79-1461 - USGS

JMITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURREY

MODERN AND HOLDCENE CHRYSOMOMAD CYSTS F R 0 ̂ UPPER ECHO LA<E, ELDORADO COJNJTY, CALIFORNIA

by

David P. Ada*

and

Albert D. ''lahood

0=EN-FILE REPORT 79-1461

This report is preliminary and has lot been edited or reviewed for confornit/ with U. S. G?Dlogical Survey standards

or nonencI atjre

-1-

INTRODUCTIONThis report is one of a series illustrating

siliceojs cysts from various localities. Although tnese cysts have been known for many years/ they are so snail that they cannot be observed in detail with ootical microscopes. The recent develooment of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) has made possible much more detailed observations of the external features of these.cysts/ but as yet relatively few forms have been recorded in this way.

A major difficult/ is taxonomic confusion. ^any and oerhaps all of these cysts are the resting stages of various algae of the ohylum ChrysophytaJ they will be referred to in the rest of this reoort as chrysomonad :/sts/ although oti?r groups in addition to the Cnrysomonadinae may oe represented. Modern forms are found primarily in fr?sh water/ and numerous authors have reoorted chrysomonad cysts from Holocene sediments (for example/ see M/gaard* 1956). Older fossils have oeen recovered mostly from marine deoosits/ and are known as archaeomonads/" whether the two grojos are as distinct as this terminology suggests is not clear.

For an introduction to the literature on chrysomonad cysts and siliceous algal scales/ the reader is referred to our orsliminar/ annotated bioliography on the subject (Adam and Mahood/ 1 9 7 9 a ) .

The fossil archaeononads have been described and named entirely on the basis of their cysts. This is not advisable with modern forms/ oecause the cysts are the remains of one stage of the life c/cle of algae tnat presumably already have legitimate taxonomic names. 3 roper cyst nomenclature therefore depends on establishing which c/sts are oroduced by which algae. At the moment/ we nav? only a very limited knowledge of the forms that exist/ and almost no knowledge of the oiycological pedigrees of the various forms.

The oresent work is directed toward exoanding our knowledge of the various cyst forms and their geographic and environmental distributions. Taxonomic oroblems are ignored/ and the various cyst forms are simply given numoers/ which have been assigned arbitrarily. These numbers are consistent throughout all reoorts in this series/ and are being used to tabulate where the various forms occur. (A list of the orevious reports in this series is given in Aopendix A). The approach used has been that of "solitting"/ as ooposed to "lumping"; it may well oe desirable to lump together many of the forms descrioed here when more is k n own abou t them.

The SE'A ohotograohs are the most imoortant oart of t n is paoer/ and no attemot has been made to reduce them to words. Supporting data have been olaced in the captions.

-2-

SITE DESCRI D TIOMEcho Lake is located in tne westernmost Great Basin/

jjst sojtn of Lake Taioe/ at an elevation of about 2270 m (fig. 1) . There are two main basins/ Lower and Upoer Echo Lakes/ that are seoarated by a narrow inlet known locally as "The Channel". The water level in both lakes is controlled o/ a dam across the outlet of Lower Echo Lake. During the spring and s u n m e r / the water level is normally maintained aoout 2.5 -n above the natural outlet/ after early Septemoer/ water is taken from Lower Echo Lake 3 y a pioeline and fluue across the crest of the Sierra Nevada into the American River drainage to the soutn* where it is used for power generation.

When the water level is high* the two lakes have a common surface level; when the water level is low* the Channel oecomes a creek flowing into Lower Echo Lake. Tne surface of Upper Echo Lake is a little over a meter higher than the surface of Lower Echo Lake when both lakes are just overflowing through tieir natural Djtlet s.

SamplesThe chrysomonad c/sts described in this report are

from a series of samples taken from a core recovered from Upoer Echo Lake. The core was taken during the sjmmer of 1973* wn?n the water level in the lake was high; at that time/ tie water deoth at the coring site was about 15 m. The core was taken by J. Sins using a 5-m Mackereth corer/" actual core recovery was about 4.8 n. Samples were orocessed using the techniques described by ^ahood and Adam (1979o).

The stratigraphic oositions of the chrysomonad samples in the Echo Lake core/ as well as a curve snowing sediment dry density/ are shown in figure 2. Tne proninent dry density peak at a deoth of 3.6 meters corresponds to a volcanic ash layer. This ash is orobably the ^azama Ash/ which has been identified in several nearby localities (Adam/ 1967); if so/ then the core spans the last 3300 to 9300 years.

