Tracing anthropogenic climate and environmental change using stable isotopes

Summary

Human impact on the climate and environment are one of our greatest challenges. Increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, rising temperatures and distinct alterations in the global water cycle are problems which impact all environments and human populations. Consequences of anthropogenic activity can be, however, expressed at the regional and local scales, such as the effects of water pollution, reduction in soil quality, and the loss of biodiversity related to resource use and land management strategies in a specific area. Here, we consider how stable isotopes can be used to trace the influence of human impact, drawing from terrestrial records. We review the utility of stable isotopes in palaeoenvironmental archives, and show how these can help to identify the timing and magni