Stable Isotope Studies of the Water Cycle and Terrestrial Environments
This volume is devoted to Earth surface environmental reconstructions and environmental changes that may be deciphered and modelled using stable isotopes along with mineralogical/chemical, sedimentological, palaeontological/biological and climatological methodologies. The book is divided into two sections, both using stable isotopes (δD, δ18O, δ13C, d15N, δ34S, clumped isotopes Δ47) in various samples and phases as the main research tool. The first section is devoted to studies focusing on the distribution of isotopes in precipitation, groundwater, lakes, rivers, springs, tap water, mine water and their relationship with terrestrial environments at regional to continental scale. In relation to this, the second section includes case studies from a range of continental settings, investigating cave deposits (stalagmites, bat guano), animal skeletons (dinosaurs, alligators, turtles, bivalves), present and past soils (palaeosols) and limestones. The sections focus on the interaction between the surficial water cycle and underground water storage with deposits acting as archives of short- to long-term climatic and environmental changes. Examples from the Early Cretaceous to present time come from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America.
Using ratios in cave guano to assess past environmental changes
Correspondence: [email protected]
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Published:October 28, 2021
Abstract
Stable isotope ratios of cave bat guano reflect environmental influences at the soil and plant level within the foraging range of the bats. Carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen isotopes have utility in reconstructing precipitation and temperature as well as in tracing the influence of large-scale atmospheric circulation and climate variability. Guano-derived stable isotope time series have been demonstrated to effectively provide high-resolution records of palaeoenvironmental variation from the late Pleistocene to present. Owing to their influence on these isotopes, factors such as bat ecology, species foraging range and site location must be considered when interpreting such records. Research analysing the isotopic composition of guano has provided a highly resolved history of vegetation and climate dynamics previously less understood. In this chapter we discuss the factors influencing the δ13C, δ15N and δ2H values in guano and provide an up-to-date review of cave guano as palaeo-climate archive.
- Asia
- atmospheric circulation
- atmospheric precipitation
- C-13/C-12
- carbon
- cave environment
- Cenozoic
- chemical composition
- climate change
- D/H
- ecology
- environmental analysis
- Europe
- Far East
- guano
- Holocene
- hydrogen
- isotope ratios
- isotopes
- Malaysia
- middle Holocene
- N-15/N-14
- nitrogen
- paleoclimatology
- paleoenvironment
- Pleistocene
- Quaternary
- reconstruction
- Romania
- sample preparation
- sampling
- sediments
- Southern Europe
- stable isotopes
- temperature
- terrestrial environment
- upper Holocene
- upper Pleistocene
- vegetation
- Niah Cave
- Topolnita Cave