Peat geochemistry, organic compounds, ash content, bulk density and grain size results from Glenties Bog, northwestern Ireland

Jenny Sjöström, Antonio Martínez Cortizas, Andreas Nylund, Sanna Piilo, Lisa Orme, Richard Gyllencreutz, Frederik Schenk, Richard Chiverrell, M. McKeown, Claire Ansberque, Malin Kylander

This data-set contains the result of multiproxy (geochemistry, bulk density, organic constituents and grain size) analysis of a 510 cm long peat sequence from Co. Donegal, northwestern Ireland. The chronology was established through AMS radiocarbon dating of plant macrofossil samples selected throughout the sequence. This dataset also contains the results of the radiocarbon dating and the age-depth modelling. The results were used to infer past variability in wind, hydro and fire variability during the last 7400 years in northwestern Ireland.

Field-work was conducted in February 2022. The peat sequence was retrieved with a Russian peat corer equipped with a 100×7.5 cm chamber.

TerrestrialPeatStorminessHolocenePeatlandsFireHydroclimateTemperature gradientVolcanismGeochemistryGrain size analysis

Name

Version

Citation

References

Sjöström JK, Martínez Cortizas A, Nylund A, Piilo SR, Orme LC, Gyllencreutz R, Schenk F, Chiverrell R, McKeown M, Ansberque C, Kylander ME (2026) A stormy past: long-term temperature evolution and volcanic activity as drivers of Holocene storminess in the eastern North Atlantic. Quaternary Science Reviews 381:109901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109901

Data description

The dataset was used and discussed in the study by Sjöström et al. (2026). It is provided in two .csv files with semicolon as value separator.

glenties-bog-age-depth-model-2026.csv

Results of the age-depth model, constructed using r.Bacon (ver 2.5, Blaauw and Christen 2011) and IntCal20 (Reimer et al. 2020). The file is organised in 6 columns and 505 rows (including header). Each row represents one centimeter. The indicated depth represents the vertical location (in cm) from the surface. The data is presented in ascending order.

1. depth (cm) Vertical depth from surface
2. age_min (cal yr BP) Minimum calibrated age, years before present
3. age_max (cal yr BP) Maximum calibrated age, years before present
4. age_median (cal yr BP) Median calibrated age, years before present
5. age_mean (cal yr BP) Mean calibrated age, years before present
6. mean_acc_rate (yr cm⁻¹) Mean accumulation rate

glenties-bog-data.csv

The dataset is provided as one .csv file with semicolon as value separator. It contains 160 columns and 483 rows, including the header. Each row represents a depth in the peat sequence. Not all parameters were measured at every depth; empty cells indicate that no measurement is available for that parameter and depth.

See "Methods" section for further information of each applied analytical approach, resolution and abbreviations.

Columns 1–2: depth and chronology

1. Depth (cm) — Vertical depth from the peat surface.
2. Age (cal yr BP) — Modelled mean calibrated age in years before present, where present = 1950 CE.

Columns 3–6: peat properties

3. Bulk density (g cm⁻³) — Measured dry bulk density of the peat.
4. PAR (g m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Peat accumulation rate.
5. Ash (%) — Inorganic ash content of the peat.
6. AAR (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Ash accumulation rate.

Columns 7–9: FTIR-ATR indices

Indices derived from Fourier Transform Infrared-Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy and used to characterise peat decomposition and organic matter composition.

7. IR_pd — Infrared index related to peat decomposition.
8. IR_ar — Infrared index related to aromatic organic compounds.
9. IR_cb — Infrared index related to carbonyl-containing organic compounds.

Columns 10-27: elemental concentrations

Element concentrations determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis.

10. Na (mg g⁻¹) — Sodium concentration.
11. Mg (mg g⁻¹) — Magnesium concentration.
12. Al (mg g⁻¹) — Aluminium concentration.
13. Si (mg g⁻¹) — Silicon concentration.
14. P (mg g⁻¹) — Phosphorus concentration.
15. S (mg g⁻¹) — Sulphur concentration.
16. Cl (mg g⁻¹) — Chlorine concentration.
17. K (mg g⁻¹) — Potassium concentration.
18. Ca (mg g⁻¹) — Calcium concentration.
19. Ti (mg g⁻¹) — Titanium concentration.
20. Mn (mg g⁻¹) — Manganese concentration.
21. Fe (mg g⁻¹) — Iron concentration.
22. Ga (µg g⁻¹) — Gallium concentration.
23. Br (µg g⁻¹) — Bromine concentration.
24. Rb (µg g⁻¹) — Rubidium concentration.
25. Sr (µg g⁻¹) — Strontium concentration.
26. Y (µg g⁻¹) — Yttrium concentration.
27. Zr (µg g⁻¹) — Zirconium concentration.

