Historical Lake Sediment Metal Concentrations in Greater Glasgow (1850s-2016)

Eight lake sediment cores from Greater Glasgow, Scotland, provide measurements of metals and radionuclides dated from the mid-19th century to 2016. The dataset includes a standardized matrix of sediment variables such as mercury, nickel, copper, zinc, and lead concentrations against stratigraphic depth. Radionuclide dating using 210Pb, 137Cs, and 241Am establishes a reliable chronology for environmental change analysis.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in mercury, nickel, copper, zinc, and lead concentrations from sediment cores to assess industrial pollution history.
• Correlate 210Pb, 137Cs, and 241Am radionuclide measurements with sediment depth to validate and refine geochronological models.
• Model the relationship between sediment properties like organic content and trace metal accumulation across eight lakes.
• Reconstruct historical environmental changes in Greater Glasgow by integrating metal concentration data with the 210Pb-derived age chronology.

Strengths

• Data spans over 150 years, from the mid-19th century to 2016, providing long-term environmental records.
• Includes measurements from eight distinct lakes, offering spatial comparison within the Greater Glasgow region.
• Standardized matrix of multiple sediment variables, including specific element concentrations and radionuclide activities.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to eight lakes, which may not capture the full heterogeneity of the region's sedimentology.
• Chronology for some cores may only extend to the 20th century, limiting analysis of earlier industrial periods.
• Lack of explicit row and column counts or sample data prevents assessment of dataset volume and structure.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre

Collection Method

Measurements of sediment properties, radionuclides, and elements in lake sediment successions, dated using 210Pb chronology.

Time Range

Mid-19th century to 2016

Freshness

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Geography

Greater Glasgow, Scotland