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1.
乌梁素海和岱海沉积磷形态分布的差异性研究 总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3
湖泊沉积物中磷的含量及形态分布等地球化学信息可以用来反演湖泊流域的古环境及污染历史。本文以乌梁素海和岱海两个不同类型的湖泊为研究对象,对两个湖泊沉积柱芯中磷形态分布的差异性进行了研究。结果表明,乌梁素海和岱海沉积柱芯中沉积磷的主导形态均为ACa P、De P和 Or P,但乌梁素海表层沉积物和沉积柱芯中Al P和 ACa P的含量水平明显高于岱海,而Ex P、De P和 Or P的含量水平明显低于岱海。两个湖泊沉积磷形态分布的差异性能较好地揭示出湖泊流域的地理环境、化学风化程度以及湖泊富营养化类型的差异性,沉积柱芯中ACa P含量及其分布特征能很好的指示湖泊自身发展过程中的富营养化水平,而De P含量及其分布特征则能较好的揭示出整个湖泊流域的古环境古气候信息。 相似文献
2.
3.
Holocene chemical weathering and climatic oscillations in north China: evidence from lacustrine sediments 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
ZHANGDONG JIN JINGLU WU JUNJI CAO SUMIN WANG JI SHEN NANHUA GAO CHENJUAN ZOU 《Boreas: An International Journal of Quaternary Research》2004,33(3):260-266
Holocene lacustrine sediments from two isolated lakes in north China are investigated. Based on palaeoclimatic significance of independent proxies in lake sediments, Holocene chemical weathering, and hence climate change, has been reconstructed for dated sediment cores from Daihai Lake and Aibi Lake. During early to mid-Holocene, higher weathering intensity occurred in the Daihai catchment under warm and humid climate conditions, and this reached a maximum at ∼5 kyr BP. However, synchronous proxy shifts from the two widely separated, isolated lake sediments indicate that there was a cool climate event during the early to mid-Holocene transition. This is characterized by reduced weathering in each catchment, low δ 13 C and δ 18 O of authigenic carbonate, and by lake level fluctuations. These might correspond to a global cooling signal identified in lakes, oceans, mollusc sequences, and polar ice cores, typically centred between ∼8.0 and 8.5 kyr BP. Dry conditions were experienced in Greenland, the North Atlantic and surrounding regions, and in broad monsoonal regions including Daihai at this time. However, recent extensive evidences as well as our data from the Aibi Lake sediments show that cool but wet conditions occurred in the central Eurasian continent at this time. After ∼2.5 kyr BP, a significant shift of independent sediment proxies indicates the beginning of the Neoglaciation with a higher frequency of fluctuations, including both the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and the Little Ice Age (LIA). Our continental records provide new evidence of the Holocene climate variability with global significance and highlight the different spatial nature of the response to oscillations associated with different climate patterns. 相似文献
4.
Geochemical Characteristics of Amino Acids in Sediments of Lake Taihu, A Large, Shallow, Eutrophic Freshwater Lake of China 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
Xin Yao Guangwei Zhu Linlin Cai Mengyuan Zhu Linlin Zhao Guang Gao Boqiang Qin 《Aquatic Geochemistry》2012,18(3):263-280
To examine the biogeochemistry of amino acids (AAs) in the sediment of Lake Taihu, surface sediments (0–3 cm) and deeper sediments
(18–21 cm) were collected at 21 sites from different ecotype zones of the lake. AAs were extracted from the sediments, and
the total hydrolyzable amino acids (THAA) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography instrument. The THAA contents
in Taihu sediment were much lower than that in marine sediments, ranging from 6.84 to 38.24 μmol g−1 in surface sediments and from 2.91 to 18.75 μmol g−1 in deeper sediments in Taihu, respectively. AAs were a major fraction of the organic matter (OM) and organic nitrogen in
Taihu sediments. The AAs on average contributed 8.2% of organic carbon (OC) and 25.0% of total nitrogen (TN) from surface
sediments, and 5.9% of OC and 20.5% of TN in deeper sediments, respectively. AA composition provided very useful information
about the degradation of OM. Glycine (Gly) and lysine (Lys) were the predominant forms of AAs in the sediments, irrespective
of lake regions, followed by alanine, glutamic acid, serine (Ser), and aspartic acid (Asp). The high concentrations of Gly,
Lys, and Ser suggested that these forms of AAs were relatively refractory during OM degradation in sediments. The relationship
between the Asp/Gly ratio and Ser + Thr [mol%] indicated that OM in surface sediment was relatively fresher than that in deeper
sediments. The AAs-based degradation index (DI) gave a similar conclusion. The composition and DI of AAs in surface sediments
are markedly different across different zones in Taihu. The percentages of AAs to organic carbon (AA-C%) and total nitrogen
(AA-N%) were higher in phytoplankton-dominated zones than those in macrophyte-dominated zones. These results suggest that
DI could provide useful information about the degradation of OM in shallow lakes such as Taihu. 相似文献
5.
