The sediments and buried plant remainders from a drilling core in Xihu Lake

Fields Peninsula

Antarctic

were analyzed with instrumental neutron activation analysis method. Data analysis showed that the sediments at different depth had the identical multi-elemental distribution patterns. The same characteristic was also found in the plant remainder samples. Moreover

the sediments and the remainders showed similar multi-elemental distribution patterns including REEs

indicating that they had similar material resources. The elemental enrichment factors were also calculated to differentiate selective uptake of elements by the plant. The depth profiles of many elements of the remainder displayed significant and similarly regular changes. A conclusion can be drawn that the multi-elemental composite characteristics of the plant remainders were more responsive to the environmental changes than those of the sediments

which therefore could provide the important evidence to track the environmental and climatic evolution.