https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683619838033 The Holocene 2019, Vol. 29(7) 1155–1175 © The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0959683619838033 journals.sagepub.com/home/hol Introduction Topographically and climatically, the environment of the Antarc- tic Peninsula (AP) differs from the rest of Continental Antarctica (Vaughan et al., 2003). The AP consists of an unbroken chain of rugged, alpine terrain (Schwerdtfeger, 1984), which forms a cli- matic barrier separating the warmer Bellingshausen Sea on the west from the cooler Weddell Sea on the east. Because of this topography, the western side of the AP is ca. 7°C warmer than similar latitudes and elevations on the eastern side (Morris and Vaughan, 1994; Reynolds, 1981; Vaughan et al., 2003). In the sec- ond half of the 20th century, the AP has experienced one of the greatest near-surface air temperature increases on Earth as a response to ongoing global warming (Turner et al., 2005). Although the past decade was colder, and a significant decrease in air temperature was detected in the north-eastern part of the AP (Oliva et al., 2017; Turner et al., 2016), the warming is expected to continue in the 21st century (Bracegirdle et al., 2008). The extreme sensitivity of the region to climate changes and large lati- tudinal and longitudinal climatic gradients contribute to an excep- tional potential for palaeoclimatological research in the AP. So far, research attention has been mostly focused on the northern part of the AP with abundant ice-free areas. A number of studies have been specifically concerned with the environmental changes on the largest island of the north-eastern part of the AP, James Ross Island (JRI), and these include investigation of multi-proxy Late-Holocene palaeoenvironmental changes at Lake Esmeralda (Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula) based on a multi-proxy analysis of laminated lake sediment Anna Píšková, 1 Matěj Roman, 2,3 Marie Bulínová, 1 Matěj Pokorný, 1 David Sanderson, 4 Alan Cresswell, 4 Juan Manuel Lirio, 5 Silvia Herminda Coria, 5 Linda Nedbalová, 1 Andrea Lami, 6 Simona Musazzi, 6 Bart Van de Vijver, 7 Daniel Nývlt 2 and Kateřina Kopalová 1 Abstract We have studied laminated sediments from Lake Esmeralda, Vega Island, in order to reconstruct its history. We describe both inorganic and organic components of the sediment using a combination of the following analytical methods: x-ray fluorescence (XRF), x-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetic susceptibility measurement, chemical analysis for determination of cation exchange capacity, grain size determination, geochemical analyses (total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), total sulphur (TS)), spectrophotometry, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and diatom assemblage and faunal remains characterization. The geochronology of the core was based on modelling optically stimulated luminescence ages and supported by laminae counting. The dating results imply a maximum age of ~400 years for the 177-cm long core and a period covered of ~200 years, suggesting (quasi-) annual laminae formation. Such a young age contradicts previous findings based on radiocarbon dating. Geomorphological evidence indicates that river capture isolated the lake catchment from upslope sediment delivery, effectively terminating accumulation ~230 years ago. Conversely, our short-term palaeoenvironmental record yields a subdecadal temporal resolution, which is unparalleled in comparison with other Antarctic palaeolimnological studies. Our interpretations of the geochemical and mineralogical proxy data give us insight into the past lake catchment and waterbody evolution, and lead us to recognize periods of enhanced weathering, bottom anoxia and to distinguish major lake level changes. Keywords Antarctica, lake sediment, OSL, palaeolimnology, late-Holocene climate, river piracy Received 12 October 2018; revised manuscript accepted 21 January 2019 1 Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic 2 Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Czech Republic 3 Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic 4 Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), UK 5 Instituto Antártico Argentino, Argentina 6 Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi, Italy 7 Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium Corresponding author: Anna Píšková, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 128 44, Czech Republic. Email: anna@piska.net 838033HOL 0 0 10.1177/0959683619838033The HolocenePíšková et al. research-article 2019 Research Paper