2015 to 2017 data includes geochemical measurements quantifying carbon source and amount in organic matter from a 6-meter Lake Paringa sediment core and soil samples from Mt. Fox and Alex Knob elevation transects in Westland, New Zealand. The dataset contains measurements of organic carbon concentration, stable isotopic composition (δ13C), total nitrogen content and its isotopic composition (δ15N), radiocarbon activity (F14C), and biomarker abundances for n-alkanes.
Use Cases
- Model organic matter provenance using the provided sample elevation and depth outputs alongside δ13C and δ15N isotopic signatures.
- Analyze biomarker abundance patterns by examining n-alkane concentrations for chain lengths C21 to C35 and calculating derived ratios like the carbon preference index.
- Reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions from the Lake Paringa core by correlating δ13C, δ15N, and F14C measurements with the established age-depth model.
- Compare soil and sediment organic carbon sources by evaluating δ13C and total nitrogen content across the Mt. Fox and Alex Knob elevation transect samples.
Strengths
- Data is tied to a well-established age-depth model for the Lake Paringa core based on accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating.
- Includes multiple analytical dimensions: organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations, stable and radiogenic isotopes, and specific biomarker abundances.
- Samples cover distinct environments from a lake sediment core and two mountain soil transects collected between 2015 and 2017.
Limitations
- Sample sizes for specific analyses like radiocarbon activity (F14C) and biomarker abundance are subsets, not the full collection.
- Geographic scope is limited to specific sites in Westland, New Zealand, reducing generalizability.
Provenance
- Source
- British Geological Survey (BGS)
- Collection Method
- Sediment core collected with a Mackereth corer; soil samples collected with an auger. Analyses performed using Elemental Analysers coupled to stable isotope mass spectrometers and accelerator mass spectrometry.
- Time Range
- 2015 to 2017
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Lake Paringa and Mt. Fox and Alex Knob transects in Westland, New Zealand