Late Holocene lake-level and lake development signals in Lower Herring Lake, Michigan

Paleolimnological investigations of a marginal lake in the Lake Michigan basin revealed signals of long-term lake-level changes primarily controlled by climatic forces. Multiple analyses identified concurrent signals in sediment chemistry, grain size, and the microfossil record. Coarse-grained sediments, benthic diatoms, and nutrient response species increased as lake, levels rose or fell. Finer sediments and higher percentages of taxa associated with stable thermocline conditions occurred during high-lake periods. Sedimentary evidence revealed corresponding strong high-lake signals c. 2500-2200, 1800-1500, 1170-730, and 500-280 BP. Low-lake periods occurred c. 1500-1170 and 700-500 B.P. An additional signal of lake-level decline was apparent beginning c. 280 BP but was interrupted by anthropogenic effects. Evidence of extreme low-lake levels (c. 1400-1300 BP), and signals for a medieval warming period (1030-910 BP) and the Maunder minimum (370-325 BP) indicate occurrence of short-lived dry climatic conditions. © 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.