IGBP-PAGESにおける湖沼堆積物の役割  [in Japanese] The Role of Lake Sediments for IGBP-PAGES  [in Japanese]

The Past Global Changes (PAGES) is directed at securing a better understanding of the natural and human-induced variations of the Earth system in the past, through the organization of coordinated national and international endeavors to obtain and interpret a variety of natural and written records. In this report, I describe a role of lake sediments for IGBP-PAGES Lake sediments provide a high-resolution archive that can be used to establish local conditions. In order to properly interpret the proxy climate signals in lake sequences, it is imperative to understand how environmental signals are stored in lake sediments. Lithology, sedimentation rates and water levels change in response to precipitation and evaporation. Planktonic biota establish physical and chemical conditions in the lake water. Pollen derives vegetation in the region. Lake sediments are also a principal source of paleomagnetism and volcanic eruption. Data can be used to test various climate models and to understand feedback processes on a regional scale.