Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Stable Carbon Isotope Variations Of Organic Matter And N-Alkanes In The Plant-Bulk Soil-Clay Fraction Continuum, Alana Crump

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Organic matter (OM) adsorbed to clay minerals in soils can have C/N similar to lacustrine algal matter. Accurate source identification of OM in sediments is crucial for predicting future climate change impacts in the Great Lakes region. We analyzed C/N, carbon-isotope compositions, n-alkane abundances and compound-specific carbon-isotope compositions of vegetation, soil, and OM associated with clay minerals in soils and glacial till in order to determine if (i) OM associated with clay minerals has unique signatures distinct from lacustrine algal matter and is traceable to modern vegetation, and (ii) if these signatures have been transferred to and preserved in …