Carbon isotopes are now routinely applied to understand palaeo-environments, biotic evolution, and carbon cycle changes throughout Earth history. From carbonates deposited in Precambrian seas to Recent lakes, and from bulk organic matter to leaves to organic molecules, carbon isotope analyses are a weapon of choice for palaeontologists, palaeobotanists, palaeoceanographers, sedimentologists, and organic geochemists in understanding local to global carbon cycle dynamics.
The steady increase in the generation of carbon isotope records over the past decade has brought new insights, raised important new questions, and cast doubt upon many previous interpretations. Fractionation factors vary substantially among mineral phases, organisms, molecules, and positions within molecules, complicating not only the interpretation of bulk records, but even compound-specific measurements. Furthermore, vertical and lateral isotopic gradients within epeiric seaways and ocean basins can overprint signs of global carbon cycle perturbations. Consequently, interpretation of carbon isotope records has remained as challenging as ever, despite the vast improvements in analytical capabilities.
We invite contributions from all fields of research dealing with carbon isotopes and the carbon cycle. The aim of this session will be to discuss a wealth of new high-resolution carbon isotope records and their relationships to global carbon cycle dynamics. We especially encourage contributions that try to reconcile more conventional carbon isotope records, for example from marine carbonates, with novel measurements such as compound-specific carbon isotope records.