Information for Como Lake

Latitude:

59.36

Longitude:

-133.41

Location:

Canada: Northwest Territories

Contact Name:

M Abbott

Proxy Information

Proxy:

Isotopes

Proxy:

Chironomids

Proprietary Data Area

Lake Description:

Como and Squanga lakes, south-central Yukon. These contain well-preserved authigenic carbonate and caraphyte stem casts for δ18O analyses with temporal resolution of 5-10 yr for the past 2000 yr (Anderson, 2005). They are end-member hydrologic systems: (1) a small topographically closed basin with a well-defined watershed and evaporation that far exceeds groundwater input (Como Lake), and (2) an open basin with a large positive water balance and high watershed-to-lake-area ratio with minimal evaporation (Squanga Lake). Isotopes from Squanga Lake have been analyzed at low resolution for the last 8000 yr. Preliminary isotopic analyses from the study area provide strong evidence that the lake-water isotopic composition, and consequently the CaCO3, in our closed-basin lakes, are responsive to changes in the P-E balance. In addition to isotope analyses, we will analyze chironomids at 20 yr resolution from Squanga Lake.