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Sample records for oxygen isotope measurement

  1. Preliminary results of oxygen isotope ratio measurement with a particle-gamma coincidence method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borysiuk, Maciek, E-mail: maciek.borysiuk@pixe.lth.se; Kristiansson, Per; Ros, Linus; Abdel, Nassem S.; Elfman, Mikael; Nilsson, Charlotta; Pallon, Jan

    2015-04-01

    The possibility to study variations in the oxygen isotopic ratio with photon tagged nuclear reaction analysis (pNRA) is evaluated in the current work. The experiment described in the article was performed at Lund Ion Beam Analysis Facility (LIBAF) with a 2 MeV deuteron beam. Isotopic fractionation of light elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen is the basis of many analytical tools in hydrology, geology, paleobiology and paleogeology. IBA methods provide one possible tool for measurement of isotopic content. During this experimental run we focused on measurement of the oxygen isotopic ratio. The measurement of stable isotopes of oxygen has a number of applications; the particular one driving the current investigation belongs to the field of astrogeology and specifically evaluation of fossil extraterrestrial material. There are three stable isotopes of oxygen: {sup 16}O, {sup 17}O and {sup 18}O. We procured samples highly enriched with all three isotopes. Isotopes {sup 16}O and {sup 18}O were easily detected in the enriched samples, but no significant signal from {sup 17}O was detected in the same samples. The measured yield was too low to detect {sup 18}O in a sample with natural abundances of oxygen isotopes, at least in the current experimental setup, but the spectral line from the reaction with {sup 16}O was clearly visible.

  2. Stable isotope ratio measurements in hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen using Raman scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harney, R.C.; Bloom, S.D.; Milanovich, F.P.

    1975-01-01

    A method for measuring stable isotope ratios using laser Raman scattering was developed which may prove of significant utility and benefit in stable isotope tracer studies. Crude isotope ratio measurements obtained with a low-power laser indicate that with current technology it should be possible to construct an isotope ratio measurement system using laser Raman scattering that is capable of performing 0.1 percent accuracy isotope ratio measurements of 16 O/ 18 O in natural abundance oxygen gas or 14 N/ 15 N in natural abundance nitrogen gas in times less than two minutes per sample. Theory pertinent to the technique, designs of specific isotope ratio spectrometer systems, and data relating to isotope ratio measurements in hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen are presented. In addition, the current status of several studies utilizing this technique is discussed. (auth)

  3. Technical note: Consistent calculation of aquatic gross production from oxygen triple isotope measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Kaiser

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Oxygen triple isotope measurements can be used to calculate aquatic gross oxygen production rates. Past studies have emphasised the appropriate definition of the 17O excess and often used an approximation to derive production rates from the 17O excess. Here, I show that the calculation can be phrased more consistently and without any approximations using the relative 17O/16O and 18O/16O isotope ratio differences (delta values directly. I call this the "dual delta method". The 17O excess is merely a mathematical construct and the derived production rate is independent of its definition, provided all calculations are performed with a consistent definition. I focus on the mixed layer, but also show how time series of triple isotope measurements below the mixed layer can be used to derive gross production.

    In the calculation of mixed layer productivity, I explicitly include isotopic fractionation during gas invasion and evasion, which requires the oxygen supersaturation s to be measured as well. I also suggest how bubble injection could be considered in the same mathematical framework. I distinguish between concentration steady state and isotopic steady state and show that only the latter needs to be assumed in the calculation. It is even possible to derive an estimate of the net production rate in the mixed layer that is independent of the assumption of concentration steady state.

    I review measurements of the parameters required for the calculation of gross production rates and show how their systematic uncertainties as well as the use of different published calculation methods can cause large variations in the production rates for the same underlying isotope ratios. In particular, the 17O excess of dissolved O2 in equilibrium with atmospheric O2 and the 17O excess of photosynthetic O2 need to

  4. Theory of oxygen isotope exchange

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    den Otter, M.W.; Boukamp, Bernard A.; Bouwmeester, Henricus J.M.

    2001-01-01

    Transients for oxygen molecular mass numbers 32, 34 and 36 are derived which can be used for the interpretation of oxygen isotope exchange data based on measurement of concentrations of 16O2, 16O18O and 18O2 in the gas phase. Key parameters in the theory are the rate at which oxygen molecules are

  5. Measurement of infiltration rates in urban sewer systems by use of oxygen isotopes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Bénédittis, J; Bertrand-Krajewski, J L

    2005-01-01

    The paper presents the principle of a method to measure infiltration rates in sewer systems based on the use of oxygen isotopes and its application in Lyon (France). In the urban area of Lyon, significant differences in delta 18O that can reach 3 per thousand are observed between the oxygen isotopic compositions of groundwater originating from Rhone, Saone and from their associated alluvial aquifers. Drinking water supplying Lyon results mainly from pumping in the Rhone alluvial aquifer. Therefore, in some areas, the difference of isotopic composition between wastewater resulting from the consumption of drinking water and local groundwater can be used to measure infiltration in sewer systems. The application in the catchment of Ecully shows that the infiltration flow rate presents strong fluctuations at an hourly scale: it varies between 15 and 40 m3/h. This variability could be explained by non-constant discharges of pumping and by variations of the water level in the sewer.

  6. Oxygen isotope exchange between refractory inclusion in allende and solar nebula Gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurimoto; Ito; Nagasawa

    1998-12-04

    A calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) from the Allende meteorite was analyzed and found to contain melilite crystals with extreme oxygen-isotope compositions ( approximately 5 percent oxygen-16 enrichment relative to terrestrial oxygen-16). Some of the melilite is also anomalously enriched in oxygen-16 compared with oxygen isotopes measured in other CAIs. The oxygen isotopic variation measured among the minerals (melilite, spinel, and fassaite) indicates that crystallization of the CAI started from oxygen-16-rich materials that were probably liquid droplets in the solar nebula, and oxygen isotope exchange with the surrounding oxygen-16-poor nebular gas progressed through the crystallization of the CAI. Additional oxygen isotope exchange also occurred during subsequent reheating events in the solar nebula.

  7. Isotope anomalies in oxygen isotope exchange equilibrium systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotaka, M.

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of the present work is to elucidate the isotope anomalies in oxygen isotope exchange equilibrium systems, according to the calculations of the equilibrium constants for oxygen isotopic exchange reactions, and the calculations of the oxygen isotope separation factors between two phases. The equilibrium constants (K65, K67, K68 and K69) of 16 O- 15 O, 16 O 17 O, 16 O- 18 O, and 16 O- 19 O exchange reactions between diatomic oxides were calculated in a wide temperature range on the basis of quantum statistical mechanics. Many equilibrium constants showed the anomalous mass effects, and then had the crossover temperatures and the mass independent fractionation (MIF) temperatures which held K67 = K65, K67 = K68, or K67 = K69, etc. For example, the equilibrium constants for the reactions between OH and the other diatomic oxides (MO) showed the anomalous mass effects, when M was Li, Na, Mg, K, Fe, Al, Ge, Zr, Pt, etc. The 16 O 15 O, 16 O 17 O, 16 O- 18 O, and 16 O- 19 O oxygen isotope separation factors (S65, S67, S68 and S69) between two phases were calculated, when OH and CO were in the first phase, and SiO was in the second phase. Although the oxygen isotopic exchange equilibria in the two phases had no MIF and crossover temperatures, the separation factors showed the anomalous mass effects and had the temperatures. According to what is called the normal mass effects for the equilibrium constant of isotopic exchange reaction, the value of InK68/InK67 is 1.885. Therefore, the value of InS68/InS67 should be 1.885 too. The value calculated, however, widely changed. It can be concluded from the results obtained in the present work that some oxygen isotopic exchange equilibria cause the anomalous mass effects, the anomalous oxygen isotope separation factors, and then isotope anomalies

  8. Oxygen isotopic fractionation during bacterial sulfate reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balci, N.; Turchyn, A. V.; Lyons, T.; Bruchert, V.; Schrag, D. P.; Wall, J.

    2006-12-01

    Sulfur isotope fractionation during bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) is understood to depend on a variety of environmental parameters, such as sulfate concentration, temperature, cell specific sulfate reduction rates, and the carbon substrate. What controls oxygen isotope fractionation during BSR is less well understood. Some studies have suggested that carbon substrate is important, whereas others concluded that there is a stoichiometric relationship between the fractionations of sulfur and oxygen during BSR. Studies of oxygen fractionation are complicated by isotopic equilibration between sulfur intermediates, particularly sulfite, and water. This process can modify the isotopic composition of the extracellular sulfate pool (δ18OSO4 ). Given this, the challenge is to distinguish between this isotopic equilibration and fractionations linked to the kinetic effects of the intercellular enzymes and the incorporation of sulfate into the bacterial cell. The δ18OSO4 , in concert with the sulfur isotope composition of sulfate (δ34SSO4), could be a powerful tool for understanding the pathways and environmental controls of BSR in natural systems. We will present δ18OSO4 data measured from batch culture growth of 14 different species of sulfate reducing bacteria for which sulfur isotope data were previously published. A general observation is that δ18OSO4 shows little isotopic change (kinetic effect during BSR and/or equilibration between sulfur intermediates and the isotopically light water (~-5‰) of the growth medium. Our present batch culture data do not allow us to convincingly isolate the magnitude and the controlling parameters of the kinetic isotope effect for oxygen. However, ongoing growth of mutant bacteria missing enzymes critical in the different steps of BSR may assist in this mission.

  9. Oxygen Isotopes in Chondritic Interplanetary Dust: Parent-Bodies and Nebular Oxygen Reservoirs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aleon, J; McKeegan, K D; Leshin, L

    2006-01-01

    Planetary objects have preserved various amounts of oxygen issued from isotopically different oxygen reservoirs reflecting their origin and physico-chemical history. An 16 O-rich component is preserved in refractory inclusions (CAIs) whereas meteorites matrices are enriched in an 16 O-poor component. The origin of these components is still unclear. The most recent models are based on isotope selective photodissociation of CO in a 16 O-rich nebula/presolr cloud resulting in a 16 O-poor gas in the outer part of the nebula. However because most meteorite components are thought to be formed in the inner 3AU of the solar nebula, the precise isotopic composition of outer solar system components is yet unknown. In that respect, the oxygen isotopic composition of cometary dust is a key to understand the origin of the solar system. The Stardust mission will bring back to the Earth dust samples from comet Wild2, a short period comet from the Jupiter family. A precise determination of the oxygen isotope composition of Wild2 dust grains is essential to decipher the oxygen reservoirs of the outer solar system. However, Stardust samples may be extremely fragmented upon impact in the collector. In addition, interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected in the stratosphere are likely to contain comet samples. Therefore, they started to investigate the oxygen isotopic composition of a suite of chondritic interplanetary dust particles that includes IDPs of potential cometary origin using a refined procedure to increase the lateral resolution for the analysis of Stardust grains or IDP subcomponents down to ∼ 3 (micro)m. High precision data for 4 IDPs were previously reported, here they have measured 6 additional IDPs

  10. Oxygen isotopic anomalies in Allende inclusion HAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, T.; Mayeda, T.K.; Clayton, R.N.

    1980-01-01

    The oxygen isotopic composition has been measured on the constituent phases of Allende inclusion HAL, which has unusual mineralogical, chemical, and calcium isotopic compositions. The oxygen in HAL is heterogeneous, with the rim showing more ''normal'' composition and the hibonite core showing large deviation from both the terrestrial material and the usual inclusions. The observed pattern indicates that HAL is a bona fide and more devious member of the rare ''FUN'' family, whose isotopic composition is characterized by correlated nuclear effects and extreme mass fractionation. The data imply that HAL has suffered a large oxygen mass fractionation of 25% 0 per mass unit, followed by exchange with oxygen in a second reservoir. The present experiment supports the identification of two distinct reservoirs from which all refractory inclusions in carbonaceous meteorites derived their oxygen. The required fractionation process seems to operate according to the volatility of various elements and could have been caused by evaporation during a heating event. Nuclear anomalies can be produced in the same heating event if the progenitors of the refractory inclusions were macroscopic aggregates of tiny pre-solar interstellar dust grains and if these grains were destroyed differentially during the evaporation

  11. Temperature measurements of Transdanubian Mesozoic rocks by the oxygen isotope method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornides, I.; Csaszar, G.; Haas, J.; Jochane Edelenyi, E.

    1979-01-01

    Subjected to paleotemperature measurements with the use of oxygen and carbon isotopes were Upper Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks and their fossils from the Transdanubian Central Mountains, the Mecsek and the Villany Mts. In determining formation temperature, an important parameter of the environment of formation, the authors relied on the fact that the oxygen isotope composition of calcium carbonate precipitating from its aqueous solution deviates, in dependence on the temperature of the solution concerned, from that of the water. Consequently, the temperature of the water of the one-time seas must have been recorded by the 18 O/ 16 O ratio in the calcite of fossils or sediments. The results reported indicate smaller changes in temperature as compared to international results. In the Jurassic the values of temperature remain consistently below those quoted for Swiss and French territories, being around the values reported from/sroe/thern Germany. These u curves have their maxima in the Toarcian, Aalenian, sediments for which unfortunately no Hungarian results are available. The few results of Cretaceous belemnites are values higher than their international counterparts. The high temperature value obtained for the Albian correlates very well with the formation of rocks known from this stratigraphic stage (red clays, bauxites). (A.L.)

  12. OXYGEN ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF SOLAR CORUNDUM GRAINS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makide, Kentaro; Nagashima, Kazuhide; Huss, Gary R.; Krot, Alexander N.

    2009-01-01

    Oxygen is one of the major rock-forming elements in the solar system and the third most abundant element of the Sun. Oxygen isotopic composition of the Sun, however, is not known due to a poor resolution of astronomical spectroscopic measurements. Several Δ 17 O values have been proposed for the composition of the Sun based on (1) the oxygen isotopic measurements of the solar wind implanted into metallic particles in lunar soil ( 2 O 3 ) is thermodynamically the first condensate from a cooling gas of solar composition. Corundum-bearing CAIs, however, are exceptionally rare, suggesting either continuous reaction of the corundum condensates with a cooling nebular gas and their replacement by hibonite (CaAl 12 O 19 ) or their destruction by melting together with less refractory condensates during formation of igneous CAIs. In contrast to the corundum-bearing CAIs, isolated micrometer-sized corundum grains are common in the acid-resistant residues from unmetamorphosed chondrites. These grains could have avoided multistage reprocessing during CAI formation and, therefore, can potentially provide constraints on the initial oxygen isotopic composition of the solar nebula, and, hence, of the Sun. Here we report oxygen isotopic compositions of ∼60 micrometer-sized corundum grains in the acid-resistant residues from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (Semarkona (LL3.0), Bishunpur (LL3.1), Roosevelt County 075 (H3.2)) and unmetamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites (Orgueil (CI1), Murray (CM2), and Alan Hills A77307 (CO3.0)) measured with a Cameca ims-1280 ion microprobe. All corundum grains, except two, are 16 O-rich (Δ 17 O = -22.7 per mille ± 8.5 per mille, 2σ), and compositionally similar to the mineralogically pristine CAIs from the CR carbonaceous chondrites (-23.3 per mille ± 1.9 per mille, 2σ), and solar wind returned by the Genesis spacecraft (-27 per mille ± 6 per mille, 2σ). One corundum grain is highly 17 O-enriched (δ 17 O ∼ +60 per mille, δ 18 O

  13. Intracrystalline fractionation of oxygen isotopes between hydroxyl and non-hydroxyl sites in kaolinite measured by thermal dehydroxylation and partial fluorination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girard, Jean-Pierre; Savin, Samuel M.

    1996-02-01

    Thermal dehydroxylation and partial fluorination techniques were used to measure intracrystalline fractionation of oxygen isotopes between hydroxyl and non-hydroxyl sites in kaolinite. Several aliquots of a well characterized, fine-grained (rates, and target temperatures. Measured δ18O values of both the liberated water and the dehydroxylated residue are consistent over a wide range of temperatures (550 850°C) when dehydroxylation is performed in a single-step fashion at a rapid heating rate (>50°C/min.). Similar dehydroxylation experiments indicate that brucite dehydroxylation occurs without any significant isotopic fractionation of the oxygen isotopes. By extrapolation we postulate that no significant fractionation occurs during single-step thermal dehydroxylation of fine-grained kaolinite, provided that dehydroxylation is performed under well controlled conditions. In contrast, gibbsite dehydroxylation is accompanied by substantial isotopic fractionation. This is probably the result of the complex, multi-pathway dehydroxylation reaction of this mineral. Similarly, thermal dehydroxylation of coarsegrained (>1 μm) kaolinites and dickites of weathering and hydrothermal origin yield results that are dependent on the temperature of dehydroxylation. We suggest that this effect may be caused by isotopic exchange during diffusion of water molecules through coarse particles. Partial fluorination of fine-grained kaolinite in the presence of excess F2 at low temperatures (rate of reaction of hydroxyl oxygen than of non-hydroxyl oxygen, but examination of the isotopic data as well as XRD and IR analyses of the residues after partial fluorination indicates that the separation between the two types of oxygen is not complete. The results, therefore, do not yield a reliable δ18O value of the hydroxyl oxygen. The results of this study suggest that the thermal dehydroxylation technique may be appropriate for analysis of OH groups in fine-grained kaolinite. The partial

  14. Removal method of fluorescent dyes as pretreatment for measurement of major ion concentrations and hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakata, Kotaro; Hasegawa, Takuma; Kashiwaya, Koki; Kodama, Hiroki; Miyajima, Tohru

    2011-01-01

    The major ion concentration and isotope ratio of hydrogen and oxygen can provide important information for migration of groundwater. Sometimes, quantitative estimation of these chemical and isotopic characteristics of solution is necessary for groundwater containing fluorescent dyes, which are used in drilling borehole and tracer experiments. However, sometimes correct estimation is disturbed by dyes and they become a cause of troubles for measurement equipments. Thus development of method to remove dyes is required so that the characteristics of groundwater can be estimated without the negative effect of dyes on measurement or equipments. In this study, removal of four representative dyes (Uranin, Eosin, Naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium(NAP) and Amino G acid potassium salt (AG)) was investigated. Uranin and Eosin were found to be removed by non-ionic synthetic resin: HP2MG. 99.99% of the dyes were removed from initial solutions containing dyes with 10 mg/L after contact with resin, while the contact had little effect on ion concentrations and oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios. Thus the chemical and isotopic characteristics of groundwater samples containing Uranin and Eosin can be obtained by using the HP2MG resin. On the other hand, the NAP and AG were found to be difficult to remove by the HP2MG resin but they were able to be removed by anion exchange resin (Dowex 1x8). Though contact of solution with Dowex 1x8 did not affect cation concentrations and hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios, anion concentrations were changed by the contact. Therefore the Dowex 1x8 is only applicable to estimation of the cation concentrations and isotope ratio of hydrogen and oxygen. When both anion and cation concentrations from the samples were necessary, Uranin or Eosin were recommended as a tracer in drilling or tracer experiments. (author)

  15. Expanding the isotopic toolbox: Applications of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios to food web studies

    OpenAIRE

    Hannah B Vander Zanden; David X Soto; Gabriel J Bowen; Keith A Hobson; Keith A Hobson

    2016-01-01

    The measurement of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes in tissues of organisms has formed the foundation of isotopic food web reconstructions, as these values directly reflect assimilated diet. In contrast, stable hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope measurements have typically been reserved for studies of migratory origin and paleoclimate reconstruction based on systematic relationships between organismal tissue and local environmental water. Recently, innovative applicat...

  16. Expanding the Isotopic Toolbox: Applications of Hydrogen and Oxygen Stable Isotope Ratios to Food Web Studies

    OpenAIRE

    Vander Zanden, Hannah B.; Soto, David X.; Bowen, Gabriel J.; Hobson, Keith A.

    2016-01-01

    The measurement of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes in tissues of organisms has formed the foundation of isotopic food web reconstructions, as these values directly reflect assimilated diet. In contrast, stable hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope measurements have typically been reserved for studies of migratory origin and paleoclimate reconstruction based on systematic relationships between organismal tissue and local environmental water. Recently, innovative applicatio...

  17. Automated system measuring triple oxygen and nitrogen isotope ratios in nitrate using the bacterial method and N2 O decomposition by microwave discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hattori, Shohei; Savarino, Joel; Kamezaki, Kazuki; Ishino, Sakiko; Dyckmans, Jens; Fujinawa, Tamaki; Caillon, Nicolas; Barbero, Albane; Mukotaka, Arata; Toyoda, Sakae; Well, Reinhard; Yoshida, Naohiro

    2016-12-30

    Triple oxygen and nitrogen isotope ratios in nitrate are powerful tools for assessing atmospheric nitrate formation pathways and their contribution to ecosystems. N 2 O decomposition using microwave-induced plasma (MIP) has been used only for measurements of oxygen isotopes to date, but it is also possible to measure nitrogen isotopes during the same analytical run. The main improvements to a previous system are (i) an automated distribution system of nitrate to the bacterial medium, (ii) N 2 O separation by gas chromatography before N 2 O decomposition using the MIP, (iii) use of a corundum tube for microwave discharge, and (iv) development of an automated system for isotopic measurements. Three nitrate standards with sample sizes of 60, 80, 100, and 120 nmol were measured to investigate the sample size dependence of the isotope measurements. The δ 17 O, δ 18 O, and Δ 17 O values increased with increasing sample size, although the δ 15 N value showed no significant size dependency. Different calibration slopes and intercepts were obtained with different sample amounts. The slopes and intercepts for the regression lines in different sample amounts were dependent on sample size, indicating that the extent of oxygen exchange is also dependent on sample size. The sample-size-dependent slopes and intercepts were fitted using natural log (ln) regression curves, and the slopes and intercepts can be estimated to apply to any sample size corrections. When using 100 nmol samples, the standard deviations of residuals from the regression lines for this system were 0.5‰, 0.3‰, and 0.1‰, respectively, for the δ 18 O, Δ 17 O, and δ 15 N values, results that are not inferior to those from other systems using gold tube or gold wire. An automated system was developed to measure triple oxygen and nitrogen isotopes in nitrate using N 2 O decomposition by MIP. This system enables us to measure both triple oxygen and nitrogen isotopes in nitrate with comparable precision

  18. Oxygen isotope exchange with quartz during pyrolysis of silver sulfate and silver nitrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schauer, Andrew J; Kunasek, Shelley A; Sofen, Eric D; Erbland, Joseph; Savarino, Joel; Johnson, Ben W; Amos, Helen M; Shaheen, Robina; Abaunza, Mariana; Jackson, Terri L; Thiemens, Mark H; Alexander, Becky

    2012-09-30

    Triple oxygen isotopes of sulfate and nitrate are useful metrics for the chemistry of their formation. Existing measurement methods, however, do not account for oxygen atom exchange with quartz during the thermal decomposition of sulfate. We present evidence for oxygen atom exchange, a simple modification to prevent exchange, and a correction for previous measurements. Silver sulfates and silver nitrates with excess (17)O were thermally decomposed in quartz and gold (for sulfate) and quartz and silver (for nitrate) sample containers to O(2) and byproducts in a modified Temperature Conversion/Elemental Analyzer (TC/EA). Helium carries O(2) through purification for isotope-ratio analysis of the three isotopes of oxygen in a Finnigan MAT253 isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The Δ(17)O results show clear oxygen atom exchange from non-zero (17)O-excess reference materials to zero (17)O-excess quartz cup sample containers. Quartz sample containers lower the Δ(17)O values of designer sulfate reference materials and USGS35 nitrate by 15% relative to gold or silver sample containers for quantities of 2-10 µmol O(2). Previous Δ(17)O measurements of sulfate that rely on pyrolysis in a quartz cup have been affected by oxygen exchange. These previous results can be corrected using a simple linear equation (Δ(17)O(gold) = Δ(17)O(quartz) * 1.14 + 0.06). Future pyrolysis of silver sulfate should be conducted in gold capsules or corrected to data obtained from gold capsules to avoid obtaining oxygen isotope exchange-affected data. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. The oxygen isotope composition of earth's oldest rocks and evidence of a terrestrial magma ocean

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rumble, D.; Bowring, S.; Iizuka, T.

