Reconstructing changes of water sources and availability by combined lipid biomarker and online stable and radiocarbon analysis (D04)

• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: since 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 268236062

This project targets a) at tracing life in Atacama Desert soils along moisture and depth gradients based on lipid biomarker and radiocarbon analyses and b) reconstructing past changes in water supply via fog-dependent Tillandsia vegetation and their isotopic composition in combination with remote sensing (A01) and modelling of atmospheric and oceanic processes (A03). These analyses of multiple isotopes in very small samples will be enabled by the coupling of an isotope ratio mass spectrometer with our accelerator mass spectrometer allowing online- 14C, δ13C, and δ15N analysis that will be applied in various CRC projects. Technical improvements of the AMS system will enable higher sample throughput and precision of ultra-small-scale AMS analyses.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1211: Earth - Evolution at the Dry Limit
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Dr. Stephanie Kusch, until 6/2020; Professorin Dr. Janet Rethemeyer; Dr. Markus Schiffer, since 7/2020