Biogenic and geochemical data covering the last 1700 years from a peat and sediment core from Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Jenny Sjöström

This data set contains proxy data from a paleoenvironment reconstruction study covering the last 1700 years conducted on a peat core from Lydenburg, Mpumalanga (South Africa). The studied proxies are: phytoliths (siliceous plant stones), diatoms (siliceous algae frustules) and carbon and nitrogen isotope data. The phytolith data records shifts in dominating grass subfamilies which, together with the other studied proxies, can be used to infer moisture availability in the local area. Throughout the studied period a general increase in wetness was inferred, with a marked dry period recorded between AD 1250 to 1350. The study was conducted in an area rich of archaeological remains (BoKoni) and was undertaken with the aim of providing local paleoclimatic data in a historically valuable area.

References

Sjöström, J. Norström, E. Risberg, J. Schoeman, M.H. (2017) Late Holocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction from Mpumalanga Province (South Africa) inferred from geochemical and biogenic proxies. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 246, 264-277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2017.06.011

Data description

This data-set contains three sheets with proxy data; phytoliths, diatoms and isotopes. The phytolith sheet contains the number of counted phytoliths per morphotype (shape) category at each analysed depth and the diatom sheet contains the number of diatoms counted per species and depth. The isotope sheet contains both elemental data (C and N) and isotope data (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) which was analysed at every 10th centimeter.

Comments

This data was originally published in a Master thesis: Sjöström, J. (2013). Late Holocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction on a peat sequence from northeastern South Africa, using grass phytoliths as main proxy. Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University. Retrieved from Diva.