Amber inorganic geochemistry: New insights into the environmental processes in a Cretaceous forest of France

Amber fossils (microorganisms, arthropods, and plant remains) provide exceptionally well preserved data about past ecosystems, but amber itself was rarely used as a paleoenvironmental tool. Here we present geochemical analyses of mid-Cretaceous amber of southwestern France that demonstrate the preservation of a primary inorganic geochemical signal, especially the Cretaceous ocean strontium isotopic ratio. Our results indicate that inorganic chemical analyses present a potential to uniquely document the paleoenvironmental conditions such as processes of water extraction of amber-producing ecosystems.

► We present inorganic geochemical analyses of mid Cretaceous amber of Charentes. ► Our study demonstrates the preservation of a primary inorganic geochemical signal. ► Such analyses allow studying paleo-environmental processes in fossil forest soil. ► We compare inorganic geochemistry of amber to modern resins. ► We try to understand the origin of the fluids used by the plants to produce amber.