About this Research Topic
With this Research Topic, we aim to highlight recent advances in the use of lipid biomarker-based proxies, including the use of biomarker distributions and compound-specific isotopes (including but not limited to carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen) to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions and constrain the provenance of organic matter. We also encourage work using novel applications or from regions where prior work is limited or clear issues are observed in otherwise well-calibrated biomarkers.
This Research Topic welcomes contributions focused on specific aspects of lipid biomarker proxy systems such as:
• Integrating signals from multiple lipid-biomarkers for reconstructing paleoenvironmental change in marine or lacustrine settings;
• The methane cycle, including modern or sedimentary lipids produced by methanogen and methanotrophic bacteria and archaea;
• The hydrological cycle, including using the H and O stable isotopic composition of modern or sedimentary lipid biomarkers to reconstruct hydrologic variability;
• The carbon cycle, including the use of 14C or the C stable isotopic composition of modern or sedimentary lipid biomarkers to constrain the source of organic matter;
• And change in nutrient cycling, including compound-specific nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios of amino acids.
We encourage work incorporating modern observations that expand our understanding on using lipid biomarkers to reconstruct past paleoenvironmental conditions in sedimentary archives, including from marine or terrestrial settings, and water column or sediment samples. We similarly welcome submissions that demonstrate clear limitations in applying or interpreting lipid-based proxies; new local, or regional lipid-based proxy calibrations; proxy system models; and work that expands on the use of compound-specific isotopes in sedimentary archives in any way.
Keywords: Biomarkers, Lipid-based proxies, stable isotopes, sedimentary record, water column, catchment soils, peats, paleoclimate reconstruction, Quaternary, paleotemperatures, hydrological changes, vegetation, organic matter source, biological source, carbon fluxes, biogeochemical cycles, methane cycle, eutrophication
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.