Assessment of δ13C and C/N ratios in bulk organic matter as palaeosalinity indicators in Holocene and Lateglacial isolation basin sediments,northwest Scotland |
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| Authors: | Elizabeth A V Mackie Jeremy M Lloyd Melanie J Leng Michael J Bentley Carol Arrowsmith |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Geography, University of Durham, Durham, UK;2. NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, UK;3. Department of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK |
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| Abstract: | Carbon isotopes (δ13C) and C/N ratios from bulk organic matter have recently been used as alternative proxies for relative sea‐level (RSL) reconstruction where there are problems associated with conventional biological indictors. A previous study on a single isolation basin (Upper Loch nan Eala) in northwest Scotland has shown a clear relationship between δ13C, C/N ratios and palaeosalinity from Younger Dryas and Holocene aged sediments. In this paper we present results of δ13C and C/N ratio analyses from other isolation basins in northwest Scotland over the Holocene and the Lateglacial period in order to validate this technique. The results from the Holocene sequences support the earlier findings that this technique can be used to identify RSL change from isolation basins over the Holocene in this region. The relationship between δ13C, C/N ratios and RSL change is not apparent in sediments of Lateglacial age. Other environmental variables such as atmospheric CO2 concentration, poor vegetation development and temperature influence δ13C values during this period. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | δ 13C C/N ratios relative sea‐level change isolation basin |
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