The samples studied for this reoort were selected on the basis of raw sedinent smear slides in which cysts were common. Cysts were observed throughout the core/ however. .Mo attempt is made to interpret the record of chrysomonad cysts from the Upoer Echo _ake core/ or to tabulate which forns occur in which samples. The ohotograpns are presented as prinary docjnentation of the occurrence of these forms in the Jpoer Echo Lake sediments; interpretation must await a better knowledge of the environmental and geographic distrioutions of these cysts/ as well as the identification of the algae t T at prodjce t hem.

Negatives of the slates for this report are on

-3-

deposit at the JS35 Photo Library^ and orints can be DDtained Cat your exosnse) by writing to:

J, S. Geological Survey LibraryPhoto LibraryStop 9U3ox 25406* Denver Federal CenterDenver/ Colorado 80225

Acknowledg uent sWe thank J. Sims for recovering the core from the

lake and R. Oscarson and E. Sriffin far technical s jpDort.

.4.

P^T H r " r * * !'< %. c ^t* ^-** M*f ^ »i*4W '' /^ i-v&*?(* "v N,xf* '. ' --^V-^Sbr T ">« \te" \v -'/^^^^>-«^--'''' ^\ -,_v-\ /' ^ iSa ;. t-C>. ** -^A'- S-^29 ! iaaV-Hwww -- -\ ^-'27

=sS--^-A--A-w'->-vVX'_______4 «LQ

JIOOO FEIT

CONTOUR INTERVAL 80 FEETOAfHCD UHtS (EPRESCNT 40-FOOT COMTOUHS

DATUM II HUH KA L£VCLi cumes M mr OATUH is LOWCST UME ELCVATION 4223 MMMMU LOCUTION

Figure 1. Map showing the location of the core site (arrow). Dots mark the locations of other sites where we have observed chrysomonad cysts. Map is reduced from part of the USGS Fallen Leaf Lake 15-minute quadrangle.

-5-

Upper Echo Lake

_: " A,

g-

O," QJ Q

g-

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1Sediment Dry Density

12. 1.4

Figure 2. Plot of sediment dry density in grams per cubic centimeter versus depth for the Upper Echo Lake core. Arrows mark the depths of the chrysomonad samples studied for this report.

-6-

REFERENCES CITED

^datt* David P.* 1967* Late Pleistocene and Recent palynology in the central Sierra Nevada* California: 1Q Cushing* E. J.* and Wright* H. E.* Jr.* editors/ 3ua£e.£aar.2 °aifi2££2l23*/ ^ew Haven* Yals University a ress* p. 275-301.

A d a u * David P. * and M a h o o d * Albert M. * 1979* A oreliminary annotated oibliography on siliceous algal cysts and scales. U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Reoort MD. 79-1215* 34 o.

Cronberg/ Gertrud/ 1973* DeveloDiient of cysts in 3dli21!2Q3S £2d examined by scanning electron microscooy: Hydr331oIogia* v. 43/ n. 1-2* D. 29-35.

Freihofer* Barren C./ 1952* The litinology of a High Sierra Mevada uojntain lake: Echo Lake* Eldorado County* California: unpublished M.A. thesis (zoology)* California University (3erk»ley)* 181 p,

lahood* Albert D.* and Adam* David °.* 1979> Techniques used for the cleaning* concentration* and observation of chrysomonad cysts from sediments: U. S. Geological Sjrvey Open-file Reoort Number 79-U31* 6 p.

vj/gaard* Sunnar* 1956* Ancient and Recent flora of diatoms and Chrysophyceae in Lake Griosb* in Berg* <aj* and Peterssn* I. C.* eds.* Studies on the Hutnic acid Lake Gribsri: Folia Limnologia Scandinavica* No. 3* p. 32-94* 12 plates.

-7-

Upper Echo Lake/ 3 late A

scale bar = 1 micrometer

1 - Type 45, samole 91, depth 131 cm.

(with adhering deoris)

2 - T/pe 45, samole 91, depth 151 cm.


4 - T/pe 45, samole 28, deoth 55 CD.

5 - T/pe 45, samole 117, depth 233 en.

6 - T/pe 45* sample 15, depth 29 CTI.


S - T/pe 45, sample 25, depth 49 cu.

9 - T/pe 45, sample 91, depth 131 cm.

(with adhering debris)

10 - T/pe 46, sa-nole 23, depth 55 CTI.


12 - T/pe 45, sample 130, depth 259 cm.

