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Abstract

The mineralogical composition of Late Quaternary sediments was investigated in three piston cores recovered on elevated plateaus in Lake Baikal: on Continent Ridge, a northern extension of Academician Ridge in the North Basin; on the Posolsky Bank near the Selenga Delta; and on the Vydrino Shoulder in the South Basin. The sediments are alternating biogenic diatom-rich muds and terrigenous silty clays, with sandy layers occurring in the southern (Vydrino) core. Core stratigraphy is based on AMS 14C dates on pollen, diatom zonation, and magnetic record correlation: the 6–10 m long cores cover the last ∼40 kyr in Vydrino, ∼60 kyr in Posolsky and ∼185 kyr in Continent Ridge. The bulk, clay (<2 μm) and sand (63–200 μm) mineral signatures are compared with the mineralogical assemblages identified in river sediments and rocks sampled in the Selenga watershed and surface sediments collected in the various sub-basins. Spatial variability in the bulk mineral signature mainly reflects the sediment location relative to the lake margin. The complex clay mineral assemblages are more distinctive in terms of source-area. The clay signature of Vydrino core differs from the two other sites, in its high illite content. The Posolsky assemblage is consistent with the Selenga River clay mineral signature. The Continent Ridge clay assemblage is highly variable, reflecting mixing of several sources including a more proximal contribution than the Barguzin or even the Selenga tributaries. The similar hornblende-dominated heavy mineral compositions of the Continent Ridge and Posolsky Bank sediments reflect the homogenous granitoid signature of the watersheds of the eastern side of Lake Baikal. In contrast, in the Southern Basin, the sediments from Vydrino Shoulder are micadominated, recording local sedimentary and metamorphic detritus supplies by numerous small rivers. Besides the control of sediment supply by the Selenga River, our data emphasize the significant influences of the Lake Baikal coastal margins in South and North Basin.