Coupling δ2H and δ18O biomarker results yields information on relative humidity and isotopic composition of precipitation - A climate transect validation study

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • M. Tuthorn - , Universität Bayreuth (Autor:in)
  • Roland Zech - , Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (Autor:in)
  • M. Ruppenthal - , Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (Autor:in)
  • Y. Oelmann - , Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (Autor:in)
  • A. Kahmen - , Universität Basel (Autor:in)
  • H. F. Del Valle - , Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Autor:in)
  • Timothy Ian Eglinton - , ETH Zurich (Autor:in)
  • K. Rozanski - , AGH University of Science and Technology (Autor:in)
  • M. Zech - , Professur für Physische Geographie mit Schwerpunkt Paläoumweltforschung (Heisenberg), Universität Bayreuth, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (Autor:in)

Abstract

The hydrogen isotopic composition (δ2H) of leaf waxes, especially of n/-alkanes (δ2Hn-alkanes), is increasingly used for paleohydrological and paleoclimate reconstructions. However, it is challenging to disentangle past changes in the isotopic composition of precipitation and changes in evapotranspirative enrichment of leaf water, which are both recorded in leaf wax δ2H values. In order to overcome this limitation, Zech M. et al. (2013) proposed a coupled δ2Hn-alkanes18Osugar biomarker approach. This coupled approach allows for calculating (i) biomarker-based "reconstructed" δ2H/δ18O values of leaf water (δ2H/δ18Oleaf water), (ii) biomarker-based reconstructed deuterium excess (d-excess) of leaf water, which mainly reflects evapotranspirative enrichment and which can be used to reconstruct relative air humidity (RH) and (iii) biomarker-based reconstructed δ2H/δ18Oprecipitation values. Here we present a climate transect validation study by coupling new results from δ2H analyses of n-alkanes and fatty acids in topsoils along a climate transect in Argentina with previously measured δ18O results obtained for plant-derived sugars. Accordingly, both the reconstructed RH and δ2H/δ18Oprecipitation values correlate highly significantly with actual RH and δ2H/δ18Oprecipitation values. We conclude that compared to single δ2Hn-alkane or δ18Osugar records, the proposed coupled δ2Hn-alkane18Osugar biomarker approach will allow more robust δ2H/δ18Oprecipitation reconstructions in future paleoclimate research. Additionally, the proposed coupled δ2Hn-alkane18Osugar biomarker approach allows for the establishment of a "paleohygrometer", more specifically, the reconstruction of mean summer daytime RH changes/history.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)3913-3924
Seitenumfang12
FachzeitschriftBiogeosciences
Jahrgang12
Ausgabenummer12
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 29 Juni 2015
Peer-Review-StatusJa