Dr Arnoud Boom
Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography (Biogeochemistry)
Contact Details
- Tel: 0116 252 3832
- Email: ab269@le.ac.uk
- Fax: 0116 252 3854
- Office: Bennett Building F72b
Research Interests
I am a bio-geochemist, with special interest in stable isotopes, organic biomarker molecules and tropical palaeoclimates.
At present I am working on the following projects:
- Using biomarkers and stable isotopes from Amazonian Varzea lakes I am studying aspects of the carbon cycle in the Amazon flood plain, these includes the methane cycle and sources and fate of organic matter.
- In collaboration with Dr. L. Bremond (EU grant MEIF-CT-2005-024625) we work on a 12 meter long sedimentary record of last glacial maximum age, which was obtained from the centre of the 20 meter deep lake of Pedro Palo, Northern Andes of Colombia. Using these sediments and an interdisciplinary approach consisting of biomarkers, charcoal and phytoliths we hope to gain insights into Andean biogeochemical processes and glacial C4 grass migration in particular.
- In collaboration with Dr. A. Carr we are developing a novel geochemical proxies for palaeoecological change in dryland environments, initial work focuses on the drought adapted vegetation in the succulent biome of the Karoo of South Africa.
External Activities
Head of the Leicester Environmental Stable Isotope Laboratory:
We offer the following commercial analyses:
- elemental analysis of carbon and nitrogen
- d13C and d15N on organics
- d13C and d18O on carbonates
- d2H, d18O on water samples
- GC/MS lipid extract analyses
- compound specific d2H and d13C analysis of lipid extracts
- Flame AAS analysis (Ba, Na, K, Ca, Fe, Mg, Cu, Mn, Mo, Sr, Pb and Cd
- Laser particle size analyses
Find out more about commercial rates of sample analysis.
If you are interested in collaboration, feel free to contact me by email or telephone.
Find out more about the Leicester Neotropical Research Unit.
Departmental Erasmus Coordinator.
Teaching
- GY1004 Earth: A Dynamic Planet B
- GY1019 Working with Geographical Information
- GY2102 Physical Geography field course; Almeria, Spain.
- GY3105 Biogeochemistry: Past and present environments
- GY3305 Neotropical Rainforests Research Practical
- GY3306 Neotropical Rainforests (field course to the Amazon)
PhD Supervision
Research Areas for PhD Supervision
Biogeochemistry; stable isotopes; palaeoenvironments and ecology, Organic geochemistry of the Amazon floodplain, Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of Miocene Amazonia.
Enquiries: If you are interested in studying for a PhD in one of these research areas, please make informal enquiries via geogPhD@le.ac.uk
Most Recent Publications
Bremond, L., Boom, A. and Favier, C. (2012) C3/C4 grass distributions – present, past and future. Global Change Biology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02690.x
Carr, A.S., Boom, A., Chase, B.M., Roberts, D.L., Roberts, Z.E. (2010) Molecular fingerprinting of wetland organic matter using pyrolysis-GC/MS: an example from the southern Cape coastline of South Africa. Journal of Paleolimnology 44 (4), 947-961
Carr, A.S., Boom, A., Dunajko, A., Bateman, M.D., Holmes, P.J., Berrio, J.C., (2010) New Evidence of the Age and Palaeoecology of the Knysna Formation, South Africa. South African Journal of Geology, Volume 113.3 Page 241-256. doi:10.2113/Gssajg.113.3.241
Marchant, R., Berrio, J.C., Behling, H., Boom, A. and Hooghiemstra, H. (2006): Colombian dry moist forest transitions in the Llanos Orientales - A comparison of model and pollen-based biome reconstructions, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 234, 28-44.
Boom, A., Sinninghe Damsté, J. S., de Leeuw, J.W. (2005) Cutan, a common aliphatic biopolymer in cuticles of drought-adapted plants Organic Geochemistry 36(4): 595-601.
Boom, A., Marchant, R., Hooghiemstra, H. and Sinninghe Damsté, J. S (2002) CO2 and temperature-controlled altitudinal shifts of C4 and C3 dominated grasslands allow reconstruction of palaeoatmospheric pCO2. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 177:151-168.