-8-

Uooer Echo Lake* D I a t e 3

seal? bar = 3 micro meters

1 - T/pe 47/ sanole 23/ death 55 en.


2 - T/pe 47/ sanole 15* depth 29 en.


3 - T/pe 48/ samole 117* depth 233 cm.

4 - T/pe 49/ sanale 117x depth 233 CTI.

5 - T/pe 49* sa-note 91/ depth 181 cm.

6 - T/pe 49/ saiiDle 91* depth 151 cm.


7 - T/pe 5D/ sauDle 15/ depth 29 en.

(ODD r exposu re)

3 - T/pe 51/ Simole 15/ depth 29 en.

9 - T/pe 52/ sasiole 15* deoth 29 en.

13 - T/pe 53/ saTiole 121* depth 241 cm.

11 - T/pe 54/ sanole 121/ depth 241 cm.

(with algal scale at cotton)

12 - T/pe 53(?)* sanole 91x deoth 181 en.


-9-

Upper Echo _ake* D I a t e C

seals bar = 3 mi c r o ns t e r s

1 - Type 55* s a TI o I e 91* aeoth 151 cm.

(note reticulation)

2 - Type 56* sanole 15* death 29 en.

3 - T/pe 56* sanole 2* deoth 3 en.

4 - Type 56* satiole 2* deoth 3 c T\ .

5 - T/pe 57* sanDle 117* depth 233 CTI.

(sone debris; note holes)

6 - T/pe 58* SdTJDle 15* deoth 29 CT.

7 - T/pe 59* samole 117* depth 233 cm.

S - T/pe 59* sa-nole 23* deoth 55 en.


? - T/pe 63* sa-nole 117* deoth 233 c-n.

13 - T/pe 61* saoiole 2* deoth 3 en.


11 - T/pe 61* sanole 117* depth 233 cm.


12 - T/pe 60* 53-nole 121* depth 2^1 c-n.

-10-

Upper tcho _ d k e * Plate D

seal? bar = 1 micrometer

1 - T/pe 62* saiiole 23* depth 55 c TI .

2 - Type 62* samole 23* depth 55 c TI .

(sane specimen as no. 1)

3 - T/pe 63* saiiole 23* depth 55 CT.

4 - T/pe 6^* saiiDle 117* depth 233 en.

5 - T/pe 65* samole 121* death 241 cm.

6 - T/pe 66* satiDle 130* depth 259 c TI .


7 - T/pe 67* samDle 130* depth 259 CTI.

S - T/pe 68* samDle 01 * depth 131 cm.

(sone debris; note

reticulation witiin oore)

9 - T/pe 69* satiole 25* depth 49 c T .

(sane oebris; root-like network

is apparently related to the oore)

13 - T/pe 73* sanole 117* deoth 233 CTI.

11 - T/pe 71* samole 130* deoth 259 cm.


12 - T/pe 72* samole 130* deoth 259 c TI .

-11-

U o o e r Echo Lake* D I a t e E

scale oar = 1 -nicraneter

1 - Type 73* sa-nole 130* depth 259 cm.


2 - T/pe ?(*' saTiole 130, depth 259 CTI.

3 - T/pe 75, samole 91 / depth 1P1 CTI.


4 - Type 76, saTiole 91* depth 131 cm.

5 - Type 77* saTiole 91* depth 151 CTI.


6 - T/pe 78, s a TI o L e 130, depth 259 cm.


7 - T/pe 79, sarnie 117* depth 233 CTI.

B - T/pe 30, saTiDle 91, depth 181 cm.(Mote attached algal scale, aid also the two oatches where the orn3nentation has been thinned belo^ the oore* oerhaps because scales were once attacned there as well. Compare also with the SE^ photo of a c/st of ^3112232335. §2§ in Cronberq (1973, fig. 6) that S'IDWS a sirilar surface oattern on th? c/st.)

9 - T/pe 80, SBTiole 28, depth 55 CTI.


13 - T/pe 81, S3Tiole 2, deoth 3 CTI.

11 - T/pe 82, sa-nole 2, deoth 3 CTI.

12 - Indeterminate cyst, sampl? 23, depth 55 cm.

-12-

Uoper Echo Lake/ 3 I a t s F

scale oar = 3 microueters

1 - Type S3, samole 121, death 241 cm

2 - Type 33, sa mole 91, death 1B1 cm.


3 - Type S3, samole 91, depth 131 cm.


