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

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • M. Tuthorn - , University of Bayreuth (Author)
  • Roland Zech - , Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • M. Ruppenthal - , University of Tübingen (Author)
  • Y. Oelmann - , University of Tübingen (Author)
  • A. Kahmen - , University of Basel (Author)
  • H. F. Del Valle - , National Scientific and Technical Research Council Argentina (CONICET) (Author)
  • Timothy Ian Eglinton - , ETH Zurich (Author)
  • K. Rozanski - , AGH University of Science and Technology (Author)
  • M. Zech - , Heisenberg Chair of Physical Geography with a Focus on Paleoenvironmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Author)

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

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3913-3924
Number of pages12
JournalBiogeosciences
Volume12
Issue number12
Publication statusPublished - 29 Jun 2015
Peer-reviewedYes