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Bachelor Project: Tracing changing sources in branched GDGT lipids caused by human landscape use
Human settlements influence the environment in several ways. An example is when natural resources like soils and grasslands are used for farming and pastures. ...
Human settlements influence the environment in several ways. An example is when natural resources like soils and grasslands are used for farming and pastures. By doing so, they influence the fate of organic carbon stored in these terrigenous reservoirs. Following soil erosion, these human activities leave traces that will be conserved in lake sediments.
Human settlements influence the environment in several ways. An example is when natural resources like soils and grasslands are used for farming and pastures. By doing so, they influence the fate of organic carbon stored in these terrigenous reservoirs. Following soil erosion, these human activities leave traces that will be conserved in lake sediments.
In this project you will add to an existing record of lake sedimentary parameters and bulk organic matter parameters spanning the last 200 years. Now, this dataset will be complemented with organic biomarker lipids (32 samples). Firstly, a set of 15 bacterial membrane lipids (so-called branched GDGT lipids) will be targeted. Their distribution can be used to determine their source (soil- derived or produced in the lake water). After determining their source, the potential for a temperature reconstruction will be assessed.
Secondly, the distribution of isoprenoid GDGT lipids can be used to trace changes in the methane cycle in the lake’s watershed (soils) or water column.
In this project you will add to an existing record of lake sedimentary parameters and bulk organic matter parameters spanning the last 200 years. Now, this dataset will be complemented with organic biomarker lipids (32 samples). Firstly, a set of 15 bacterial membrane lipids (so-called branched GDGT lipids) will be targeted. Their distribution can be used to determine their source (soil- derived or produced in the lake water). After determining their source, the potential for a temperature reconstruction will be assessed. Secondly, the distribution of isoprenoid GDGT lipids can be used to trace changes in the methane cycle in the lake’s watershed (soils) or water column.
Dr. Cindy de Jonge, cindy.dejonge@erdw.ethz.ch
Prof. Nathalie Dubois, nathalie.dubois@erdw.ethz.ch
https://ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/erdw/geology/biogeoscience-dam/documents/the-group/Lavijarji_BSc_2019.pdf
Dr. Cindy de Jonge, cindy.dejonge@erdw.ethz.ch Prof. Nathalie Dubois, nathalie.dubois@erdw.ethz.ch