Investigating Li Isotope Composition of Nile Deltaic Sediments as Paleotracer of Continental Alteration

We investigate the lithium isotope composition of the Nile-deep-sea fan sediments in order to document the effect of a rapid climate change (arid/humid transition) on continental chemical and physical erosion rates. δ7Li values of silicate sediments vary between -1.4 and 2.8‰ for a period that range between 600 and 20600 cal years BP. During the arid/humid transition, δ7Li values do not correlate with ɛNd(0) but with indices of alteration (e.g. Na/Ti), indicating the potential of this tool to trace past variations of continental silicate weathering.