Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published October 15, 2004 | Published
Journal Article Open

Rapid analysis of 13C in plant-wax n-alkanes for reconstruction of terrestrial vegetation signals from aquatic sediments

Abstract

Long-chain, odd-carbon-numbered C25 to C35 n-alkanes are characteristic components of epicuticular waxes produced by terrestrial higher plants. They are delivered to aquatic systems via eolian and fluvial transport and are preserved in underlying sediments. The isotopic compositions of these products can serve as records of past vegetation. We have developed a rapid method for stable carbon isotopic analyses of total plant-wax n-alkanes using a novel, moving-wire system coupled to an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (MW-irMS). The n-alkane fractions are prepared from sediment samples by (1) saponification and extraction with organic solvents, (2) chromatographic separation using silica gel, (3) isolation of straight-chain carbon skeletons using a zeolite molecular sieve, and (4) oxidation and removal of unsaturated hydrocarbons with RuO4. Short-chain n-alkanes of nonvascular plant origin (

Additional Information

2004 American Geophysical Union. Received: 10 June 2004; Revised: 11 August 2004; Accepted: 16 August 2004; Published: 15 October 2004. We thank Daniel Montluçon for technical support, Carl Johnson for the irmGC-MS analyses, Guillemette Ménot-Combes for help with MW-irMS measurements, and the WHOI Summer Student Fellow program and NSF (BCS-0218511) for funding.

Attached Files

Published - MCDggg04.pdf

Files

MCDggg04.pdf
Files (722.6 kB)
Name Size Download all
md5:f37aaf142a6a4c79493716f078352deb
722.6 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 13, 2023