4 - Type 54, satiole 117, depth 233 en,

5 - Type 85, sanole 121, depth 241 c TI

(pljgis in pore)

6 - Type 86, samole 117, depth 233 c *n

7 - Type S7, satiate 117, death 233 CT>

8 - Type 38, sample 2, depth 3 CTI.


9 - Type 88, satiate 91, deoth 131 cm.

13 - Type 38, satiote 121, death 241 cm

11 - Type 89, samote 117, depth 233 cm

12 - Type 90, samote 15, deoth 29 cm.

-13-

Uoper Echo _ake, 3 I a t e G

scale bar = 3 mi c ro Tie t er s

1 - Type 91, sample 91, depth 181 cm.

2 - Type 92, sample 130, aepth 259 c m,

(with adhering depris)

3 - T/pe 93, satiate 28, depth 55 cm.


4 - T/pe 94, sample 15, depth 29 en.

5 - T/pe 95, sa-nole 91, depth 181 cm.

6 - T/pe 96, sanDle 91, depth 181 en.

7 - T/pe 97, sarnole 130, deptn 259 cm,


8 - T/pe 97, sanDle 2, death 3 c T\ .

9 - Type 97, sa-nale 2, depth 3 c T> .

(with adhering debris*

pljg still in DO re)

10 - Type 97, sample 121, depth 241 en,

(with adhering depris)

11 - Type 98, sample 117, depth 233 cur

12 - Type 99, sample 15, depth 29 en.

-14-

Uooer Echo Lake/ 3 late H

seal? bar = 1 11 i c r D-net er

1 - Type 133* saTiDle 15* depth 29 cm.

2 - Type 131, saTtole 2* deoth 3 c-n.

3 - Type 132* saTiDle 91* depth 151 c-n.

4 - Type 103* saTiDle 15* depth 29 cm.

5 - Type 104* sanDle 121* depth 241 cm.


6 - Type 105* sauDle 15* deptn 29 cm.


7 - Type 136* sariDle 117, deoth 233 cm.

3 - Type 137, sariDle 25* depth 4 9 ' c u.

9 - Type 103* saTole 130* depth 259 cm.

13 - Type 136, saTiDle 130* depth 259 cm.

11 - Type 139, saTole 28* depth 55 cm.

12 - Type 113* saflDle 15* deotn 29 en.

-15-

I-Hflj

4-1ro_<ns.0).*ni_jOx:ouut_OJan.

^

i_OJ4-1O

JF0l_uF« Hl_rtJn-^fOoV)

FOininx:4-1OCO

T)\

CO

ro(U'

FID(/)S.T

(UaX^ lr

.EO«

nnr

x:4-1OOJ

n,_oQJ

Fto(/>

ro*~(DaXlro

s>(/)

r-L.

O(UT

Jcnc r-0)

T)roJC.

r 3t

v_/

euf><f

x:nCD

TJ

inroOJFtoinfOr a\ \ro

,F^

0(/)

r- »

u

cnn

«-O

l"n

r

rji a

C

CJ r-

Tl

TJ

Om

OJ

^ t F

i

rex->

i/>

Ôl

axi<r

.

FuininJC

.

Q.

CJT

J

CO

ro(UF(OU)

-*OJaX1in

Eo»

ooT

^0CDT

3

ÔCDFrov>«*(Uaxl>o

FO0ro-ca.CDT

J

inr-O)

f:eaininOJaxiis.

EoininJC.

Q<JJT

J

CO

roOJo0)(/>

SO0)axi-I00

EOinin âCJ n03

r\iCJoFIT3

(/)

IS.

OJaxr-1

rs

FoO J-

-cQOJT

J

inroOJnFto(/)

ro0)axi loT

x-s(/)

r-L.

nO)

TJcnc T~

CJ

TJroj^.,_3v^

For>o

x:nCJ

T)V

ro0) 'Oi

emK

C-

0O)

aX1T

^

F

UT

vt

rox:4VaTJV

roCOQ.

r=mi/lVoo*~axt-iror-

i o

U D p e r Echo Lake* =» I a t e J

seal? bar = 1 microneter

1 - Type 45* satiole 130* depth 259 cm.

2 - T/pe 46* sa-nole 130* depth 259 cm.

3 - T/pe 119* sanDle 91* depth 131 c-n.


4 - T/pe 120* sanDle 25* depth 49 c -n.

5 - T/pe 123* sanDle 130* deoth 259 cm.

6 - T/pe 46(?)* samole 130* depth 259 c i\

7 - T/pe 121* sanDle 130* death 259 cm.

