Within the OxyQuant project, several geochemical systems will be investigated for their potential use as paleoceanographic proxies for past bottom water oxygen content:
| Proxy | Method |
|---|---|
| abundance of redox-sensitive metals | The abundance of several metal elements whose chemical reactions in the marine environment are sensitive to redox state will be investigated in different substrates: the bulk sediment authigenic phases, authigenic phases associated with the shells of foraminifera, and fossilised fish teeth. |
| iodine associated with organic carbon | Iodine is another redox-sensitive element whose abundance and relationship with organic carbon will be investigated in surface and subsurface sediments. |
| cerium stable isotopes | Cerium is a redox-sensitive rare earth element. Here I will study its abundance in different sediment phases. Additionally, its stable isotope signature may potentially record information about the oxygenation of past deep or bottom waters. |