    2013-01-01

    Analysis of Hadean and Archean rocks for O-16-O-17-O-18 isotopes demonstrates that the Terrestrial Mass Fractionation Line of oxygen isotopes has had the same slope and intercept for at least the past 4.0 and probably for as long as 4.2Ga. The homogenization of oxygen isotopes required to produce....... But other sources of heat for global melting cannot be excluded such as bolide impacts during early accretion of proto-Earth, the decay of short-lived radioactive isotopes, or the energy released during segregation of core from mantle.......Analysis of Hadean and Archean rocks for O-16-O-17-O-18 isotopes demonstrates that the Terrestrial Mass Fractionation Line of oxygen isotopes has had the same slope and intercept for at least the past 4.0 and probably for as long as 4.2Ga. The homogenization of oxygen isotopes required to produce...... such long-lived consistency was most easily established by mixing in a terrestrial magma ocean. The measured identical oxygen isotope mass fractionation lines for Earth and Moon suggest that oxygen isotope reservoirs of both bodies were homogenized at the same time during a giant moon-forming impact...

  20. A latitudinal study of oxygen isotopes within horsehair

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, E.; Bronk Ramsey, C.; McConnell, J. R.

    2016-12-01

    This study aims to explore the hypothesis that 'if oxygen isotope ratios deplete with decreasing temperature then a study of oxygen isotope ratios within horsehair from Oxfordshire to Iceland will show a latitudinal depletion gradient'. By looking at oxygen isotope values at different geographical positions, we can track the relationship with latitude and with different regional climate features. This will provide a firmer understanding of how to compare climate records from different locations. Additionally, a comparison of the horse breeds from this study to those analysed within previous studies will create an even better understanding of the intra-species variation within the δ18O values of horsehair. A total of 24 horses were sampled on the 7th March from Thordale Stud in Shetland, the Icelandic Food And Veterinary Authority in Iceland, the Exmoor Pony Centre in Exmoor and the Pigeon House Equestrian Centre in Oxfordshire. By starting the sampling process from the most recent growth at the follicle, the sampling date becomes a chronological marker, temporally fixing the first sample within a sequential set of data points extending for one year or longer, depending on the length of each individual hair. The samples were analysed for oxygen isotope values using an IRMS coupled within a Sercon HTEA. Preliminary results show a latitudinal gradient is evident on comparison between the locations, consistent with the findings of Darling and Talbot's study of fresh water isotopes in the British Isles (2003). These results support the hypothesis, showing that a study of oxygen isotope ratios within horse hair from Oxfordshire to Iceland showing a latitudinal depletion gradient, consistent with a depletion of oxygen isotope ratios due to decreasing temperatures. Darling, W. and Talbot, J. (2003). The O and H stable isotope composition of freshwaters in the British Isles. 1. Rainfall. Hydrol. Earth System Science, 7(2), pp.163-181.

  1. The transport of oxygen isotopes in hydrothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKibbin, R.; Absar, A.; Blattner, P.

    1986-01-01

    As groundwater passes through porous rocks, exchange of oxygen between the fluid and the solid matrix causes a change in the oxygen isotope concentrations in both water and rock. If the rate at which the exchange takes place can be estimated (as a function of the isotope concentrations and temperature) then the time taken for a rock/water system to come to equilibrium with respect to isotope concentration might be calculated. In this paper, the equation for isotope transport is derived using conservation laws, and a simple equation to describe the rate of isotope exchange is proposed. These are combined with the equations for fluid flow in a porous medium, to produce a general set of equations describing isotope transport in a hydrothermal system. These equations are solved numerically, using typical parameters, for the one-dimensional case. Oxygen isotope data from the basement rocks underlying Kawerau geothermal field are modelled. The results indicate that the time taken for exchange of 18 O to present-day values is less than the postulated age of hydrothermal alteration in that field. This suggests that, although controlled by similar parameters, oxygen isotope exchange, in felsic rocks at least, is much faster than hydrothermal alteration. This conclusion is consistent with the petrographic observations from the Kawerau system as well as other geothermal fields

  2. Ion Microprobe Measurements of Comet Dust and Implications for Models of Oxygen Isotope Heterogeneity in the Solar System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snead, C. J.; McKeegan, K. D.; Keller, L. P.; Messenger, S.

    2017-01-01

    The oxygen isotopic compositions of anhydrous minerals in carbonaceous chondrites reflect mixing between a O-16-rich and O-17, O18-rich reservoir. The UV photodissociation of CO (i.e. selfshielding) has been proposed as a mass-independent mechanism for producing these isotopically distinct reservoirs. Self-shielding models predict the composition for the CO gas reservoir to be O-16-rich, and that the accreting primordial dust was in isotopic equilibrium with the gaseous reservoir [1, 2]. Self-shielding also predicts that cometary water, presumed to represent the O-17, O-18-rich reservoir, should be enriched in O-17 and O-18, with compositions of 200 -1000per mille, and that the interaction with this O-17, O-18-rich H2O reservoir altered the compositions of the primordial dust toward planetary values. The bulk composition of the solar nebula, which may be an approximation to the 16O-rich gaseous reservoir, has been constrained by the Genesis results [3]. However, material representing the O-17, O-18-rich end-member is rare [4], and dust representing the original accreting primordial dust has been challenging to conclusively identify in current collections. Anhydrous dust from comets, which accreted in the distal cold regions of the nebula at temperatures below approximately 30K, may provide the best opportunity to measure the oxygen isotope composition of primordial dust. Chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP-IDPs) have been suggested as having cometary origins [5]; however, until direct comparisons with dust from a known comet parent body were made, link between CP-IDPs and comets remained circumstantial. Oxygen isotope analyses of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 collected by NASA's Stardust mission have revealed surprising similarities to minerals in carbonaceous chondrites which have been interpreted as evidence for large scale radial migration of dust components from the inner solar nebula to the accretion regions of Jupiter- family comets [6

  3. Accurate and precise measurement of oxygen isotopic fractions and diffusion profiles by selective attenuation of secondary ions (SASI).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Téllez, Helena; Druce, John; Hong, Jong-Eun; Ishihara, Tatsumi; Kilner, John A

    2015-03-03

    The accuracy and precision of isotopic analysis in Time-of-Flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) relies on the appropriate reduction of the dead-time and detector saturation effects, especially when analyzing species with high ion yields or present in high concentrations. Conventional approaches to avoid these problems are based on Poisson dead-time correction and/or an overall decrease of the total secondary ion intensity by reducing the target current. This ultimately leads to poor detection limits for the minor isotopes and high uncertainties of the measured isotopic ratios. An alternative strategy consists of the attenuation of those specific secondary ions that saturate the detector, providing an effective extension of the linear dynamic range. In this work, the selective attenuation of secondary ion signals (SASI) approach is applied to the study of oxygen transport properties in electroceramic materials by isotopic labeling with stable (18)O tracer and ToF-SIMS depth profiling. The better analytical performance in terms of accuracy and precision allowed a more reliable determination of the oxygen surface exchange and diffusion coefficients while maintaining good mass resolution and limits of detection for other minor secondary ion species. This improvement is especially relevant to understand the ionic transport mechanisms and properties of solid materials, such as the parallel diffusion pathways (e.g., oxygen diffusion through bulk, grain boundary, or dislocations) in electroceramic materials with relevant applications in energy storage and conversion devices.

  4. Carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotope effects in the decarboxylation of nicotinic acid of natural isotopic composition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zielinski, M.; Zielinska, A.; Papiernik-Zielinska, H.; McKenzie, J.A.; Bernasconi, S.; Paul, H.

    1998-01-01

    Carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotope effects in the decarboxylation of nicotinic acid of natural isotopic composition above and below its melting temperature have been studied and compared with the primary (PKIE) and secondary kinetic isotope effects (SKIE) of 13 C and 18 O, respectively, in the decarboxylation of other heterocyclic acids. The temperature dependence of the secondary oxygen-18 isotope effects is negative in the total 221-255 deg C temperature interval investigated initially. The 13 C KIE measured above melting point of N.A. (temperature interval 235-270 deg C) are located in the range 1.007-1.009. Below melting point of nicotinic acid the 13 C KIE are larger and reveal the negative temperature dependence ( 13 C KIE decreases with decreasing the reaction temperature from 1.013/at 230 deg C to 1.0114/at 221 deg C). A discussion of the above isotopic results is presented. (author)

  5. Meteoric water in normal fault systems: Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic measurements on authigenic phases in brittle fault rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haines, S. H.; Anderson, R.; Mulch, A.; Solum, J. G.; Valley, J. W.; van der Pluijm, B. A.

    2009-12-01

    The nature of fluid circulation systems in normal fault systems is fundamental to understanding the nature of fluid movement within the upper crust, and has important implications for the on-going controversy about the strength of faults. Authigenic phases in clay gouges and fault breccias record the isotopic signature of the fluids they formed in equilibrium with, and can be used to understand the ‘plumbing system’ of brittle fault environments. We obtained paired oxygen and hydrogen isotopic measurements on authigenic illite and/or smectite in clay gouge from normal faults in two geologic environments, 1.) low-angle normal faults (Ruby Mountains detachment, NV; Badwater Turtleback, CA; Panamint range-front detachment; CA; Amargosa detachment; CA; Waterman Hills detachment, CA), and 2.) An intracratonic high-angle normal fault (Moab Fault, UT). All authigenic phases in these clay gouges are moderately light isotopically with respect to oxygen (illite δ18O -2.0 - + 11.5 ‰ SMOW, smectite δ18O +3.6 and 17.9 ‰) and very light isotopically with respect to hydrogen (illite δD -148 to -98 ‰ SMOW, smectite δD -147 to -92 ‰). Fluid compositions calculated from the authigenic clays at temperatures of 50 - 130 ○C (as indicated by clay mineralogy) indicate that both illite and smectite in normal fault clay gouge formed in the presence of near-pristine to moderately-evolved meteoric fluids and that igneous or metamorphic fluids are not involved in clay gouge formation in these normal fault settings. We also obtained paired oxygen and hydrogen isotopic measurements on chlorites derived from footwall chlorite breccias in 4 low-angle normal fault detachment systems (Badwater and Mormon Point Turtlebacks, CA, the Chemehuevi detachment, CA, and the Buckskin-Rawhide detachment, AZ). All chlorites are isotopically light to moderately light with respect to oxygen (δ18O +0.29 to +8.1 ‰ SMOW) and very light with respect to hydrogen (δD -97 to -113 ‰) and indicate

  6. Carbon and Oxygen isotopic composition in paleoenvironmental determination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, J.R.M. da.

    1978-01-01

    This work reports that the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition separate the mollusks from marine environment of the mollusks from continental environment in two groups isotopically different, making the biological control outdone by environment control, in the isotopic fragmentation mechanisms. The patterns from the continental environment are more rich in O 16 than the patterns from marine environments. The C 12 is also more frequent in the mollusks from continental environments. The carbon isotopic composition in paterns from continental environments is situated betwen - 10.31 and - 4,05% and the oxygen isotopic composition is situated between - 6,95 and - 2,41%. To the marine environment patterns the carbon isotopic composition is between - 2,08 and + 2,65% and the oxigen isotopic composition is between - 2,08 and + 0,45%. Was also analysed fossil marine mollusks shells and their isotopic composition permit the formulation of hypothesis about the environment which they lived. (C.D.G.) [pt

  7. Major events in Neogene oxygen isotopic records

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kennett, J.P.; Hodell, D.A.

    1986-01-01

    Changes in oxygen isotopic ratios of foraminiferal calcite during the cainozoic have been one of the primary tools for investigating the history of Arctic and Antarctic glaciation, although interpretations of the oxygen isotopic record differ markedly. The ambiguity in interpretation results mainly from the partitioning of temperature from ice volume effects in delta 18 O changes. Oxygen isotopic records for the Cainozoic show an increase in delta 18 O values towards the present, reflecting gradual cooling and increased glaciation of the Earth's climate since the late Cretaceous. A variety of core material from the South Atlantic and South-west Pacific oceans are investigated. This composite data represents one of the most complete available with which to evaluate the evolution of glaciation during the Neogene. Expansion of ice shelves in Antarctica undoubtedly accompanied the increased glaciation of the northern hemisphere, since eustatic sea-level lowering would positively reinforce ice growth on Antarctica

  8. Exploring Neutron-Rich Oxygen Isotopes with MoNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frank, N.; Gade, A.; Peters, W. A.; Thoennessen, M.; Baumann, T.; Bazin, D.; Lecouey, J.-L.; Scheit, H.; Schiller, A.; Brown, J.; DeYoung, P. A.; Finck, J. E.; Hinnefeld, J.; Howes, R.; Luther, B.

    2007-01-01

    The Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) was used in conjunction with a large-gap dipole magnet (Sweeper) to measure neutron-unbound states in oxygen isotopes close to the neutron dripline. While no excited states were observed in 24 O, a resonance at 45(2) keV above the neutron separation energy was observed in 23 O

  9. Oxygen isotopic composition of mammal bones as a new tool for studying ratios of paleoenvironmental water and paleoclimates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Longinelli, A.

    1984-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to try to establish quantitative relationships between the average oxygen isotopic composition of local meteoric water, the oxygen isotopic composition of mammal body water and the oxygen isotopic composition of phosphate in mammal bones. These relationships, after calibration of the method on living specimens, would allow quantitative paleoclimatological research based on the measurement of delta 18 O(PO 4 3- ) of fossil mammal bones

  10. Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotopic Studies of the Marine Nitrogen Cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casciotti, Karen L

    2016-01-01

    The marine nitrogen cycle is a complex web of microbially mediated reactions that control the inventory, distribution, and speciation of nitrogen in the marine environment. Because nitrogen is a major nutrient that is required by all life, its availability can control biological productivity and ecosystem structure in both surface and deep-ocean communities. Stable isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen in nitrate and nitrite have provided new insights into the rates and distributions of marine nitrogen cycle processes, especially when analyzed in combination with numerical simulations of ocean circulation and biogeochemistry. This review highlights the insights gained from dual-isotope studies applied at regional to global scales and their incorporation into oceanic biogeochemical models. These studies represent significant new advances in the use of isotopic measurements to understand the modern nitrogen cycle, with implications for the study of past ocean productivity, oxygenation, and nutrient status.

  11. The Oxygen Isotopic Composition (18O/16O) in the Dust of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Measured by COSIMA On-board Rosetta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paquette, J. A.; Engrand, C.; Hilchenbach, M.; Fray, N.; Stenzel, O. J.; Silen, J.; Rynö, J.; Kissel, J.

    2018-03-01

    The oxygen isotopic ratio 18O/16O has been measured in cometary gas for a wide variety of comets, but the only measurements in cometary dust were performed by the Stardust cometary sample return mission. Most such measurements find a value of the ratio that is consistent with Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) within errors. In this work we present the result of a measurement, using the COSIMA instrument on the Rosetta orbiter, of the oxygen isotopic ratio in dust from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Measuring the 18O/16O ratio with COSIMA is challenging for a number of reasons, but it is possible with a reasonable degree of precision. We find a result of 2.00 × 10-3 ± 1.2 × 10-4 which is consistent within errors with VSMOW.

  12. Measurement of the isotopic composition of galactic cosmic ray carbon, nitrogen and oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiedenbeck, M.E.; Greiner, D.E.; Bieser, F.S.; Crawford, H.J.; Heckman, H.H.; Lindstrom, P.J.

    1979-06-01

    The results of an investigation of the isotopic composition of galactic cosmic ray carbon, nitrogen and oxygen (E approx. 80 to 230 MeV/amu) made using the U.C. Berkeley HKH instrument aboard the ISEE-3 spacecraft are reported. The combination of high mass resolution and a large statistical sample makes possible a precise determination of the relative isotopic abundances for these elements. In local interplanetary space we find: 13 C/C = 0.067 +- 0.008, 15 N/N = 0.54 +- 0.03, 17 O/O 18 O/O = 0.019 +- 0.003

  13. Laser Spectroscopic Analysis of Liquid Water Samples for Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-01-01

    Stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen are tracers of choice for water cycle processes in hydrological, atmospheric and ecological studies. The use of isotopes has been limited to some extent because of the relatively high cost of isotope ratio mass spectrometers and the need for specialized operational skills. Here, the results of performance testing of a recently developed laser spectroscopic instrument for measuring stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of water samples are described, along with a procedure for instrument installation and operation. Over the last four years, the IAEA Water Resources Programme conducted prototype and production model testing of these instruments and this publication is the outcome of those efforts. One of the main missions of the IAEA is to promote the use of peaceful applications of isotope and nuclear methods in Member States and this publication is intended to facilitate the use of laser absorption based instruments for hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope analyses of liquid water samples for hydrological and other studies. The instrument uses off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy to measure absolute abundances of 2 HHO, HH 18 O, and HHO via laser absorption. Test results using a number of natural and synthetic water standards and samples with a large range of isotope values demonstrate adequate precision and accuracy (e.g. precisions of 1 per mille for δ 2 H and 0.2 per mille for δ 18 O). The laser instrument has much lower initial and maintenance costs than mass spectrometers and is substantially easier to operate. Thus, these instruments have the potential to bring about a paradigm shift in isotope applications by enabling researchers in all fields to measure isotope ratios by themselves. The appendix contains a detailed procedure for the installation and operation of the instrument. Using the procedure, new users should be able to install the instrument in less than two hours. It also provides step

  14. Oxygen isotope analysis of plant water without extraction procedure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gan, K.S.; Wong, S.C.; Farquhar, G.D.; Yong, J.W.H.

    2001-01-01

    Isotopic analyses of plant water (mainly xylem, phloem and leaf water) are gaming importance as the isotopic signals reflect plant-environment interactions, affect the oxygen isotopic composition of atmospheric O 2 and CO 2 and are eventually incorporated into plant organic matter. Conventionally, such isotopic measurements require a time-consuming process of isolating the plant water by azeotropic distillation or vacuum extraction, which would not complement the speed of isotope analysis provided by continuous-flow IRMS (Isotope-Ratio Mass Spectrometry), especially when large data sets are needed for statistical calculations in biological studies. Further, a substantial amount of plant material is needed for water extraction and leaf samples would invariably include unenriched water from the fine veins. To measure sub-microlitre amount of leaf mesophyll water, a new approach is undertaken where a small disc of fresh leaf is cut using a specially designed leaf punch, and pyrolysed directly in an IRMS. By comparing with results from pyrolysis of the dry matter of the same leaf, the 18 O content of leaf water can be determined without extraction from fresh leaves. This method is validated using a range of cellulose-water mixtures to simulate the constituents of fresh leaf. Cotton leaf water δ 18 O obtained from both methods of fresh leaf pyrolysis and azeotropic distillation will be compared. The pyrolysis technique provides a robust approach to measure the isotopic content of water or any volatile present in a homogeneous solution or solid hydrous substance

  15. Rate of oxygen isotope exchange between selenate and water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaneko, Masanori; Poulson, Simon R

    2012-04-17

    The rate of oxygen isotope exchange between selenate and water was investigated at conditions of 10 to 80 °C and pH -0.6 to 4.4. Oxygen isotope exchange proceeds as a first-order reaction, and the exchange rate is strongly affected by reaction temperature and pH, with increased rates of isotope exchange at higher temperature and lower pH. Selenate speciation (HSeO(4)(-) vs SeO(4)(2-)) also has a significant effect on the rate of isotope exchange. The half-life for isotope exchange at example natural conditions (25 °C and pH 7) is estimated to be significantly in excess of 10(6) years. The very slow rate of oxygen isotope exchange between selenate and water under most environmental conditions demonstrates that selenate-δ(18)O signatures produced by biogeochemical processes will be preserved and hence that it will be possible to use the value of selenate-δ(18)O to investigate the biogeochemical behavior of selenate, in an analogous fashion to the use of sulfate-δ(18)O to study the biogeochemical behavior of sulfate.

  16. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope fractionation during cellulose metabolism in Lemna gibba L

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yakir, D.; DeNiro, M.J.

    1990-01-01

    Lemna gibba L. B3 was grown under heterotrophic, photoheterotrophic, and autotrophic conditions in water having a variety of hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions. The slopes of the linear regression lines between the isotopic composition of water and leaf cellulose indicated that under the three growth conditions about 40, 70, and 100% of oxygens and carbon-bound hydrogens of cellulose exchanged with those of water prior to cellulose formation. Using the equations of the linear relationships, we estimated the overall fractionation factors between water and the exchanged oxygen and carbon bound-hydrogen of cellulose. At least two very different isotope effects must determine the hydrogen isotopic composition of Lemna cellulose. One reflects the photosynthetic reduction of NADP, while the second reflects exchange reactions that occur subsequent to NADP reduction. Oxygen isotopic composition of cellulose apparently is determined by a single type of exchange reaction with water. Under different growth conditions, variations in metabolic fluxes affect the hydrogen isotopic composition of cellulose by influencing the extent to which the two isotope effects mentioned above are recorded. The oxygen isotopic composition of cellulose is not affected by such changes in growth conditions

  17. Normalization of oxygen and hydrogen isotope data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coplen, T.B.

    1988-01-01

    To resolve confusion due to expression of isotopic data from different laboratories on non-corresponding scales, oxygen isotope analyses of all substances can be expressed relative to VSMOW or VPDB (Vienna Peedee belemnite) on scales normalized such that the ??18O of SLAP is -55.5% relative to VSMOW. H3+ contribution in hydrogen isotope ratio analysis can be easily determined using two gaseous reference samples that differ greatly in deuterium content. ?? 1988.

  18. Stable Oxygen-18 and Deuterium Isotopes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Sascha

    The application of stable Oxygen-18 (18O) and Deuterium (2H) isotopes, as a tracer for fluxes between different compartments of the water cycle was subject of the present PhD-thesis. During a three year period, temporal data from a wide range of water cycle constituents was collected from...... the Skjern River catchment, Denmark. The presented applications focused on studying the isotopic 'input signal' to the hydrosphere in the form of precipitation, the isotopic 'output signal' with its related dynamic processes at a coastal saltwater-freshwater interface (groundwater isotopes) and the temporal...... development within a given lowland headwater catchment (stream water isotopes). Based on our investigations on the precipitation isotopic composition a local meteoric water line (LMWL) was constructed and expressed as: δ2H=7.4 δ18O + 5.36‰. Moreover, we showed that under maritime temperature climate influence...

  19. Intracrystalline oxygen isotope effects in CuSO4.5H2O and their dependence on crystallization temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinzinger, K.

