Automated measurement of magnesium/calcium ratios in gastropod shells using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for paleoclimatic applications

The chemical composition of mollusk shells offers information about environmental conditions present during the lifespan of the organism. Shells found in geological deposits and in many archeological sites can help to reconstruct past climatic conditions. For example, a correlation has been found between seawater temperature and the amount of some substituent elements (e.g., magnesium, strontium) in the biogenerated calcium carbonate matrix of the shell, although it is very species-specific. Here we propose the use laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to estimate Mg/Ca ratios in modern specimens of the common limpet Patella vulgata. An automated setup was used to obtain a sequence of Mg/Ca ratios across a sampling path that could be compared with the seawater temperatures recorded during the organism's lifespan. Results using four shells collected in different months of the year showed a direct relationship between the Mg/Ca ratios and the seawater temperature, although the sequences also revealed small-scale (short-term) variability and an irregular growth rate. Nevertheless, it was possible to infer the season of capture and the minimum and maximum seawater temperatures from the LIBS sequences. This fact, along with the reduction in sampling and measurement time compared with other spectrometric techniques (such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [ICP-MS]), makes LIBS useful in paleoclimatic studies.The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was part of the projects TEC2013-47264-C2-1-R and HAR2013-46802-P, both funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Asier García-Escázaga was funded by the University of Cantabria through a predoctoral grant and Igor Gutierrez-Zugasti was supported by the Juan de la Cierva programme (JCI-2012-12094) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness

La extrabuc: una colección extramuros, extravagante, extraordinaria

Comunicación presentada en las I Jornadas de Bibliotecas G9 sobre buenas prácticas en atención a espacios y usuarios, organizada por el Servicio de Bibliotecas de la UEx en Jarandilla de la Vera (Cáceres) los días 29 y 30 de septiembre de 2016Presentación de las acciones realizadas por la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Cantabria para fomentar la lectura.Presentation of the actions taken by the Library of the University of Cantabria to promote reading

La extrabuc: una colección extramuros, extravagante, extraordinaria

Comunicación presentada en las I Jornadas de Bibliotecas G9 sobre buenas prácticas en atención a espacios y usuarios, organizada por el Servicio de Bibliotecas de la UEx en Jarandilla de la Vera (Cáceres) los días 29 y 30 de septiembre de 2016Presentación de las acciones realizadas por la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Cantabria para fomentar la lectura.Presentation of the actions taken by the Library of the University of Cantabria to promote reading