Constraints on the application of the MBT/CBT palaeothermometer at high latitude environments (Svalbard, Norway)

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers; (GDGTs) are membrane lipids of unknown bacteria that are ubiquitous in soil and peat. 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 degrees 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 mu g/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 degrees C, close to the measured MAT (ca. -6 degrees C). Concentrations of branched GDGTs (0.01-0.20 mu g/g dw) in fjord sediments increased towards the open ocean and the distribution was strikingly different from that in soil, i.e. dominated by GDGTs with one cyclopentane moiety. This resulted in MBT/CBT-reconstructed MAT values of 11-19 degrees C, well above measured MAT. The results suggest that at least part of the branched GDGTs in marine sediments in settings with a low soil organic matter (OM) input may be produced in situ. In these cases, the application of the MBT/CBT palaeothermometer will generate unrealistic MAT reconstructions. The MBT/CBT proxy should therefore only be used at sites with a substantial input of soil OM relative to the amount of marine OM, i.e. at sites close to the mouth of rivers with a catchment area where sufficient soil formation takes place and the soil thus contains substantial amounts of branched GDGTs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.