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Re-examination of the temperature-dependent relationship between δ18Odiatoms and δ18Olake water and implications for paleoclimate inferences

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Abstract

The oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of diatoms is commonly used for paleoclimate reconstruction. There is, however, no consensus regarding the equilibrium isotopic fractionation factor between diatom silica and the water in which it is precipitated. We re-examined the temperature-dependent relationship between δ18Odiatoms and δ18Olake water from Lake Annecy (France). A temperature coefficient of −0.16‰/°C (R 2 = 0.51) was determined, supporting findings from previous calibration studies. However, regression lines obtained from different calibration studies, though displaying similar slopes, were shifted. In this manuscript, we propose that several factors, including selected variables (temperature, δ18Olake water), analytical techniques, the impact of diagenetic processes and biological effects, may influence the silica-water fractionation factor for diatom silica. The similar magnitude of the diatom-temperature coefficients determined across studies is promising, supporting its use as a valuable tool for interpreting variations in δ18O values from fossil lacustrine diatoms in temperate lakes. With respect to paleoclimatic applications, the temperature-dependent relationship yielded uncertainties of ±3°C on reconstructed temperatures and ±0.5‰ on δ18Olake water.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the station “Hydrobiologie lacustre UMR CARTELL (INRA)” and particularly J. C. Hustache and P. Chifflet for technical support during diatom sampling on Lake Annecy. We also thank the “Syndicat Intercommunal du Lac d’Annecy SILA” and “Météo France” for providing lake water and climatic data, P. A. Danis for providing δ18O lake water and δ18O precipitation data, and C. Vallet-Coulomb for contributing to the δ18O analysis of lake waters. This study was carried out under the direction of J. Crespin Ph.D., at CEREGE, with funding from IRD and ECLIPSE II (CNRS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEREGE, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Europôle de l’Arbois, BP 80, 13545, Aix en Provence Cedex 04, France

    Julien Crespin, Florence Sylvestre, Anne Alexandre, Corinne Sonzogni & Christine Paillès

  2. Station d’Hydrobiologie Lacustre, INRA, BP 511, 74203, Thonon-les-Bains Cedex, France

    Marie-Elodie Perga

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  1. Julien Crespin
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  2. Florence Sylvestre
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  3. Anne Alexandre
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  4. Corinne Sonzogni
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  5. Christine Paillès
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  6. Marie-Elodie Perga
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Correspondence to Florence Sylvestre.

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Crespin, J., Sylvestre, F., Alexandre, A. et al. Re-examination of the temperature-dependent relationship between δ18Odiatoms and δ18Olake water and implications for paleoclimate inferences. J Paleolimnol 44, 547–557 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-010-9436-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-010-9436-2

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