Isotopes in Palaeoenvironmental ResearchMelanie J. Leng This volume is intended to show how stable isotopes can be applied to understanding the palaeoenvironment. There are chapters on the interpretation of isotopes in water, tree rings, bones and teeth, lake sediments, speleothems and marine sediments. Crucial to the understanding of the environmental signal contained within the isotope composition of different materials is to gain more information about how rainfall isotope compositions are determined by climate. Chapter 1 (Darling et al. ) describes O, H and C stable isotope compositions in the modern day water and aqueous carbon cycles to provide a framework for the interpretation of these isotopes in the past. The chapter on the water cycle divides naturally into a number of sections. The starting point, precipitation, is especially important because it is the precursor to which most O and H isotope proxy studies are attempting to relate. While much is understood about the isotope systematics of precipitation, largely owing to the existence of the IAEA– WMO Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP), important questions remain to be answered in relation to the isotope-temperature gradients of past climatic conditions. The chapter describes the three reservoirs of water sustaining all terrestrial proxies; soil and vadose zone moisture, groundwater, and surface waters. In each reservoir isotope effects intervene to modify to a greater or lesser extent the isotope signature of antecedent precipitation; groundwaters are least affected and surface waters the most. |
Contents
1 ISOTOPES IN WATER | 1 |
Oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes in precipitation | 4 |
From precipitation to terrestrial water | 17 |
Lake waters and mass balance modelling | 27 |
Dissolved carbon | 36 |
From proxy to climate constraints on interpretation | 49 |
Summary | 51 |
References | 52 |
Introduction | 148 |
Oxygen isotope systematics in inorganic materials | 150 |
Carbon isotopes in lacustrine organic matter | 166 |
Nitrogen isotopes in lacustrine organic matter | 169 |
Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in lacustrine organic matter | 173 |
Summary | 175 |
References | 176 |
5 ISOTOPES IN SPELEOTHEMS | 185 |
2 ISOTOPES IN TREE RINGS | 67 |
Isotope fractionation in trees | 69 |
Sample selection and preparation | 72 |
Mass spectrometry | 83 |
Data analysis | 93 |
Environmental signals | 101 |
Multiproxy dendroclimatology | 104 |
Summary | 105 |
References | 106 |
3 ISOTOPES IN BONES AND TEETH | 117 |
Isotope incorporation into bone | 118 |
Relationship of bone isotope composition to an animals diet | 119 |
Preservation of the isotope signal in bone and tooth | 122 |
Environmental influences on isotope transport through food chains | 123 |
Application of isotope techniques to bone and teeth | 127 |
Summary | 138 |
4 ISOTOPES IN LAKE SEDIMENTS | 147 |
Oxygen isotopes in speleothems | 189 |
Carbon isotopes in speleothems | 202 |
methodologies and some recent results | 206 |
Summary | 215 |
References | 218 |
6 ISOTOPES IN MARINE SEDIMENTS | 227 |
Oxygen isotopes in marine sediments | 231 |
Carbon isotopes in marine sediments | 245 |
Nitrogen isotopes in marine sediments | 259 |
Silicon isotopes in marine sediments | 264 |
Boron isotopes in marine sediments | 268 |
Summary | 272 |
References | 273 |
GLOSSARY ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS | 291 |
INDEX | |
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Common terms and phrases
8¹³C values acid aquifer atmospheric CO2 benthic benthic foraminifera biogenic bone calcite carbon isotope carbon isotope ratios cave cellulose Chem chronology climate change CO₂ collagen Cosmochim cycle deposition diatom dissolved drip waters Earth Planet effects enrichment environment environmental evaporation Figure fluid inclusions foraminifera Geochemistry Geochim Geol Geophys global groundwater Holocene hydrogen isotope Hydrol hydrology inorganic interpretation isotope analysis isotope data isotope equilibrium isotope fractionation Isotope Geochemistry Isotope Hydrology isotope records isotope studies isotope values lacustrine lake sediments lake water last glacial Leng measurements meteoric water moisture nitrate nitrogen nitrogen isotope ocean organic matter oxygen isotope composition oxygen isotope ratios palaeoclimate palaeoenvironmental palaeotemperature pCO2 photosynthesis planktonic plants potential proxy Quaternary Sci rainfall recharge reconstruction regions relationship relative Rozanski samples Schwarcz seasonal silicic soil species speleothems stable carbon isotope stable isotope stalagmites surface water techniques temperature terrestrial tree rings variability variations water isotopes water vapour zone
Popular passages
Page 275 - Epstein, S., Buchsbaum, R., Lowenstam, HA and Urey, HC (1953) Revised Carbonatewater isotopic temperature scale. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 64, p.