The carbon isotopes ratio in small lakes bottom sediments located in the forest-steppe and steppe zones of southern Siberia

Abstract

Isotopic variations of carbon of the carbonates and organic matter in bottom sediments of lakes of two lake systems located in the South of Siberia are studied: Baraba (Baraba steppes) and Tazheran (Tazheran steppes). Isotopic studies of δ13C carbonates and organic matter of the lacustrine bottom sediments of the Tazheran and Baraba systems indicate two main mechanisms of authigenic carbonates formation: chemogenic deposition and biochemogenic deposition due to bacterial destruction of organic matter. The dependence of the δ13Corg and δ13Ccarb, the degree of water salinity is not revealed. Forms by chemogenic carbonates are similar to water isotopic values, i.e. with dissolved bicarbonate - ion reservoir. However, in most of the studied lakes the light isotopic composition δ13Ccarb was revealed, as carbonates are formed in the environment with a high content of isotope-light CO2 formed by the oxidation of carbon dioxide emitted by bacteria-decomposers in the mineralization process of the original organic matter in the stagnant waters in the anaerobic environment.