From dead ice to a small lake: formation and evolution of Lake Shnitkino during deglaciation of the Last Scandinavian ice sheet and postglacial time (NW Russia)статья
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Дата последнего поиска статьи во внешних источниках: 15 апреля 2026 г.
Аннотация:Small lakes formed during areal deglaciation are key archives of postglacial landscape evolution in north-western Russia. This study reconstructs the formation and evolution of Lake Shnitkino (Valdai Upland, NW Russia), a small kettle-type basin situated between marginal formations of the Last Scandinavian Ice Sheet. The analysis integrates geomorphological, sedimentological and geophysical data (GPR and ERT) with dating methods (14C and OSL). The Lake Shnitkino area became ice-free between ca. 18 and 14.5 (possibly 16.5) ka cal BP during areal deglaciation, with landscape development proceeding through a characteristic sequence of ice-contact landforms: ice-walled-lake plains, kame terraces and kettle holes. The kame terrace formed rapidly under conditions of short sediment transport distances and a proximal clastic source. Two alternative scenarios are proposed for dead-ice persistence, with melt-out lasting either ca. 3.5 ka or ca. 1.5 ka. Comparison with regional records favours the longer scenario. Lake Shnitkino persisted throughout the Late Glacial and Holocene, with a progressive reduction in area driven by fluvial infilling from the Toropa River. Sedimentation followed a regional transition from minerogenic, partly carbonate-rich deposits to predominantly organogenic gyttja between ca. 12 and 9 ka cal BP. This evolution was further modified by deltaic activity and significant fluvial influence. Comparison with adjacent regions demonstrates that Lake Shnitkino follows a broadly common postglacial lake development pathway, while preserving distinctive features related to prolonged dead-ice melting out and strong fluvial influence.