During this project (January 2022 to December 2023), I performed several works:
I started with several fieldtrips to take a core/samples from Spain and USA K-Pg sections. Once obtained, samples were sealed and stored in a cold room and it was sub-sampled (at centimetres resolution).
The approach broadly encompassed the following methods. First, I determined total organic carbon contents to provide a record of OM burial and the context for changes in OM inputs. Second, ground Caravaca/USA samples were extracted by Soxlhet Extraction. The resulting total lipid extracts were separated by silica chromatographic column into apolar and polar fractions to allow their subsequent analysis. Third, the key biomarker abundances and distributions were determined by GC and GC-MS in the apolar fraction and by HPLC/APCI-MS for GDGTs (in the polar fraction), to ascertain changes in OM source, algal assemblages (steranes), terrestrial biomarker (n-alkanes), redox state (pristane/phytane ratio; homohopane index; gammacerane; Isorenieratene), microbial inputs (hopanes) and GDGTs characterization (BIT index, terrestrial and sea surface Temperature (SSTTEX86). I also explored changes in ‘apparent thermal maturity’ which could reflect changes in re-worked, sedimentary OM inputs, e.g. changes in C31 hopane ratio. Finally, I determined compound specific isotope analysis of stable carbon in lipid biomarkers (n-alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, and hopanes), to obtain novel and high-resolution records of terrestrial (atmospheric) and marine carbon cycle disruption, used highly specialised GC-IRMS.
The dissemination of my results within a scientific and international audience, was via three ways:
• By published (1), submitted (4) my research results in SCI-journals, all of them were first authored by myself, in international and national peer review journals.
• By attending targeted international and national conferences (5) such as, BOGS July 2022 (Southhampton-UK) and July 2023 (Durham-UK); Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon research seminar (GRS) in Organic geochemistry (New Hamshire-USA) July-August 2022; IMOG 2023 (Montpellier-France) Septamber 2023.
• By attending targeted international Workshops (2) such us, UK-IODP Workshop, November 2022 (Southampton-UK); 2nd International Workshop on GDGTs, September 2023 (Zurich-Switzerland).
For the non-specialized sector, I intend to use a social media supported website, as well as press releases associated with my publications, as effective ways to disseminate results and progress. Furthermore, the UoB supports Gender Equality in RRI terms and I also took into account the possible gender differences in the innovation content and dissemination activities throughout my research.
My main research topic is very interesting for a wider type audience, so I participated in several outreach activities:
• Festival of Nature 2022 and 2023.
• European Researchers’ Night in September 2022and 2023.
Finally, I used social media platforms like ResearchGate, Facebook or LinkedIn as tools of research dissemination and public engagement.