5 - T/pe 122* saTiole 91* depth 181 cm.

9 - T/pe 123* sanDle 91* depth 131 cm.

(with adhering dsoris)

10 - T/pe 58(?)* sample 133* death 259 c T\

11 - T/pe 124* saiole 121* depth 241 cm.


12 - T/pe 94(?)* samole 91* depth 131 c TI .

-17-

m

Upoer Echo Laker 3 I a t e <

seal* oar = 1 micrD-neter

1 - Type 125, sa-nDle 28, depth 55 cm.


2 - Type 125, sanole 2, depth 3 cm.


3 - Type 76, sample 130, depth 259 c TI .

4 - Type 127, saiole 130, deotn 259 c


5 - T/pe 123, sariDle 25, depth 49 cm.


6 - Type 129, sanDle 130, depth 259 c


7 - Type 133, sanDLe 130, depth 259 c


5 - Type 124, sauDle 130, deoti 259 cm

(corrpded)

9 - Type 131, sanDle 130, death 259 cm

10 - Type 127, saTiDle 28, depth 55 cm.

11 - Type 132, sauDLe 121, deptn 241 cm

12 - Type 133, sauDle 2, depth 3 cm.

m

m

-18-

CM

ro

o I

LM

1 J» in tit V

) n OJ

fD V> ai 3 XJ fD »

LM

0 U.

fD TJ t-t rr ro LH 0 n

3

ro to U)

C/) o (U fD O)

3 XJ fD l\J oo LL

fD U rf

IT Ln en o =1

" to U)

C/) o O)

fD Ul

(U 3 ^ fD rx»

CO

LL

fD O -j-

LT1

LH n 3

CJ

1 1

IQ

IQU)

ai

V)

t/>r»

o

O)

O)

ro

m

VI

VI

a>

a>3

3D

0

n>

fD

rx»

i>j

c»

uo

LL

L

LfD

fD

O

U

rr

rr

LH

U

l

LTI

LH

O

O

3

r*

1 in C/) o a> ro u; 3 O a ro OO

U.

fD U U LH Ln 0 =*

1 J> (£1 tu in

o (U (D I/I

(U 3 O ft) t\j

'JO LL fD <"» rr cn Ln n d

C

rr rr 01 a. rr fD -t t.

D in LL ro CJ -»

V)

v>

1

1 fD 0 * IV

t

fD

a>»O

C

L

*

fD 1L

L

-

fD

D~a

m

r-t- -r

u.

-*

u

uo

-j_

» _i

.v>

O

v^

3

«

x;

T3

fD LM N 0)

£ri

-*

r-

rrfD

O)

rvj

LL

oo

rr%

(D T

LL

-

fD

O

rr rr

LL fD

L/l

CJ

1.

O

VI

3

» >

1

1 «

X X7 fD LM

O * V)

01 r-

fD rxi

oo > LL

fD rr rr u!

o j

t ^r IU a.

fD -i -

m u.

fD o _>.

V)

v>

1 H X ro LH * I/) O)

r

fD ro N Li

re T3

rr rr LM O 3

-H i LM

V

/l

> 0)

r_

fD ^ > LL

fD rt rr 00 »

n 3

~ - rr OJ LL rr ro i D

CD U.

ro U mil

in v>

1

H T3

fD LM \ O>

r

fD O \ fD a i-T rr »

uo »

n 3

o Ul

fD CT

0) 1 II LM 3

t.

O 1 u 3

fD r-r

ro -i (/)

C

O 0 'D -1 m r» rr

o r~ (U fD > U

O> rr fD r~

APPENDIX

PREVIDJS REPORTS IN THIS SERIES

Albert D., and Ada*/ David P./ 1979a/ Late

Pleistocene cnrysornonad cysts from core If Clear

Lake/ Lake County/ California: J. S. Geological

Survey Open-file Report NJunoer 7 9 - 9 7 1 / 11 p./ 4

plates. Defines types 1 through 44.

Adam/ David P./ and ^ahood/ Aloert D./ 1979a/ A

oreliminary annotated bibliography on siliceous

algal cysts and scales: U. S. Geological Survey

Open-file Reoort Mumber 79-1215* 34 o.

Albert D./ and Adati/ David P./ 1979b/

Techniques used for the cleaning/ concentration/

and observation of chrysouonad cysts from

sediments: J. S. Geological Survey Ooen-file

Report Nunber 7?-1431/ 6 p.

-21-

79-1461 - USGS

Documents

Transcript of 79-1461 - USGS