ENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTION OF THE CASPIAN SEA IN THE CONDITIONS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGES

  • T. A Yanina Lomonosov Moscow State University
  • V. M. Sorokin Lomonosov Moscow State University
  • H. Khoshravan Caspian Sea National Research and Study Center
DOI 10.29006/1564-2291.JOR-2019.47(5).12
Keywords Caspian Sea, late Pleistocene, Holocene, sections, core, paleogeographic analysis, fluctuations of level, environment, climatic changes, correlations

Abstract

Evolution of environment of the Caspian Sea in the conditions of global climate changes is considered for two multi-scale temporary periods: the last climatic macrocycle (marine isotope stages, MIS, 5-2) and the Holocene (MIS 1). Both of them are characterized by considerable climatic changes. The Caspian Sea reacted to climatic events of MIS 5 epoch by the development of two transgressive basins - the warm-water Late Khazarian and moderately warm-water Hyrcanian basins. The Atelian regression was answered to the MIS 4 glacial stage and initial phases of interstadial warming MIS 3. The climatic conditions of the second half of interstadial warming were reflected by development of the first stage of the Khvalynian transgression. The transgressive trend of level was interrupted during an epoch of the maximum cold and dryness of MIS 2 stage. During an epoch of glacial degradation the development of Khvalynian transgression was resumed. Climatic events of late glacial epoch, the warming phases Bolling and Allered, got a response in development of the transgressive stage of the Khvalynian basin. Phases of a considerable cold snap (Oldest, Older and Yanger Dryas) were reflected by regressive stages in the history of the Khvalynian basin. The most considerable of them answered to the Yanger Dryas. Development of the Mangyshlakian regression is a response of the Caspian Sea to the continentalization of climate of the Boreal period of the Holocene. In development of the New Caspian transgression, the three transgressive stages are established. They are closely connected with regional climate changes. The composition of mollusks of the Caspian Sea represents the result of evolutionary processes in the Pleistocene faunae occurring in the conditions of climatic changes and transgressive and regressive rhythmics of the basin. The New Caspian (Holocene) complexes reflect the change of biotic conditions of the basin - the invasion of the Black Sea species. The invasiv species and acclimatizin species made much more essential changes to structure of the biodiversity, than it is caused by natural factors. The natural ecosystems underwent the anthropogenous transformation, turning the unique ecosystems of the Caspian Sea created for its Pleistocene history into similarity of the Azov-Black Sea ecosystems.

 

References


  1. Abdurakhmanov G.M., Karpyuk M.I., Morozov B.N., and Puzachenko Yu.G. Sovremennoe sostoyanie i faktory, opredelyayushie biologicheskoe i landshaftnoe raznoobrazie volzhskoKaspiyskogo regiona (The current state and factors defining a biological and landscape diversity of the Volga and Caspian region of Russia). Moscow: Nauka, 2002, 415 p.

  2. Abramova T.A. Rekonstruktsiya paleogeograficheskikh usloviy epoh chetvertichnyh transgressiy i regressiy Kaspiyskogo morya (po dannym paleobotanicheskih issledovaniy) (Reconstruction of the paleogeographic conditions of epochs Quarternary transgressions and regressions of the Caspian Sea (on data of paleobotanical researches). The PhD thesis. Moscow: 1974, 24 p.

  3. Bezrodnykh Yu.P., Delia B.F., Romanyuk B.F., Fedorov V.I., Sorokin V.M., and Luksha V.L. Mangyshlakskie otlozheniya (Golotsen) Severnogo Kaspiya (Mangyshlakian deposits (Holocene) of the Northern Caspian Sea). Stratigraphiya, Geologicheskaya korrelyatsiya, 2014, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 88–108.

  4. Bezrodnykh Yu.P., Delia B.F., Romanyuk B.F., Sorokin V.M., and Yanina T.A. Novye dannye po stratigraphii verkhnechetvertichnyh otlozheniy Severnogo Kaspiya (New data on stratigraphy of the upper Quaternary deposits of the Northern Caspian Sea). Doklady Akademii Nauk, 2015, Vol. 462, No. 1, pp. 95–99.

