Water Column Chemistry of Late Holocene Lake Bafa, Eastern Coast of the Aegean Sea (Turkey)

This study represents the preliminary results of the first dataset of diatom and bulk stable carbon organic isotopic (d¹³ C_org ) compositions of the sediments collected from Lake Bafa. The aim of this study was to investigate the water column properties of the lake during the Late Holocene, by facilitating salinity and organic matter productivity markers. The isotopic radiocarbon (d¹³ C_org) dating and diatom-faunal analyses were performed for the first time on a variety of sediments from Lake Bafa. They were retrieved from the modern lacustrine basin depo-center, containing the phases of a freshwater lake, an alkaline lagoon and a marine environment respectively.¹⁴ C-AMS-dated sediments represent a complete geological archive reflecting the last 2.5 kyr time period, beginning with a depositional phase dominated by marine conditions represented by enhanced salinity ranges and aquatic productivity signals. This stage was followed by a long period (i.e. 1.75–0.8 ka BP) dominated by a lagoonal environment. During the final stage between 0.8 ka BP and recent, fresh water lake conditions in a closed lacustrine system have occurred.