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Palaeoenvironmental Reconstructions Using Stable Carbon Isotopes and Organic Biomarkers

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Chemistry of Marine Water and Sediments

Part of the book series: Environmental Science ((ENVSCIENCE))

Abstract

Aquatic sediments carry the potential of preserving a historical record, or some remnant thereof, of past environmental conditions. The stratigraphic record has long been a tool for elucidating the character of the Earth and the forces that have altered its face and determined the nature, distributions and fate of living organisms. There have been dramatic changes in the Earth’s climate in the past. Increasing levels of atmospheric CO2attributed to combustion of biomass and fossil fuels coupled with deforestation have heightened societal and scientific concerns about global warming, a reduction in ice volume and a rise in sea level. These issues have generated a greater interest in understanding past natural and present anthropogenic processes that influence global climate change and in developing predictive capabilities about future climate.

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Wakeham, S. (2002). Palaeoenvironmental Reconstructions Using Stable Carbon Isotopes and Organic Biomarkers. In: Gianguzza, A., Pelizzetti, E., Sammartano, S. (eds) Chemistry of Marine Water and Sediments. Environmental Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04935-8_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04935-8_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-07559-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-04935-8

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