Distribution and stable isotopes of plant wax derived n-alkanes in lacustrine, fluvial and marine surface sediments along an Eastern Italian transect and their potential to reconstruct the hydrological cycle

Reconstructing terrestrial water budgets is of prime importance for understanding past climate and environment. To shed more light on how plant-wax derived n-alkanes may be used for this purpose we investigated the distribution and stable isotopic compositions of hydrogen (δD) and carbon (δ13C) of plant-wax derived n-C29 and -C31 alkanes in terrestrial, coastal and offshore surface sediments in relation to hydrology along a NW–SE transect east of the Italian Apennines from the Po River to the Eastern Gulf of Taranto. The plant wax average chain length increases southward and may relate to increasing temperature and/or aridity. The plant wax δD of the terrestrial and coastal samples also increases southward and mainly reflects changes in the δD of precipitation. The δ13C of plant waxes is primarily interpreted in terms of C3 vegetation changes rather than varying contributions by C4 plants. The plant wax δ13C–δD composition of the Po River and Apennine rivers differs considerably from that in southern Italy, and suggests a mainly southern source for plant waxes in marine sediments of the Gulf of Taranto. This calibration provides a basis for the reconstruction of past changes in the Italian water balance and n-alkane source areas.