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Hydrogen, carbon and sulphur isotope ratios in peat: the role of diagenessis and water regimes in reconstruction of past climates

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Abstract

We demonstrate that carbon, hydrogen and sulphur isotope ratios both, in the total peat (δ13Ctp=−25.52 to −28.27‰, δDtp=−78.67 and −109.24‰, δ34S=4.35 to 19.87‰), and in cellulose from the peat (δ13Cnc=−25.06 to −27.33‰ and δDnc=−92.43 to −118.02‰) are not affected by postdepositional changes. Therefore, the original isotope composition of plants are in general preserved in the peat and represent an archive of the past environmental variations. These can be supported by (i) good correlations between δ13Ctp and δ13Cnc, and between δDtp and δDnc, (ii) high horizontal homogeneity of δ13Ctp and δ13Cnc in the scale of one peat-bog – the same major factor(s) control(s) C isotopic ratios, (iii) no correlation between organic sulphur concentrations and δ34S value −δ34S results from variations in the water level.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported from the 6 PO4D 03011, 2022/W/ING/02-04, 1017/S/ING/04-IX grants

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Correspondence to Mariusz-Orion Jędrysek.

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Jędrysek, MO., Skrzypek, G. Hydrogen, carbon and sulphur isotope ratios in peat: the role of diagenessis and water regimes in reconstruction of past climates. Environ Chem Lett 2, 179–183 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-004-0093-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-004-0093-4

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