99)00253-X

24. Reimer, P., Austin, W., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Blackwell, P., Bronk Ramsey, C., Talamo, S (2020). The IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0-55 cal kBP). Radiocarbon, 62(4), 725-757. https://doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2020.41

25. Thiel, C., Buylaert, J.-P., Murray, A., Terhorst, B., Hofer, I., Tsukamoto, S., Frechen, M., 2011. Luminescence dating of the Stratzing loess profile (Austria) – testing the potential of an elevated temperature post-IR IRSL protocol. Quat. Int. 234, 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2010.05.018