A comparative analysis of elemental imaging of marine mollusc shells using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Mirapeix, Jesús (Universidad de Cantabria. Photonics Engineering Group)
Arniz-Mateos, Rosa (Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria)
Theodoraki, Danai (Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA))
García-Escárzaga, Asier (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Prehistòria)
Gutiérrez-Zugasti, Igor (Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria (IIIPC))
Hausmann, Niklas (Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA))
Cobo, Adolfo (Universidad de Cantabria)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals

Date:	2025
Abstract:	The elemental composition of marine mollusc shells can offer valuable information about palaeoclimate and the season of shell collection. In particular, the correlation between Mg/Ca ratios of shell carbonate and the sea surface temperature has been tested. However, this correlation can also be strongly dependent on endogenous mechanisms of the animals. These mechanisms are still poorly understood and are often difficult to distinguish from methodological effects. Here we present the results of a comparative study of LIBS analyses performed on modern limpet (Patella vulgata Linnaeus, 1758) shells in two different laboratories (UC-PEG and LEIZA). In particular, 2D LIBS imaging has been performed to obtain the associated elemental composition in an attempt to avoid the uncertainties derived from the use of linear scanning trajectories on the shells. The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of the different setups and processing techniques employed on the obtained results regarding palaeoclimatic information and the possible implications in the interpretation of these data. We demonstrate that the uncertainties found in the analysis of some of the specimens are not related to the specifics of the LIBS technique, but to the irregularity of limpet growth patterns themselves.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2021-124059NB-I00 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2020/BP_00240 European Commission 101064225
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Archaeology ; Comparative analysis ; Elemental analysis ; LIBS ; Mollusc shells ; Paleoclimate
Published in:	Microchemical journal, Vol. 213 (June 2025) , art. 113756, ISSN 1095-9149

DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2025.113756

15 p, 16.4 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles