Reconstruction of Asian Monsoon Using Compound-Specific Isotope Signals of Aquatic and Terrestrial Biomarkers in Tibetan Lake Systems
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Reconstruction of Asian monsoon using compound-specific isotope signals of aquatic and terrestrial biomarkers in Tibetan lake systems DISSERTATION Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades doctor rerum naturalium (Dr. rer. nat.) vorgelegt dem Rat der Chemisch-Geowissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena von M.Sc. Franziska Günther geboren am 05. Januar 1984 in Jena Gutachter 1. apl. Prof. Dr. Gerd Gleixner Max-Planck-Institut für Biogeochemie; FSU Jena 2. Prof. Dr. Roland Mäusbacher Institut für Geographie, FSU Jena 3. Prof. Dr. Antje Schwalb Institut für Umweltgeologie, TU Braunschweig Tag der öffentlichen Verteidigung: 20.12.2013 Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. I List of Figures ................................................................................................................ IV List of Tables ............................................................................................................... VII Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. VIII 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Reconstruction of the Asian monsoon at the Tibetan Plateau ............................ 1 1.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Thesis organization ............................................................................................ 6 2 Response of δD values of sedimentary n-alkanes to variations in source water isotope signals and climate proxies at Lake Nam Co, Tibetan Plateau ............... 7 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 8 2.2 Regional Settings ............................................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Nam Co ........................................................................................................ 9 2.2.2 Study sites at the Glaciers .......................................................................... 10 2.3 Materials and methods ..................................................................................... 11 2.3.1 Analysis of sedimentary n-alkanes ............................................................ 11 2.3.2 Measurement of δD values of sedimentary n-alkanes ............................... 11 2.3.3 Chronology of sediments ........................................................................... 12 2.3.4 Isotopic records from ice cores and other climatic records ....................... 13 2.4 Results .............................................................................................................. 14 2.4.1 Concentration and distribution of n-alkanes in lake sediments ................. 14 2.4.2 δD values of sedimentary n-alkanes .......................................................... 15 2.4.3 Comparison of isotope records from ice cores and sediments and other climate drivers ........................................................................................... 16 2.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 17 2.5.1 Hydrogen source for sedimentary n-alkanes ............................................. 17 2.5.2 Paleoenvironmental reconstruction on the basis of the isotope ratios ....... 17 2.5.3 Environmental drivers of δD variability .................................................... 20 2.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 21 3 A synthesis of hydrogen isotope variability and its hydrological significance at the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau ................................................................................... 22 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Regional settings and data sources ................................................................... 24 I 3.3 Materials and Methods ..................................................................................... 26 3.3.1 Sampling .................................................................................................... 26 3.3.2 Sample Analysis ........................................................................................ 28 3.4 Results .............................................................................................................. 30 3.4.1 Water δD and δ18O values ......................................................................... 30 3.4.2 Molecular distribution of biomass and sedimentary n-alkanes ................. 31 3.4.3 δD values of sedimentary n-alkanes ......................................................... 34 3.5 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 36 3.5.1 Biological sources for sedimentary n-alkanes ........................................... 36 3.5.2 Hydrogen source for biosynthesis ............................................................. 37 3.5.3 Isotopic signature of aquatic and terrestrial n-alkanes on the transect ...... 38 3.5.4 Hydrogen isotope variability on the Tibetan Plateau ................................ 40 3.5.5 Outlook on a global view........................................................................... 43 3.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 44 4 Distribution of bacterial and archaeal ether lipids in soils and surface sediments of Tibetan lakes: Implications for GDGT-based proxies in saline high mountain lakes ........................................................................................................................... 46 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 47 4.2 Material and methods ....................................................................................... 48 4.2.1 Study site ................................................................................................... 48 4.2.2 Sampling and sample preparation .............................................................. 49 4.2.3 Analysis of GDGTs and archaeol .............................................................. 50 4.2.4 Calculation of GDGT indices and proxies ................................................ 50 4.2.5 Statistical analysis ..................................................................................... 52 4.3 Results .............................................................................................................. 52 4.3.1 Distribution of bGDGTs ............................................................................ 52 4.3.2 Distribution of iGDGTs ............................................................................. 54 4.3.3 Distribution of archaeol ............................................................................. 56 4.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 56 4.4.1 Sources for bGDGTs in Tibetan lake sediments ....................................... 56 4.4.2 Sources for iGDGTs and archaeol in Tibetan lake sediments ................... 58 4.4.3 Environmental factors influencing GDGT distributions and indices ........ 59 4.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 63 II 5 Interplay between the Indian Ocean Summer Monsoon and the Westerlies at Nam Co during the transition from Last Glacial Maximum to the Early Holocene - Effects of ecological thresholds on ecosystem development .............. 65 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 66 5.2 Material and Methods ...................................................................................... 67 5.2.1 Study site ................................................................................................... 67 5.2.2 Sampling and sample preparation .............................................................. 68 5.2.3 Analysis of lipid biomarker compounds .................................................... 68 5.2.4 Isotope analysis.......................................................................................... 69 5.2.5 δD correction for the global ice volume effect .......................................... 70 5.2.6 Calculation of δD values for lake and inflow waters ................................ 70 5.3 Results .............................................................................................................. 71 5.3.1 Age model.................................................................................................. 71 5.3.2 Distribution and concentration of biomarkers ........................................... 71 5.3.3 Isotopic characteristics .............................................................................. 72 5.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 74 5.4.1 Do the paleohydrological δD proxies display the IOSM? ........................