The freshwater Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the hypersaline Dead Sea are remnant lakes, evolved from ancient water bodies that filled the tectonic depressions along the Dead Sea Transform (DST) during the Neogene-Quartenary periods. We reconstructed the limnological history (level and composition) of Lake Kinneret during the past ∼40,000 years and compared it with the history of the contemporaneous Lake Lisan from the aspect of the regional and global climate history. The lake level reconstruction was achieved through a chronological and sedimentological investigation of exposed sedimentary sections in the Kinnarot basin trenches and cores drilled at the Ohalo II archeological site. Shoreline chronology was established by radiocarbon dating of organic remains and of Melanopsis shells.The major changes in Lake Kinneret level were synchronous with those of the southern Lake Lisan. Both lakes dropped significantly ∼42,000, ∼30,000, 23,800, and 13,000 yr ago and rose ∼39,000, 26,000, 5000, and 1600 yr ago. Between 26,000 and 24,000 yr ago, the lakes merged into a unified water body and lake level achieved its maximum stand of ∼170 m below mean sea level (m bsl). Nevertheless, the fresh and saline water properties of Lake Kinneret and Lake Lisan, respectively, have been preserved throughout the 40,000 years studied. Calcium carbonate was always deposited as calcite in Lake Kinneret and as aragonite in Lake Lisan-Dead Sea, indicating that the Dead Sea brine (which supports aragonite production) never reached or affected Lake Kinneret, even during the period of lake high stand and convergence. The synchronous level fluctuation of lakes Kinneret, Lisan, and the Holocene Dead Sea is consistent with the dominance of the Atlantic-Mediterranean rain system on the catchment of the basin and the regional hydrology. The major drops in Lake Kinneret-Lisan levels coincide with the timing of cold spells in the North Atlantic that caused a shut down of rains in the East Mediterranean and the lakes drainage area. 相似文献
6.
近2600年来内蒙古居延海湖泊沉积物的色素含量及环境意义 总被引：10，自引：0，他引：10
通过分析东居延海S1探坑剖面色素含量,结合碳酸盐、介形类化石、腐殖酸、磁化率及化学元素等多环境指标分析结果,探讨该区近 2 6 0 0年来环境气候波动特点。研究区气候变化大致经历几个阶段:温暖湿润(2 6 5 0～ 2 5 6 0aB.P.)→湖泊菱缩,气候偏干暖 (2 5 6 0～ 2 36 0aB.P.)→暖湿气候背景下湖泊的扩张 (2 36 0～2 1 2 0aB.P.)→冷湿向冷干转换,湖泊由大湖开始菱缩 (2 1 2 0～ 1 6 0 0aB.P.)→气候暖湿,湖泊再次扩张,(1 6 0 0～ 6 5 0aB.P.)→湖泊由扩张到菱缩,气候由冷湿向暖干变化 (6 5 0aB.P.-至今 )。同时尝试把色素与其它指标的结合作为指示湖泊古初始生产力的有效性,以及识别沉积记录有关人类活动的可能性。 相似文献
7.