  5. Bezrodnykh Yu.P., Delia B.F., Romanyuk B.F., Sorokin V.M., and Yanina T.A. Pervye dannye o radiouglerodnom vozraste atelskih otlozheniy Severnogo Kaspiya (First data on radiocarbon age of the Atelian deposits of the Northern Caspian Sea). Doklady Akademii Nauk, 2017, Vol. 473, No. 3, pp. 327–330.

  6. Bezrodnykh Yu.P., Yanina T.A., Sorokin V.M., and Romanyuk B.F. Stroyeniye osadochnoy tolschi golotsena Severnogo Kaspiya kak otrazheniye izmeneniy klimata i urovnya morya (Structure of sedimentary thickness of the Holocene of the Northern Caspian Sea as reflection of climate changes and sea level). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2018, No. 5, pp. 52–60.

  7. Bolikhovskaya N.S. Evolyutsiya klimata i landshaftov Nizhnego Povolzhiya v golotsene (Evolution of climate and landscapes of the Lower Volga region during the Holocene). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2011, No. 2, pp. 13–27.

  8. Bolikhovskaya N.S., Yanina T.A., and Sorokin V.M. Prirodnaya obstanovka atelskoy epohi (po dannym palinologicheskogo analiza) (A natural situation of the Atelian epoch (according to the palynological analysis)). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2017, No. 6, pp. 96–101.

  9. Borisova O.K. Landshaftno-klimaticheskie izmeneniya v golotsene (Landscape-climatic changes during the Holocene). Izvestiya Aademii Nauk, Seriya Geographiya, 2014, No. 2, pp. 5–20.

  10. Bukreeva G.F. and Vronskiy V.A. Palinostratigrafiya i paleogeografiya Kaspiyskogo morya v golotsene po dannym modelirovaniya paleoklimata (Palynostratigraphy and paleogeography of the Caspian Sea in the Holocene according to modeling of a paleoclimate). The Palynology in Russia, 1995, Vol. 2, pp. 12–25.

  11. Velichko A.A. Evolyutsionnaya geografiya: problemy i resheniya (The evolutionary geography: problems and decisions). Moscow: GEOS, 2012, 563 p.

  12. Vronskiy V.A. Stratigrafiya i paleogeografiya Kaspiyskogo morya v golotsene (Stratigraphy and paleogeography of the caspian Sea during the Holocene). Izvestia RAN, Ser. Geology, 1987, No. 2, pp. 73–82.

  13. Kislov A.V. and Toropov P.A. Modelirovanie izmeneniy urovney Chernogo i Kaspiyskogo morey pri razlichyh sostoyaniyah klimatov proshlogo (Modeling of changes of levels of the Black and Caspian seas at various conditions of climates of the past. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2006, No. 6, pp. 9–13.

  14. Kurbanov R.N., Yanina T.A., Murray A., and Borisova O.K. Girkansky etap v podnepleistotsenovoy istorii Maychskoy depressii (Hyrcanian stage in the late Pleistocene history of the Manych depression). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2018, No. 3, pp. 77–88.

  15. Mayev E.G. Phasy mangyshlakskoy regressii Kaspiyskogo morya (Stages of the Mangyshlakian regression of the Caspian Sea). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2009, No. 1, pp. 15–20.

  16. Novenko E.Yu. Izmeneniya rastitelnosti i klimata tsentralnoy i vostochnoy Evropy v pozdnem pleistotsene i golotsene v mezhlednikovye i perehodnye tapy klimaticheskih makrotsiklov (Changes of vegetation and climate of the Central and Eastern Europe in the late Pleistocene and the Holocene in interglacial and transitional stages of climatic macrocycles). The Dr. Prof. thesis. Moscow, 2016, 44 p.

  17. Popov G.I. Pleistotsen Chernomorsko-Kaspiyskih prolivov (Pleistocene of the Black Sea-Caspian passages). Moscow: Nauka, 1983, 216 p.

  18. Rychagov G.I. Urovenny rezhim Kaspiyskogo morya za poslednie 10000 let (The level mode of the caspian Sea during the ast 10000 years). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 1993, No. 2, pp. 38–49.

