Sedimentary record of V, U, Mo and Mn in the Pierre-Blanche lagoon (Southern France) – Evidence for a major anoxia event during the Roman period

Abstract

The distribution of redox-sensitive elements (V, U, Mo, Mn) was studied in a sedimentary archive of the Pierre-Blanche lagoon encompassing 3500 years of sedimentation. Between 240 and 255 cm (i.e. between 0 and 350 cal. ad) in the core, there was a dark layer with no mollusc shells. Enrichments of V, U and Mo and depletion of Mn were observed in this layer compared with overlying and underlying sediments. This was attributed to the occurrence of anoxia in bottom water or at the sediment/water interface during the Roman period. This episode was concomitant with the formation of a sandy barrier, which now isolates the lagoon from the sea. Our results suggest that the isolation of the lagoon, which was deeper in the period concerned than at present, favoured stagnation of the water. Combined with the excess nutrient inputs because of human activities in Lattara harbour, stagnation may have caused anoxia in bottom water at least in some parts of the Palavasian lagoon system. Bottom conditions nevertheless remained sufficiently reducing for the accumulation of U and Mo to persist until around 800 cal. ad. Although the lagoon has been hyper-eutrophic since at least the middle of the 20th century and although anoxia occurs frequently in summer, redox proxies show no evidence for their occurrence. The shallow water and associated resuspension and reoxidation events explain the lack of V, Mo and U enrichment in recent sediments.