通过LL-4孔沉积环境指标研究表明,近100年来龙感湖地区人类活动加强,导致营养元素磷、碳、氮以及铁在沉积物中的浓度均呈增长趋势,特别是1950年以来,随着大量人口的迁入,围湖造田、破坏湖滨湿地等造成水土流失加剧,沉积物质量累积速率加快,同时营养元素累积量急剧增加。根据营养元素与参比元素Al, Fe和Ti之间的关系,以及不同营养元素之间的相互关系,人类活动引起的累积量得以从自然背景上区分出来,结合沉积物质量累积速率计算,人类活动引起的磷、有机碳和氮的累积通量分别在151.0~889.4mg/m2a,4.3~149.0g/m2a和0.5~18.6g/m2a间变化。碎屑物质的累积稀释了沉积物中营养盐的富集浓度,龙感湖草型湖泊的特点,使湖泊沉积环境易于呈氧化环境,生物和地球化学作用,也削弱了人类活动累积营养盐的变化幅度,使沉积中营养盐呈平稳上升的趋势。 相似文献
8.
The carbon isotopic composition of organic matter from lake sediments has been extensively used to infer variations in productivity. In this paper, based on the study of the contents and δ13C values of organic matter in different types of lakes, it has been found that δ13C values of organic matter have different responses to lake productivity in different lakes. As to the lakes dominated by aqutic macrophytes such as Lake Caohai, organic matter becomes enriched in 13C with increasing productivity. As to the lakes dominated by aquatic algae such as Lake Chenghai, δ13C values of organic matter decrease with increasing productivity, and the degradation of aquatic algae is the main factor leading to the decrease of δ13C values of organic matter with increasing productivity. Therefore, we should be cautious to use the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter to deduce lake productivity. 相似文献
9.
The photosynthetic conversion of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) into organic carbon (OC) by using aquatic phototrophs in rivers may serve as a potential carbon sink, especially in the carbonate rock areas, thereby offering a clue for finding the missing carbon sink. However, primary-produced autochthonous OC is erroneously considered as terrestrial-derived allochthonous OC. Thus, carbonate weathering-related carbon sink is underestimated if only DIC concentrations sampled at river mouths are considered, and the transformation of DIC to autochthonous OC is neglected. Therefore, distinguishing sources of autochthonous and allochthonous OC is vital in the assessment of carbon sink. In this study, source-specific biomarkers, in association with chemical compositions and phytoplankton proxies in water samples collected from the Pearl River, were analyzed to determine OC sources. Results showed that biomarkers in the Pearl River were quite abundant, and the calculated average autochthonous OC was approximately 65% of the total OC, indicating intense in-river primary productivity. Moreover, phytoplankton biomass and DIC concentration were positively related, indicating the DIC fertilization effect on aquatic photosynthesis. High total suspended solid (TSS) on the water surface blocked the sunlight and then reduced phytoplankton production. However, in situ photosynthesis of phytoplankton could also produce autochthonous OC, even larger than the allochthonous source at sites with high DIC, and even with higher TSS concentrations. These findings comprehensively elucidated the formation of autochthonous OC based on the coupling action of rock weathering and photosynthetic activity in the riverine system, suggesting a potential direction for finding the missing carbon sink. 相似文献
10.
