Revised calibration of the mbt-cbt paleotemperature proxy based on branched tetraether membrane lipids in surface soils

F. Peterse, J. van der Meer, S. Schouten, J.W.H. Weijers, N. Fierer, R.B. Jackson, J.H. Kim, J.S. Sinninghe Damste

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    Abstract

    The MBT-CBT proxy for the reconstruction of paleotemperatures and past soil pH is based on the distribution of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (brGDGT) membrane lipids. The Methylation of Branched Tetraether (MBT) and the Cyclisation of Branched Tetraether (CBT) indices were developed to quantify these distributions, and significant empirical relations between these indices and annual mean air temperature (MAT) and/or soil pH were found in a large data set of soils. In this study, we extended this soil dataset to 278 globally distributed surface soils. Of these soils, 26% contains all nine brGDGTs, while in 63% of the soils the seven most common brGDGTs were detected, and the latter were selected for calibration purposes. This resulted in new transfer functions for the reconstruction of pH based on the CBT index: pH=7.90-1.97×CBT (r
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)215-229
    JournalGeochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
    Volume96
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2012

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