    1976-01-01

    In copper sulphate pentahydrate the water molecules occupy three different sites, connected with different oxygen isotope ratios. Results of measurements of the change of these isotope ratios with crystallization temperature are reported. The temperature dependence found here provides the basis for the determination of crystallization temperatures of hydrated crystals from such intracrystalline oxygen isotope fractionation. Suppositions necessary for the application of this method are discussed. (author)

  20. No oxygen isotope exchange between water and APS-sulfate at surface temperature: Evidence from quantum chemical modeling and triple-oxygen isotope experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohl, Issaku E.; Asatryan, Rubik; Bao, Huiming

    2012-10-01

    In both laboratory experiments and natural environments where microbial dissimilatory sulfate reduction (MDSR) occurs in a closed system, the δ34S ((34S/32S)sample/(34S/32S)standard - 1) for dissolved SO42- has been found to follow a typical Rayleigh-Distillation path. In contrast, the corresponding δ18O ((18O/16O)sample/(18O/16O)standard) - 1) is seen to plateau with an apparent enrichment of between 23‰ and 29‰ relative to that of ambient water under surface conditions. This apparent steady-state in the observed difference between δ18O and δ18OO can be attributed to any of these three steps: (1) the formation of adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (APS) from ATP and SO42-, (2) oxygen exchange between sulfite (or other downstream sulfoxy-anions) and water later in the MDSR reaction chain and its back reaction to APS and sulfate, and (3) the re-oxidation of produced H2S or precursor sulfoxy-anions to sulfate in environments containing Fe(III) or O2. This study examines the first step as a potential pathway for water oxygen incorporation into sulfate. We examined the structures and process of APS formation using B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) hybrid density functional theory, implemented in the Gaussian-03 program suite, to predict the potential for oxygen exchange. We conducted a set of in vitro, enzyme-catalyzed, APS formation experiments (with no further reduction to sulfite) to determine the degree of oxygen isotope exchange between the APS-sulfate and water. Triple-oxygen-isotope labeled water was used in the reactor solutions to monitor oxygen isotope exchange between water and APS sulfate. The formation and hydrolysis of APS were identified as potential steps for oxygen exchange with water to occur. Quantum chemical modeling indicates that the combination of sulfate with ATP has effects on bond strength and symmetry of the sulfate. However, these small effects impart little influence on the integrity of the SO42- tetrahedron due to the high activation energy required for

  1. Growth history of cultured pearl oysters based on stable oxygen isotope analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakashima, R.; Furuta, N.; Suzuki, A.; Kawahata, H.; Shikazono, N.

    2007-12-01

    We investigated the oxygen isotopic ratio in shells of the pearl oyster Pinctada martensii cultivated in embayments in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, to evaluate the biomineralization of shell structures of the species and its pearls in response to environmental change. Microsamples for oxygen isotope analysis were collected from the surfaces of shells (outer, middle, and inner shell layers) and pearls. Water temperature variations were estimated from the oxygen isotope values of the carbonate. Oxygen isotope profiles of the prismatic calcite of the outer shell layer reflected seasonal variations of water temperature, whereas those of nacreous aragonites of the middle and inner shell layers and pearls recorded temperatures from April to November, June to September, and July to September, respectively. Lower temperatures in autumn and winter might slow the growth of nacreous aragonites. The oxygen isotope values are controlled by both variations of water temperature and shell structures; the prismatic calcite of this species is useful for reconstructing seasonal changes of calcification temperature.

  2. Measurements of the isotopic composition of galactic cosmic rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrstroem, N.Y.

    1985-01-01

    The galactic cosmic-ray boron and carbon isotopic composition has been measured. The boron measurement is the first ever made in nuclear emulsion. The carbon measurement has substantially improved the statistical assuracy in the determination of the 13 C abundance as compared to an earlier measurement using the same technique. Mass-spectra of cosmic-ray carbon and oxygen in different zenith angle intervals have been compared with calculated spectra. The method makes it possible to study experimentally the atmospheric influence on the primary cosmic-ray isotopic composition. Photometric measurements on fragments from oxygen-induced interactions in nuclear emulsion have been made. Accurate charge assignments have been made on all heavy fragments which has made it possible to study the interaction exclusively event-by-event. Measurements on the isotopic composition of primary cosmic-ray neom have been made. The data are from the Danish-French instrument on the HEAO-3 satellite. The rigidity dependent filtering of the cosmic rays by the Earth's magnetic field has been used. The energy dependence of the 22 Ne/ 20 Ne-ratio and its astrophysical implications are discussed. (Author)

  3. Nitrogen and oxygen isotopic constraints on the origin of atmospheric nitrate in coastal Antarctica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Savarino

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Throughout the year 2001, aerosol samples were collected continuously for 10 to 15 days at the French Antarctic Station Dumont d'Urville (DDU (66°40' S, l40°0' E, 40 m above mean sea level. The nitrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios of particulate nitrate at DDU exhibit seasonal variations that are among the most extreme observed for nitrate on Earth. In association with concentration measurements, the isotope ratios delineate four distinct periods, broadly consistent with previous studies on Antarctic coastal areas. During austral autumn and early winter (March to mid-July, nitrate concentrations attain a minimum between 10 and 30 ng m−3 (referred to as Period 2. Two local maxima in August (55 ng m−3 and November/December (165 ng m−3 are used to assign Period 3 (mid-July to September and Period 4 (October to December. Period 1 (January to March is a transition period between the maximum concentration of Period 4 and the background concentration of Period 2. These seasonal changes are reflected in changes of the nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios. During Period 2, which is characterized by background concentrations, the isotope ratios are in the range of previous measurements at mid-latitudes: δ18Ovsmow=(77.2±8.6‰; Δ17O=(29.8±4.4‰; δ15Nair=(−4.4±5.4‰ (mean ± one standard deviation. Period 3 is accompanied by a significant increase of the oxygen isotope ratios and a small increase of the nitrogen isotope ratio to δ18Ovsmow=(98.8±13.9‰; Δ17O=(38.8±4.7‰ and δ15Nair=(4.3±8.20‰. Period 4 is characterized by a minimum 15N/14N ratio, only matched by one prior study of Antarctic aerosols, and oxygen isotope ratios similar to Period 2: δ18Ovsmow=(77.2±7.7‰; Δ17O=(31.1±3.2‰; δ15Nair=(−32.7±8.4‰. Finally, during Period 1, isotope ratios reach minimum values for oxygen and intermediate values for nitrogen: δ18Ovsmow=63.2±2.5‰; Δ17O=24.0±1.1‰; δ15Nair=−17.9±4.0‰. Based on the measured

  4. Oxygen isotopic fractionation of O₂ during adsorption and desorption processes using molecular sieve at low temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Insu; Kusakabe, Minoru; Lee, Jong Ik

    2014-06-15

    Cryogenic trapping using molecular sieves is commonly used to collect O2 extracted from silicates for (17)O/(16)O and (18)O/(16)O analyses. However, gases which interfere with (17)O/(16)O analysis, notably NF3, are also trapped and their removal is essential for accurate direct measurement of the (17)O/(16)O ratio. It is also necessary to identify and quantify any isotopic fractionation associated with the use of cryogenic trapping using molecular sieves. The oxygen isotopic compositions of O2 before and after desorption from, and adsorption onto, 13X and 5A molecular sieves (MS13X and MS5A) at 0°C, -78°C, -114°C, and -130°C were measured in order to determine the oxygen isotopic fractionation at these temperatures. We also investigated whether isotopic fractionation occurred when O2 gas was transferred sequentially into a second cold finger, also containing molecular sieve. It was confirmed that significant oxygen isotopic fractionation occurs between the gaseous O2 and that adsorbed onto molecular sieve, if desorption and adsorption are incomplete. As the fraction of released or untrapped O2 becomes smaller with decreasing trapping temperature (from 0 to -130°C), the isotopic fractionation becomes larger. Approximately half of the total adsorbed O2 is released from the molecular sieve during desorption at -114°C, which is the temperature recommended for separation from NF3 (retained on the molecular sieve), and this will interfere with (17)O/(16)O measurements. The use of a single cold finger should be avoided, because partial desorption is accompanied by oxygen isotopic fractionation, thereby resulting in inaccurate isotopic data. The use of a dual cold finger arrangement is recommended because, as we have confirmed, the transfer of O2 from the first trap to the second is almost 100%. However, even under these conditions, a small isotopic fractionation (0.18 ± 0.05‰ in δ(17)O values and 0.26 ± 0.06‰ in δ(18)O values) occurred, with O2 in

  5. How the oxygen isotope ratio of rain water influences the isotope ratio of chicken eggshell carbonate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Gregory; Grimes, Stephen

    2015-04-01

    The stable oxygen isotope ratio of chicken eggshell carbonate was analysed from chicken eggs laid under free range, and organic farming regimes from across the UK. The eggshell carbonate oxygen isotope data shows a clear depletion in delta18O distribution from the southwest to the northeast. Although consistently offset by around 1 permil, the same isotopic distribution as that seen in eggshell carbonate is observed in the delta18O ratio of rainfall and groundwater from across the UK. This distribution is related to the Rayleigh distillation of rainfall driven by westerly winds across the UK landmass. The clear relationship observed between eggshell delta18O values and that of rainwater presumably reflects the nature of free range chickens which must be drinking locally derived rainwater and supplementing their diet and water intake with locally derived food. These results suggest that the oxygen isotope value of chicken eggshells can be used as a forensic tool to identify the locality that free range and organic eggs were laid within the UK. Furthermore, if suitable material is preserved in the archaeological and geological record then such a relationship can potentially be used to establish the oxygen isotope value of rainwater from which ancient and / or ancestral birds lived.

  6. Simultaneous Measurement of Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotopes of Nitrate to Evaluate Nitrate Sources and Processes in Catchments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohte, Nobuhito [Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Nagata, Toshi; Tayasu, Ichiro [Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Ohtsu (Japan); Kyozu, Ayato; Yoshimizu, Chikage [CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Ohtsu (Japan); Osaka, Ken' ichi [Carbon and Nutrient Cycles Division, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, (Japan)

    2013-05-15

    We review studies on applied isotope analytical techniques for identifying sources and transformations of river nitrate (NO{sub 3}{sup -}) to examine the influences of water pollution, excess nutrient (nitrogen) loads and ecosystem disturbances in river systems. We also discuss the current status and future perspectives of the application of NO{sub 3}{sup -} isotope measurements to the assessment of river nutrients. Our review shows that in recent years simultaneous measurements of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes ({delta}{sup 15}N and {delta}{sup 18}O) of NO{sub 3}{sup -} have been increasingly used to identify the sources and pathways of nitrogen in river systems. The {delta}{sup 15}N value of NO{sub 3}{sup -} is a useful indicator to evaluate the contributions of sewage and/or animal waste to NO{sub 3}{sup -} load, and the {delta}{sup 18}O value can be used for estimation of the contribution of NO{sub 3}{sup -} derived through atmospheric deposition. The microbial denitrification method is currently a most useful tool to measure the {delta}{sup 15}N and {delta}{sup 18}O values of NO{sub 3}{sup -} simultaneously, because of its capability for high throughput of samples. This method allows us to conduct a comprehensive investigation of spatial and temporal variations and mechanisms of nitrogen transport and transformation in rivers and catchments in more precise and effective manner. (author)

  7. LBA-ECO CD-02 Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen Stable Isotopes in Organic Material, Brazil

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set reports the measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope ratios in organic material (plant, litter and soil samples) in forest canopy...

  8. LBA-ECO CD-02 Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen Stable Isotopes in Organic Material, Brazil

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: This data set reports the measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope ratios in organic material (plant, litter and soil samples) in forest...

  9. Oxygen isotope variations in phosphate of biogenic apatites. Pt.1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolodny, Y.; Luz, B.; Navon, O.

    1983-01-01

    The major advantage of the oxygen in phosphate isotope paleothermometry is that it is a system which records temperatures with great sensitivity while bone (and teeth) building organisms are alive, and the record is nearly perfectly preserved after death. Fish from seven water bodies of different temperatures (3-23 0 C) and different delta 18 O (values - 16 to + 3) of the water were analysed. The delta 18 O values of the analysed PO 4 vary from 6 to 25. The system passed the following tests: (a) the temperature deduced from isotopic analyses of the sequence of fish from Lake Baikal are in good agreement with the temperatures measured in the thermally stratified lake; (b) the isotopic composition of fish bone phosphate is not influenced by the isotopic composition of the phosphate which is fed to the fish, but only by temperature and water composition. Isotopic analysis of fossil fish in combination with analysis of mammal bones should be a useful tool in deciphering continental paleoclimates. (orig.)

  10. 99 Tc NMR determination of the oxygen isotope content in 18 O-enriched water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarasov, Valerii P; Kirakosyan, Gayana А; German, Konstantin E

    2018-03-01

    99 Tc NMR has been suggested as an original method of evaluating the content of oxygen isotopes in oxygen-18-enriched water, a precursor for the production of radioisotope fluorine-18 used in positron emission tomography. To this end, solutions of NH 4 TcO 4 or NaTcO 4 (up to 0.28 mol/L) with natural abundance of oxygen isotopes in virgin or recycled 18 O-enriched water have been studied by 99 Tc NMR. The method is based on 16 O/ 17 O/ 18 O intrinsic isotope effects in the 99 Tc NMR chemical shifts, and the statistical distribution of oxygen isotopes in the coordination sphere of TcO 4 - and makes it possible to quantify the composition of enriched water by measuring the relative intensities of the 99 Tc NMR signals of the Tc 16 O 4-n 18 O n - isotopologues. Because the oxygen exchange between TcO 4 - and enriched water in neutral and alkaline solutions is characterized by slow kinetics, gaseous HCl was bubbled through a solution for a few seconds to achieve the equilibrium distribution of oxygen isotopes in the Tc coordination sphere without distortion of the oxygen composition of the water. Pertechnetate ion was selected as a probe due to its high stability in solutions and the significant 99 Tc NMR shift induced by a single 16 O→ 18 O substitution (-0.43 ± 0.01 ppm) in TcO 4 - and spin coupling constant 1 J( 99 Tc- 17 O) (131.46 Hz) favourable for the observation of individual signals of Tc 16 O 4-n 18 O n - isotopologues. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Do oxygen isotope values in collagen reflect the ecology and physiology of neotropical mammals?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brooke eCrowley

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Stable isotope data provide insight into the foraging ecology of animals. Traditionally, carbon and nitrogen isotope values have been used to infer dietary and habitat preferences. Oxygen isotopes are used less frequently but may complement the ecological information provided by carbon and nitrogen, particularly in densely forested or arid environments. Additionally, because oxygen is preserved in both bioapatite and collagen, it is useful for paleoecological studies. To investigate the suitability of oxygen isotopes for complementing and building on ecological applications of carbon and nitrogen isotopes, we analyze all three isotopes in bone collagen for nearly identical assemblages of Costa Rican mammals in two ecologically distinct habitats - a evergreen rainforest and a seasonal dry forest. We assess the degree to which differences in habitat, activity pattern, diet, arboreality, and thermoregulation are revealed by each of the isotope systems. Our results highlight the potential of oxygen isotopes in modern and paleoecological contexts. In addition to reflecting habitat type, oxygen isotope values in collagen distinguish species on the basis of vertical habitat stratification and drinking behavior. Within a locality, individuals with low oxygen isotope values likely track meteoric water, whereas those with elevated values most likely consume evaporatively-enriched plant tissues, such as canopy leaves. These patterns will be useful in reconstructing paleoenvironments and interpreting ecological differences among taxa both extant and extinct.

  12. The effect of phosphomonoesterases on the oxygen isotope composition of phosphate

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Sperber, Christian; Kries, Hajo; Tamburini, Federica; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; Frossard, Emmanuel

    2014-01-01

    Plants and microorganisms under phosphorus (P) stress release extracellular phosphatases as a strategy to acquire inorganic phosphate (Pi). These enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphoesters leading to a release of Pi. During the enzymatic hydrolysis an isotopic fractionation (ε) occurs leaving an imprint on the oxygen isotope composition of the released Pi which might be used to trace phosphorus in the environment. Therefore, enzymatic assays with acid phosphatases from wheat germ and potato tuber and alkaline phosphatase from Escherichia coli were prepared in order to determine the oxygen isotope fractionation caused by these enzymes. Adenosine 5‧ monophosphate and glycerol phosphate were used as substrates. The oxygen isotope fractionation caused by acid phosphatases is 20-30‰ smaller than for alkaline phosphatases, resulting in a difference of 5-7.5‰ in δ18O of Pi depending on the enzyme. We attribute the enzyme dependence of the isotopic fractionation to distinct reaction mechanisms of the two types of phosphatases. The observed difference is large enough to distinguish between the two enzymatic processes in environmental samples. These findings show that the oxygen isotope composition of Pi can be used to trace different enzymatic processes, offering an analytical tool that might contribute to a better understanding of the P-cycle in the environment.

  13. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope exchange reactions over illuminated and nonilluminated TiO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, S.

    1987-01-01

    Hydrogen isotope exchange between H 2 , gaseous H 2 O, and the surface hydroxyls of TiO 2 , and oxygen isotope exchange between O 2 , CO 2 , CO, H 2 O vapor, and the hydroxyls over TiO 3 were studied at room temperature in the dark and under illumination. Hydrogen isotope exchange between H 2 O and the hydroxyls occurred rapidly in the dark, but the exchange involving H 2 did not occur at all even under illumination. Oxygen isotope exchange among H 2 O vapor, CO 2 , and the hydroxyls easily took place in the dark, but the exchange involving O 2 required band-gap illumination. Dioxygen isotope equilibration was much faster than the other photoexchange reactions. Although the oxygen exchange between O 2 and illuminated TiO 2 has been considered to involve lattice-oxygen exchange, the present experiments revealed that the hydroxyls of TiO 2 mainly participate in the exchange reaction. The oxygen exchange between O 2 and H 2 O vapor was strongly inhibited by H 2 O vapor itself probably because oxygen adsorption was retarded by adsorbed water. Oxygen in CO was not exchanged with the other substrates under any conditions tested

  14. Oxygen isotope fractionation in uranium oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Yongfei

    1995-01-01

    Thermodynamic oxygen isotope factors for uranium oxides have been calculated by means of the modified increment method. The sequence of 18 O-enrichment in the uranium oxides with respect to the common rock-forming minerals is predicted as follows: spinel 3 < illite. Two sets of self-consistent fractionation factors between the uranium oxides and water and between the uranium oxides and the other minerals have been obtained for 0∼1200 degree C. The theoretical results are applicable to the isotopic geothermometry of uranium ores when pairing with other gangue minerals in hydrothermal uranium deposits

  15. Bulk Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Ultracarbonaceous Antarctic Micrometeorites with the NanoSIMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakazu, Y.; Engrand, C.; Duprat, J.; Briani, G.; Bardin, N.; Mostefaoui, S.; Duhamel, R.; Remusat, L.

    2014-09-01

    We analyzed the carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of two UCAMMs with the NanoSIMS in order to understand the origin and formation of UCAMMs. One UCAMM has 16O-rich composition and a highly heterogeneous oxygen isotopic distribution.

  16. Validation of chlorine and oxygen isotope ratio analysis to differentiate perchlorate sources and to document perchlorate biodegradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul B. Hatzinger,; Böhlke, John Karl; Sturchio, Neil C.; Gu, Baohua

    2013-01-01

    Increased health concerns about perchlorate (ClO4-) during the past decade and subsequent regulatory considerations have generated appreciable interest in source identification. The key objective of the isotopic techniques described in this guidance manual is to provide evidence concerning the origin of ClO4- in soils and groundwater and, more specifically, whether that ClO4- is synthetic or natural. Chlorine and oxygen isotopic analyses of ClO4- provide the primary direct approach whereby different sources of ClO4- can be distinguished from each other. These techniques measure the relative abundances of the stable isotopes of chlorine (37Cl and 35Cl) and oxygen (18O, 17O, and 16O) in ClO4- using isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). In addition, the relative abundance of the radioactive chlorine isotope 36Cl is measured using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Taken together, these measurements provide four independent quantities that can be used to distinguish natural and synthetic ClO4- sources, to discriminate different types of natural ClO4-, and to detect ClO4- biodegradation in the environment. Other isotopic, chemical, and geochemical techniques that can be applied in conjunction with isotopic analyses of ClO4- to provide supporting data in forensic studies are also described.

  17. Sources and Contributions of Oxygen During Microbial Pyrite Oxidation: the Triple Oxygen Isotopes of Sulfate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, K.; Coleman, M. L.; Mielke, R. E.; Young, E. D.

    2008-12-01

    The triple isotopes of oxygen (Δ17O' = δ17O'-0.528 × δ18O' using logarithmic deltas) can trace the oxygen sources of sulfate produced during sulfide oxidation, an important biogeochemical process on Earth's surface and possibly also on Mars [1]. δ18OSO4 compositions are determined by the isotopic selectivity of the mechanism(s) responsible for their changes, and the δ18O value of the reactants (O2 vs. H2O). The relative proportional importance and contribution of each of those sources and mechanisms, as well as their associated isotopic fractionations, are not well understood. We are investigating the use of Δ 17O as a quantitative and qualitative tracer for the different processes and oxygen sources involved in sulfate production. Δ17O signatures are distinct fingerprints of these reservoirs, independent of fractionation factors that can be ambiguous. We conducted controlled abiotic and biotic (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, A.f.) laboratory experiments in which water was spiked with 18O, allowing us to quantify the sources of sulfate oxygen and therefore the processes attending sulfate formation. Results of this Δ17O tracer study show that A.f. microbes initiate pyrite S-oxidation within hours of exposure, and that sulfate is produced from ~90% atmospheric oxygen. This initial lag-phase (behavior in the initial lag-phase will aid in the understanding of the ecological conditions required for microbial populations to establish and survive. An exponential phase of growth, facilitated by microbial Fe2+-oxidation, follows. The source of sulfate rapidly switches to abiotic sulfide oxidation during exponential growth and the source of oxygen switches from atmospheric O2 to nearly ~100% water. Pending acquisition of complimentary chemistry data (in progress), we interpret our isotope data to indicate that the biotic fractionation factor ɛ18OSO4-O2 of at least ~ -25 to - 35‰ is augmented by microbially induced kinetic fractionation; it is larger than

  18. Evaluation of the performance of high temperature conversion reactors for compound-specific oxygen stable isotope analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hitzfeld, Kristina L; Gehre, Matthias; Richnow, Hans-Hermann

    2017-05-01

    In this study conversion conditions for oxygen gas chromatography high temperature conversion (HTC) isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) are characterised using qualitative mass spectrometry (IonTrap). It is shown that physical and chemical properties of a given reactor design impact HTC and thus the ability to accurately measure oxygen isotope ratios. Commercially available and custom-built tube-in-tube reactors were used to elucidate (i) by-product formation (carbon dioxide, water, small organic molecules), (ii) 2nd sources of oxygen (leakage, metal oxides, ceramic material), and (iii) required reactor conditions (conditioning, reduction, stability). The suitability of the available HTC approach for compound-specific isotope analysis of oxygen in volatile organic molecules like methyl tert-butyl ether is assessed. Main problems impeding accurate analysis are non-quantitative HTC and significant carbon dioxide by-product formation. An evaluation strategy combining mass spectrometric analysis of HTC products and IRMS 18 O/ 16 O monitoring for future method development is proposed.

  19. Heterogenous Oxygen Isotopic Composition of a Complex Wark-Lovering Rim and the Margin of a Refractory Inclusion from Leoville

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, J. I.; Matzel, J. E. P.; Simon, S. B.; Weber, P. K.; Grossman, L.; Ross, D. K.; Hutcheon, I. D.