长江中下游不同类型湖泊沉积物营养盐 蓄积变化过程及其原因分析* 总被引：7，自引：10，他引：7
在长江中下游的洪湖、太湖、巢湖采集了沉积柱样,测定了总有机碳、总氮、磷,并采用210 Pb和137 Cs定年。洪湖1950年以来沉积物中营养元素急剧增加,巢湖在20世纪70年代以来营养元素开始增加,而在太湖中则为80年代。结果表明草型湖中有机质增加比藻型湖迅速,洪湖湖泊沉积物有机质迅速增加与围垦活动开始时间一致。沉积物中总磷的变化不如总有机碳、总氮的变化规律性明显。洪湖两钻孔总磷背景值为0.7~0.8g/kg,太湖钻孔其总磷本底为0.6g/kg,梅梁湾大量钻孔表明总磷本底在0.5g/kg;巢湖的则更低。对比湖泊类型来看,目前为藻型湖的沉积本底磷偏低,而目前为草型湖的沉积本底磷偏高,这可能与不同生态类型湖泊营养元素的生物地球化学循环与积累的方式有关。 相似文献
11.
Ammonium release characteristics of the sediments from the shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River region,China 总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2
Juan Wang Shengrui Wang Xiangcan Jin Shuquan Zhu Fengchang Wu 《Environmental Geology》2008,55(1):37-45
Ammonium release from sediments has significant effects on the water quality in eutrophic lakes. In this study, the ammonium
release kinetics and adsorption–desorption processes were investigated in 13 sediments of 6 shallow lakes from the middle
and lower reaches of Yangtze River region, China. The results show that First Order Model best described the ammonium release
process, the maximal release capacity had a strong correlation with organic matter (OM), cationic exchange capacity (CEC),
total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). But it only had a weak correlation with Fe, Ca and Al. The ammonium release
capacity in more polluted sediments was higher than that in less polluted sediments. The average release rate within 0–5 min
was the highest among the experimental period, the amount released within 0–5 min accounted for approximately 50–70% of the
total release capacity. The ammonium release rate had a significant and positive correlation with OM. But it did not have
a strong correlation with TN, TP, Fe, Ca and Al. The ammonium potential release capacity (obtained when the water/sediment
ratio was about 2,500) had strong and positive relation with OM and maximal release capacity, and it may provide useful information
for the sediment release risk assessment. Henry Model best described the ammonium sorption isotherms, and ammonium adsorption–desorption
equilibrium concentration can be considered as the ammonium release threshold to assess the release risk in the sediments. 相似文献
12.
Our objective was to quantify the contribution of autochthonous, locally-produced phytoplankton, and allochthonous, terrestrial-derived
organic matter (OM) to the production of young-of-year (YOY) American shad(Alosa sapidissima) using stable isotopes. We measured the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope composition of YOY American shad in the tidal fresh
water of the Mattaponi River, a tributary in the York River estuary, during three consecutive years. The isotopic ratios of
larval American shad varied among years, indicating a switch from reliance on a primarily autochthonous food web pathway during
low and moderate discharge years (50–90%; 2002, 2004) to a primarily allochthonous pathway during a high discharge year (<
35% phytoplankton; 2003). Reliance on phytoplankton by larval fish declined exponentially with increasing Mattaponi River
discharge. In 2003, juvenile production was also supported by allochthonous OM, though autochthonous phytoplankton accounted
for an increasingly large fraction during June through August, up to 40–55%. We also found a long-term, positive relationship
between the duration of above average flow during April through June in the Mattaponi River and a corresponding index of juvenile
American shad abundance. The largest American shad cohort recorded since 1967 was observed in 2003, a high discharge year.
The production of this cohort was largely supported by allochthonous OM. The results suggest an important link between river
discharge, energy flow, and recruitment, wherein high discharge favors reliance on terrestrial carbon by YOY American shad,
owing to changes in zooplankton diet, macroinvertebrate abundance, or both, and also favors high American shad abundance. 相似文献
13.