  19. Rychagov G.I. Pleisttsenovaya istoriya Kaspiyskogo morya (Pleistocene history of the caspian Sea). Moscow: Moscow State University, 1997, 267 P.

  20. Svitoch A.A. and Yanina T.A. Chetvertichnye otloheniya poberezhiy Kaspiyskogo morya (Quaternary deposits of the caspian Sea coasts). Moscow: RASKhN, 1997, 264 p.

  21. Fedorov P.V. Pleistotsen Ponto-Kaspiya (Pleistocene of the Ponto-Caspian). Moscow: Nauka, 1978, 165 p.

  22. Khotinskiy N.A. Golotsen Severnoy Evrasii (Holocene of the Northern Eurasia). Moscow: Nauka, 1977, 200 p.

  23. Yanina T.A. Neopleystotsen Ponto-Kaspiya: biostratigraphiya, paleogeographiya, korrelyatsiya (Neopleistocene of the Ponto-Caspian: biostratigraphy, paleogeography, correlation). Moscow, Moscow State University, 2012, 264 p.

  24. Yanina T.A., Svitoch A.A., and Wesselingh F.P. Bioraznoobrazie malakofauny Kaspiyskogo morya v Golotsene (Biodiversity of the caspian Sea during Holocene). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2011, No. 2, pp. 38–48.

  25. Yanina T.A., Sorokin V.M., Bezrodnykh Yu.P., and Romanyuk B.F. Girkansky etap v pleystotsenovoy istorii Kaspiyskogo morya (Hyrcanian epoch in the Pleistocene history of the Caspian Sea). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2014, No. 3, pp. 3–9.

  26. Yanina Т.А., Svitoch A.A., Kurbanov R.N., Murrey A.S., Tkach N.T., and Sychev N.V. Opyt datirovaniya pleistotsenovyh otlozheniy Nizhnego Povolzhiya metodom opticheski stimulirovannoy lyuminestsentsii (Experience of dating of the Pleistocene deposits of the Lower Volga area by method of optically stimulated luminescence). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Series 5: Geografiya, 2017, No. 1, pp. 21–29.

  27. Alley R.B., Mayevski P.A., Sowers T., Stuiver M., Taylor K.S., and Clark P.U. Holocene climatic instability: a prominent, widespread event 8200 yr ago. Geology, 1997, No. 25, p. 483–486.

  28. Arslanov Kh.A., Yanina T.A., Chepalyga A.L., Svitoch A.A., Makshaev R.R., Maksimov F.E.,
    Chernov S.B., Tertychnyi N.I., and Starikova A.A.     On the age of the Khvalynian deposits of the Caspian Sea coasts according to 14C and 230Th/234U methods. Quaternary International, 2016, No. 409, pp. 81–87.

  29. Bezrodnykh Yu.P. and Sorokin V.M. On the age of the Mangyshlakian deposits of the Northern Caspian Sea. Quaternary Research, 2016, No. 85(2), pp. 245–254.

  30. Kroonenberg S.B., Abdurakhmanov G.M., Badyukova E.N., van den Borg K., Kalashnikov A., Kasimov N.S., Rychagov G.I., Svitoch A.A., Vonhof H.B., and Wesselingh F.P. Solar-forced 2600 BP and Little Ice Age highstands of the Caspian Sea. Quaternary International, 2007, No. 173–174, pp. 137–143.

  31. Leroy S.A.G., Tudryn A., Chalie F., Lopez-Merino L., and Gasse F. From the Allerшd to the midHolocene: palynological evidence from the south basin of the Caspian Sea. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2013, No. 78, pp. 77–97.

  32. Makshaev R.R. and Svitoch A.A. Chocolate clays of the Northern Caspian Sea region: Distribution, structure, and origin. Quaternary International, 2016, No. 409, pp. 44–49.

  33. Mangerud J., Andersen S.T., Berglund B.E., and Dorrner J.J. Quaternary stratigraphy of Norden, a proposal for terminilogy and classification. Boreas, 1974, No. 3, p. 109–128.

