Molecular composition of sedimentary lipids off the Peru margin, Leg 112

Abstract

This study describes the molecular composition of the solvent-extractable organic matter of sediment samples from the Peru upwelling area, collected from Hole 686B, Ocean Drilling Program Leg 112. The solvent-soluble organic matter is dominated by lipids of marine origin, derived from the highly productive photic zone. Comparison of a Peruvian upwelling sample with a sediment from the Cap Blanc upwelling off northwest Africa reveals largely similar biological sources of organic matter in both areas. The paleoenvironmental information contained within the molecular distributions is also discussed. -from Authors