Clumped isotope temperature reconstruction using stalagmite drip cups

Clumped isotope temperature reconstruction using stalagmite drip cups | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 27 August 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Clumped isotope temperature reconstruction using stalagmite drip cups Authors : Stuart Umbo 0000-0001-7828-0266 [email protected] , Maria Box , Aviva Intveld , Jack Longman 0000-0002-2725-2617 , Sevasti Modestou 0000-0002-9820-5551 , Stacy A. Carolin , Daniel H. James , Carlos Peraza Lope , Mark Brenner , David Hodell 0000-0001-8537-1588 , and Sebastian Breitenbach Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175632320.09779122/v1 Published Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Version of record Peer review timeline 296 views 143 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Rationale Application of clumped isotope palaeothermometry to speleothems has been restricted largely to phreatic samples because of kinetic fractionation processes that occur during vadose speleothem formation, which leads to erroneously high inferred temperatures. Speleothems are spatially near-ubiquitous terrestrial archives that can be dated accurately over million-year timescales. Thus, wider application of the clumped isotope technique in speleothems could dramatically increase understanding of terrestrial thermal history. In this study we assess the potential of speleothem drip cups (concave depressions at a stalagmite apex in which dripwater accumulates to create a phreatic environment) for reliable palaeotemperature inference. Methods We sampled along two isochronous layers that extend across both sides of a pronounced drip cup in stalagmite MAYA 22-7 from Ch’en Mul, Mexico, which was dated to 1650 CE ± 23 years. We measured bulk stable (δ 18 O and δ 13 C) and clumped (Δ 47 ) isotope values at increasing distances from the drip cup centre to test for kinetic fractionation effects. Results Higher δ 18 O, δ 13 C and Δ 47 values were obtained from the drip cup’s central phreatic zone compared with the vadose flanks, demonstrating reduced (Δ 47 ) isotope fractionation in the phreatic zone. Average clumped isotope temperatures (T Δ47 ) inferred from phreatic samples fall within the range of modern cave temperatures but are on average 3.6°C warmer than estimated formation paleotemperatures, suggesting a small degree of kinetic effects persists. Conclusions We propose that drip cup carbonates have the potential to yield reliable palaeotemperatures and describe a widely applicable test for clumped isotope equilibrium precipitation in speleothem drip cups by sampling across isochronous layers. Supplementary Material File (umbo et al - clumped isotope temperature reconstruction using stalagmite drip cups.docx) Download 2.05 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 27 August 2025 Peer review timeline Published Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Version of Record 20 Jan 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords clumped isotopes drip cup isotopic equilibrium palaeoclimate speleothem temperature reconstruction Authors Affiliations Stuart Umbo 0000-0001-7828-0266 [email protected] Northumbria University Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences View all articles by this author Maria Box Northumbria University Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences View all articles by this author Aviva Intveld University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences View all articles by this author Jack Longman 0000-0002-2725-2617 Northumbria University Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences View all articles by this author Sevasti Modestou 0000-0002-9820-5551 Northumbria University Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences View all articles by this author Stacy A. Carolin University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences View all articles by this author Daniel H. James University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences View all articles by this author Carlos Peraza Lope Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia View all articles by this author Mark Brenner University of Florida Department of Geological Sciences View all articles by this author David Hodell 0000-0001-8537-1588 University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences View all articles by this author Sebastian Breitenbach Northumbria University Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 296 views 143 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Stuart Umbo, Maria Box, Aviva Intveld, et al. Clumped isotope temperature reconstruction using stalagmite drip cups. Authorea . 27 August 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175632320.09779122/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. 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