Siliceous microfossil preparation laboratory
Siliceous microfossils represent major carriers of stratigraphic and paleoceanographic information in polar marine sediments. In our laboratory we accomplish the preparation of siliceous microfossils, diatoms, radiolarians, silicoflagellates, chrysophycean cysts and sponge spicules for further light microscopic (LM) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) inspection.
The preparation follows routine techniques developed at AWI. The techniques allow for the cleaning of sediment samples for the preparation of permanent mounts for LM or for preparation for SEM inspection. For further details on the preparation of diatoms, silicoflagellates, chrysophycean cysts see: Gersonde and Zielinski (2000). The preparation of radiolarians and sponge spicules is outline in Abelmann et al. (1999).
Settling of cleaned samples in petri dishes for preparation of permanent mounts with random microfossil distribution for quantitative analysis of siliceous microfossil assemblage composition.
Preparation of permanent mounts for light microscopy using the resin Mountex (refractive index ca. 1.67).
Contact person
Literature
Abelmann, A.; Brathauer, U.; Gersonde, R.; Sieger, R.; Zielinski, U. (1999). Radiolarian-based transfer function for the estimation of sea surface temperatures in the Southern Ocean (Atlantic Sector). Paleoceanography, 14(3): 410-421, doi:10.1029/1998PA900024
Gersonde, R.; Zielinski, U (2000). The reconstruction of late Quaternary Antarctic sea-ice distribution-the use of diatoms as a proxy for sea-ice. Paleogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 162(3-4),263-286, doi:10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00131-0