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Stable isotopic records in unionid shells as a paleoenvironmental tool

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2016

S. Verdegaal
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
S.R. Troelstra*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
C.J. Beets
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
H.B. Vonhof
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author. Email:simon.troelstra@falw.vu.nl
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Abstract

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Stable oxygen and carbon isotope studies were performed on unionid shells from Rhine and Meuse rivers. Results show that the characteristic isotopic signature of each river is well documented in the shells with average δ18O values of ∼9.00‰ for the Rhine specimens and of 6.5‰ for the Meuse unionid. The average δ18O values of the shell material corresponds to the average δ18O of the to rivers and thus identifies Rhine or Meuse sedimentary sequences. All δ18O records show distinct seasonality, which may be used to reconstruct past riverconditions

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Stichting Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 2005

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