    2014-01-01

    Wark-Lovering (WL) rims [1] surrounding many refractory inclusions represent marker events in the early evolution of the Solar System in which many inclusions were exposed to changes in pressure [2], temperature [3], and isotopic reservoirs [4-7]. The effects of these events can be complex, not only producing mineralogical variability of WL rims [2], but also leading to mineralogical [8-10] and isotopic [7, 11, 12] changes within inclusion interiors. Extreme oxygen isotopic heterogeneity measured in CAIs has been explained by mixing between distinct oxygen gas reservoirs in the nebula [13]. Some WL rims contain relatively simple mineral layering and/or are isotopically homogeneous [14, 15]. As part of a larger effort to document and understand the modifications observed in some CAIs, an inclusion (L6) with a complex WL rim from Leoville, a member of the reduced CV3 subgroup was studied. Initial study of the textures and mineral chemistry was presented by [16]. Here we present NanoSIMS oxygen isotopic measurements to complement these petrologic observations.

  20. Oxygen isotope exchange on palladium catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kravchuk, L.S.; Beschetvertnaya, T.I.; Novorodskij, V.G.; Novikova, M.G.; Zaretskij, M.V.; Valieva, S.V.

    1983-01-01

    Oxygen heteromolecular isotope exchange on unreduced palladium catalysts, distingushing by metal content is studied. Content of 18 O in gaseous phase is eoual to 46%. Calculations of heteroexchange rates are conducted with decrease of the 18 O in the gaseous phase over solid sample. Method of oxygen thermodesorption has been used to establish that palladium, deposited on γ-Al 2 O 3 during exchange process is in oxidized state; in this case strength of Pd-O bond is determined by content dispersity) of the metal. It is shown that significant increase of exchange rate on the samples with Pd >> 0.5 mass.% content can be induced as by side decomposition reaction of its oxide and corresponding dilution of gaseous mixture by ''light'' oxygen so by possibility of exchange with oxygen of PdO phase

  1. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of geothermal waters in the southern hachimantai area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsubaya, Osamu; Etchu, Hiroshi; Takenaka, Teruo; Yoshida, Yutaka.

    1985-01-01

    Geothermal waters from the Matsukawa and Kakkonda Geothermal Plants, wells at Amihari-Motoyu, and Nyuto and Tazawako areas were isotopically studied. The geothermal waters from Mutsukawa, Kakkonda and Amihari-Motoyu have hydrogen isotope ratios similar to the local meteoric waters, while have higher oxygen isotope ratios than the local meteoric waters. This relationship of hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios, that is called ''oxygen shift'', means that these geothermal waters are meteoric waters undergone the oxygen isotope exchange with rocks at high temperature of underground. The exygen shifts are 2 -- 3 per mil in Matsukawa and Kakkonda, and 7 per mil in Amihari-Motoyu. This difference may be important to understand the processe of water-rock interaction in this area. The geothermal waters at Nyuto and Tazawako areas also show 2 -- 3 per mil oxygen shift. The steam from the Tazawako-cho well and the hot spring water form the Tsurunoyu are estimated to be vapor and liquid phases separated form a single geothermal water of NaCl type, though the hot water from the Tsurunoyu is diluted with shallow meteoric water. (author)

  2. USGS42 and USGS43: Human-hair stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials and analytical methods for forensic science and implications for published measurement results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coplen, T.B.; Qi, H.

    2012-01-01

    Because there are no internationally distributed stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials of human hair, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has prepared two such materials, USGS42 and USGS43. These reference materials span values commonly encountered in human hair stable isotope analysis and are isotopically homogeneous at sample sizes larger than 0.2 mg. USGS42 and USGS43 human-hair isotopic reference materials are intended for calibration of δ(2)H and δ(18)O measurements of unknown human hair by quantifying (1) drift with time, (2) mass-dependent isotopic fractionation, and (3) isotope-ratio-scale contraction. While they are intended for measurements of the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, they also are suitable for measurements of the stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human and mammalian hair. Preliminary isotopic compositions of the non-exchangeable fractions of these materials are USGS42(Tibetan hair)δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) = -78.5 ± 2.3‰ (n = 62) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) = +8.56 ± 0.10‰ (n = 18) USGS42(Indian hair)δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) = -50.3 ± 2.8‰ (n = 64) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) = +14.11 ± 0.10‰ (n = 18). Using recommended analytical protocols presented herein for δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) measurements, the least squares fit regression of 11 human hair reference materials is δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) = 6.085δ(2)O(VSMOW-SLAP) - 136.0‰ with an R-square value of 0.95. The δ(2)H difference between the calibrated results of human hair in this investigation and a commonly accepted human-hair relationship is a remarkable 34‰. It is critical that readers pay attention to the δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) of isotopic reference materials in publications, and they need to adjust the δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) measurement results of human hair in previous publications, as needed, to ensure all results on are on the same scales.

  3. Oxygen isotope separation by isotopically selective infrared multiphoton dissociation of 2,3-dihydropyran

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, Atsushi; Ohba, Hironori; Akagi, Hiroshi; Yokoyama, Keiichi; Saeki, Morihisa; Katsumata, Keiichi

    2008-01-01

    Oxygen isotopic selectivity on infrared multiphoton dissociation of 2,3-dihydropyran has been studied by the examination of the effects of excitation frequency, laser fluence, and gas pressure on the dissociation probability of 2,3-dihydropyran and isotopic composition of products. Oxygen-18 was enriched in a dissociation product: 2-propenal. The enrichment factor of 18 O and the dissociation probability were measured at laser frequency between 1033.5 and 1057.3 cm -1 ; the laser fluence of 2.2 - 2.3 J/cm 2 ; and the 2,3-dihydropyran pressure of 0.27 kPa. The dissociation probability decreases as the laser frequency being detuned from the absorption peak of 2,3-dihydropyran around 1081 cm -1 . On the other hand, the enrichment factor increases with detuning the frequency. The enrichment factor of 18 O increases with increasing the 2,3-dihydropyran pressure at the laser fluence below 3 J/cm 2 and the laser frequency of 1033.5 cm -1 , whereas the yield of 2-propenal decreases with increasing the pressure. Very high enrichment factor of 751 was obtained by the irradiation of 0.53 kPa of 2,3-dihydropyran at 2.1 J/cm 2 . (author)

  4. Analytical techniques for determination of framework oxygen isotope ratio of wairakite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noto, Masami; Kusakabe, Minoru; Uchida, Tetsuo.

    1990-01-01

    Dehydration techniques were developed for the analysis of isotopic ratios of framework oxygen of wairakite, one of calcium zeolites often encountered in geothermal systems. Channel water in wairakite were separated from aluminosilicate framework by dehydration in vacuum at 300 deg, 400 deg, 450 deg, 500 deg, 550 deg, 650 deg, 750 deg, 850 deg, and 950 degC, and by stepwise heating at temperatures from 300 deg to 700 degC. The oxygen isotopic analyses of the separated channel water and the residual aluminosilicate framework of wairakite indicated that dehydration at temperatures higher than 400 degC is accompanied by isotopic exchang between the framework oxygen and dehydrating water vapor. The isotopic exchange during the high temperature dehydration makes the δ 18 O of framework oxygen lower and that of channel water higher than those obtained by dehydration at 300 degC. These results are consistent with dehydration behavior of wairakite under vacuum that the maximum rate of dehydration of channel water is attained at about 400 degC. Consequently it is recommended to dehydrate wairakite at a temperature as low as possible in order to avoid the effect of the isotopic exchange. Time required to attain complete dehydration becomes longer with lowering the temperature of dehydration. To compromise these conflicting effects, the optimum conditions of dehydration have been found that most of the channel water is dehydrated at 300 degC for 24 hours, followed by stepwise heating for additional 17 hours up to 700 degC. We obtained a better than ± 0.1 reproducibility for the framework oxygen isotopic determinations with this technique. (author)

  5. The use of electrolysis for accurate delta O-17 and delta O-18 isotope measurements in water

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer, HAJ; Li, WJ

    1998-01-01

    We present a new system to measure the relative isotopic abundances of both rare isotopes of oxygen in water. Using electrolysis with CuSO4 as electrolyte, water is transformed into oxygen gas. This gas is subsequently analyzed with a standard Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer. We investigated the

  6. Isotopic exchange between CO2 and H2O and labelling kinetics of photosynthetic oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerster, Richard

    1971-01-01

    The reaction of carbon dioxide with water has been studied by measuring the rate of oxygen exchange between C 18 O 2 and H 2 16 O. The mathematical treatment of the kinetics allows to determine with accuracy the diffusion flow between the gas and the liquid phase, in the same way as the CO 2 hydration rate. The velocity constant of this last process, whose value gives the in situ enzymatic activity of carbonic anhydrase, has been established in the case of chloroplast and Euglena suspensions and of aerial leaves. The study of the isotopic exchange between C 18 O 2 and a vegetable submitted to alternations of dark and light has allowed to calculate the isotopic abundance of the metabolized CO 2 whose value has been compared to that of the intracellular water and that of photosynthetic oxygen. In addition, a new method using 13 C 18 O 2 gives the means to measure with accuracy eventual isotopic effects. The labelling kinetics of the oxygen evolved by Euglena suspensions whose water has been enriched with 18 O have been established at different temperatures. (author) [fr

  7. Oxygen isotope exchange rate between dissolved sulfate and water at hydrothermal temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiba, H.; Sakai, H.

    1985-01-01

    Oxygen isotope exchange rate between dissolved sulfate and water was experimentally determined at 100, 200 and 300 deg C. The isotope exchange rate is strongly dependent on temperature and pH of the solution. Combining the temperature and pH dependence of the reaction rate, the exchange reaction was estimated to be first-order with respect to sulfate. The logarithm of apparent rate constant of exchange reaction at a given temperature is a function of the pH calculated at the experimental temperatures. From the pH dependence of the apparent rate constant, it was deduced that the isotope exchange reaction between dissolved sulfate and water proceeds through collision between H 2 SO 4 0 and H 2 O at low pH, and between HSO 4 - and H 2 O at intermediate pH. The isotope exchange rate obtained indicates that oxygen isotope geothermometry utilizing the studied isotope exchange is suitable for temperature estimation of geothermal reservoirs. The extrapolated half-life of this reaction to oceanic temperature is about 10 9 years, implying that exchange between oceanic sulfate and water cannot control the oxygen isotope ratio of oceanic sulfates. (author)

  8. The Effect of Phytase on the Oxygen Isotope Composition of Phosphate

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Sperber, C.; Tamburini, F.; Bernasconi, S. M.; Frossard, E.

    2013-12-01

    Plants and microorganisms under phosphorus (P) stress release extracellular phosphatases as a strategy to acquire inorganic phosphate (Pi) (1-2). These enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphoesters leading to a release of Pi. The enzymatic hydrolysis leads, via a nucleophilic attack, to the incorporation of one oxygen atom from the water into the newly formed Pi molecule. During the incorporation, an isotopic fractionation occurs, which might be used to identify the origin of Pi in the environment (3-6). While the effect of phosphomonoesterases and phosphodiesterases on the oxygen isotope composition of phosphate has been examined, there are, so far, no studies dealing with the effect of phytases (4-6). Phytases catalyze the hydrolysis of myo-inositol-hexakis-phosphate (IP6), which is an important component of organic P in many ecosystems (7). Enzymatic assays with phytase from wheat germ and Aspergillus niger were prepared under sterile and temperature controlled conditions in order to determine the effect of phytases on the oxygen isotope composition of phosphate, which has been liberated from IP6 via enzymatic hydrolysis. Assays with phytase from wheat germ lead to a turnover of the substrate close to 100%, while assays with phytase from Aspergillus niger lead to a turnover of the substrate close to 80%. In the case of the assays with phytase from wheat germ, our results indicate that one sixth of the total 24 oxygen which are associated to the phosphates in IP6 are exchanged with oxygen from water. From this we conclude that the incorporation of one oxygen atom from water occurs only at four phosphate molecules of IP6, while two phosphate molecules do not experience an incorporation of oxygen. This suggests that during the enzymatic hydrolysis, four P-O bonds and two C-O bonds are broken. Provided that, the isotopic fractionation can be calculated with an isotopic mass balance resulting in -8.4‰ (×3.6 SD). This is a value very similar to those reported

  9. Oxygen isotope ratios of the Icelandic crust

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hattori, K.; Muehlenbachs, K.

    1982-01-01

    Oxygen isotope ratios of hydrothermally altered basalts from depth of up to approx.3 km are reported from three localities in Iceland: International Research Drilling Project (IRDP) core at Reydarfjordur, eastern Iceland (Tertiary age); drill cuttings from Reykjavik (Plio-Pleistocene age); and Halocene drill cuttings from the active Krafla central volcano. Whole rock samples from these three localities have delta 18 O values averaging +3.9 +- 1.3, +2.4 +- 1.1, and -7.7 +- 2.4%, respectively. The observed values in the deeper samples from Krafla are as low as the values for any rocks previously reported. There seems to be a slight negative gradient in delta 18 O with depth at the former two localities and a more pronounced one at Krafla. Oxygen isotope fractionations between epidote and quartz and those between calcite and fluid suggests that the basalts were altered at temperatures of 300 0 --400 0 C. Low deltaD and delta 18 O of epidote and low delta 34 S of anhydrite indicate that the altering fluids in all three areas originated as meteoric waters and have undergone varied 'oxygen shifts'. Differences in the 18 O shift of the fluids are attributed to differences in hydrothermal systems; low water/rock ratios ( 5) at Krafla. The convective hydrothermal activity, which is probably driven by silicic magma beneath the central volcanoes, has caused strong subsolidus depletion of 18 O in the rocks. The primary-magnetic delta 18 O value of the rocks in the Tertiary IRDP core was about +3.9%, which is lower than that obtained for fresh basalt from other places. Such exceptionally low delta 18 O magmas are common in Iceland and may occur as the result of oxygen isotope exchange with or assimilation of altered rocks that form a thick sequence beneath the island due to isostatic subsidence

  10. A Plant-Based Proxy for the Oxygen Isotope Ratio of Atmospheric Water Vapor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helliker, B.

    2007-12-01

    Atmospheric water vapor is a major component of the global hydrological cycle, but the isotopic balance of vapor is largely unknown. It is shown here that the oxygen isotope ratio of leaf water in the epiphytic Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss) is controlled by the oxygen isotope ratio of atmospheric water vapor in both field and lab studies. Assuming that the leaf-water isotopic signature (and hence the atmospheric water vapor signature) is recorded in plant organic material, the atmospheric water vapor oxygen isotope ratios for Miami, Florida (USA) were reconstructed for several years from 1878 to 2005 using contemporary and herbarium specimens. T. usneoides ranges from Virginia, USA southwards through the tropics to Argentina, and the CAM epiphytic lifeform is widespread in other species. Therefore, epiphytes may be used to reconstruct the isotope ratio of atmospheric water for spatial scales that span over 60° of latitude and temporal scales that cover the last century of global temperature increase.

  11. Analysis of Atmospheric Nitrate Deposition in Lake Tahoe Using Multiple Oxygen Isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCabe, J. R.; Michalski, G. M.; Hernandez, L. P.; Thiemens, M. H.; Taylor, K.; Kendall, C.; Wankel, S. D.

    2002-12-01

    Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range is world renown for its depth and water clarity bringing 2.2 million visitors per year resulting in annual revenue of \\1.6 billion from tourism. In past decades the lake has suffered from decreased water clarity (from 32 m plate depth to less than 20), which is believed to be largely the result of algae growth initiated by increased nutrient loading. Lake nutrients have also seen a shift from a nitrogen limited to a phosphorous limited system indicating a large increase in the flux of fixed nitrogen. Several sources of fixed nitrogen of have been suggested including surface runoff, septic tank seepage from ground water and deposition from the atmosphere. Bio-available nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO_{3}$-) is a main component of this system. Recent studies have estimated that approximately 50% of the nitrogen input into the lake is of atmospheric origin (Allison et al. 2000). However, the impact and magnitude of atmospheric deposition is still one of the least understood aspects of the relationship between air and water quality in the Basin (TRPA Threshold Assessment 2002). The utility of stable isotopes as tracers of nitrate reservoirs has been shown in several studies (Bohlke et al. 1997, Kendall and McDonnell 1998, Durka et al. 1994). Stable nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes have been implemented in a dual isotope approach to characterize the various nitrate sources to an ecosystem. While δ18O distinguishes between atmospheric and soil sources of nitrate, processes such as denitrification can enrich the residual nitrate in δ18O leaving a misleading atmospheric signature. The benefit of δ15N as a tracer for NO3- sources is the ability to differentiate natural soil, fertilizer, and animal or septic waste, which contain equivalent δ18O values. The recent implementation of multiple oxygen isotopes to measure Δ17O in nitrate has proven to be a more sensitive tracer of atmospheric deposition. The

  12. Cryogenic separation of an oxygen-argon mixture in natural air samples for the determination of isotope and molecular ratios.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keedakkadan, Habeeb Rahman; Abe, Osamu

    2015-04-30

    The separation and purification of oxygen-argon mixtures are critical in the high-precision analysis of Δ(17) O and δ(O2 /Ar) for geochemical applications. At present, chromatographic methods are used for the separation and purification of oxygen-argon mixtures or pure oxygen, but these methods require the use of high-purity helium as a carrier gas. Considerable interest has been expressed in the development of a helium-free cryogenic separation of oxygen-argon mixtures in natural air samples. The precise and simplified cryogenic separation of oxygen-argon mixtures from natural air samples presented here was made possible using a single 5A (30/60 mesh) molecular sieve column. The method involves the trapping of eluted gases using molecular sieves at liquid nitrogen temperature, which is associated with isotopic fractionation. We tested the proposed method for the determination of isotopic fractionations during the gas exchange between water and atmospheric air at equilibrium. The dependency of fractionation was studied at different water temperatures and for different methods of equilibration (bubbling and stirring). Isotopic and molecular fractionations during gas desorption from molecular sieves were studied for different amounts and types of molecular sieves. Repeated measurements of atmospheric air yielded a reproducibility (±SD) of 0.021 ‰, 0.044 ‰, 15 per meg and 1.9 ‰ for δ(17) O, δ(18) O, Δ(17) O and δ(O2 /Ar) values, respectively. We applied the method to determine equilibrium isotope fractionation during gas exchange between air and water. Consistent δ(18) O and Δ(17) O results were obtained with the latest two studies, whereas there was a significant difference in δ(18) O values between seawater and deionized water. We have revised a helium-free, cryogenic separation of oxygen-argon mixtures in natural air samples for isotopic and molecular ratio analysis. The use of a single 13X (1/8" pellet) molecular sieve yielded the smallest isotopic

  13. Oxygen isotopic signature of CO2 from combustion processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. A. Brand

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available For a comprehensive understanding of the global carbon cycle precise knowledge of all processes is necessary. Stable isotope (13C and 18O abundances provide information for the qualification and the quantification of the diverse source and sink processes. This study focuses on the δ18O signature of CO2 from combustion processes, which are widely present both naturally (wild fires, and human induced (fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning in the carbon cycle. All these combustion processes use atmospheric oxygen, of which the isotopic signature is assumed to be constant with time throughout the whole atmosphere. The combustion is generally presumed to take place at high temperatures, thus minimizing isotopic fractionation. Therefore it is generally supposed that the 18O signature of the produced CO2 is equal to that of the atmospheric oxygen. This study, however, reveals that the situation is much more complicated and that important fractionation effects do occur. From laboratory studies fractionation effects on the order of up to 26%permil; became obvious in the derived CO2 from combustion of different kinds of material, a clear differentiation of about 7‰ was also found in car exhausts which were sampled directly under ambient atmospheric conditions. We investigated a wide range of materials (both different raw materials and similar materials with different inherent 18O signature, sample geometries (e.g. texture and surface-volume ratios and combustion circumstances. We found that the main factor influencing the specific isotopic signatures of the combustion-derived CO2 and of the concomitantly released oxygen-containing side products, is the case-specific rate of combustion. This points firmly into the direction of (diffusive transport of oxygen to the reaction zone as the cause of the isotope fractionation. The original total 18O signature of the material appeared to have little influence, however, a contribution of specific bio

  14. Oxygen isotope partitioning between rhyolitic glass/melt and CO2: An experimental study at 550-950 degrees C and 1 bar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palin, J.M.; Epstein, S.; Stolper, E.M.

    1996-01-01

    Oxygen isotope partitioning between gaseous CO 2 and a natural rhyolitic glass and melt (77.7 wt% SiO 2 , 0.16 wt% H 2 O total ) has been measured at 550-950 degrees C and approximately 1 bar. Equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation factors (α CO2-rhyolite = ( 18 O/ 16 O) rhyolite ) determined in exchange experiments of 100-255 day duration. These values agree well with predictions based on experimentally determined oxygen isotope fractionation factors for CO 2 -silica glass and CO 2 -albitic glass/melt, if the rhyolitic glass is taken to be a simple mixture of normative silica and alkali feldspar components. The results indicate that oxygen isotope partitioning in felsic glasses and melts can be modeled by linear combinations of endmember silicate constituents. Rates of oxygen isotope exchange observed in the partitioning experiments are consistent with control by diffusion of molecular H 2 O dissolved in the glass/melt and are three orders of magnitude faster than predicted for rate control solely by diffusion of dissolved molecular CO 2 under the experimental conditions. Additional experiments using untreated and dehydrated (0.09 wt% H 2 O total ) rhyolitic glass quantatively support these interpretations. We conclude that diffusive oxygen isotope exchange in rhyolitic glass/melt, and probably other polymerized silicate materials, it controlled by the concentrations and diffusivities of dissolved oxygen-bearing volatile species rather than diffusion of network oxygen under all but the most volatile-poor conditions. 25 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

  15. Biological fractionation of oxygen and carbon isotopes by recent benthic foraminifera

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woodruff, F.; Douglas, R.G.

    1980-01-01

    Recent deep-sea benthic foraminifera from five East Pacific Rise box core tops have been analyzed for oxygen and carbon isotopic composition. The five equatorial stations, with water depths of between 3200 and 4600 m, yielded fourteen specific and generic taxonomic groups. Of the taxa analyzed, Uvigerina spp. most closely approaches oxygen isotopic equilibrium with ambient sea water. Pyrgo spp. was next closest to isotopic equilibrium, being on the average 0.59 per thousand depleted in 18 O relative to Uvigerina spp. Oridorsalis umbonatus also has relatively high delta 18 O values. Most other taxa were depleted in 18 O by large amounts. In no taxa was the carbon in the CaCO 3 secreted in carbon isotopic equilibrium with the dissolved HCO 3 - of ambient sea water. (Auth.)

  16. Kinetic theory of oxygen isotopic exchange between minerals and water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Criss, R.E.; Gregory, R.T.; Taylor, H.P.

    1987-01-01

    Kinetic and mass conservation equations are used to describe oxygen isotopic exchange between minerals and water in "closed" and open hydrothermal systems. In cases where n coexisting mineral phases having different reaction rates are present, the exchange process is described by a system of n + 1 simultaneous differential equations consisting of n pseudo first-order rate equations and a conservation of mass equation. The simultaneous solutions to these equations generate curved exchange trajectories on ??-?? plots. Families of such trajectories generated under conditions allowing for different fluid mole fractions, different fluid isotopic compositions, or different fluid flow rates are connected by positive-sloped isochronous lines. These isochrons reproduce the effects observed in hydrothermally exchanged mineral pairs including 1) steep positive slopes, 2) common reversals in the measured fractionation factors (??), and 3) measured fractionations that are highly variable over short distances where no thermal gradient can be geologically demonstrated. ?? 1987.

