EILER The goals of this work are to create a data set that demonstrates the capabilities and limitations of clumped isotope thermometry for reconstructing soil temperature records, and that guides sampling and analytical protocols required to generate reliable records. Based on our previous work on Miocene and recent Bolivian Altiplano soils, we believe there is a reasonable chance of succesfully completing this task within 1 year, and that this work will require ca. 50 'clumped isotope' analyses, supported by SEM, optical microscopy and electron microprobe characterizations of analyzed samples.
Specifically, we will conduct a 1-year study of the stable isotope systematics, including 'clumped isotope thermometry' measurements of several suites of modern and recent soil carbonates, for which average growth temperatures can be independently estimated based on meteorological records and/or independent paleoclimatic reconstructions. The suites we will examine include recent soil carbonates sampled from the north-central Altiplano plateau and the western United States (principally central Wyoming and the Colorado plateau).
