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
Introduction Oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes in precipitation From precipitation to terrestrial water Lake waters and mass balance modelling Di... | 33 |
Isotopes in Water 1 | 36 |
17 | 43 |
27 | 52 |
36 | 55 |
Isotopes in tree rings | 67 |
Introduction Isotope incorporation into bone Relationship of bone isotope composition to an animals diet Preservation of the isotope signal in bone a... | 117 |
Application of isotope techniques to bone and teeth TABLE OF CONTENTS | 127 |
Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in lacustrine organic matter | 173 |
Isotopes in speleothems | 185 |
Carbon isotopes in speleothems | 202 |
Summary | 215 |
227 | 226 |
Carbon isotopes in marine sediments | 245 |
Nitrogen isotopes in marine sediments | 259 |
Boron isotopes in marine sediments | 268 |
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Common terms and phrases
13C values 15N values atmospheric CO2 benthic biogenic bone calcite carbon isotope carbon isotope ratios cave cellulose Chem climate change collagen Cosmochim cycle deposition deuterium diatom dissolved drip waters Earth Planet effects enrichment environment environmental Environmental Isotope evaporation Figure fluid inclusions foraminifera Geochemistry Geochim Geol Geophys global groundwater Holocene hydrogen isotope Hydrol hydrological influence inorganic interpretation isotope analysis isotope data isotope equilibrium isotope fractionation Isotope Geochemistry isotope studies isotope values lacustrine lake sediments lake water last glacial Leng marine mass spectrometry measurements meteoric water moisture nitrate nitrogen isotope ocean organic carbon organic matter oxygen isotope oxygen isotope composition palaeoclimate palaeoenvironmental palaeotemperature photosynthesis planktonic plants potential precipitation proxy Quaternary Sci rainfall recharge reconstruction reflect regions relationship relative Rozanski samples Schwarcz seasonal sediments signal significant silicic soil species speleothems stable carbon isotope stable isotope stalagmites surface water techniques temperature terrestrial tree rings variability water isotopes water vapour