  17. Oxygen stable isotopes variation in water precipitation in Poland – anthropological applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisowska-Gaczorek Aleksandra

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of oxygen isotope analysis is to determine the probable place of origin of an individual or the reconstruction of migration paths. The research are methodologically based on referencing oxygen isotope ratios of apatite phosphates (δ18Op to the range of environmental background δ18O, most frequently determined on the basis of precipitation.

  18. Fractionation of oxygen isotopes between mammalian bone-phosphate and environmental drinking water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luz, B.; Kolodny, V.; Horowitz, M.

    1984-01-01

    The delta 18 O of mammalian bone-phosphate varies linearly with delta 18 O of environmental water, but is not in isotopic equilibrium with that water. This situation is explained by a model of delta 18 O in body water in which the important fluxes of exchangeable oxygen through the body are taken into account. Fractionation of oxygen isotopes between body and environmental drinking water is dependent on the rates of drinking and respiration. Isotopic fractionation can be estimated from physiological data and the estimates correlate very well with observed fractionation. Species whose water consumption is large relative to its energy expenditure is sensitive to isotopic ratio changes in environmental water. (author)

  19. Water relations link carbon and oxygen isotope discrimination to phloem sap sugar concentration in eucalyptus globulus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cernusak, L.A.; Farquhar, G.D.; Arthur, D.J; Pate, J.S.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: The carbon isotope ratio of phloem sap sugars has been previously observed to correlate strongly with the phloem sap sugar concentration in Eucalyptus globulus. We hypothesized that the correspondence between these two parameters results from co-linearity in their responses to variation in plant water potential. Carbon isotope discrimination is expected to decrease with decreasing plant water potential due to the influence of stomatal conductance on the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO 2 , concentrations (c 1 /c a ). Conversely, we expected the phloem sap sugar concentration to increase with decreasing plant water potential, thereby maintaining positive turgor pressure within the sieve tubes. The study comprised 40 individual Eucalyptus globulus trees growing in three plantations situated on opposing ends of a rainfall gradient in southwestern Australia. A strong correlation was observed between the carbon isotope ratio in phloem sap sugars and phloem sap sugar concentration. Carbon isotope discrimination correlated positively with shoot water potential, whereas phloem sap sugar concentration correlated negatively with shoot water potential. The relationship between carbon isotope discrimination measured in phloem sap sugars collected from the stem and c 1 /c a measured instantaneously on subtending leaves was close to that theoretically predicted. Accordingly, a strong, negative relationship was observed between instantaneous c 1 /c a and the phloem sap sugar concentration. Oxygen isotope discrimination in phloem sap sugars also correlated strongly with phloem sap sugar concentration. A theoretical model suggested that the observed variation in stomatal conductance was sufficient to account for the variation observed in oxygen isotope discrimination across the study. Results strongly support the contention that water relations form a mechanistic link between phloem sap sugar concentration and both instantaneous and integrated measures of the

  20. Oxygen Isotope Composition of Nitrate Produced by Freshwater Nitrification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boshers, D.; Granger, J.; Bohlke, J. K.

    2016-12-01

    Measurements of the naturally occurring nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of nitrate (NO3-), δ15N and δ18O, can be used to determine the source, dispersal, and fate of natural and contaminant NO3- in aquatic environments. To this end, it is necessary to know the extent to which NO3- isotopologues are modified by biological reactions, as heavy and light isotopes have different reaction rates. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the δ18O of ambient water on the isotope composition of NO3- produced during nitrification, the biological oxidation of ammonium (NH4+) to nitrite (NO2-) and then NO3-, which is poorly constrained in freshwater systems. To determine the δ18O of NO3- produced by nitrification in freshwater, we collected water from a stream in New England, which we amended with NH4+ and with increments of 18O-enriched water, to monitor the isotope composition of NO3- produced by a natural consortium of nitrifiers. Added NH4+ was completely oxidized to NO3- over 26 days. The final δ18O of nitrified NO3- revealed sensitivity to the δ18O of water mediated by (a) isotopic equilibration between water and NO2- and (b) kinetic isotope fractionation during O-atom incorporation from water into NO2- and NO3-. Our results concur with nitrifying culture experiments that have demonstrated analogous sensitivity of the δ18O of nitrified NO3- to equilibrium and kinetic O isotope effects (Buchwald et al. 2012), as well as show that these dynamics need to be considered to interpret NO3- isotope distribution in freshwater environments.

  1. Oxygen Isotope Records in Modern Oyster Shells from Chi Ku, Tainan and Their Implication of Seasonality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Y. C.; Mii, H. S.; Li, K. T.

    2015-12-01

    To exam whether oxygen isotope records of Crassostrea gigasoysters can be used as proxies of environment, 133 cultivated oysters and 21 water samples were collected from Chi Ku area, Tainan City, southern Taiwan in December of 2012, and from March, 2013 to July, 2014. Instrumental air and water temperatures and precipitation records were obtained from a nearest Central Weather Bureau (CWB) station roughly 16 km north of Chi Ku. The oxygen and carbon isotope values of the ligamental area of the modern oyster shells are from -6.92‰ to -0.08‰ (-3.05 ± 1.17‰, N = 2280; 1σ; VPDB) and from -5.57‰ to 0.63‰ (-1.88 ± 0.81‰), respectively. Oxygen isotope values of the water samples are mainly between -0.28‰ and 0.74‰ (0.18 ± 0.29‰, N = 20; 1σ; VSMOW). However, water oxygen isotope value of -2.75‰ was observed for the water sample collected immediately after a typhoon heavy rainfall. Seasonal temperature fluctuation pattern of estimated oxygen isotope temperatures from modern shells is similar to that of CWB instrumental records. However, the oxygen isotope temperatures are respectively about 3 °C and 10°C higher than those of instrumental records for winter and summer. Higher estimated oxygen isotope temperatures are most likely caused by underestimated fraction of freshwater. We analyzed 5 archaeological oyster shells of Siraya culture (500~250B.P.) collected from Wu Chien Tuso North (WCTN) archaeological site of Tainan branch of Southern Taiwan Science Park to infer the harvest season of mollusks. Oxygen isotope values of the ligamental area of the archaeological oyster shells are between -5.98‰ and -1.26‰ (-3.34 ± 1.37‰, N = 60; 1σ), and carbon isotope values are between -3.21‰ and 0.60‰ (-2.04‰ ± 0.55‰). The oxygen isotope records of archaeological oyster shells also showed clear seasonality. Most of the oysters were collected in autumn and winter. Oxygen isotope values of archaeological oyster shells was 1‰ greater than that

  2. On-line stable isotope measurements during plant and soil gas exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yakir, D.

    2001-01-01

    Recent techniques for on-line stable isotope measurements during plant and soil exchange of CO 2 and/or water vapor are briefly reviewed. For CO 2 , these techniques provide means for on-line measurements of isotopic discrimination during CO 2 exchange by leaves in the laboratory and in the field, of isotopic discrimination during soil respiration and during soil-atmosphere CO 2 exchange, and of isotopic discrimination in O 2 during plant respiration. For water vapor, these techniques provide means to measure oxygen isotopic composition of water vapor during leaf transpiration and for the analysis of sub microliter condensed water vapor samples. Most of these techniques involve on-line sampling of CO 2 and water vapor from a dynamic, intact soil or plant system. In the laboratory, these systems also allow on-line isotopic analysis by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The information obtained with these on-line techniques is becoming increasingly valuable, and often critical, for ecophysiologial research and in the study of biosphere-atmosphere interactions. (author)

  3. Expanding the isotopic toolbox: Applications of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios to food web studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannah B Vander Zanden

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The measurement of stable carbon (δ13C and nitrogen (δ15N isotopes in tissues of organisms has formed the foundation of isotopic food web reconstructions, as these values directly reflect assimilated diet. In contrast, stable hydrogen (δ2H and oxygen (δ18O isotope measurements have typically been reserved for studies of migratory origin and paleoclimate reconstruction based on systematic relationships between organismal tissue and local environmental water. Recently, innovative applications using δ2H and, to a lesser extent, δ18O values have demonstrated potential for these elements to provide novel insights in modern food web studies. We explore the advantages and challenges associated with three applications of δ2H and δ18O values in food web studies. First, large δ2H differences between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem end members can permit the quantification of energy inputs and nutrient fluxes between these two sources, with potential applications for determining allochthonous vs. autochthonous nutrient sources in freshwater systems and relative aquatic habitat utilization by terrestrial organisms. Next, some studies have identified a relationship between δ2H values and trophic position, which suggests that this marker may serve as a trophic indicator, in addition to the more commonly used δ15N values. Finally, coupled measurements of δ2H and δ18O values are increasing as a result of reduced analytical challenges to measure both simultaneously and may provide additional ecological information over single element measurements. In some organisms, the isotopic ratios of these two elements are tightly coupled, whereas the isotopic disequilibrium in other organisms may offer insight into the diet and physiology of individuals. Although a coherent framework for interpreting δ2H and δ18O data in the context of food web studies is emerging, many fundamental uncertainties remain. We highlight directions for targeted research that

  4. [Research advances in identifying nitrate pollution sources of water environment by using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Wei; Liang, Zhi-wei; Li, Wei; Zhu, Yao; Yanng, Mu-yi; Jia, Chao-jie

    2013-04-01

    Water body' s nitrate pollution has become a common and severe environmental problem. In order to ensure human health and water environment benign evolution, it is of great importance to effectively identify the nitrate pollution sources of water body. Because of the discrepant composition of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in different sources of nitrate in water body, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes can be used to identify the nitrate pollution sources of water environment. This paper introduced the fractionation factors of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in the main processes of nitrogen cycling and the composition of these stable isotopes in main nitrate sources, compared the advantages and disadvantages of five pre-treatment methods for analyzing the nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate, and summarized the research advances in this aspect into three stages, i. e. , using nitrogen stable isotope alone, using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes simultaneously, and combining with mathematical models. The future research directions regarding the nitrate pollution sources identification of water environment were also discussed.

  5. Application of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes to the study of Brazilian precambrian

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torquato, J.R.F.

    1980-01-01

    Samples of carbonated rocks of precambrian age are studied. The stable carbon and oxygen isotopes are applied to the study of terrestrial materials considering the variations of some element isotopic composition in function of the environment of sedimentation. The isotopic analysis was done using mass spectrometers. The analytical results and the description of region geology of the site of each sample are presented. The isotopic data are interpreted aiming to the environment of sedimentation. New techniques for better improvement of carbon and oxygen ratios, are proposed, such as: to use the analysis of surface trend and the isotopic logging in mapping of surface and subsurface. A new method for approximated determination of the ages of precambrian carbonated rocks, considering the limitations of their new technique, is also presented. (M.C.K.) [pt

  6. Triple oxygen isotopes in biogenic and sedimentary carbonates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Passey, Benjamin H.; Hu, Huanting; Ji, Haoyuan; Montanari, Shaena; Li, Shuning; Henkes, Gregory A.; Levin, Naomi E.

    2014-09-01

    The 17O anomaly (Δ17O) of natural waters has been shown to be sensitive to evaporation in a way analogous to deuterium excess, with evaporated bodies of water (e.g., leaf waters, lake waters, animal body waters) tending to have lower Δ17O than primary meteoric waters. In animal body water, Δ17O relates to the intake of evaporated waters, evaporative effluxes of water, and the Δ17O value of atmospheric O2, which itself carries signatures of global carbon cycling and photochemical reactions in the stratosphere. Carbonates have the potential to record the triple oxygen isotope compositions of parent waters, allowing reconstruction of past water compositions, but such investigations have awaited development of methods for high-precision measurement of Δ17O of carbonate. We describe optimized methods based on a sequential acid digestion/reduction/fluorination approach that yield Δ17O data with the high precision (∼0.010‰, 1σ) needed to resolve subtle environmental signals. We report the first high-precision Δ17O dataset for terrestrial carbonates, focusing on vertebrate biogenic carbonates and soil carbonates, but also including marine invertebrates and high-temperature carbonates. We determine apparent three-isotope fractionation factors between the O2 analyte derived from carbonate and the parent waters of the carbonate. These in combination with appropriate temperature estimates (from clumped isotope thermometry, or known or estimated body temperatures) are used to calculate the δ18O and Δ17O of parent waters. The clearest pattern to emerge is the strong 17O-depletion in avian, dinosaurian, and mammalian body water (from analyses of eggshell and tooth enamel) relative to meteoric waters, following expected influences of evaporated water (e.g., leaf water) and atmospheric O2 on vertebrate body water. Parent waters of the soil carbonates studied here have Δ17O values that are similar to or slightly lower than global precipitation. Our results suggest

  7. Oxygen isotopic tracing study of the dry thermal oxidation of 6H SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vickridge, I.C.; Ganem, J.-J.; Battistig, G.; Szilagyi, E.

    2000-01-01

    The (0 0 0 1) and (0 0 0 1-bar) faces of 6H SiC have been oxidised sequentially at 1100 deg. C and 100 mbar in ultra-dry oxygen of natural isotopic concentration and in ultra-dry oxygen highly enriched in 18 O. Measurement of the 18 O isotopic concentration profiles by nuclear resonance profiling with the narrow resonance at 151 keV in 18 O(p,α) 15 N shows that on the carbon-terminated face (0 0 0 1-bar) the oxidation mechanism is rather similar to that observed on Si(1 0 0), but that on the silicon-terminated face (0 0 0 1) the surface isotopic exchange and oxide formation are superposed. The surface exchange observed during a third dry oxidation, in 16 O 2 , is very similar in magnitude and spatial extent on Si(1 0 0), and the two 6H SiC faces, suggesting that at least near the surface the nature and composition of the three oxides are very similar

  8. Oxygen isotopic tracing study of the dry thermal oxidation of 6H SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vickridge, I.C. E-mail: vickridge@gps.jussieu.fr; Ganem, J.-J.; Battistig, G.; Szilagyi, E

    2000-03-01

    The (0 0 0 1) and (0 0 0 1-bar) faces of 6H SiC have been oxidised sequentially at 1100 deg. C and 100 mbar in ultra-dry oxygen of natural isotopic concentration and in ultra-dry oxygen highly enriched in {sup 18}O. Measurement of the {sup 18}O isotopic concentration profiles by nuclear resonance profiling with the narrow resonance at 151 keV in {sup 18}O(p,{alpha}){sup 15}N shows that on the carbon-terminated face (0 0 0 1-bar) the oxidation mechanism is rather similar to that observed on Si(1 0 0), but that on the silicon-terminated face (0 0 0 1) the surface isotopic exchange and oxide formation are superposed. The surface exchange observed during a third dry oxidation, in {sup 16}O{sub 2}, is very similar in magnitude and spatial extent on Si(1 0 0), and the two 6H SiC faces, suggesting that at least near the surface the nature and composition of the three oxides are very similar.

  9. Measuring oxygen yields of a thermal conversion/elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometer for organic and inorganic materials through injection of CO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Xijie; Chen, Zhigang

    2014-12-01

    The thermal conversion/elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (TC/EA-IRMS) is widely used to measure the δ(18) O value of various substances. A premise for accurate δ(18) O measurement is that the oxygen in the sample can be converted into carbon monoxide (CO) quantitatively or at least proportionally. Therefore, a precise method to determine the oxygen yield of TC/EA-IRMS measurements is needed. Most studies have used the CO peak area obtained from a known amount of a solid reference material (for example, benzoic acid) to calibrate the oxygen yield of the sample. Although it was assumed that the oxygen yield of the solid reference material is 100%, no direct evidence has been provided. As CO is the analyte gas for δ(18) O measurement by IRMS, in this study, we use a six-port valve to inject CO gas into the TC/EA. The CO is carried to the IRMS by the He carrier gas and the CO peak area is measured by the IRMS. The CO peak area thus obtained from a known amount of the injected CO is used to calibrate the oxygen yield of the sample. The oxygen yields of commonly used organic and inorganic reference materials such as benzoic acid (C6 H5 COOH), silver phosphate (Ag3 PO4 ), calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) and silicon dioxide (SiO2 ) are investigated at different reactor temperatures and sample sizes. We obtained excellent linear correlation between the peak area for the injected CO and its oxygen atom amount. C6 H5 COOH has the highest oxygen yield, followed by Ag3 PO4 , CaCO3 and SiO2 . The oxygen yields of TC/EA-IRMS are less than 100% for both organic and inorganic substances, but the yields are relatively stable at the specified reactor temperature and for a given quantity of sample. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios in tree rings: how well do models predict observed values?

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Waterhouse, JS

    2002-07-30

    Full Text Available . Cosmo- chim. Acta 46 (1982) 955^965. [35] W.M. Buhay, T.W.D. Edwards, Climate in southwestern Ontario, Canada, between AD 1610 and 1885 inferred from oxygen and hydrogen isotopic measurements of wood cellulose from trees in di?erent hydrological set...

  11. Modelling and Mapping Oxygen-18 Isotope Composition of Precipitation in Spain for Hydrologic and Climatic Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez-Arevalo, J.; Diaz-Teijeiro, M.F.; Castano, S.

    2011-01-01

    A simple multiple regression model based on two geographic factors (latitude and elevation) has been developed that reproduces reasonably well the spatial distribution of the current mean oxygen-18 isotope composition in precipitation over Spain. In a preliminary analysis, additional geographic and climatic factors do not improve the performance of the model. A continuous digital map of oxygen-18 isotope composition in precipitation has been produced by combining the polynomial model with a Digital Elevation Model using GIS tools. Application of the resulting map to several case studies in Spain has shown it to be useful as a reference of the isotope input function to groundwater recharge and surface runoff. The results obtained so far show a good fit between modelled stable isotope values and those measured in surface and ground waters from different aquifers and recharge areas. The GIS tools applied to a continuous digital layer of spatial isotope are able to provide accurate information at detailed scales that are not affordable by other means. Further validation of the model, and further testing of its usefulness in surface hydrology and climatic studies, is going on.

  12. Dolomite clumped isotope constraints on the oxygen isotope composition of the Phanerozoic Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryb, U.; Eiler, J. M.

    2017-12-01

    The δ18O value of the Phanerozoic Sea has been debated several decades, largely motivated by an 8‰ increase in δ18O of sedimentary carbonates between the Cambrian and the present. Some previous studies have interpreted this increase to be a primary depositional signal, resulting from an increase in the 18O content of ocean water over time, or from a decrease in ocean temperature increasing the oxygen isotope fractionation between seawater and carbonates. In contrast, other studies have interpreted lower δ18O compositions as the products of diagenetic alteration at elevated burial temperatures. Here, we show that the Phanerozoic dolomite δ18O record overlaps with that of well-preserved calcite fossils, and use carbonate clumped isotope measurements of Cambrian to Pleistocene dolomites to calculate their formation temperatures and the isotopic compositions of their parent-waters. The observed variation in dolomite δ18O is largely explained by dolomite formation at burial temperatures of up to 158°C. The δ18O values of dolomite parent-waters range -2 to +12‰ and are correlated with formation temperatures. Such correlation is consistent with the modification of seawater (0±2‰, VSMOW) toward isotopically heavier compositions through water-rock reactions at elevated burial temperatures. The similarity between the dolomite and calcite δ18O records, and published clumped isotope-based calculations of water compositions, suggests that like dolomite, temporal variations of the calcite δ18O record may also be largely driven by diagenetic alteration. Finally, the relationship we observe between temperature of dolomitization and d18O of dolomite suggests platform carbonates generally undergo dolomitization through reaction with modified marine waters, and that there is no evidence those waters were ever significantly lower in d18O than the modern ocean.

  13. Permafrost oxygen isotope ratios and chronology of three cores from Antarctica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stuiver, M.; Yang, I.C.; Denton, G.H.

    1976-01-01

    It is stated that permafrost core sediments, associated with the last intrusion of the Ross Ice Shelf in the New Harbour region, were deposited in marine (0 - 85 m deep) as well as freshwater environments (100 - 125 m). Oxygen isotope ratio measurements on these cores provide palaeoclimatic information and show that the extension of the Ross Ice Shelf predates 150,000 yr BP, whereas the radiocarbon date of its retreat is about 5,800 yr b.p. (author)

  14. Past climate changes derived from isotope measurements in polar ice cores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beer, J.; Muscheler, R.; Wagner, G.; Kubik, P.K.

    2002-01-01

    Measurements of stable and radioactive isotopes in polar ice cores provide a wealth of information on the climate conditions of the past. Stable isotopes (δ 18 O, δD) reflect mainly the temperature, whereas δ 18 O of oxygen in air bubbles reveals predominantly the global ice volume and the biospheric activity. Cosmic ray produced radioisotopes (cosmogenic nuclides) such as 10 Be and 36 Cl record information on the solar variability and possibly also on the solar irradiance. If the flux of a cosmogenic nuclide into the ice is known the accumulation rate can be derived from the measured concentration. The comparison of 10 Be from ice with 14 C from tree rings allows deciding whether observed 14 C variations are caused by production or system effects. Finally, isotope measurements are very useful for establishing and improving time scales. The 10 Be/ 36 Cl ratio changes with an apparent half-life of 376,000 years and is therefore well suited to date old ice. Significant abrupt changes in the records of 10 Be, 36 Cl from ice and of δ 18 O from atmospheric oxygen representing global signals can be used to synchronize ice and sediment cores. (author)

  15. Kalahari groundwaters: Their hydrogen, carbon and oxygen isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazor, E.; Verhagen, B.T.; Sellschop, J.P.F.; Robins, N.S.; Hutton, L.G.

    1974-01-01

    Tritium and 14 C measurements have revealed several cases of post-nuclear bomb-test rain recharge of local groundwaters, along with values indicating recharge over larger, yet hydrologically active, time scales. In general, recharge seems to follow rain distribution in being more intense in the northern rather than in the southern Kalahari. Initial δ 13 C values vary over a wide range and reveal some correlation to pH and chemical composition of the water. They cannot be used to correct for fossil carbon dilution in 14 C-age calculations. Radiocarbon-deduced ages range from recent to 30,000 years. Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicate recharge from direct rain infiltration. (author)

  16. Oxygen isotope analysis of phosphate: improved precision using TC/EA CF-IRMS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaPorte, D F; Holmden, C; Patterson, W P; Prokopiuk, T; Eglington, B M

    2009-06-01

    Oxygen isotope values of biogenic apatite have long demonstrated considerable promise for paleothermometry potential because of the abundance of material in the fossil record and greater resistance of apatite to diagenesis compared to carbonate. Unfortunately, this promise has not been fully realized because of relatively poor precision of isotopic measurements, and exceedingly small size of some substrates for analysis. Building on previous work, we demonstrate that it is possible to improve precision of delta18O(PO4) measurements using a 'reverse-plumbed' thermal conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA) coupled to a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS) via a helium stream [Correction made here after initial online publication]. This modification to the flow of helium through the TC/EA, and careful location of the packing of glassy carbon fragments relative to the hot spot in the reactor, leads to narrower, more symmetrically distributed CO elution peaks with diminished tailing. In addition, we describe our apatite purification chemistry that uses nitric acid and cation exchange resin. Purification chemistry is optimized for processing small samples, minimizing isotopic fractionation of PO4(-3) and permitting Ca, Sr and Nd to be eluted and purified further for the measurement of delta44Ca and 87Sr/86Sr in modern biogenic apatite and 143Nd/144Nd in fossil apatite. Our methodology yields an external precision of +/- 0.15 per thousand (1sigma) for delta18O(PO4). The uncertainty is related to the preparation of the Ag3PO4 salt, conversion to CO gas in a reversed-plumbed TC/EA, analysis of oxygen isotopes using a CF-IRMS, and uncertainty in constructing calibration lines that convert raw delta18O data to the VSMOW scale. Matrix matching of samples and standards for the purpose of calibration to the VSMOW scale was determined to be unnecessary. Our method requires only slightly modified equipment that is widely available. This fact, and the

  17. Simultaneous determination of stable carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen isotopes in cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loader, N J; Street-Perrott, F A; Daley, T J; Hughes, P D M; Kimak, A; Levanič, T; Mallon, G; Mauquoy, D; Robertson, I; Roland, T P; van Bellen, S; Ziehmer, M M; Leuenberger, M

    2015-01-06

    A technological development is described through which the stable carbon-, oxygen-, and nonexchangeable hydrogen-isotopic ratios (δ(13)C, δ(18)O, δ(2)H) are determined on a single carbohydrate (cellulose) sample with precision equivalent to conventional techniques (δ(13)C 0.15‰, δ(18)O 0.30‰, δ(2)H 3.0‰). This triple-isotope approach offers significant new research opportunities, most notably in physiology and medicine, isotope biogeochemistry, forensic science, and palaeoclimatology, when isotopic analysis of a common sample is desirable or when sample material is limited.

