GEOC 6 |
| Chitin is a recalcitrant compound and potential substrate for geochemical study in many environments. For example,brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) native to the Great Salt Lake (Utah, USA) produce chitinous cysts that are preserved in sediments for thousands of years. Previous work has suggested that the oxygen isotopic composition of chitin may be a reliable proxy for the isotopic composition of environmental water. Chitin contains both oxygen and hydrogen and in the current study we establish a relationship between the δ2H and δ18O composition of brine shrimp chitin and that of their growth water and food. Because the isotope effects associated with evaporation are different for hydrogen and oxygen, reconstruction of both isotope ratios from one molecule will allow more robust estimates of the paleohydrology of this climatically sensitive lake. |
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Modern Calibrations and Terrestrial Applications of Stable Isotope Paleo Proxies
9:00 AM-12:10 PM, Sunday, August 19, 2007 Boston Park Plaza -- St. James Rm, Oral
Division of Geochemistry |