Refining the Holocene climate record at Gull Lake (CA): securing freshwater resources in the Eastern Sierras
Faculty Mentor
Edward Lo
Location
Russell Union Ballroom
Type of Research
On-going
Session Format
Poster Presentation
College
College of Science & Mathematics
Department
School of Earth Environment & Sustainability
Abstract
The western United States has been and continues to face increasingly severe drought conditions, as much of the southwestern region moves toward drier climates. In the Sierra Nevada, snowpack levels are projected to decrease significantly by the end of the century. This poses a major challenge for glacial lakes, which are important sources of freshwater in the Great Basin of California. While previous studies have reconstructed the climate and environmental history of glacial lakes in the Sierra Nevada, variabilities discovered between study sites highlight the importance of creating more localized records. The purpose of this study is to create a high-resolution environmental record of Gull Lake throughout the Holocene by analyzing lake surface samples, as well as sediment cores (GLCA-3A, GLCA-4B). Stable isotope ratios, combined with total carbon contents, grain size distributions, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) geochemistry are utilized to interpret past climate, depositional changes, and organic productivity at Gull Lake, California. Preliminary results indicate variability in lake productivity and depositional conditions, and provide more insight into Gull Lake’s Holocene paleoenvironmental records that align with previous regional studies.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 12:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Caumanday, Jema A., "Refining the Holocene climate record at Gull Lake (CA): securing freshwater resources in the Eastern Sierras" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 45.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/45
Refining the Holocene climate record at Gull Lake (CA): securing freshwater resources in the Eastern Sierras
Russell Union Ballroom
The western United States has been and continues to face increasingly severe drought conditions, as much of the southwestern region moves toward drier climates. In the Sierra Nevada, snowpack levels are projected to decrease significantly by the end of the century. This poses a major challenge for glacial lakes, which are important sources of freshwater in the Great Basin of California. While previous studies have reconstructed the climate and environmental history of glacial lakes in the Sierra Nevada, variabilities discovered between study sites highlight the importance of creating more localized records. The purpose of this study is to create a high-resolution environmental record of Gull Lake throughout the Holocene by analyzing lake surface samples, as well as sediment cores (GLCA-3A, GLCA-4B). Stable isotope ratios, combined with total carbon contents, grain size distributions, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) geochemistry are utilized to interpret past climate, depositional changes, and organic productivity at Gull Lake, California. Preliminary results indicate variability in lake productivity and depositional conditions, and provide more insight into Gull Lake’s Holocene paleoenvironmental records that align with previous regional studies.