  18. Non-mass-dependent fractionation of sulfur and oxygen isotopes during UV photolysis of sulfur dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pen, Aranh

    fractionation observed in nature, to quantify anomalous isotope fractionations for both sulfur and oxygen, and to observe fractionation correlations between the two elements. We have measured the anomalous fractionations of sulfur and oxygen isotopes (delta33S, delta34S, delta 36S, delta17O and delta18O) that occur during photodissociation of gaseous SO2 in the 180-400 nm wavelength range and I report delta33S', delta34 S', delta36S', delta17O', and delta 18O', and the corresponding anomalous isotope fractionations Delta 33S, Delta36S, and Delta17O. Our experimental SO2 isotope data support the idea that anomalous sulfur signatures in barite and pyrite (formed before ˜2.1 Gya) resulted from gas-phase reactions taking place in the Earth's early atmosphere. Our results agree qualitatively with Lyons' photochemical self-shielding model of SO2, while our Delta36S/Delta33S slope of -0.74 agrees in sign, but not in magnitude with Lyons' slope of -3 (Lyons, 2008). Our result is in closer agreement to Farquhar et al.'s Archean mineral Delta36S/Delta33S slope of -0.9 (Farquhar et al., 2001).

  19. Growth of the European abalone ( Haliotis tuberculata L.) in situ: Seasonality and ageing using stable oxygen isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roussel, Sabine; Huchette, Sylvain; Clavier, Jacques; Chauvaud, Laurent

    2011-02-01

    The ormer, Haliotis tuberculata is the only European abalone species commercially exploited. The determination of growth and age in the wild is an important tool for fisheries and aquaculture management. However, the ageing technique used in the past in the field is unreliable. The stable oxygen isotope composition ( 18O/ 16O) of the shell depends on the temperature and oxygen isotope composition of the ambient sea water. The stable oxygen isotope technique, developed to study paleoclimatological changes in shellfish, was applied to three H. tuberculata specimens collected in north-west Brittany. For the specimens collected, the oxygen isotope ratios of the shell reflected the seasonal cycle in the temperature. From winter-to-winter cycles, estimates of the age and the annual growth increment, ranging from 13 to 55 mm per year were obtained. This study shows that stable oxygen isotopes can be a reliable tool for ageing and growth studies of this abalone species in the wild, and for validating other estimates.

  20. Devonian climate and reef evolution: Insights from oxygen isotopes in apatite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joachimski, M. M.; Breisig, S.; Buggisch, W.; Talent, J. A.; Mawson, R.; Gereke, M.; Morrow, J. R.; Day, J.; Weddige, K.

    2009-07-01

    Conodonts, microfossils composed of carbonate-fluor apatite, are abundant in Palaeozoic-Triassic sediments and have a high potential to preserve primary oxygen isotope signals. In order to reconstruct the palaeotemperature history of the Devonian, the oxygen isotope composition of apatite phosphate was measured on 639 conodont samples from sequences in Europe, North America and Australia. The Early Devonian (Lochkovian; 416-411 Myr) was characterized by warm tropical temperatures of around 30 °C. A cooling trend started in the Pragian (410 Myr) with intermediate temperatures around 23 to 25 °C reconstructed for the Middle Devonian (397-385 Myr). During the Frasnian (383-375 Myr), temperatures increased again with temperatures to 30 °C calculated for the Frasnian-Famennian transition (375 Myr). During the Famennian (375-359 Myr), surface water temperatures slightly decreased. Reconstructed Devonian palaeotemperatures do not support earlier views suggesting the Middle Devonian was a supergreenhouse interval, an interpretation based partly on the development of extensive tropical coral-stromatoporoid communities during the Middle Devonian. Instead, the Devonian palaeotemperature record suggests that Middle Devonian coral-stromatoporoid reefs flourished during cooler time intervals whereas microbial reefs dominated during the warm to very warm Early and Late Devonian.

  1. Dual Si and O Isotope Measurement of Lunar Samples Using IRMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, N.; Hill, P. J. A.; Osinski, G. R.

    2016-12-01

    The use of isotopic systems and their associated theoretical models have become an increasingly sophisticated tool for investigating the origin of planetary bodies in the solar system. It was originally hypothesized that evidence for the impact origin of Moon would manifest itself as an isotopic heterogeneity between lunar and terrestrial samples; however, most isotope systems show no difference between the bulk Earth and Moon. The stable isotopes of both silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) have been essential in further understanding planetary processes including core formation. Historically the analysis of the Si and O isotope ratios in terrestrial and extraterrestrial material has primarily been measured independent of each other through three main techniques: isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). Each technique has its own strength and weakness in regards to resolution and precision; however, one of the main limiting factors in all three of these techniques rests on the requirement of multiple aliquots. As most literature focuses on the measurement of oxygen or silicon isotopes, this unique line allows for the precise analysis of Si and O isotopes from the same aliquot of bulk sample, which cannot be done with SIMS or ICP-MS analysis. To deal with this problem a unique laser line system has been developed in the Laboratory for Stable Isotope Science at Western University, Canada, that simultaneously extracts SiF4 and O2 from the same 1-2 mg aliquot. We present the application of analyzing both isotopic systems from the sample aliquot to Apollo, meteoritic, and terrestrial samples and its implication for the formation of the Moon. Preliminary results from this line suggest that although the O isotopes ratios are consistent with a homogenous Moon-Earth system, a difference is observed in Si isotopes between Apollo and terrestrial samples compared to

  2. Oxygen isotope exchange in La2NiO(4±δ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ananyev, M V; Tropin, E S; Eremin, V A; Farlenkov, A S; Smirnov, A S; Kolchugin, A A; Porotnikova, N M; Khodimchuk, A V; Berenov, A V; Kurumchin, E Kh

    2016-04-07

    Oxygen surface exchange kinetics and diffusion have been studied by the isotope exchange method with gas phase equilibration using a static circulation experimental rig in the temperature range of 600-800 °C and oxygen pressure range of 0.13-2.5 kPa. A novel model which takes into account distributions of the dissociative adsorption and incorporation rates has been developed. The rates of the elementary stages have been calculated. The rate-determining stages for a La2NiO(4±δ) polycrystalline specimen have been discussed. The diffusion activation energies calculated using the gas phase equilibration method (1.4 eV) differ significantly from those calculated using isotope exchange depth profiling (0.5-0.8 eV), which was attributed to the influence of different oxygen diffusion pathways.

  3. Oxygen isotope systematics of chondrules in the Murchison CM2 chondrite and implications for the CO-CM relationship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaumard, Noël; Defouilloy, Céline; Kita, Noriko T.

    2018-05-01

    High-precision oxygen three-isotope measurements of olivine and pyroxene were performed on 29 chondrules in the Murchison CM2 chondrite by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The oxygen isotope ratios of analyzed chondrules all plot very close to the primitive chondrule minerals (PCM) line. In each of 24 chondrules, the olivine and/or pyroxene grains analyzed show indistinguishable oxygen isotope ratios. Exceptions are minor occurrences of isotopically distinguished relict olivine grains, which were found in nine chondrules. The isotope homogeneity of these phenocrysts is consistent with a co-magmatic crystallization of olivine and pyroxene from the final chondrule melts and a significant oxygen isotope exchange between the ambient gas and the melts. Homogeneous type I chondrules with Mg#'s of 98.9-99.5 have host chondrule Δ17O values ranging from -6.0‰ to -4.1‰, with one exception (Δ17O: -1.2‰; Mg#: 99.6). Homogeneous chondrules with Mg#'s poor H2O ice (∼0.3-0.4× the CI dust; Δ17O > 0‰) and at dust enrichments of ∼300-2000×. Regarding the Mg# and oxygen isotope ratios, the chondrule populations sampled by CM and CO chondrites are similar and indistinguishable. The similarity of these 16O-rich components in CO and CM chondrites is also supported by the common Fe/Mn ratio of olivine in type II chondrules. Although they accreted similar high-temperature silicates, CO chondrites are anhydrous compared to CM chondrites, suggesting they derived from different parent bodies formed inside and outside the snow line, respectively. If chondrules in CO and CM chondrites formed at the same disk locations but the CM parent body accreted later than the CO parent body, the snow line might have crossed the common chondrule-forming region towards the Sun between the time of the CO and CM parent bodies accretion.

  4. Oxygen isotopic abundances in the atmospheres of seven red giant stars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harris, M.J.; Lambert, D.L.

    1984-01-01

    Abundances ratios of the oxygen isotopes have been measured in α Tau, β And, μ Gem, α Her, β Peg, γ Dra, and α Boo. In all the stars the 16 O/ 18 O ratios are similar; the mean value is 475, which is consistent with the solar system value 16 O/ 18 O = 490. The 16 O/ 17 O ratios range from approx.1000 for β Peg and α Boo to 16 O/ 17 O = 160 for β And

  5. Phosphorus cycling in forest ecosystems: insights from oxygen isotopes in phosphate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pistocchi, Chiara; Tamburini, Federica; Bünemann, Else; Frossard, Emmanuel

    2015-04-01

    The current view on the phosphorus (P) cycle in forest ecosystems relies mostly on measurements and correlations of pools, and to a lower extent on measurement of fluxes. We have no direct insight into the processes phosphate goes through at the ecosystem level, and into the relative importance of organic and mineral pools in sustaining P nutrition of trees. The analysis of oxygen isotopes associated to P (18Op) is expected to bring this type of information. The German Priority Program SPP 1685 aims to test the overall hypothesis that the P-depletion of soils drives forest ecosystems from P acquiring systems (efficient mobilization of P from the mineral phase) to P recycling systems (highly efficient cycling of P). Our contribution to this project will consist in studying the relative importance of biological and geochemical processes in controlling the P cycle in temperate beech forest ecosystems in Germany along a gradient of decreasing soil P availability. We will follow the fate of phosphate from litter fall to the uptake of P by plants via P release by decomposition of organic matter or after release from P-containing minerals, by using a multi-isotope approach (O in water and phosphate plus 33P). To address our research question we will rely on measurements in experimental forest sites and on laboratory incubations of the organic layer or the mineral soil. We present here the first results issued from the 2014 sampling on three study sites, where we characterized the P pools in surface soil horizons by a sequential extraction (modified after Tiessen and Moir, 2007) and we analysed the 18Op of the resin extractable- and microbial-P fractions. Contrary to what was previously found (e.g. Tamburini et al. 2012) the isotopic composition of these fractions in most of the samples does not reflect the equilibrium value (as the result of the dominance of the pyrophosphatase activity on the other enzymatic processes, Blake et al. 2005). Depending on the P availability

  6. Oxygen isotopic ratio of the diatom siliceous valves: development of a new method in quantitative paleoclimatology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labeyrie, Laurent.

    1979-07-01

    This paper describes a new method allowing the measurement of the 18 O/ 16 O ratio of the biogenic silica oxygen, which takes into account the effects due to the organic matter and hydration water associated with this type of silica. By isotopic exchange with enriched water, we have been able to fix a treatment which eliminate all contamination and memory effects. This has permitted us to study the temperature dependance of the hydrated silica-water oxygen isotopic fractionation. As application, we present a study of the variations of the delta 18 O of fossil diatoms valves along an Equatorial Pacific sediment core covering the last 20.000 years. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the delta 18 O of the diatom silica for paleoclimatic investigations [fr

  7. Chemical and Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Roman and Late Antique Glass from Northern Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberta Silvestri

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The present paper emphasizes the importance of measuring the oxygen isotopic and chemical compositions of ancient glass, in order to constrain some features such as age, raw materials, and production technologies and to identify the “fingerprint” of local productions. In this context, thirty-nine Roman and late Antique glass samples and eight chert samples from northern Greece were selected and analysed for their oxygen isotopic and chemical compositions. Results show that the majority of glass samples are produced using natron as flux and have δ18O values of about 15.5‰, plus or minus a few tenths of one per mil, suggesting that raw materials probably come from Levantine area. Four samples are heavily enriched in 18O, and their chemical composition clearly shows that they were made with soda plant ash as flux. Isotopic and chemical data of Greek chert samples support the hypothesis of local production of the above samples. About half of the glass samples have chemical compositions, which allow their age to be constrained to the late Antique period. For the remaining glass, similarities with literature compositional groups are reported and discussed.

  8. A Quantitative, Time-Dependent Model of Oxygen Isotopes in the Solar Nebula: Step one

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuth, J. A.; Paquette, J. A.; Farquhar, A.; Johnson, N. M.

    2011-01-01

    The remarkable discovery that oxygen isotopes in primitive meteorites were fractionated along a line of slope I rather than along the typical slope 0,52 terrestrial fractionation line occurred almost 40 years ago, However, a satisfactory, quantitative explanation for this observation has yet to be found, though many different explanations have been proposed, The first of these explanations proposed that the observed line represented the final product produced by mixing molecular cloud dust with a nucleosynthetic component, rich in O-16, possibly resulting from a nearby supernova explosion, Donald Clayton suggested that Galactic Chemical Evolution would gradually change the oxygen isotopic composition of the interstellar grain population by steadily producing O-16 in supernovae, then producing the heavier isotopes as secondary products in lower mass stars, Thiemens and collaborators proposed a chemical mechanism that relied on the availability of additional active rotational and vibrational states in otherwise-symmetric molecules, such as CO2, O3 or SiO2, containing two different oxygen isotopes and a second, photochemical process that suggested that differential photochemical dissociation processes could fractionate oxygen , This second line of research has been pursued by several groups, though none of the current models is quantitative,

  9. Characterizing the oxygen isotopic composition of phosphate sources to aquatic ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, M.B.; McLaughlin, K.; Kendall, C.; Stringfellow, W.; Rollog, M.; Elsbury, K.; Donald, E.; Paytan, A.

    2009-01-01

    The oxygen isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic phosphate (δ18Op) in many aquatic ecosystems is not in isotopic equilibrium with ambient water and, therefore, may reflect the source δ18Op. Identification of phosphate sources to water bodies is critical for designing best management practices for phosphate load reduction to control eutrophication. In order for δ18O p to be a useful tool for source tracking, the δ18Op of phosphate sources must be distinguishable from one another; however, the δ18Op of potential sources has not been well characterized. We measured the δ18O p of a variety of known phosphate sources, including fertilizers, semiprocessed phosphorite ore, particulate aerosols, detergents, leachates of vegetation, soil, animal feces, and wastewater treatment plant effluent. We found a considerable range of δ18Op values (from +8.4 to +24.9‰) for the various sources, and statistically significant differences were found between several of the source types. δ18Op measured in three different fresh water systems was generally not in equilibrium with ambient water. Although there is overlap in δ18Op values among the groups of samples, our results indicate that some sources are isotopically distinct and δ18Op can be used for identifying phosphate sources to aquatic systems.

  10. Aragonite-Calcite Inversion During Biogenic Carbonate Sampling: Considerations for Interpreting Isotopic Measurements in Paleoclimate Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waite, A. J.; Swart, P. K.

    2011-12-01

    As aragonite is the metastable polymorph of calcium carbonate, it lends itself to monotropic inversion to the more stable polymorph, calcite. This inversion is possible through an increase in the temperature and pressure conditions to which the sample is exposed and, although first noted nearly a century ago, has been primarily discussed in the context of sample roasting prior to analyses in paleoclimatological studies. Over the last several decades, however, researchers have found evidence to suggest that the friction associated with the sampling of biogenic carbonates via milling/drilling also induces inversion. Furthermore, this inversion may be associated with a shift in measured oxygen isotopic values and ultimately have significant implications for the interpretation of paleoclimatic reconstructions. Despite this, the isotopic heterogeneity of biogenic aragonite skeletons makes the effects of inversion challenging to test and the subject remains underrepresented in the literature. Here we present a first order study into the effects of milling on both the mineralogy and isotopic compositions measured in sclerosponges, corals, and molluscs. X-Ray diffraction analysis of samples hand ground with a mortar and pestle reveal 100% aragonitic skeletons. Conversely, samples milled with a computerized micromill show measurable inversion to calcite. On average, percent inversion of aragonite to calcite for individual specimens was 15% for sclerosponges, 16% for corals, and 9% for molluscs. Isotopic data from these specimens show that the higher the percentage of aragonite inverted to calcite, the more depleted the measured oxygen isotopic values. In the largest of the datasets (sclerosponges), it is evident that the range of oxygen isotope values from milled samples (-0.02 to +0.84%) exceeds the range in values for those samples which were hand ground and showed no inversion (+0.53 to +0.90%). This, coupled with the strong correlation between the two variables

  11. Oxygen isotope fractionation in the CaCO3-DIC-H2O system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devriendt, Laurent S.; Watkins, James M.; McGregor, Helen V.

    2017-10-01

    The oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) of inorganic and biogenic carbonates is widely used to reconstruct past environments. However, the oxygen isotope exchange between CaCO3 and H2O rarely reaches equilibrium and kinetic isotope effects (KIE) commonly complicate paleoclimate reconstructions. We present a comprehensive model of kinetic and equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation between CaCO3 and water (αc/w) that accounts for fractionation between both (a) CaCO3 and the CO32- pool (α c / CO32-) , and (b) CO32- and water (α CO32- / w) , as a function of temperature, pH, salinity, calcite saturation state (Ω), the residence time of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in solution, and the activity of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. The model results suggest that: (1) The equilibrium αc/w is only approached in solutions with low Ω (i.e. close to 1) and low ionic strength such as in the cave system of Devils Hole, Nevada. (2) The sensitivity of αc/w to the solution pH and/or the mineral growth rate depends on the level of isotopic equilibration between the CO32- pool and water. When the CO32- pool approaches isotopic equilibrium with water, small negative pH and/or growth rate effects on αc/w of about 1-2‰ occur where these parameters covary with Ω. In contrast, isotopic disequilibrium between CO32- and water leads to strong (>2‰) positive or negative pH and growth rate effects on α CO32-/ w (and αc/w) due to the isotopic imprint of oxygen atoms derived from HCO3-, CO2, H2O and/or OH-. (3) The temperature sensitivity of αc/w originates from the negative effect of temperature on α CO32-/ w and is expected to deviate from the commonly accepted value (-0.22 ± 0.02‰/°C between 0 and 30 °C; Kim and O'Neil, 1997) when the CO32- pool is not in isotopic equilibrium with water. (4) The model suggests that the δ18O of planktic and benthic foraminifers reflects a quantitative precipitation of DIC in isotopic equilibrium with a high-pH calcifying fluid, leading

  12. Sulfur cycling in contaminated aquifers: What can we learn from oxygen isotopes in sulfate? (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knoeller, K.; Vogt, C.; Hoth, N.

    2009-12-01

    Bacterial reduction of dissolved sulfate (BSR) is a key process determining the natural attenuation in many contaminated aquifers. For example, in groundwater bodies affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) BSR reduces the contaminant load by producing alkalinity and facilitating a sustainable fixation of sulfur in the sediment. In aquifers contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons sulfate may act as a terminal electron acceptor for the anaerobic oxidation of the organic contaminants to carbon dioxide and water. Due to the isotope selectivity of sulfate reducing bacteria, BSR shows the most pronounced isotope fractionation within the sulfur cycle. While sulfur displays a straightforward kinetic enrichment in the residual sulfate described by the enrichment factor epsilon (ɛ), the mechanism of oxygen isotope fractionation is still being discussed controversially. Nevertheless, it is agreed on that oxygen isotope exchange between ambient water and residual sulfate occurs during BSR in natural environments. With respect to this potential isotope exchange, the fractionation parameter theta (θ) is introduced instead of the kinetic enrichment factor epsilon (ɛ). The dual isotope system considering both sulfate-sulfur and sulfate-oxygen isotope fractionation and the respective fractionation parameters ɛ and θ provides an excellent tool for the recognition and quantification of BSR. Beyond that, the dual isotope approach may help identify and estimate interfering sulfur transformations such as re-oxidation and disproportionation processes which is especially vital for the understanding of the overall natural attenuation potential of the investigated aquifers. We present two examples from different field studies showing the benefits of applying the combination of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in dissolved sulfate to reveal the details of the sulfur cycle. The first case study is concerned with the evaluation of the potential for BSR in an AMD-affected aquifer close to an

  13. Charge state distribution studies of pure and oxygen mixed krypton ECR plasma - signature of isotope anomaly and gas mixing effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Pravin; Mal, Kedar; Rodrigues, G

    2016-11-01

    We report the charge state distributions of the pure, 25% and 50% oxygen mixed krypton plasma to shed more light on the understanding of the gas mixing and the isotope anomaly [A. G. Drentje, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 63 (1992) 2875 and Y Kawai, D Meyer, A Nadzeyka, U Wolters and K Wiesemann, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 10 (2001) 451] in the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas. The krypton plasma was produced using a 10 GHz all-permanent-magnet ECR ion source. The intensities of the highly abundant four isotopes, viz. 82 Kr (~11.58%), 83 Kr (~11.49%), 84 Kr (~57%) and 86 Kr (17.3%) up to ~ +14 charge state have been measured by extracting the ions from the plasma and analysing them in the mass and the energy using a large acceptance analyzer-cum-switching dipole magnet. The influence of the oxygen gas mixing on the isotopic krypton ion intensities is clearly evidenced beyond +9 charge state. With and without oxygen mixing, the charge state distribution of the krypton ECR plasma shows the isotope anomaly with unusual trends. The anomaly in the intensities of the isotopes having quite closer natural abundance, viz. 82 Kr, 86 Kr and 83 Kr, 86 Kr is prominent, whereas the intensity ratio of 86 Kr to 84 Kr shows a weak signature of it. The isotope anomaly tends to disappear with increasing oxygen mixing in the plasma. The observed trends in the intensities of the krypton isotopes do not follow the prediction of linear Landau wave damping in the plasma. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Seasonality of bottom water temperature in the northern North Sea reconstructed from the oxygen isotope composition of the bivalve Arctica islandica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trofimova, Tamara; Andersson, Carin; Bonitz, Fabian

    2017-04-01

    The seasonality of temperature changes is an important characteristic of climate. However, observational data for the ocean are only available for the last 150 year from a limited number of locations. Prior to 18th century information is only available from proxy reconstructions. The vast majority of such reconstructions depend on land-based archives, primarily from dendrochronology. Established marine proxy records for the ocean, especially at high latitudes, are both sparsely distributed and poorly resolved in time. Therefore, the identification and development of proxies for studying key ocean processes at sub-annual resolution that can extend the marine instrumental record is a clear priority in marine climate science. In this study, we have developed a record of early Holocene seasonal variability of bottom water temperature from the Viking Bank in the northern most North Sea. This area is of a particular interest since the hydrography is controlled by the inflow of Atlantic water. The reconstruction is based on the oxygen isotope composition of the growth increments in two sub-fossil shells of Arctica islandica (Bivalvia), dated to 9600-9335 cal. yr BP. By combining radiocarbon dating and sclerochronological techniques a floating chronology spanning over 200 years was constructed. Using the chronology as an age model, oxygen isotope measurements from 2 shells were combined into a 22-years long record. The results from this oxygen isotope record are compared with stable oxygen isotope profiles from modern shells to estimate changes in the mean state and seasonality between present and early Holocene. Shell-derived oxygen isotope values together with ice-volume corrected oxygen isotope values for the seawater were used to calculate bottom-water temperatures on a sub-annual time-scale. Preliminary results of the reconstructed early Holocene bottom water temperature indicate higher seasonality and lower minimum temperature compared to the present.

