Parameter
Proxy
Basic assumption(s/ Empirical relationship
Selected reference(s)'
Precision (lab.
Accurac/
Pitfalls
reproducib.)
terrestrial
50
biomarkers
I) e.g. lignin is a
if the assumptions are
De Leeuw et a1. (1995)
HPLC:<
1) adsorption behavior of lignin and
input
(e.g. lignin,
terrestrial product
correct, lignin can be
Lobbes (1999)
bulk org. matter to clay minerals
resins)
2) it is produced in
used to estimate
may differ
constant ratio to bulk
terrestrial organic matter
2) fractionation during early
organic matter
input
diagenesis may occur
3) it behaves as bulk
terrestrial organic
matter
marinevs.
51
013C of bulk
C3 (mainly marine)
various mixing
Sackett (1964);
±O.15%,
?
unknown exact isotope values for
terrestrial
organic carbon
and C4 (mainly
equations (e.g. Fontugne MOller ct al (I983)
endmembers needed for the mixing
productivity
terrestrial) plants
and Duplessy 1986)
Fontugne and Duplessy
equations
differ in their isotopic
(1986)
composition:
Wagner and Dupont
(-20% for marine and
(this volume)
-27% for terrestrial
Corg)
52
CIN
organic matter of
mass balance equations
MOller (1977);
on average 3% for
?
fixed nitrogen:
elN ratio can
terrestrial origin
allow to roughly
Meyers (1994);
C and N (depending
increase due to sorption
of N to clay
generally has CIN 2:
estimate contribution of Ruttenberg and Gofii
on concentration),
minerals protecting is against
15; marine organic
terrestrial organic matter (1997);
thus:
bacterial attack (MOller 1977;
matter usually has
to total
Wagner and Dupont
CIN ,q)%
MOller and Suess 1977)
CIN
= >5
(this volume)
(attention should be paid
if ratio is given in atomic
or weight percent)
!
environmental parameters are often not equivocal. For instance, temperature and salinity of surface waters are intimately related. An other example is productivity in surface waters and dissolution on
the ocean floor beneath, Yet another example is temperature and productivity in upwelling regions. Consequently care should be taken when interpreting proxies. Evolutionary change of biotic signal
carriers or assemblages as well as post-depositional processes such as dissolution (e.g. Lohmann 1995), redox reaction, bioturbation are not always mentioned separately.
2
Due to space constraints only few pertinent articles have been cited per topic serving as an introduction for each proxy.
3
It is impossible to calculate the accuracy for a proxy as many other parameters (proxies are mostly unequivocal), that also affect the proxy, can often not be quantified. In addition, factors such as for
instance bioturbation, early diagenesis are difficult to quantify and affect the accuracy negatively, The numbers given in this column represent generally accepted educated guesses.
4
What paleoceanographers refer to as biological production or productivity is often export production which is more or less comparable to new production on longer time scales,
a-,
00
~
Cti'
....
~
~
Proxy
Basic assumption(s/ Empirical relationship
Selected reference(s)'
Precision (lab.
Accurac/
Pitfalls
reproducib.)
terrestrial
50
biomarkers
I) e.g. lignin is a
if the assumptions are
De Leeuw et a1. (1995)
HPLC:<
1) adsorption behavior of lignin and
input
(e.g. lignin,
terrestrial product
correct, lignin can be
Lobbes (1999)
bulk org. matter to clay minerals
resins)
2) it is produced in
used to estimate
may differ
constant ratio to bulk
terrestrial organic matter
2) fractionation during early
organic matter
input
diagenesis may occur
3) it behaves as bulk
terrestrial organic
matter
marinevs.
51
013C of bulk
C3 (mainly marine)
various mixing
Sackett (1964);
±O.15%,
?
unknown exact isotope values for
terrestrial
organic carbon
and C4 (mainly
equations (e.g. Fontugne MOller ct al (I983)
endmembers needed for the mixing
productivity
terrestrial) plants
and Duplessy 1986)
Fontugne and Duplessy
equations
differ in their isotopic
(1986)
composition:
Wagner and Dupont
(-20% for marine and
(this volume)
-27% for terrestrial
Corg)
52
CIN
organic matter of
mass balance equations
MOller (1977);
on average 3% for
?
fixed nitrogen:
elN ratio can
terrestrial origin
allow to roughly
Meyers (1994);
C and N (depending
increase due to sorption
of N to clay
generally has CIN 2:
estimate contribution of Ruttenberg and Gofii
on concentration),
minerals protecting is against
15; marine organic
terrestrial organic matter (1997);
thus:
bacterial attack (MOller 1977;
matter usually has
to total
Wagner and Dupont
CIN ,q)%
MOller and Suess 1977)
CIN
= >5
(this volume)
(attention should be paid
if ratio is given in atomic
or weight percent)
!
environmental parameters are often not equivocal. For instance, temperature and salinity of surface waters are intimately related. An other example is productivity in surface waters and dissolution on
the ocean floor beneath, Yet another example is temperature and productivity in upwelling regions. Consequently care should be taken when interpreting proxies. Evolutionary change of biotic signal
carriers or assemblages as well as post-depositional processes such as dissolution (e.g. Lohmann 1995), redox reaction, bioturbation are not always mentioned separately.
2
Due to space constraints only few pertinent articles have been cited per topic serving as an introduction for each proxy.
3
It is impossible to calculate the accuracy for a proxy as many other parameters (proxies are mostly unequivocal), that also affect the proxy, can often not be quantified. In addition, factors such as for
instance bioturbation, early diagenesis are difficult to quantify and affect the accuracy negatively, The numbers given in this column represent generally accepted educated guesses.
4
What paleoceanographers refer to as biological production or productivity is often export production which is more or less comparable to new production on longer time scales,
a-,
00
~
Cti'
....
~
~