British Geological Survey provides nitrogen isotopic composition (d15N) data from microbial biomass grown under controlled N2-fixing laboratory conditions. The dataset includes metadata describing experimental parameters like variable CO2 and O2 supplies, designed to mimic early Earth environments. It also incorporates comparative data from the wider literature and results of statistical tests.
Use Cases
- Analyze d15N values in microbial biomass against experimental CO2 and O2 supply conditions to model early Earth biogeochemistry.
- Use metadata on N2-fixing conditions to calibrate isotopic fractionation models for ancient biomass in the rock record.
- Compare laboratory-generated d15N data with compiled literature data to assess consistency in nitrogen isotope biosignatures.
- Apply statistical test results from the dataset to evaluate the significance of environmental parameter effects on isotopic composition.
Strengths
- Data originates from the authoritative British Geological Survey (BGS).
- Includes both primary experimental data and compiled data from the wider literature for context.
- Experimental conditions are explicitly designed to test hypotheses relevant to the ancient rock record.
Limitations
- Sample size (row count) and specific column features are not provided, limiting assessment of analytical scope.
- Data is laboratory-generated, which may not fully capture the complexity of natural environmental systems.
- The temporal coverage and specific update frequency for the compiled literature data are unclear.
Provenance
- Source
- British Geological Survey (BGS)
- Collection Method
- Laboratory experiments under controlled N2-fixing conditions, supplemented by data compilation from the wider literature.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Laboratory-based; no specific geographic coverage.