This study of five small (<3.0 ha) lakes in southwestern Greenland examines the veracity of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (br GDGTs) as a temperature proxy in lacustrine systems. The proximity (<5 km) of the lakes suggests that their temperature history, and thus their br GDGT records, should be similar. Distributions of br GDGTs in (i) surface sediments from all five lakes, (ii) 14C-dated sediment cores from two lakes (Upper and Lower EVV Lakes) and (iii) soil samples from the area surrounding the lakes were examined. The temporal records of br GDGT-based temperature for the two cores exhibited both similarities and major discrepancies. The differences between the paleotemperature records for the two lakes suggest that br GDGTs are not solely soil-derived, reflecting air temperature, but also indicate an additional br GDGT contribution from another source. Among the broader suite of lake sediments, there was a strong correlation (R2 0.987) between br GDGT-based surface sediment temperatures and measured summer bottom water temperatures for the four lakes with hypoxic/anoxic bottom waters, including Upper EVV Lake. The correlation suggests production of br GDGTs by anaerobic bacteria within the bottom water and/or sediment–water interface, reflecting environmental temperature for the individual lakes and augmenting the uniform, soil-derived signal. Hence, assessment of br GDGTs in Greenland lake sediments provides evidence for their origin from anaerobic autochthonous bacteria and indicates that interpretation of lacustrine br GDGT-based paleotemperature records requires contextual knowledge of individual lake systems and potential source(s) of sedimentary br GDGTs. 相似文献
14.
Lake sediment cores from the Coast Mountains of British Columbia were analyzed using chemical sequential extractions to partition the dominant geochemical fractions of phosphorus (P). The P fractions include mineral P (the original source of bioavailable P), occluded P (bound to soil oxides), and organic P (remains of organic matter). By comparing P fractions of soil and recent lake sediment samples, these fractions are shown to be a valid proxy for landscape-scale nutrient status. Changes in soil development for an alpine watershed (Lower Joffre Lake) are inferred from the P fractions in the basin's outlet lake sediments. Glacially sourced mineral P dominates at the base of the core, but several rapid shifts in P geochemistry are evident in the first ∼3000 yr of the record. The latter indicates an interval of early and rapid soil nutrient maturation from ∼9600 to 8500 cal yr BP and a significant influx of slope-derived material into Lower Joffre Lake. A substantial increase in mineral P occurs at ca. 8200 cal yr BP, consistent with the cold event in the vicinity of the North Atlantic at that time. The more recent record reveals a continual increase in the proportion of mineral P from glacial sources to the lake, indicating a trend toward cooler conditions in the Coast Mountains. 相似文献
15.
Heavy metals in sediments as evidence for recent pollution and quasi-estuarine processes: an example from Lake Druzno,Poland 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
Wojciech Tylmann Roman Gołębiewski Piotr Paweł Woźniak Karolina Czarnecka 《Environmental Geology》2007,53(1):35-46
This article presents the results of a geochemical investigation of sediments from Lake Druzno (northern Poland), a reservoir
fed by freshwater from the catchment, with periodic input of brackish water from Vistula Lagoon. This study analyzed the spatial
variation in heavy metal content in surface sediments as well as the temporal changes in metal content in two sediment cores
dated using the 210Pb method. In the surface sediments, the highest metal concentrations were recorded in the northern part of the lake, with
lower concentrations in the central and southern parts. Absolute values of metal concentrations in the cores were low, but
normalization with respect to Al showed an increase during the second half of the 20th century. Mean enrichment factors (EF)
in sediments from the second half of the 20th century ranged from insignificant (1–1.2) for Fe to (1.55–3.3) for Cu, Cd, Pb
and Zn. The sediments deposited before 1950 had lower EF values (>1.5) and had low variability. Results from both the surface
sediments and the cores indicate that the main source of lake pollution is brackish water intrusion from the Vistula Lagoon
via the contaminated River Elbląg. 相似文献
16.