Columns 28–30: elemental ratios

28. Ti/Si — Ratio between titanium and silicon concentrations.
29. Al/Si — Ratio between aluminium and silicon concentrations.
30. Ti/Zr — Ratio between titanium and zirconium concentrations.

Columns 31–46: elemental accumulation rates

Element accumulation rates calculated using the elemental concentrations and peat accumulation.

31. Al (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Aluminium accumulation rate.
32. Si (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Silicon accumulation rate.
33. P (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Phosphorus accumulation rate.
34. S (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Sulphur accumulation rate.
35. Cl (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Chlorine accumulation rate.
36. K (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Potassium accumulation rate.
37. Ca (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Calcium accumulation rate.
38. Ti (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Titanium accumulation rate.
39. Mn (µg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Manganese accumulation rate.
40. Fe (mg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Iron accumulation rate.
41. Ga (µg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Gallium accumulation rate.
42. Br (µg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Bromine accumulation rate.
43. Rb (µg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Rubidium accumulation rate.
44. Sr (µg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Strontium accumulation rate.
45. Y (µg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Yttrium accumulation rate.
46. Zr (µg m⁻² yr⁻¹) — Zirconium accumulation rate.

Columns 47–51: grain-size summary statistics

47. Dx (10) (µm) — 10th percentile of particle diameter; 10% of the measured particle volume consists of particles smaller than this diameter.
48. Dx (50) (µm) — Median particle diameter; 50% of the measured particle volume consists of particles smaller than this diameter.
49. Dx (90) (µm) — 90th percentile of particle diameter; 90% of the measured particle volume consists of particles smaller than this diameter.
50. Span — Width of the particle-size distribution, calculated from the Dx10, Dx50 and Dx90 values.
51. Laser Obscuration (%) — Obscuration recorded during laser-diffraction grain-size measurement.

Columns 52–152: grain-size distribution

Columns 52–152 contain the particle-size distribution measured by laser diffraction. Column headers indicate the particle diameter in µm, ranging from 0.01 to 3500 µm. Values represent the relative volume contribution of each particle-size class [%].

Columns 153–158: grain-size distribution statistics

Grain-size distribution statistics calculated from the measured particle-size distributions.

153. ASD — Arithmetic standard deviation of the grain-size distribution.
154. GSD — Geometric standard deviation of the grain-size distribution.
155. Kurtosis — Kurtosis of the grain-size distribution.
156. Mode (µm) — Modal particle diameter.
157. Mode Count — Number of modes identified in the particle-size distribution.
158. Skew — Skewness of the grain-size distribution.

Comments

Methods

This dataset contains results of multi-proxy analyses of a peat sequence from Glenties Bog, County Donegal, northwestern Ireland. The sequence covers approximately the last 7200 years and was analysed to reconstruct changes in peat accumulation, organic matter composition, geochemistry and grain-size distribution.

The results were used to infer changes in wind-, hydro- and fire climate during the last 7000 years in northwestern Ireland.

The chronology of the peat sequence is based on AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon dating of plant macrofossils and an age-depth model. The dataset includes sample depth, modelled mean age and peat accumulation rate. Peat properties include bulk density, peat accumulation rate (PAR), inorganic ash content and ash accumulation rate (AAR).

Organic matter composition and peat decomposition were investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared-Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy. The dataset contains four infrared indices derived from the FTIR-ATR spectra.

Elemental composition was analysed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The dataset contains concentrations of Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ga, Br, Rb, Sr, Y and Zr, together with selected elemental ratios (Ti/Si, Al/Si and Ti/Zr). Element accumulation rates are also provided.

Grain-size measurements include the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles of particle diameter (Dx10, Dx50 and Dx90), distribution span, laser obscuration, particle-size distributions between 0.01 and 3500 µm, and grain-size distribution statistics including arithmetic and geometric standard deviation, kurtosis, mode and skewness.

Abbreviations

FTIR-ATR: Fourier Transform Infrared-Attenuated Total Reflectance spectroscopy
XRF: X-ray fluorescence
PAR: Peat accumulation rate
AAR: Ash accumulation rate
ASD: Arithmetic standard deviation
GSD: Geometric standard deviation
cal yr BP: Calibrated years before present, where present = 1950 CE

Project

Storminess in the eastern North Atlantic

Publisher

Bolin Centre Database

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

First name

Jenny

Last name or organisation

Sjöström

Email address

jennykristina.sjostrom@usc.es

Address

CRETUS Research Centre, EcoPast (GI-1553), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Postal code

15782

City

Santiago de Compostela

Country

Spain

GCMD science keyword

Earth science

GCMD location

Continent > Europe > Northern Europe > British Isles > Ireland

DOI

Time