We present a new palaeoenvironmental record of hydrological variability in Lake Baikal, based on re‐modelled δ 18 O diatom values of diatom silica (δ 18 O modelled ), where the residual contaminants are identified and compensated for using electron optical imaging and whole‐sample geochemistry. δ 18 O modelled interpretations are based on the balance between rivers with high δ 18 O values and rivers with low δ 18 O values. Iso...

The oxygen isotope composition of diatom silica ( δ 18 O diatom ) provides valuable information for palaeoclimate studies where carbonate proxies are either rare or absent in many lakes and ocean sediments. Unfortunately, mineral and rock fragments found alongside diatoms in most sediments can be problematic as the method used will liberate oxygen from all components within the sediment, producing both high‐frequency noise and...