Phosphorus in suspended matter and sediments of a hypertrophic lake. A case study: Lake Dianchi,China 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
From June 2004 to December 2004, Lake Dianchi, which had large scale of cyanobacterial blooms was investigated in order to
study P-fractionation in the suspended matter and the sediment. The investigation improves our understanding of phosphorus
in Lake Dianchi and the relationship between phosphorus and cyanobacterial blooms. It contributes to the available literature
on the behavior of P in hypertrophic lakes. The distribution of P-fractions in Lake Dianchi was not uniform from northwest
to south, but was closely related to the trophic status of the whole lake. The concentrations of total phosphorus, labile
P (NH4Cl-P), Organic P (NaOH-NRP) and loss on ignition in suspended matter were positively correlated with the strength of cyanobacterial
blooms. Total phosphorus in suspended matter was relatively stable for almost half an year and closely related to Chl. a concentration. The main content of organic phosphorus is in the cyanobacterial blooms. The concentrations of phosphorus bound
to metal oxides and carbonates (NaOH-SRP and HCl-P) in sediment were similar to NaOH-SRP and HCl-P in the corresponding suspended
matter. The latter two forms of P in suspended matter were not affected by cyanobacterial blooms, indicating that the inorganic
phosphorus is derived from the sediment after resuspension from the sediment due to wind and wave action. The contribution
of the different P-fractions to TP in sediment and in suspended matter indicates that NH4Cl-P in the suspended matter is an important buffer for maintaining dissolved phosphorus in water. 相似文献
17.
In recent decades, there have been discussions and predictions regarding the impact of climate on floods, due to its socioeconomic and environmental consequences. For accurate prediction of future flood events and their impacts, it is crucial to have an improved understanding on past flood events. Lacustrine sediments have been used as a natural archive to study the past flood events. Here, we study the impact of 1954 flood event on the lacustrine environment of Bengas and Rupa Lake in central Nepal based on X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) element analysis, magnetic susceptibility (MS), total organic carbon (TOC) and the biomarker molecular compositions. Results showed that 1954 flood event had significant impacts on the two lakes in terms of detrital input, organic matter deposition and aquatic production. Before the flood event, both two studied lakes had relatively lower catchment erosion rate, lower organic matter deposition and aquatic production. During the flood event, catchment erosion and aquatic production increased in both lakes due to mass transport deposits and the increased nutrition loading attributed to flood event. Following the flood event, Begnas Lake showed the sharp increase in organic matter deposition, whereas in the Rupa Lake organic matter deposition showed minor changes. The difference in organic matter deposition in lakes during flooding event is likely due to detrital material brought and deposited by the flood activity. Overall our results suggest that lacustrine sediments are sensitive to the extreme event and would be an ideal archive for the reconstruction of flood events. 相似文献
18.
To assess settling particulate organic matter (POM) seasonality and its availability to the benthic community, settling particulate matter was studied in terms of mass fluxes and main biogeochemical characteristics (including organic carbon (OC), nitrogen, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic values) at two Lake Superior offshore sites over the course of a year. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and hydrolysis, extraction, and derivatization were used to provide further compositional information. Carbon and nitrogen content, isotopic and wet chemical data, and FTIR spectra show that summer particulate material is mainly autochthonous, with higher proportions of amide and carbohydrate. FTIR shows that spring particulate material contains relatively high proportions of clay minerals, indicating major sources from sediment resuspension and/or spring runoff. Distinct amino acid distributions at the two sites, revealed by principal component analysis (PCA) based on amino acid mol% composition, possibly result from differences in OM sources and the degree of degradation occurring at the two sites. Carbohydrate (PCHO), total hydrolyzable amino acid (THAA) and FTIR data suggest that the nutritional value of bulk POM to benthic heterotrophs should be lower in spring than summer-fall, although both periods exhibited high sinking fluxes of total mass and OC. Due to sediment resuspension events and an oxic water column, organic matter eventually buried in Lake Superior’s sediments has probably experienced extensive alteration due to several cycles through the water column and the bacterially-active sediment-water interface. 相似文献
19.
