Department Surface Waters - Research and Management

Lake Taney, located in western Valais at 1400 m altitude, is an exceptional site for high-resolution paleoclimate research.
This project evaluates three lipid biomarkers — alkenones, long-chain diols, and brGDGTs — as quantitative temperature proxies. These compounds, produced by distinct algal and bacterial communities, record past environmental and climatic conditions in sediments.
To establish temperature calibrations for these three lipid proxies, we followed the following approach: we measured seasonal variations in water-column temperature and chemistry at high resolution, deployed sediment traps, and collected water samples throughout the productive season. Because these proxies reflect different seasons and respond to distinct environmental factors, comparing their modern dynamics helps assess the consistency and accuracy of their temperature records.