Geological Society of America

5 Undergraduate Research Poster Session I

Friday, 28 March 2025
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
North Great Hall

BULK WOOD ISOTOPE MEASUREMENTS AS A METHOD FOR TRACKING CLIMATE CHANGE DURING THE QUATERNARY OF THE AMERICAN EAST COAST

Paper number: 5-32
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Mackenzie Barker Presenting Author
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Max K. Lloyd
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Katherine H. Freeman
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Abstract

Cellulose-based isotope proxies are limited by cellulose’s relatively poor preservation in the fossil record. Previous studies have successfully used isotope measurements of cellulose in pine needles to track climatic and plant physiological changes from the last glacial maximum (LGM) to today. This study aims to use δ¹⁸O, δD, and δ¹³C measurements of bulk wood as a proxy for changes in tree physiology and the hydrological cycle. Using wood fragments ranging from ~25 Ka to today collected from sites of the American East Coast identified as temperate or warm-temperate forests during the LGM and the pre-industrial Holocene by Prentice et al. (2011). Data from this study is presented below.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 3

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025NE-409045

© Copyright 2025 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.