Abstract
Stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) and the ratio of organic carbon to total nitrogen (C/N) are able to differentiate sources of organic matter that accumulate in coastal depositional sequences, which makes them useful to reconstruct former sea levels. This chapter describes the factors that influence δ13C and C/N geochemistry of coastal wetland sediments, outlines basic methods for its use in relative sea-level reconstruction, and draws attention to several case studies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of Sea-Level Research |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
| Pages | 295-311 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118452547 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781118452585 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 20 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. All rights reserved.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Keywords
- Decomposition
- Freshwater marsh
- Mangrove
- Marsh sedimentation
- Microbial degradation
- Microfossils
- Organic matter accumulation
- Photosynthesis
- Salt marsh
- Tidal flat