Branched GDGTs of sediment and soil samples from Svalbard

Two indices based on the distribution of these lipids in soils, the Cyclization of Branched Tetraethers (CBT) and the Methylation of Branched Tetraethers (MBT) indices have been shown to correlate with soil pH, and mean annual air temperature (MAT) and soil pH, respectively, and can be used to reconstruct MAT in palaeoenvironments.

To verify the extent to which branched GDGTs in marine sediments reflect the distribution pattern on land and whether these proxies are applicable for palaeoclimate reconstruction in high latitude environments with a MAT of <0 °C, we compared the branched GDGT distribution in Svalbard soils and nearby fjord sediments. Although branched GDGT concentrations in the soil are relatively low (0.02-0.95 µg/g dry weight (dw)) because of the cold climate and the short growing season, reconstructed MATs based on the MBT/CBT proxy are ca. -4 °C, close to the measured MAT (ca. -6 °C).