The isotopic composition of oxygen and carbon in the subfossil mollusc shells of the Baltic Sea as an indicator of palaeosalinity

The carbon (δ13 C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic composistion in mollusc shells in mainly determined by the isotopic composition of water and dissolved bicarbonate. The δ18O values of water show a good correlation with the salinity of the Baltic. This correlation served as a basis for reconstructing palaeosalinity and for stratifying the marine sediments according to the δ18O values of the carbonate skeletons of subfossil shells. The δ13C values in shells are mainly determined by the isotopic composition of land-originating bicarbonate, especially in the carbonate skeleton of Lymnaea balthica, which inhabits the immediate coastal zone. According to the δ18O data, salinity in the investigated area (the coastal area of W and NW Estonia) was highest (about 9–11%) during the Littorina stage. The Limnae a stage had, in general, a salinity similar to the contemporary one, but during some phases possibly exceeding it by 2–3%.