The Chemical Nature of Phosphorus in Subtropical Lake Sediments 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
The phosphorus (P) composition of sediment profiles in three subtropical lakes of contrasting trophic state in Florida, USA, was determined by sequential fractionation and solution 31P NMR spectroscopy. Sediment from Lake Annie, an oligo-mesotrophic sinkhole with moderately acidic sediment (pH 5.4; loss on ignition 58 %), contained higher total P concentrations than sediment from eutrophic Lake Okeechobee (pH 7.7, loss on ignition 36 %) and hyper-eutrophic Lake Apopka (pH 7.5, loss on ignition 69 %). The chemical nature of sediment P varied markedly among the three lakes, suggesting the predominance of different diagenetic processes. Lake Okeechobee sediment was dominated by inorganic P, indicating the dominance of abiotic reactions; Lake Annie sediment contained abundant organic P throughout the sediment profile, indicating the importance of organic P stabilization at acidic pH; Lake Apopka contained almost half of its sediment P in microbial biomass, indicating the importance of biotic processes in regulating P dynamics. Solution 31P NMR spectroscopy of NaOH–EDTA extracts revealed that organic P occurred mainly as phosphomonoesters in all lakes. However, sediment from Lake Apopka also contained abundant phosphodiesters and was the only lake to contain detectable concentrations of polyphosphate, perhaps due to a combination of alternating redox conditions and high concentrations of inorganic phosphate and organic carbon. Organic P concentrations determined by sequential fractionation and solution 31P NMR spectroscopy were similar for all lakes when microbial P was included in values for sequential fractionation. We conclude that the chemical nature of sediment P varies markedly depending on trophic state and can provide important information on the dominant processes controlling P cycling in subtropical lakes. 相似文献
20.
The biomarker composition and stable isotope (C, O) ratio values of organic matter (OM) and carbonate from sediment cores from the oligotrophic Lake Brienz and the eutrophic Lake Lugano (both in Switzerland) are compared, in order to obtain information about OM sources and transformation processes. Eutrophic conditions at Lake Lugano are reflected in elevated total organic carbon (TOC) content and hydrogen index (HI) values, as well as higher lipid concentrations. Parallel down core trends in δ13C values of TOC and calcite in the Lake Lugano sediments reflect bioproductivity cycles. Variations in δ18O values of calcite are consistent with changes in mean summer temperature over the time interval covered by the core. In contrast, such a correlation does not exist for Lake Brienz and there the stable isotope composition of calcite reflects its allochthonous origin. In the sediments of both lakes, fatty acid (FA) distributions and the composition of n-alkanols and n-alkanes indicate highly variable proportions of autochthonous OM sources (algae, zooplankton, bacteria) and OM from land plants. Enhanced in situ microbial synthesis during sediment deposition in Lake Lugano is suggested by the higher TOC-normalised concentrations of branched chain FAs (C15–C17), hopanoic acids and triterpenoid alcohols (i.e. tetrahymanol, diplopterol). Variations in the concentrations of cholesterol are related to contributions from zooplankton and/or green algae, while sitosterol concentrations reflect the input of vascular plants. Periods of increased input of OM from diatoms are evidenced by high 24-methylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol (either epibrassicasterol or brassicasterol) and/or highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) alkenes concentrations. High relative concentrations of diplopterol in Lake Lugano sediments are consistent with the predominance of cyanobacteria commonly observed in eutrophic lakes. The presence of archeol and hydroxyarcheol in very low concentrations in the Lugano sediments argues for the activity of methanogens and/or anaerobic methanotrophs.Differences in OM degradation processes are reflected in higher chlorin index values in the Brienz sediments but higher saturated vs. unsaturated n-FAs in the core from Lugano. Higher concentrations of branched chain FAs and 16:1ω7 n-FA, as well as enhanced 18:1ω7/18:1ω9 n-FA, are consistent with enhanced bacterial biomass in the Lugano water column or sediments. The preservation of phytol seems to be enhanced in sediments with a high relative contribution of land plant OM. Major factors affecting OM accumulation in the lakes are differences in OM sources (i.e. terrestrial OM vs. autochthonous production), extent of bacterial activity and most likely oxygen availability in the water column. 相似文献