Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that is transported globally through the atmosphere. The emission of Hg from mineral reservoirs and subsequent recycling in surface reservoirs (i.e., soil/biomass, ocean, and atmosphere) are fundamental to the modern global Hg cycle, yet past emissions from anthropogenic and natural sources are not fully constrained. We use a sediment core from Yanacocha, a headwater lake in southeastern Peru, to study the anthropogenic and natural controls on atmospheric Hg deposition during the Holocene. From 12.3 to 3.5 ka, Hg fluxes in the record are relatively constant (mean ± 1σ: 1.4 ± 0.6 μg m-2 a-1, n = 189). Past Hg deposition does not correlate with changes in regional temperature and precipitation, inferred from nearby paleoclimate records, or with most large volcanic events that occurred regionally, in the Andean Central Volcanic Zone (~300-400 km from Yanacocha), and globally. In B.C. 1450 (3.4 ka), Hg fluxes abruptly increased and reached the Holocene-maximum flux (6.7 μg m-2 a-1) in B.C. 1200, concurrent with a ~100-year peak in Fe and chalcophile metals (As, Ag, Tl) and the presence of framboidal pyrite. Continuously elevated Hg fluxes from B.C. 1200-500 suggest a protracted mining-dust source near Yanacocha that is identical in timing to documented pre-Incan cinnabar mining in central Peru. During Incan and Colonial time (A.D. 1450-1650), Hg deposition remains elevated relative to background levels but lower relative to other Hg records from sediment cores in central Peru, indicating a limited spatial extent of preindustrial Hg emissions. Hg fluxes from A.D. 1980 to 2011 (4.0 ± 1.0 μg m-2 a-1, n = 5) are 3.0 ± 1.5 times greater than pre-anthropogenic fluxes and are similar to modern fluxes documented in remote lakes around the world.

中文翻译：

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秘鲁奎尔卡亚冰帽附近全新世大气汞沉积的自然和人为变化

汞 (Hg) 是一种有毒金属，通过大气在全球范围内传播。矿物水库中汞的排放以及随后在地表水库（即土壤/生物质、海洋和大气）中的再循环是现代全球汞循环的基础，但过去人为和自然来源的排放并未完全受到限制。我们使用来自秘鲁东南部源头湖亚纳科查的沉积物核心来研究全新世期间大气汞沉积的人为和自然控制。从 12.3 到 3.5 ka，记录中的 Hg 通量相对恒定（平均值 ± 1σ：1.4 ± 0.6 μg m-2 a-1，n = 189）。过去的汞沉积与区域温度和降水的变化无关，从附近的古气候记录推断，或与区域发生的大多数大型火山事件无关，在安第斯中央火山区（距亚纳科查约 300-400 公里）和全球。在 BC 1450 (3.4 ka)，Hg 通量突然增加并在 BC 1200 达到全新世最大通量 (6.7 μg m-2 a-1)，同时铁和亲硫金属（As、Ag , Tl) 和枝状黄铁矿的存在。公元前 1200-500 年持续升高的汞通量表明亚纳科查附近存在长期采矿粉尘源，其时间与秘鲁中部记录的印加前朱砂开采时间相同。在印加和殖民时期（公元 1450-1650 年），汞沉积相对于背景水平仍然较高，但相对于秘鲁中部沉积岩芯的其他汞记录较低，表明工业化前汞排放的空间范围有限。从公元 1980 年到 2011 年的汞通量 (4.0 ± 1.0 μg m-2 a-1, n = 5) 为 3.0 ± 1。