  15. Carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of the carbonate facies

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The Vindhyan sedimentary succession in central India spans a wide time bracket from the Paleopro- terozoic to the Neoproterozoic period.Chronostratigraphic significance of stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of the carbonate phase in Vindhyan sediments has been discussed in some recent studies.However,the ...

  16. Analytical developments in the measurements of boron, nitrate, phosphate and sulphate isotopes and case examples of discrimination of nitrogen and sulphur sources in pollution studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, J.; Sheppard, D.S.; Robinson, B.W.

    1998-01-01

    Methods are documented for the analysis of B isotopes, O and N isotopes in nitrates. B isotopes can be measured by negative ion thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. Nitrate is recovered from groundwaters by ion exchange and the resulting silver nitrate combusted for stable isotope gas analysis. Oxygen isotope analysis of phosphates can be determined by generating and analysing CO 2 gas from the combustion of silver phosphate produced from aqueous samples. Sulphate in ground and surface waters can be separated and concentrated by ion exchange and precipitated as barium sulphate. This is reacted with graphite to yield CO 2 and CO, the latter being spark discharged to CO 2 and the total CO 2 measured for oxygen isotope analysis. Barium sulphide from this reaction is converted to silver sulphide which is reacted with cuprous oxide to give SO 2 gas for sulphur isotope measurements. A case study of the semi-rural Manakau area in New Zealand was conducted to see if nitrate isotopes could be used to detect the source of nitrate contamination (groundwater nitrate - 3- N). Nitrogen isotope (+4 to +12 per mille) coupled with oxygen isotope measurements (+5 to +9 per mille) demonstrated that the nitrogen is not sources from fertilisers but from some combination of septic tank and animal waste. For the case study of sulphate isotope use, sulphur and oxygen isotopic compositions of sulphate in river and lake water from seven major catchments of New Zealand were determined. The isotope analyses have allowed the distinction between natural (geological, geothermal and volcanic) and anthropogenic (fertiliser) sulphur sources. (author)

  17. Oxygen Isotopes Archived in Subfossil Chironomids: Advancing a Promising Proxy for Lake Water Isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasher, G. E.; Axford, Y.; Blair, N. E.

    2017-12-01

    Oxygen isotopes measured in subfossil chironomid head capsules (aquatic insect remains) in lake sediments are beginning to offer paleoclimate insights from previously under-studied areas of the world. Since the first published pilot study demonstrated the potential of chironomid δ18O to record lake water δ18O (Wooller et al., 2004), subsequent work has refined our understanding of this proxy: confirming via lab cultures that growth water controls head capsule δ18O (Wang et al., 2009), refining laboratory pretreatment protocols, and further validating the method by demonstrating strong agreement between carbonate and chironomid-derived paleo-isotope records (Verbruggen et al., 2009, 2010, 2011). However, outstanding questions remain, including the seasonality of chironomid growth, possible species-dependent vital effects, and diagenetic effects on the protein-chitin complex that comprise chironomid cuticles. To address some of these questions, we summarize available data from paired modern chironomid-lake water δ18O values from around the world and discuss climatic and environmental factors affecting chironomid isotopic signatures. We also present new data on the resistance of these subfossils to diagenesis and degradation throughout the late Quaternary using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) of chironomid remains up to >100,000 years old. As chironomids are nearly ubiquitous in lakes globally and, we argue, molecularly stable through glacial and interglacial cycles, this proxy has the potential to greatly expand the spatial and temporal resolution of Quaternary paleo-isotopes and thus climate records. In addition to reviewing and presenting new methodological advances, we also present applications of chironomid δ18O from millennial- to centennial-scale Holocene Greenland lake records.

  18. Controls of oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate formed during nitrification in soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mayer, B.; Bollwerk, S.M.; Vorhoff, B.; Mansfeldt, T.; Veizer, J.

    1999-01-01

    The isotopic composition of nitrate is increasingly used to determine sources and transformations of nitrogen in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate appear to be particularly useful, since they allow the differentiation between nitrate from atmospheric deposition (δ 18 O nitrate between +25 and +70 per mille), nitrate from fertilizers (δ 18 O nitrate +23 per mille), and nitrate derived from nitrification processes in soils (δ 18 O nitrate 3 molecule derive from H 2 O (with negative δ 18 O values dependent upon location) and one oxygen derives from atmospheric O 2 (δ 18 O = +23.5 per mille).. The objective of this study was to experimentally determine the extent to which water oxygen controls the δ 18 O value of nitrate, which is formed during nitrification in soils

  19. Raman spectroscopic studies of isotopic diatomic molecules and a technique for measuring stable isotope ratios using Raman scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harney, R.C.

    1976-01-01

    A method for measuring stable isotope ratios using Raman scattering has been developed. This method consists of simultaneously counting photons scattered out of a high-intensity laser beam by different isotopically-substituted molecules. A number of studies of isotopic diatomic molecules have been made. The Q-branches of the Raman spectra of the isotopic molecules 14 N 15 N and 16 O 18 O were observed at natural abundance in nitrogen and oxygen samples. Comparison of the ratios of the intensities of the Q-branches of the major nitrogen and oxygen isotopic molecules with mass spectrometric determinations of the isotopic compositions yielded scattering cross sections of 14 N 15 N relative to 14 N 14 N and 16 O 18 O relative to 16 O 16 O. These cross section ratios differ from unity, a difference which can be explained by considering nuclear mass effects on the Franck-Condon factors of the molecular transitions. The measured intensities of the 14 N 15 N and 16 O 18 O Q-branches provided the baseline data needed to make the previously-mentioned extrapolation. High-resolution (approximately 0.15 cm -1 ) spectra of the Q-branches of 14 N 14 N and 16 O 16 O yielded a direct determination of α/sub e/ (the difference between the rotational constant in the ground and first excited vibrational states) for these molecules. The measured values are in excellent agreement with those obtained by other means. Complete Raman spectra (pure rotation, rotation-vibration, and high-resolution Q-branch) were obtained on a sample of pure 18 O 18 O. Analysis of this data yielded the molecular parameters: the equilibrium internuclear separation r/sub e/, the moment of inertia I/sub e/, and the energy parameters α/sub e/, B/sub e/, and ΔG/sub 1 / 2 /. These are in good agreement with data obtained by microwave spectroscopy

  20. Evaporation Induced Oxygen Isotope Fractionation in Impact Ejecta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macris, C. A.; Young, E. D.; Kohl, I. E.; zur Loye, T. E.

    2017-12-01

    Tektites are natural glasses formed as quenched impact melt ejecta. Because they experienced extreme heating while entrained in a hot impact vapor plume, tektites allow insight into the nature of these ephemeral events, which play a critical role in planetary accretion and evolution. During tektite formation, the chemical and isotopic composition of parent materials may be modified by (1) vapor/liquid fractionation at high T in the plume, (2) incorporation of meteoric water at the target site, (3) isotope exchange with atmospheric oxygen (if present), or some combination of the three. Trends from O isotope studies reveal a dichotomy: some tektite δ18O values are 4.0-4.5‰ lower than their protoliths (Luft et al. 1987; Taylor & Epstein 1962), opposite in direction to a vaporization induced fractionation; increases in δ18O with decreasing SiO2 in tektites (Taylor & Epstein 1969) is consistent with vapor fractionation. Using an aerodynamic levitation laser furnace (e.g. Macris et al. 2016), we can experimentally determine the contributions of processes (1), (2) and (3) above to tektite compositions. We conducted a series of evaporation experiments to test process (1) using powdered tektite fused into 2 mm spheres and heated to 2423-2473 K for 50-90 s while levitated in Ar in the furnace. Mass losses were from 23 to 26%, reflecting evaporation of Si and O from the melt. The starting tektite had a δ18O value of 10.06‰ (±0.01 2se) and the residues ranged from 13.136‰ (±0.006) for the least evaporated residue to 14.30‰ (±0.02) for the most evaporated (measured by laser fluorination). The increase in δ18O with increasing mass loss is consistent with Rayleigh fractionation during evaporation, supporting the idea that O isotopes are fractionated due to vaporization at high T in an impact plume. Because atmospheric O2 and water each have distinctive Δ17O values, we should be able to use departures from our measured three-isotope fractionation law to evaluate

  1. Seasonal variation in kangaroo tooth enamel oxygen and carbon isotopes in southern Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brookman, Tom H.; Ambrose, Stanley H.

    2012-09-01

    Serial sampling of tooth enamel growth increments for carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses of Macropus (kangaroo) teeth was performed to assess the potential for reconstructing paleoseasonality. The carbon isotope composition of tooth enamel apatite carbonate reflects the proportional intake of C3 and C4 vegetation. The oxygen isotopic composition of enamel reflects that of ingested and metabolic water. Tooth enamel forms sequentially from the tip of the crown to the base, so dietary and environmental changes during the tooth's formation can be detected. δ13C and δ18O values were determined for a series of enamel samples drilled from the 3rd and 4th molars of kangaroos that were collected along a 900 km north-south transect in southern Australia. The serial sampling method did not yield pronounced seasonal isotopic variation patterns in Macropus enamel. The full extent of dietary isotopic variation may be obscured by attenuation of the isotopic signal during enamel mineralisation. Brachydont (low-crowned) Macropus teeth may be less sensitive to seasonal variation in isotopic composition due to time-averaging during mineralisation. However, geographic variations observed suggest that there may be potential for tracking latitudinal shifts in vegetation zones and seasonal environmental patterns in response to climate change.

  2. Oxygen isotope fractionation between bird bone phosphate and drinking water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amiot, Romain; Angst, Delphine; Legendre, Serge; Buffetaut, Eric; Fourel, François; Adolfssen, Jan; André, Aurore; Bojar, Ana Voica; Canoville, Aurore; Barral, Abel; Goedert, Jean; Halas, Stanislaw; Kusuhashi, Nao; Pestchevitskaya, Ekaterina; Rey, Kevin; Royer, Aurélien; Saraiva, Antônio Álamo Feitosa; Savary-Sismondini, Bérengère; Siméon, Jean-Luc; Touzeau, Alexandra; Zhou, Zhonghe; Lécuyer, Christophe

    2017-06-01

    Oxygen isotope compositions of bone phosphate (δ18Op) were measured in broiler chickens reared in 21 farms worldwide characterized by contrasted latitudes and local climates. These sedentary birds were raised during an approximately 3 to 4-month period, and local precipitation was the ultimate source of their drinking water. This sampling strategy allowed the relationship to be determined between the bone phosphate δ18Op values (from 9.8 to 22.5‰ V-SMOW) and the local rainfall δ18Ow values estimated from nearby IAEA/WMO stations (from -16.0 to -1.0‰ V-SMOW). Linear least square fitting of data provided the following isotopic fractionation equation: δ18Ow = 1.119 (±0.040) δ18Op - 24.222 (±0.644); R 2 = 0.98. The δ18Op-δ18Ow couples of five extant mallard ducks, a common buzzard, a European herring gull, a common ostrich, and a greater rhea fall within the predicted range of the equation, indicating that the relationship established for extant chickens can also be applied to birds of various ecologies and body masses. Applied to published oxygen isotope compositions of Miocene and Pliocene penguins from Peru, this new equation computes estimates of local seawater similar to those previously calculated. Applied to the basal bird Confuciusornis from the Early Cretaceous of Northeastern China, our equation gives a slightly higher δ18Ow value compared to the previously estimated one, possibly as a result of lower body temperature. These data indicate that caution should be exercised when the relationship estimated for modern birds is applied to their basal counterparts that likely had a metabolism intermediate between that of their theropod dinosaur ancestors and that of advanced ornithurines.

  3. Reply to Nicholson's comment on "Consistent calculation of aquatic gross production from oxygen triple isotope measurements" by Kaiser (2011

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Kaiser

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The comment by Nicholson (2011a questions the "consistency" of the "definition" of the "biological end-member" used by Kaiser (2011a in the calculation of oxygen gross production. "Biological end-member" refers to the relative oxygen isotope ratio difference between photosynthetic oxygen and Air-O2 (abbreviated 17δP and 18δP for 17O/16O and 18O/16O, respectively. The comment claims that this leads to an overestimate of the discrepancy between previous studies and that the resulting gross production rates are "30% too high". Nicholson recognises the improved accuracy of Kaiser's direct calculation ("dual-delta" method compared to previous approximate approaches based on 17O excess (17Δ and its simplicity compared to previous iterative calculation methods. Although he correctly points out that differences in the normalised gross production rate (g are largely due to different input parameters used in Kaiser's "base case" and previous studies, he does not acknowledge Kaiser's observation that iterative and dual-delta calculation methods give exactly the same g for the same input parameters (disregarding kinetic isotope fractionation during air-sea exchange. The comment is based on misunderstandings with respect to the "base case" 17δP and 18δP values. Since direct measurements of 17δP and 18δPdo not exist or have been lost, Kaiser constructed the "base case" in a way that was consistent and compatible with literature data. Nicholson showed that an alternative reconstruction of 17δP gives g values closer to previous studies. However, unlike Nicholson, we refrain from interpreting either reconstruction as a benchmark for the accuracy of g. A number of publications over the last 12 months

  4. Oxygen isotope fractionation and algal symbiosis in benthic foraminifera from the Gulf of Elat, Israel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchardt, B.; Hansen, H.J.

    1977-01-01

    In order to investigate possible isotopic fractionations due to algal symbiosis the oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of shell carbonate from symbiont-free and symbiont-bearing benthic foraminifera have been compared to that of molluscs living at the same locality. The material was collected over a depth profile in the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba), Israel, covering the interval from 4 to 125 metres. After corrections variations for temperature with depth, characteristic 18 O-depletions were observed in the foraminiferal shell carbonate when compared to the molluscs. These depletions are interpreted as 1) a constant vital effect seen in all the foraminifera studied and 2) an additional, light-dependent vital effect observed in the symbiont-bearing forms only, caused by incorporation of photosynthetic oxygen formed by the symbiotic algae. This additional vital effect emphasizes the difficulties in applying foraminifera to oxygen isotope palaeotemperature analyses. No well-defined differences in carbon isotope compositions are observed between symbiont-bearing and symbiont-free foraminifera. (author)

  5. Oxygen isotope fractionation and algal symbiosis in benthic foraminifera from the Gulf of Elat, Israel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buchardt, B; Hansen, H J [Copenhagen Univ. (Denmark)

    1977-01-01

    In order to investigate possible isotopic fractionations due to algal symbiosis the oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of shell carbonate from symbiont-free and symbiont-bearing benthic foraminifera have been compared to that of molluscs living at the same locality. The material was collected over a depth profile in the Gulf of Elat (Aqaba), Israel, covering the interval from 4 to 125 metres. After correcting for variations of temperature with depth, characteristic /sup 18/O-depletions were observed in the foraminiferal shell carbonate when compared to the molluscs. These depletions are interpreted as 1) a constant vital effect seen in all the foraminifera studied and 2) an additional, light-dependent vital effect observed in the symbiont-bearing forms only, caused by incorporation of photosynthetic oxygen formed by the symbiotic algae. This additional vital effect emphasizes the difficulties in applying foraminifera to oxygen isotope palaeotemperature analyses. No well-defined differences in carbon isotope compositions are observed between symbiont-bearing and symbiont-free foraminifera.

  6. Isotope-equipped measuring instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyagawa, Kazuo; Amano, Hiroshi

    1980-01-01

    In the steel industry, though the investment in isotope-equipped measuring instruments is small as compared with that in machinery, they play important role in the moisture measurement in sintering and blast furnaces, the thickness measurement in rolling process and others in automatic control systems. The economic aspect of the isotope-equipped measuring instruments is described on the basis of the practices in Kimitsu Works of Nippon Steel Corporation: distribution of such instruments, evaluation of economic effects, usefulness evaluation in view of raising the accuracy, and usefulness evaluation viewed from the failure of the isotope instruments. The evaluation of economic effects was made under the premise that the isotope-equipped measuring instruments are not employed. Then, the effects of raising the accuracy are evaluated for a γ-ray plate thickness gauge and a neutron moisture gauge for coke in a blast furnace. Finally, the usefulness was evaluated, assuming possible failure of the isotope-equipped measuring instruments. (J.P.N.)

  7. Oxygen Isotopes in Early Solar System Materials: A Perspective Based on Microbeam Analyses of Chondrules from CV Carbonaceous Chondrites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, R. H.; Leshin, L. A.; Guan, Y.

    2004-01-01

    Some of the biggest challenges to understanding the early history of the solar system include determining the distribution of oxygen isotopes amongst materials that existed in the solar nebula, and interpreting the processes that might have resulted in the observed isotopic distributions. Oxygen isotope ratios in any individual mineral grain from a chondritic meteorite may be the cumulative product of a variety of processes, including stellar nucleosynthetic events, gas/solid interactions in the molecular cloud, mixing of independent isotopic reservoirs in the nebula, mass-independent processing in the nebula, and mass-dependent fractionation effects in various environments. It is not possible to unravel this complex isotopic record unless the distribution of oxygen isotope ratios in chondritic materials is fully understood.

  8. Fractionation of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes between hydrated and free water molecules in aqueous urea solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakiuchi, M.; Matsuo, S.

    1985-01-01

    Ratios of D/H and 18 O/ 16 O in the vapor phase in equilibrium with aqueous urea solution with different urea molalities were measured at 15 and 25 0 C. Under the assumption that urea solutions consist of two species, i.e., the urea-water cluster and free water, the results are interpreted to give the average hydration number, i.e., the number of water molecules per urea molecule in the urea-water cluster. Good agreement was obtained for the hydration number estimated independently from hydrogen and oxygen isotopic fractions. On the basis of hydrogen isotopic data at 25 0 C, the average hydration number of urea in the cluster is 6.3 +/- 0.8 at 2.1 m and 2.75 +/- 0.08 at saturation (20.15 m). The corresponding average hydration numbers based on oxygen isotopic data were calculated to be 6.7 +/- 2.4 at 2.1 m and 2.75 +/- 0.25 at urea saturation. HD 16 O is enriched in the urea-water cluster and H 2 18 O is enriched in free water. Isotopic partitioning between the cluster and free water is markedly different from those between hydration spheres and free water in aqueous electrolyte solutions. 29 references, 6 figures, 5 tables

  9. Scavenging of oxygen vacancies at modulation-doped oxide interfaces: Evidence from oxygen isotope tracing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Yunzhong; Döbeli, M.; Pomjakushina, E.

    2017-01-01

    , the mechanisms underlying the extreme mobility enhancement remain elusive. Herein, we used 18O isotope exchanged SrTi18O3 as substrates to create 2DEG at room temperature with and without the LSMO buffer layer. By mapping the oxygen profile across the interface between STO18 and disordered LaAlO3 or yttria...

  10. Effects of Water Vapor on the Data Quality of the Stable Oxygen Isotopic Ratio of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, C. U.; White, J. W.; Vaughn, B.; Tans, P. P.; Pardo, L.

    2007-12-01

    The stable oxygen isotopic ratio of carbon dioxide can potentially track fundamental indicators of environmental change such as the balance between photosynthesis and respiration on regional to global scales. The Stable Isotope Laboratory (SIL) at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado at Boulder, has measured the stable isotopes of atmospheric carbon dioxide from more than 60 NOAA/Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) air flask-sampling sites since the early 1990s. If air is sampled without drying, oxygen can exchange between carbon dioxide and water in the flasks, entirely masking the desired signal. An attempt to investigate how water vapor is affecting the δ18O signal is accomplished by comparing the SIL measurements with specific humidity, calculated from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) global integrated surface hourly temperature and dew point database, at the time of sampling. Analysis of sites where samples have been collected initially without drying, and subsequently with a drying kit, in conjunction with the humidity data, has led to several conclusions. Samples that initially appear isotopically unaltered, in that their δ18O values are within the expected range, are being subtly influenced by the water vapor in the air. At Bermuda and other tropical to semi-tropical sites, the 'wet' sampling values have a seasonal cycle that is strongly anti-correlated to the specific humidity, while the 'dry' values have a seasonal cycle that is shifted earlier than the specific humidity cycle by 1-2 months. The latter phasing is expected given the seasonal phasing between climate over the ocean and land, while the former is consistent with a small, but measurable isotope exchange in the flasks. In addition, we note that there is a strong (r > 0.96) correlation between the average specific humidity and the percent of rejected samples for 'wet' sampling. This presents an opportunity for determining a threshold of

  11. Assessing Pyrite-Derived Sulfate in the Mississippi River with Four Years of Sulfur and Triple-Oxygen Isotope Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Killingsworth, Bryan A; Bao, Huiming; Kohl, Issaku E

    2018-05-17

    Riverine dissolved sulfate (SO 4 2- ) sulfur and oxygen isotope variations reflect their controls such as SO 4 2- reduction and reoxidation, and source mixing. However, unconstrained temporal variability of riverine SO 4 2- isotope compositions due to short sampling durations may lead to mischaracterization of SO 4 2- sources, particularly for the pyrite-derived sulfate load. We measured the sulfur and triple-oxygen isotopes (δ 34 S, δ 18 O, and Δ' 17 O) of Mississippi River SO 4 2- with biweekly sampling between 2009 and 2013 to test isotopic variability and constrain sources. Sulfate δ 34 S and δ 18 O ranged from -6.3‰ to -0.2‰ and -3.6‰ to +8.8‰, respectively. Our sampling period captured the most severe flooding and drought in the Mississippi River basin since 1927 and 1956, respectively, and a first year of sampling that was unrepresentative of long-term average SO 4 2- . The δ 34 S SO4 data indicate pyrite-derived SO 4 2- sources are 74 ± 10% of the Mississippi River sulfate budget. Furthermore, pyrite oxidation is implicated as the dominant process supplying SO 4 2- to the Mississippi River, whereas the Δ' 17 O SO4 data shows 18 ± 9% of oxygen in this sulfate is sourced from air O 2 .

  12. Growth patterns of an intertidal gastropod as revealed by oxygen isotope analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bean, J. R.; Hill, T. M.; Guerra, C.

