PALeoHYDROlogical reconstructions from the ?D of higher plant lipids. Calibration, validation and application to hydrological variability in the Alps during the Bronze Age. – PalHydroMil

The focused character of this project (one plant, one molecule) allows us to fully investigate the different aspects of proxy development. It will comprise (1) a rigorous calibration of miliacin dD by cultivation of P. miliaceum plants in controlled conditions; (2) the verification of miliacin dD persistence during diagenesis by in vivo and in vitro degradation experiments; (3) the validation of the approach by comparison of recent miliacin dD evolution with instrumental records and (4) the application of the new hydrological proxy to a high resolution sedimentary series that covers the Bronze Age.

At completion, the PalHydroMil project is expected to provide: - 10 publications (7 in A-ranked journals, a PhD thesis, a HDR and a vulgarisation booklet). – Several participations to congress, - Several interviews and seminars. - A standard for miliacin quantitation, d13C and dD measurements by the organic geochemists and continental paleoclimatologists. - A PhD student formed on compound-specific isotope analyses. - A reference team at ISTO on compond-specific dD analyses with three permanent persons competent on this new technique. - A collaboration with Bioemco on proxy development taking into account biological/chemical and geological aspects. - A twin reference record of hydrological variations in the Alps during the Bronze Age.

In progress

Publications de rang A :
Déjà publiée : Bossard et al., 2011. RCMS 25, 1-9.
Acceptée : Terwilliger, et al., GCA.
Soumise : Garel et al. Paleo3.

Conférences internationales
Association of American Geographers meeting, Février 2012, New York, USA : Terwilliger et al., 2012.

STUDIUM CONFERENCE: «Hydrogen Isotopes as Environmental Recorders« : Bossard et al., 2011.

Conférences nationales
6ème Congrès de la SFIS, 26-29 octobre 2010, Toulouse, France : Bossard et al., 2010.

RESONAT-DREAM, Orléans, décembre 2010 : Jacob et al., 2010.

Journées Jeunes Chercheurs de la SFIS, 12-14 octobre 2011, Brest.
Bossard et al., 2011.

29èmes JFSM, 17-20 septembre 2012, Orléans : Jacob et al., 2012.

Colloque Q8, 29 février-2 mars 2012, Clermont-Ferrand :
Jacob et al., 2012.

1ère Réunion annuelle des Géochimistes Organiciens français, 30-31 août 2012, Orléans.
Bossard et al. ; Py-Circan et al. ; Sauze et al.

Conférence invitées
Economie alimentaire et alimentation à l’Age du Bronze en Europe, MMSH d’Aix en Provence : Jacob et al., 2011.
Séminaire «Isotopes Stables« ThermoScientific, Annecy, 24-25 mars 2011 : Jacob et al., 2011.

Conférences de vulgarisation
Jacob J. Molécules fossiles : Présentation à l’Association Française pour les Enfants Précoces, 2011, Blois.
Jacob J. Changements environnementaux et sédiments. Elèves de seconde du Lycée Sylvia Monfort de Luisant.

The PalHydroMil project aims at defining a new paleoclimate proxy, based on the hydrogen isotopic composition of a sedimentary molecular biomarker specific of P. miliaceum (miliacin), which will be used for reconstructing past hydrological variability from sedimentary archives. Once established, this new proxy will be used to quantify the hydrological variability during the Bronze Age in the French Alps. The rationale of this project is to initiate a young team at ISTO that will develop a new technique allowing the measurement of hydrogen isotopic ratios (deuterium/hydrogen, D/H or dD) on individual molecules. The focused character of this project (one plant, one molecule) allows us to fully investigate the different aspects of proxy development. It will comprise (1) a rigorous calibration of miliacin dD by cultivation of P. miliaceum plants in controlled conditions; (2) the verification of miliacin dD persistence during diagenesis by in vivo and in vitro degradation experiments; (3) the validation of the approach by comparison of recent miliacin dD evolution with instrumental records and (4) the application of the new hydrological proxy to a high resolution sedimentary series that covers the Bronze Age.