Early biogeochemical nitrogen cycle : a chemical and isotopic study

Started in October 2020

Funding: doctoral grant

Supervisor: Christophe Thomazo (Biogéosciences) ; cosupervisor: Magali Ader (IPGP)

Abstract

This project, which is based on the study of ICDP drill core samples from the Barberton Greenstone Belt (South Africa), aims to fill the spatial and temporal gaps in the nitrogen isotopic signature for Archean sediments (4-2.5 Gyr). As biogeochemical carbon and nitrogen cycles have evolved in connection with metabolic innovations of life and during the progressive oxidation of the Earth’s ocean and atmosphere, it is essential to characterize the evolution of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles through time to understand the evolution of the early Earth surface environments, as well as the development of early life.

This project aims to use pristine drill core samples to study : (i) the isotopic biosignatures associated with different depositional environments from continental to marine settings, (ii) the speciation of carbon and nitrogen, and the fluxes of these elements in the ocean-continent-atmosphere system and (iii) the early evolution of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen between 3.4 and 3.2 Gyr. This will help filling the gaps in the dataset for nitrogen isotopes. The resulting isotopic data will be compared to formations of similar age, such as those from the Pilbara craton in Australia.

Keywords

Early Earth ; biogeochemistry ; stable isotopes ; nitrogen ; sedimentary geology

Thesis advisory panel

Pierre Cartigny (IPGP)
Jean-François Deconinck (Biogéosciences)

extrait:

lien_externe:

titre:

Le cycle biogéochimique précoce de l’azote : approche géochimique élémentaire et isotopique

date_de_debut_these:

octobre 2020

nom:

Pellerin

date_de_debut_these_numerique:

202010

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kc_raw_content:

Early biogeochemical nitrogen cycle : a chemical and isotopic study

 

Started in October 2020

Funding: doctoral grant

Supervisor: Christophe Thomazo (Biogéosciences) ; cosupervisor: Magali Ader (IPGP)

 

Abstract

This project, which is based on the study of ICDP drill core samples from the Barberton Greenstone Belt (South Africa), aims to fill the spatial and temporal gaps in the nitrogen isotopic signature for Archean sediments (4-2.5 Gyr). As biogeochemical carbon and nitrogen cycles have evolved in connection with metabolic innovations of life and during the progressive oxidation of the Earth’s ocean and atmosphere, it is essential to characterize the evolution of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles through time to understand the evolution of the early Earth surface environments, as well as the development of early life.

This project aims to use pristine drill core samples to study : (i) the isotopic biosignatures associated with different depositional environments from continental to marine settings, (ii) the speciation of carbon and nitrogen, and the fluxes of these elements in the ocean-continent-atmosphere system and (iii) the early evolution of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen between 3.4 and 3.2 Gyr. This will help filling the gaps in the dataset for nitrogen isotopes. The resulting isotopic data will be compared to formations of similar age, such as those from the Pilbara craton in Australia.

 

Keywords

Early Earth ; biogeochemistry ; stable isotopes ; nitrogen ; sedimentary geology

 

Thesis advisory panel

Pierre Cartigny (IPGP)
Jean-François Deconinck (Biogéosciences)