Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://dx.doi.org/10.25673/111371
Title: Terrestrial versus aquatic source identification of sedimentary n-alkane and sugar biomarkers : a case study from the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
Author(s): Mekonnen, Betelhem
Bittner, LucasLook up in the Integrated Authority File of the German National Library
Bromm, Tobias
Lemma, Bruk
Glaser, BrunoLook up in the Integrated Authority File of the German National Library
Zech, WolfgangLook up in the Integrated Authority File of the German National Library
Nemomissa, Sileshi
Bekele, TamratLook up in the Integrated Authority File of the German National Library
Zech, MichaelLook up in the Integrated Authority File of the German National Library
Issue Date: 2023
Type: Article
Language: English
Abstract: Organic matter in sedimentary archives is abundantly used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental and climate histories. Thereby, distinguishing between the terrestrial and aquatic origin of sedimentary organic matter is often a prerequisite for robust interpretations. In this case study, we use published data for modern plants and topsoils to identify the terrestrial versus aquatic source of n-alkane and sugar biomarkers in two afro-alpine sediment archives (Lake Garba Guracha and Depression B4) in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. The results of our comparative approach show that the long-chain n-alkanes C29, C31, and C33 in the sedimentary archives yielded patterns similar to those typical for the potential terrestrial input. By contrast, the relative abundances of the sedimentary mid-chain n-alkanes C23 and C25, and at least partly C27, are significantly increased compared to the plants and topsoils. This suggests that they are primarily produced by aquatic macrophytes and micro-organisms. The Paq ratio (C23 + C25)/(C23 + C25 + C29 + C31) is validated as a suitable source identification proxy in our study area. The sugar biomarkers xylose (xyl) and arabinose (ara) are abundant in the plant and topsoil samples. By comparison, high relative abundances of fucose (fuc) and rhamnose (rham) are generally only observed in sediments. This indicates that these sugar biomarkers are primarily produced by aquatic macrophytes or micro-organisms. Therefore, the ratio (fuc + rham)/(ara + xyl) is a suitable sugar biomarker proxy for organic matter source identification. The relative abundances of galactose and mannose are systematically decreasing and increasing, respectively, from leaves over O-layers to Ah-horizons. Furthermore, they are not significantly different from the abundances found in the sediments. This hinders terrestrial versus aquatic source identification using galactose and mannose.
URI: https://opendata.uni-halle.de//handle/1981185920/113325
http://dx.doi.org/10.25673/111371
Open Access: Open access publication
License: (CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0(CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Journal Title: Journal of paleolimnology
Publisher: Springer Science + Business Media B.V
Publisher Place: Dordrecht [u.a.]
Volume: 70
Original Publication: 10.1007/s10933-023-00298-5
Page Start: 347
Page End: 360
Appears in Collections:Open Access Publikationen der MLU

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