The Glaciolacustrine Sediment Record of Cariboo Lake, BC: Implications for Holocene Fluvial and Glacial Watershed Dynamics

Cariboo Lake is a glacier-fed lake located in the Cariboo Mountains of eastern-central British Columbia. Fine clastic sediments produced in the glaciated headwaters of the Cariboo Lake watershed provide the main source of sediment to the lake. Sediment delivery into Cariboo Lake is primarily governed by overflow currents of suspended clastic sediments from the main Cariboo River. Sediments deposited in deep basins over 30 m deep are characterized by couplets of coarse grained laminae, followed by fine grained sediments and are inferred to be annually laminated varves. Inflow of clastic sediments to Cariboo Lake has remained high enough to produce annual varves for the past two millennia. Down-core trends in varve thickness, grain size, and percent organics from Cariboo Lake sediment archives reveal changes that corresponded to climate fluctuations over the past two millennia.M.Sc