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Abstract. Plant wax n-alkane chain length distribution and isotopeshave been studied in modern ecosystems as proxies to reconstruct vegetationand climate of the past. However, most paleo-proxies focus on eitherconcentrations or isotopes, whereas both carry complementary information onthe mixing sources. We propose a multi-source mixing model in a Bayesianframework that evaluates both chain length distributions and isotopessimultaneously. The model consists of priors that include user-definedsource groups and their associated parametric distributions of n-alkaneconcentration and δ13C. The mixing process involves newlydefined mixing fractions such as fractional leaf mass contribution (FLMC)that can be used in vegetation reconstruction. Markov Chain Monte Carlo isused to generate samples from the posterior distribution of these parametersconditioned on both data types. We present three case studies from distinctsettings. The first involves n-C27, n-C29, and n-C31 alkanes in lake surface sediments of Lake Qinghai, China. The model provides more specific interpretations on the n-alkane input from aquatic sources than the conventional Paq proxy. The second involves n-C29, n-C31, and n-C33 alkanes in lake surface sediments in Cameroon, western Africa. Themodel produces mixing fractions of forest C3, savanna C3, andC4 plants, offering additional information on the dominant biomescompared to the traditional two-end-member mixing regime. The third couplesthe vegetation source model to a hydrogen isotope model component, usingbiome-specific apparent fractionation factors (εa) toestimate the δ2H of mean annual precipitation. By leveraging chain length distribution, δ13C, and δ2H data offour n-alkane chains, the model produces estimated precipitation δ2H with relatively small uncertainty limits. The new framework shows promise for interpretation of paleo-data but could be further improved by including processes associated with n-alkane turnover in plants, transport,and integration into sedimentary archives. Future studies on modern plantsand catchment systems will be critical to develop calibration datasets thatadvance the strength and utility of the framework.
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This content will become publicly available on July 1, 2026
Capturing Vegetation Gradients Along the West African Margin Using Terrestrial Plant Biomarkers in Marine Sediments
Understanding the transport mechanisms of terrestrial biomarkers to marine sediments is critical for interpreting past environmental and climate changes from these valuable archives. Here, we produce new estimates of two classes of terrestrial plant biomarkers, n-alkane waxes and pentacyclic triterpene methyl ethers (PTMEs), from a transect of marine core top sediments that span the full length of the West African margin. We determine the chain length distributions, mass accumulation rates, carbon isotope signatures (δ13C) of n-alkanes and the mass accumulation rates of PTMEs and assess the extent to which these proxy characteristics reflect vegetation and climate patterns within source areas on adjacent land. We achieve this via comparisons with a variety of satellite-based vegetation and climate data sets and with atmospheric back trajectory and river basin estimates. The mass accumulation rate of grass-produced PTMEs to core top marine sediments shows good spatial agreement with the presence of C4 grasses on land and appears to have shorter transport distances than n-alkanes. The mass accumulation rate of n-alkanes roughly corresponds to changes in the landscape net primary productivity. The δ13C signature of n-alkanes records changes in landscape C3 versus C4 vegetation balance while longer chain length n-alkane distributions indicate drier conditions and grassier vegetation. Apparent discrepancies between the zonal distribution of biomarkers in the marine sediments versus the observed vegetation patterns can mostly be explained by the influence of long-range atmospheric transport, with modest contributions from river inputs.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1502925
- PAR ID:
- 10616593
- Publisher / Repository:
- Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
- Volume:
- 26
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 1525-2027
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- e2025GC012274
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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