Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations

The relative distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of certain aliphatic and aromatic biomarkers from 11 Botryococcus braunii rich torbanites from Scotland, South Africa and Australia covering the Late Carboniferous to Late Permian were investigated. The data was scrutinised for any e...

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Main Authors: Grice, Kliti, Audino, Michiele, Alexander, Robert, Kagi, Robert
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier Science 2001
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/31437
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author Grice, Kliti
Audino, Michiele
Alexander, Robert
Kagi, Robert
author_facet Grice, Kliti
Audino, Michiele
Alexander, Robert
Kagi, Robert
author_sort Grice, Kliti
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The relative distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of certain aliphatic and aromatic biomarkers from 11 Botryococcus braunii rich torbanites from Scotland, South Africa and Australia covering the Late Carboniferous to Late Permian were investigated. The data was scrutinised for any evidence of molecular features which may be characteristic of palaeogeography. The torbanites studied were selected to cover a range of age and palaeoclimatic conditions (e.g. Permian and Late Carboniferous when Gondwana was covered by an extensive ice sheet, the Late Permian when the climate warmed from glacial to cool to temperate and the Carboniferous when Laurasia was located within the equatorial zone). All torbanites are composed of abundant n-alkanes and novel macrocyclic alkanes which, based on similar d13C values, are ascribed a common origin. All samples are also characterised by a high cyanobacterial input as indicated by abundant hopanoids. Other biomarker distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositional differences separated the torbanites into three groups, which also correlate to three different palaeogeographical/palaeoclimatic precincts: (i) Group A?southern Africa and eastern Australia (Temi) torbanites which are characterised by a high relative abundance of cyanobacterial and methylotrophic hopanoids, abundant branched hydrocarbons and 13C enriched homologous series of monomethylakanes; (ii) Group B?eastern Australia (Newnes and Glen Davis) torbanites contain relatively high amounts of drimanes and abundant 13C enriched homologous series of monomethylakanes; and (iii) Group C?Scottish torbanites (Torbane Hill and Westfield) contain high relative amounts of cyanobacterial hopanoids, methylotrophic hopanoids and abundant branched aliphatics (but no 13C enriched homologous series of monomethylakanes).
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publishDate 2001
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-314372018-10-04T02:19:02Z Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations Grice, Kliti Audino, Michiele Alexander, Robert Kagi, Robert C24 tetracyclic hydrocarbon Stable carbon isotopes Drimanes Monomethylalkanes Macrocyclic alkanes Torbanite The relative distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of certain aliphatic and aromatic biomarkers from 11 Botryococcus braunii rich torbanites from Scotland, South Africa and Australia covering the Late Carboniferous to Late Permian were investigated. The data was scrutinised for any evidence of molecular features which may be characteristic of palaeogeography. The torbanites studied were selected to cover a range of age and palaeoclimatic conditions (e.g. Permian and Late Carboniferous when Gondwana was covered by an extensive ice sheet, the Late Permian when the climate warmed from glacial to cool to temperate and the Carboniferous when Laurasia was located within the equatorial zone). All torbanites are composed of abundant n-alkanes and novel macrocyclic alkanes which, based on similar d13C values, are ascribed a common origin. All samples are also characterised by a high cyanobacterial input as indicated by abundant hopanoids. Other biomarker distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositional differences separated the torbanites into three groups, which also correlate to three different palaeogeographical/palaeoclimatic precincts: (i) Group A?southern Africa and eastern Australia (Temi) torbanites which are characterised by a high relative abundance of cyanobacterial and methylotrophic hopanoids, abundant branched hydrocarbons and 13C enriched homologous series of monomethylakanes; (ii) Group B?eastern Australia (Newnes and Glen Davis) torbanites contain relatively high amounts of drimanes and abundant 13C enriched homologous series of monomethylakanes; and (iii) Group C?Scottish torbanites (Torbane Hill and Westfield) contain high relative amounts of cyanobacterial hopanoids, methylotrophic hopanoids and abundant branched aliphatics (but no 13C enriched homologous series of monomethylakanes). 2001 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/31437 10.1016/S0146-6380(01)00087-0 Elsevier Science restricted
spellingShingle C24 tetracyclic hydrocarbon
Stable carbon isotopes
Drimanes
Monomethylalkanes
Macrocyclic alkanes
Torbanite
Grice, Kliti
Audino, Michiele
Alexander, Robert
Kagi, Robert
Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations
title Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations
title_full Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations
title_fullStr Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations
title_full_unstemmed Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations
title_short Distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations
title_sort distributions and stable carbon isotopic compositions of biomarkers in torbanites from different palaeogeographical locations
topic C24 tetracyclic hydrocarbon
Stable carbon isotopes
Drimanes
Monomethylalkanes
Macrocyclic alkanes
Torbanite
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/31437