  34. Mann M.E., Zhang Z., Rutherford S. et al. Global signatures and dynamical origins of the little ice age and medieval climate anomaly. Science, 2013, No. 326, pp. 1256–1260.

  35. Panin A. and Matlakhova E. Fluvial chronology in the East European plain over the last 20 ka and its palaeohydrological implications. Catena, 2015, No. 130, pp. 46–61.

  36. Richards K., Mudie P., Rochon A., Bolikhovskaya N., Hoogendoorn R., and Verlinden V. Late Pleistocene to Holocene evolution of the Emba delta, Kazakhstan, and coastline of the northeastern Caspian Sea: Sediment, ostracods, pollen and dinoflagellate cyst records. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2017, No. 468, pp. 427–452.

  37. Sidorchuk A., Panin A., and Borisova O. Morphology of river channels and surface runoff in the Volga River basin (East European Plain) during the Late Glacial period. Geomorphology, 2009, No. 113, pp. 137–157.

  38. Sorokin V.M., Yanina T.A., Bezrodnykh Yu.P., and Romanyuk B.F. Identification and age of submarine Girkanian sediment beds (Upper Pleistocene) in the Caspian Sea. Quaternary International, 2018, No. 465А, pp. 152–157.

  39. Svitoch A.A., Badyukova E.N., Yanina T.A., and Sheikhi B. Biostratigraphy of the marine Holocene on the Iranian coasts of the Caspian Sea. Quaternary International, 2016, No. 409, p. 8–15.

  40. Thom N. A hydrological model of the Black and Caspian seas in the late Pleistocene and earlymiddle Holocene. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2010, No. 29, pp. 2989–2995.

  41. Thomas E.R., Wolff E.W., Mulvaney R., Steffensen J.P., Johnsen S.J., Arrowsmith C., White J.W.C., Vaughn B., and Popp T. The 8.2 ka event from Greenland ice cores. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2007, No. 26, pp. 70–81.

  42. Tudryn A., Leroy S., Toucanne S., Gibert-Brunet E., Tucholka P., Lavrushin Yu., Dufaure O., Miska S., and Bayon G. The Ponto-Caspian basin as a final trap for southeastern Scandinavian Ice-Sheet meltwater. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2016, No. 148, pp. 29–43.

  43. Vandenberghe J., French H.M., Gorbunov A., Marchenko S., Velichko A., Jin H., Cui Z., Zhang T., and Wan X. The Last Permafrost Maximum (LPM) map of the Northern Hemisphere: permafrost extent and mean annual air temperatures, 25–17 ka BP. Boreas, 2014, No. 43 (3), pp. 652–666.

  44. Walker M., Johnsen S., Walker M., Johnsen S., Rasmussen S.O., Popp T., Steffensen J.P., Gibbard P., Hoek W., Lowe J., Andrews J., Björck S., Cwynar L.C., Hughen K., Kershaw P., Kromer B., Litt T., Lowe D.J., Nakagawa T., Newnham R., and Schwander J. Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records. Journal of Quaternary Science, 2009, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 3–17.

  45. Wanner H., Beer J., Butikofer J., Crowley T., Cubasch U., Flückiger J., Goosse H., Grosjean M., Joos F., Kaplan J., Küttel M., Müller S., Prentice I., Solomina O., Stocker T., Tarasov P., Wagner M., and Widmann M. Mid- to Late Holocene climate change: an overview. Quaternary Science Reviews, 2007, No. 27, pp. 1791–1828.

  46. Yanina T.A. The Ponto-Caspian region: environmental consequences of climate change during the Late Pleistocene. Quaternary International, 2014, No. 345, pp. 88–99.

  47. Yanina T., Sorokin V., Bezrodnykh Yu., and Romanyuk B. Late Pleistocene climatic events reflected in the Caspian Sea geological history (based on drilling data). Quaternary International, 2018, Vol. 465, Part A, pp. 130–141.
Published
2019-12-23
Issue
Vol 47 No 5 (2019): Journal of Oceanological Research
Section
International Round Table “The Future of the Caspian: Research Projects and Stud

Transfer of copyrights occurs on the basis of a license agreement between the Author and Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS