The University of Hong Kong

Post-Doc, Earth Sciences

Faculty of Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow

About

NEW WORKING GROUP: Development of Isotopic Proxies for Palaeoenvironmental Interpretation: A Carbon Perspective (DIPPI-C). www.dippi-c.org

My research has two main themes. The first is in molecular, elemental, and stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry with a focus on method development and proxy validation, and constraining palaeo-proxy interpretations. The second is in using these proxies for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. I specialise in lake systems, using sedimentological and geochemical techniques to reconstruct past variability. In particular, my research is focused on tropical climate variability (past and present), specifically that of "monsoon systems". 

I currently lead research on method development for, and proxy validation of, elemental and isotopic carbon and nitrogen. This focuses on investigation of the influence of acid pre-treatment methods (required to remove inorganic carbon from environmental samples) on organic matter from a suite of environmental materials [SEE RECENT PUBLICATIONS BELOW], and on their efficiency in removal of the inorganic carbon component. Investigations at the molecular level are concurrent.

I have active projects working on lake systems from Tibet (Lake Dawatsu) and south China (Lake Tianyang), which have the broad aim of contributing to the understanding of past changes in the “Asian monsoon”. These systems are being investigated largely at the molecular level, using compound specific isotopes (e.g. d13C; dD of terrestrial higher plant leaf waxes) and biomarker distributions (e.g. GDGT's). I am very interested in understanding the sources of branched GDGT’s and determining the validity of these proxies as a terrestrial palaeothermometer in limnological settings.

My research activities have active collaborations in the UK (Durham, Cambridge, NIGL), P.R. China (Sun Yat-sen), Hong Kong SAR and Australia (James Cook).

Research Interests:

Stable Isotope Geochemistry; Organic Compound Geochemistry (Biomarker distributions and isotopic signatures); Lake system processes; Palaeoclimate reconstruction; Tropical climate variability; Asian Monsoon; Abrupt climate change; Spatial variability in palaeoclimate; Environmetnal Palaeomagnetism; Timeseries analysis; Acid pre-treatment methods.

Professional Memberships:

Quaternary Research Association
European Geosciences Union
American Geophysical Union
Geochemical Society
International Paleolimnology Association

Publications:

Brodie, C.R., Leng, M.J., Casford, J.S.L., Kendrick, C.P., Lloyd, J.M., Zong, Y.Q., and Bird, M.I. (2011) Evidence for bias in C and N concentrations and δ13C from terrestrial and aquatic organic materials due to pre-analysis acid preparation methods. Chemical Geology. 282, 67 - 83.

Brodie, C.R., Heaton, T.H.E., Leng, M.J., Casford, J.S.L., Lloyd, J.M. (2011) Evidence for bias in measured δ15N values of terrestrial and aquatic organic materials due to pre-analysis acid treatment methods. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 25, 1089 - 1099.

Brodie, C.R., Casford, J.S.L., Lloyd, J.M., Leng, M.J., Heaton, T.H.E., Kendrick, C.P., and Zong, Y.Q. (2011) Evidence for the bias in C/N ratios, δ13C and δ15N of bulk organic matter, and on environmental interpretation of a down-core sedimentary sequence by pre-analysis acid treatment methods. Quaternary Science Reviews. 30, 3076 - 3087.

Brodie, C.R. (2011) Evidence for bias in C/N, δ13C and δ15N values of aquatic and terrestrial organic materials due to acid pre-treatment methods.PAGES Newsletter, July 2011.

Woods, A.M., Lloyd, J.M., Zong, Y.Q., and Brodie, C.R. (Submitted) Spatial Mapping of Pearl River Estuary Surface Sediment Geochemistry: Influence of Data Analysis on Environmental Interpretation. [Submitted to Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science]

Brodie, C.R. (2011) A comparative study on the effect of acid preparation methodologies on bulk organic materials, and a long-core geochemical paleoenvironmental reconstruction from south China. PhD Thesis, Durham University.

Contact Information