Pollen and diatom records of Hoton-Nur Lake (Khoton Nuur), Mongolian Altai, Mongolia, covering 11.5 ka

Hoton-Nur (drilling point 48°40'N, 88°18'E, 2083 m a.s.l.) is situated in the intermountain depression in the sparsely populated northern part of the Mongolian Altai. The lake has an area of 50 km2 with a maximum water depth of 58 m. In 2004, the 257 cm long sediment core (Hoton-2) was recovered from 32 m depth in the southeastern part of Hoton-Nur. The recovered core consists of compact inorganic gray-blue clay (below 205 cm) and striate gray clay and silt (above 205 cm) with a touch of organic matter. Vegetational cover of the eastern and northern parts of the Hoton-Nur basin is presented by cold-tolerant steppe vegetation and often intercalated with kobresian and sedge communities. For details of radiocarbon dating see Rudaya et al., 2009.