    2007-12-01

    The size and morphology of mollusk shells are affected by environmental conditions. As a result, it is difficult to assess growth rate, population age structure, shell morphologies associated with ontogenetic stages, and to compare life history patterns across various environments. Oxygen isotope analysis is a useful tool for estimating minimum ages and growth rates of calcium carbonate secreting organisms. Calcite shell material from members of two northern California populations of the intertidal muricid gastropod Acanthinucella spirata was sampled for isotopic analysis. Individual shells were sampled from apex to margin, thus providing a sequential record of juvenile and adult growth. A. spirata were collected from a sheltered habitat in Tomales Bay and from an exposed reef in Bolinas. Abiotic factors, such as temperature, wave exposure, and substrate consistency, and biotic composition differ significantly between these sites, possibly resulting in local adaptations and variation in life history and growth patterns. Shell morphology of A. spirata changes with age as internal shell margin thickenings of denticle rows associated with external growth bands are irregularly accreted. It is not known when, either seasonally and/or ontogentically, these thickenings and bands form or whether inter or intra-populational variation exists. Preliminary results demonstrate the seasonal oxygen isotopic variability present at the two coastal sites, indicating 5-6 degC changes from winter to summertime temperatures; these data are consistent with local intertidal temperature records. Analysis of the seasonal patterns indicate that: 1) differences in growth rate and seasonal growth patterns at different ontogenetic stages within populations, and 2) differences in growth patterns and possibly age structure between the two A. spirata populations. These findings indicate that isotopic analyses, in addition to field observations and morphological measurements, are necessary to

  13. Sulfur and Oxygen Isotope Fractionation During Bacterial Sulfur Disproportionation Under Anaerobic Haloalkaline Conditions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poser, Alexander; Vogt, Carsten; Knöller, Kay; Sorokin, Dimitry Y.; Finster, Kai W.; Richnow, Hans H.

    2016-01-01

    Sulfur and oxygen isotope fractionation of elemental sulfur disproportionation at anaerobic haloalkaline conditions was evaluated for the first time. Isotope enrichment factors of the strains Desulfurivibrio alkaliphilus and Dethiobacter alkaliphilus growing at pH 9 or 10 were −0.9‰ to −1‰ for

  14. Preparation and use of nitrogen (2) oxide of special purity for production of oxygen and nitrogen isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polevoj, A.S.

    1989-01-01

    Problems related with production of oxygen and nitrogen isotopes by means of low-temperature rectification of nitrogen (2) oxide are analyzed. Special attention, in particular, is payed to the techniques of synthesis and high purification of initial NO, utilization of waste flows formed during isotope separation. Ways to affect the initial isotope composition of nitrogen oxide and the rate of its homogeneous-isotope exchange, which provide for possibility of simultaneous production of oxygen and nitrogen isotopes by means of NO rectification, are considered. Description of a new technique for high purification of nitrogen oxide, prepared at decomposition of nitric acid by sulfurous anhydride, suggested by the author is presented

  15. Dual temperature effects on oxygen isotopic ratio of shallow-water coral skeleton: Consequences on seasonal and interannual records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juillet-Leclerc, A.; Reynaud, S.

    2009-04-01

    Oxygen isotopic ratio from coral skeleton is regarded for a long time as promising climate archives at seasonal scale. Although in isotopic disequilibrium relative to seawater, it is supposed to obey to the isotope thermometer. Indeed, coral oxygen isotopic records are strongly temperature dependent, but d18O-temperature calibrations derived from different corals are highly variable. The isotope thermometer assumption does not take into account vital effects due to biogenic origin of the mineral. Corals are animals living in symbiosis with algae (zooxanthellae). Interactions between symbiont photosynthesis and coral skeleton carbonation have been abundantly observed but they remain poorly understood and the effects of photosynthesis on coral growth and skeleton oxygen ratio are ignored. Coral cultured under two light conditions enabled to relate metabolic parameters and oxygen isotopic variability with photosynthetic activity. By examining responses provided by each colony they revealed that photosynthesis significantly affected d18O, by an opposite sense compared with the sole temperature influence. Since temperature and light changes are associated during seasonal variations, this complicates the interpretation of seasonal record. Additionally, this complexity is amplified because photosynthetic activity is also directly impacted by temperature variability. Thus, the annual isotopic amplitude due to the "physical" temperature influence is partly compensated through photosynthesis. Similar opposite effect is also shown by extension rate of the cultured colonies. First, we will examine and quantify consequences of photosynthesis on growth rate and oxygen isotopic signature, from cultured corals. Second, we will consider the consequences of this vital effect on data series, at seasonal and interannual time scales.

  16. Isotopic-spectral determination of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon in semiconductor materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dudich, G.K.; Eremeev, V.A.; Li, V.N.; Nemets, V.M.

    1981-01-01

    Techniques of low-temperature isotopic-spectral determination of impurities of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon in semiconductor materials Bi, Ge, Pb tellurides are developed. The techniques include selection into special vessel with the known volume (exchanger) of sample analyzed, dosed introduction into exchanger of rare isotope of the element determined ( 2 H, 15 N, 18 O, 13 C) in the form of isotope-containing gas, balancing of the determined element isotopes in the system sample-isotope, containing gas, spectroscopic, determination of its isotope composition in gaseous phase of the system and calculation of the amount of the element determined in the sample. The lower boundaries of the amounts determined constitute 10 -7 , 10 -7 , 10 -6 and 10 -5 mass % respectively when sample of 20 g are used [ru

  17. Electrolytic separation factors for oxygen isotopes in light and heavy water solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gulens, J.; Olmstead, W.J.; Longhurst, T.H.; Gale, K.L.; Rolston, J.H.

    1987-01-01

    The electrolytic separation factor, α, has been measured for /sup 17/O and /sup 18/O at Pt and Ni anodes in both light and heavy water solutions of 6M KOH as a function of current density. For oxygen-17, isotopic separation effects were not observed, within the experimental uncertainty of +-2%, under all conditions studied. For oxygen-18, there is a small difference of 2% in α values between Pt and Ni in both light and heavy water solutions, but there is no significant difference in α values between light and heavy water solutions. In light waters solutions, the separation factor at Pt is small, α(/sup 18/O) ≤ 1.02 for i ≥ 0.1 A/cm/sub 2/. This value agrees reasonably well with theoretical estimates

  18. Using Oxygen and Carbon Isotopic Signatures in Order to Infer Climatic and Dietary Information in Roman Edessa, Greece

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michael, Dimitra-Ermioni; Dotsika, Elissavet

    2017-12-01

    Even though many isotopic studies have been conducted on ancient populations from Greece for the purpose of dietary reconstruction; mostly through carbon and nitrogen isotopic signals of bone collagen, less attention has been given to the utility of apatite signatures (oxygen and carbon) as dietary and palaeoenvironmental tools. Moreover, until recently the isotopic signal of tooth enamel for both the purposes of environmental and dietary reconstructions has been rarely assessed in ancient Greek societies. Therefore, the present study aims to provide with novel isotopic information regarding Edessa; a town in Northern Greece, during the Roman period. The current study primarily aims to explore the possible differentiation between the present climatic conditions in Edessa in relation to those occurring at the Roman period. Secondly, this study aims to reveal the significant utility of enamel isotopic signatures (carbon and oxygen) in palaeoenvironmental and palaeodietary studies regarding ancient human remains. The isotopic analyses have been conducted at the Stable Isotope and Radiocarbon Unit of INN, NCSR “Demokritos”. The population of Roman Edessa (2nd-4th c. AD) consists of 22 individuals, providing with 19 bone samples and 16 enamel ones. The mean enamel oxygen value is at -7.7 ±1.1 %0, the bone apatite mean oxygen value at -9.2 ±1.9 %0, and finally the mean carbon enamel value is at -11.7 ±1.2 %0. Oxygen values probably indicate that Edessa had a cooler climate during the Roman times in relation to present conditions, even though more research should be carried out in order to be more certain. In addition, the possible existence of non-local individuals has been revealed through the oxygen teeth enamel-bone apatite spacing. Finally, the carbon enamel signature has pointed out possible differentiations between the adult and the juvenile diet. Based on Edessa’s findings, the stated study strongly encourages the enamel oxygen and carbon isotopic signals

  19. Simulated oxygen isotopes in cave drip water and speleothem calcite in European caves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Wackerbarth

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Interpreting stable oxygen isotope18O records from stalagmites is still one of the complex tasks in speleothem research. Here, we present a novel model-based approach, where we force a model describing the processes and modifications of δ18O from rain water to speleothem calcite (Oxygen isotope Drip water and Stalagmite Model – ODSM with the results of a state-of-the-art atmospheric general circulation model enhanced by explicit isotope diagnostics (ECHAM5-wiso. The approach is neither climate nor cave-specific and allows an integrated assessment of the influence of different varying climate variables, e.g. temperature and precipitation amount, on the isotopic composition of drip water and speleothem calcite.

    First, we apply and evaluate this new approach under present-day climate conditions using observational data from seven caves from different geographical regions in Europe. Each of these caves provides measured δ18O values of drip water and speleothem calcite to which we compare our simulated isotope values. For six of the seven caves modeled δ18O values of drip water and speleothem calcite are in good agreement with observed values. The mismatch of the remaining caves might be caused by the complexity of the cave system, beyond the parameterizations included in our cave model.

    We then examine the response of the cave system to mid-Holocene (6000 yr before present, 6 ka climate conditions by forcing the ODSM with ECHAM5-wiso results from 6 ka simulations. For a set of twelve European caves, we compare the modeled mid-Holocene-to-modern difference in speleothem calcite δ18O to available measurements. We show that the general European changes are simulated well. However, local discrepancies are found, and might be explained either by a too low model resolution, complex local soil-atmosphere interactions affecting evapotranspiration or by cave specific factors

  20. Multiple taxon multiple locality approach to providing oxygen isotope evidence for warm-blooded theropod dinosaurs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fricke, Henry C.; Rogers, Raymond R.

    2000-09-01

    Oxygen isotope ratios of fossil remains of coexisting taxa from several different localities can be used to help investigate dinosaur thermoregulation. Focusing on the Late Cretaceous, oxygen isotope ratios of crocodile tooth enamel from four separate localities exhibit less of a decrease with latitude than do ratios of tooth enamel from coexisting theropod dinosaurs. A shallower latitudinal gradient for crocodiles is consistent with how oxygen isotope ratios should vary for heterothermic animals having body temperatures coupled with their environments (“cold blooded”), while a steeper gradient for theropods is consistent with how these ratios should vary for homeothermic animals having constant body temperatures independent of their environments (“warm blooded”). This inferred homoethermy in theropods is likely due to higher rates of metabolic heat production relative to crocodiles and is not an artifact of body size.

  1. In vivo EPR oximetry using an isotopically-substituted nitroxide: Potential for quantitative measurement of tissue oxygen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, John; Burks, Scott R.; Liu, Ke Jian; Kao, Joseph P.Y.; Rosen, Gerald M.

    2017-01-01

    Variations in brain oxygen (O2) concentration can have profound effects on brain physiology. Thus, the ability to quantitate local O2 concentrations noninvasively in vivo could significantly enhance understanding of several brain pathologies. However, quantitative O2 mapping in the brain has proven difficult. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of nitroxides are sensitive to molecular O2 and can be used to estimate O2 concentrations in aqueous media. We recently synthesized labile-ester-containing nitroxides, such as 3-acetoxymethoxycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxyl (nitroxide 4), which accumulate in cerebral tissue after in situ hydrolysis, and thus enable spatial mapping of O2 concentrations in the mouse brain by EPR imaging. In an effort to improve O2 quantitation, we prepared 3-acetoxymethox ycarbonyl-2,2,5,5-tetra(2H3)methyl-1-(3,4,4-2H3,1-15N)pyrrolidinyloxyl (nitroxide 2), which proved to be a more sensitive probe than its normo-isotopic version for quantifying O2 in aqueous solutions of various O2 concentrations. We now demonstrate that this isotopically substituted nitroxide is ~2-fold more sensitive in vivo than the normo-isotopic nitroxide 4. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo EPR spectral-spatial imaging results with nitroxide 2 demonstrate significant improvement in resolution, reconstruction and spectral response to local O2 concentrations in cerebral tissue. Thus, isotopic-substituted nitroxides, such as 2, are excellent sensors for in vivo O2 quantitation in tissues, such as the brain. PMID:27567323

  2. Oxygen isotopic abundances in calcium- aluminum-rich inclusions from ordinary chondrites: implications for nebular heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKeegan, K D; Leshin, L A; Russell, S S; MacPherson, G J

    1998-04-17

    The oxygen isotopic compositions of two calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from the unequilibrated ordinary chondrite meteorites Quinyambie and Semarkona are enriched in 16O by an amount similar to that in CAIs from carbonaceous chondrites. This may indicate that most CAIs formed in a restricted region of the solar nebula and were then unevenly distributed throughout the various chondrite accretion regions. The Semarkona CAI is isotopically homogeneous and contains highly 16O-enriched melilite, supporting the hypothesis that all CAI minerals were originally 16O-rich, but that in most carbonaceous chondrite inclusions some minerals exchanged oxygen isotopes with an external reservoir following crystallization.

  3. Stratigraphy on Oxygen and Carbon Isotope of Paciran Formation East Java

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Premonowati; R P Koesoemadinata; Harsono-Pringgoprawiro; Wahyoe-S-Hantoro

    2004-01-01

    Paleotemperature fluctuation in tropical zone (centennial and decad al scale) has been known. It's based on stable isotopic analysis from each of unconformity zones. Those boundaries have derived on reef units of shallows marine reef complex of Paciran Formation, Tuban area in Northeast Java Basin. From 25 samples have been choosen on undeformed calcite and analyzed by oxygen and carbon stable isotope. It used to validizing a sea level changes during the formation to Reef 1 to Reef 17 from Paciran formation with sea surface temperature (SST) since 4 Ma until now. On early forming of Reef 1 to Reef 3 (since 4 Ma - 2,88 Ma), sea level occurred marine flooding surface. Since the formation of reef 4 (2,59 Ma) to Reef 8 (1,4 Ma) occurred stagnant temperature and almost to warmer condition. Then, δ 18 O have arise up drastically to 5 0/00 and shows warmer condition to Reef 8 formation, in contrary, the sea level have been arised to Reef 10 formation (0,7 Ma). The temperature have been fluctuated between 0,5 o and 1 o C until the formation of Reef 17 (Early Holocene) and continued to Reef 17 formation at 2 o C based on the rapidity sampling of Po rites sp. Wholly, in centennial scale, since the formation of Reef 4 (2,59 Ma) to Reef 17 (1 Ma), the curve of oxygen stable isotope shows decrease or cooler condition. Those condition have conducted to sea level drop since the formation to Reef 7 and Reef 8. There are 4 periods of interglacial since the formation of Reef 4. The warmer condition indicated since the formation of Reef 9, Reef 11 and Reef 17. Recently, a curve of oxygen isotopes reveals warmer drastically or sea level have been arisen. (author)

  4. Direct dating of the oxygen-isotope record of the last deglaciation by 14C accelerator mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duplessy, J.C.; Arnold, Maurice; Maurice, Pierre; Bard, Edouard; Duprat, Josette; Moyes, Jean

    1986-01-01

    The authors have measured 14 C for various species of foraminifera to produce a reliable timescale for the oxygen-isotope record. The results show that, at the end of the last ice age, continental ice sheets began to melt more than 4,000 yr before the Northern Hemisphere maximum of summer calorific radiation. (author)

  5. Quasi-free one nucleon knockout reactions on neutron-rich oxygen isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atar, Leyla; Aumann, Thomas [TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt (Germany); GSI, Darmstadt (Germany); Bertulani, Carlos [Texas A and M University-Commerce, Commerse (United States); Paschalis, Stefanos [TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt (Germany); Nociforo, Chiara [GSI, Darmstadt (Germany); Collaboration: R3B-Collaboration

    2015-07-01

    Recent experiments have shown a reduction of spectroscopic strengths to about 60-70% for stable nuclei. When going to drip lines this tendency is changing, loosely bound nucleons have spectroscopic strengths close unity while deeply bound nucleons have a large reduction of the strength. We aim to make a systematic study of spectroscopic factors (SF) of the Oxygen isotopes using quasi-free (p,2p) and (p,pn) knockout reactions in inverse kinematics. Quasi-free knockout reactions are a direct tool to study the occupancy and the location of valance and deeply bound single particle states. The Oxygen isotopes offer a large variation of separation energies which will allow us to obtain a qualitative and quantitative understanding of SF in a large variation of isospin asymmetry. For this we performed an experiment at the R3B-LAND setup at the GSI with secondary beams containing {sup 14-24}O. The {sup 16-18}O and {sup 21-23}O isotopes have been analyzed and the preliminary results will be presented. The results include the partial cross sections, gamma ray spectra of the residual fragments in coincidence, and the SF obtained via comparison with theory.

  6. Do oxygen stable isotopes track precipitation moisture source in vascular plant dominated peatlands?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charman, D.; Amesbury, M. J.; Newnham, R.; Loader, N.; Goodrich, J. P.; Gallego-Sala, A. V.; Royles, J.; Keller, E. D.; Baisden, W. T.

    2014-12-01

    Variations in the isotopic composition of precipitation are determined by fractionation processes which occur during temperature and humidity dependent phase changes associated with evaporation and condensation. Oxygen stable isotope ratios have therefore been frequently used as a source of palaeoclimate data from a variety of proxy archives. Exploitation of this record from ombrotrophic peatlands, where the source water used in cellulose synthesis is derived solely from precipitation, has been mostly limited to Northern Hemisphere Sphagnum-dominated bogs, with limited application in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) or in peatlands dominated by vascular plants. Throughout New Zealand (NZ), the preserved root matrix of the restionaceous wire rush (Empodisma spp.) forms deep peat deposits. NZ provides an ideal location to undertake empirical research into oxygen isotope fractionation in vascular peatlands because sites are ideally suited to single taxon analysis, preserve potentially high resolution full Holocene palaeoclimate records and are situated in the climatically sensitive SH mid-latitudes. Crucially, large gradients exist in the mean isotopic composition of precipitation across NZ, caused primarily by the relative influence of different climate modes. We test the capacity for δ18O analysis of Empodisma alpha cellulose from ombrotrophic restiad peatlands in NZ to provide a methodology for developing palaeoclimate records. We took surface plant, water and precipitation samples over spatial (six sites spanning >10° latitude) and temporal (monthly measurements over one year) gradients. We found a strong link between the isotopic compositions of surface root water, the most likely source water for plant growth, and precipitation in both datasets. Back-trajectory modelling of precipitation moisture source for rain days prior to sampling showed clear seasonality in the temporal data that was reflected in surface root water. The link between source water and plant

  7. Oxygen isotopic analyses of individual planktic foraminifera species: Implications for seasonality in the western Arabian Sea

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Naidu, P.D.; Niitsuma, N.; Naik, S.S.

    The variation of stable isotopes between individual shells of planktic foraminifera of a given species and size may provide short-term seasonal insight on Paleoceanography. In this context, oxygen isotope analyses of individual Globigerinoides...

  8. Triple oxygen isotope systematics of structurally bonded water in gypsum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herwartz, Daniel; Surma, Jakub; Voigt, Claudia; Assonov, Sergey; Staubwasser, Michael

    2017-07-01

    The triple oxygen isotopic composition of gypsum mother water (gmw) is recorded in structurally bonded water in gypsum (gsbw). Respective fractionation factors have been determined experimentally for 18O/16O and 17O/16O. By taking previous experiments into account we suggest using 18αgsbw-gmw = 1.0037; 17αgsbw-gmw = 1.00195 and θgsbw-gmw = 0.5285 as fractionation factors in triple oxygen isotope space. Recent gypsum was sampled from a series of 10 ponds located in the Salar de Llamara in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Total dissolved solids (TDS) in these ponds show a gradual increase from 23 g/l to 182 g/l that is accompanied by an increase in pond water 18O/16O. Gsbw falls on a parallel curve to the ambient water from the saline ponds. The offset is mainly due to the equilibrium fractionation between gsbw and gmw. However, gsbw represents a time integrated signal biased towards times of strong evaporation, hence the estimated gmw comprises elevated 18O/16O compositions when compared to pond water samples taken on site. Gypsum precipitation is associated with algae mats in the ponds with lower salinity. No evidence for respective vital effects on the triple oxygen isotopic composition of gypsum hydration water is observed, nor are such effects expected. In principle, the array of δ18Ogsbw vs. 17Oexcess can be used to: (1) provide information on the degree of evaporation during gypsum formation; (2) estimate pristine meteoric water compositions; and (3) estimate local relative humidity which is the controlling parameter of the slope of the array for simple hydrological situations. In our case study, local mining activities may have decreased deep groundwater recharge, causing a recent change of the local hydrology.

  9. The Oxygen Isotopic Composition of MIL 090001: A CR2 Chondrite with Abundant Refractory Inclusions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Lindsay P.; McKeegan, K. D.; Sharp, Z. D.

    2012-01-01

    MIL 090001 is a large (>6 kg) carbonaceous chondrite that was classified as a member of the CV reduced subgroup (CVred) that was recovered during the 2009-2010 ANSMET field season [1]. Based on the abundance of refractory inclusions and the extent of aqueous alteration, Keller [2] suggested a CV2 classification. Here we report additional mineralogical and petrographic data for MIL 090001, its whole-rock oxygen isotopic composition and ion microprobe analyses of individual phases. The whole rock oxygen isotopic analyses show that MIL 090001 should be classified as a CR chondrite.

  10. Estimating of gas transfer velocity using triple isotopes of dissolved oxygen.

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sarma, V.V.S.S.; Abe, O.; Honda, M.; Saino, T.

    variations in oxygen isotopes are found to be higher than the direct estimations at low wind speed (<5 m s sup(-1)) and lower at high wind speeds (>13 m s sup(-1)) and showed significant spatial variability. The method presented here can be used to derive...

  11. The Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Phosphate: A Tracer for Phosphate Sources and Cycling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mclaughlin, K. [Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, University of California, CA (United States); Young, M. B.; Paytan, A.; Kendall, C. [U.S. Geological Survey, University of California, CA (United States)

    2013-05-15

    Phosphorus (P) is a limiting macro-nutrient for primary productivity and anthropogenic P-loading to aquatic ecosystems is one of the leading causes of eutrophication in many ecosystems throughout the world. Because P has only one stable isotope, traditional isotope techniques are not possible for tracing sources and cycling of P in aquatic systems. However, much of the P in nature is bonded to four oxygen (O) atoms as orthophosphate (PO{sub 4}{sup 3-}). The P-O bonds in orthophosphate are strongly resistant to inorganic hydrolysis and do not exchange oxygen with water without biological mediation (enzyme-mediated recycling). Thus, the oxygen isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic phosphate ({delta}{sup 18}O{sub p}) may be used as a tracer for phosphate sources and cycling in aquatic ecosystems. Recently, several studies have been conducted utilizing {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} as a tracer for phosphate sources and cycling in various aquatic environments. Specifically, work to date indicates that {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} is useful for determining sources of phosphate to aquatic systems if these sources have unique isotopic signatures and phosphate cycling within the system is limited compared to input fluxes. In addition, because various processes imprint specific fractionation effects, the {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} tracer can be utilized to determine the degree of phosphorous cycling and processing through the biomass. This chapter reviews several of these studies and discusses the potential to utilize the {delta}{sup 18}O{sub p} of phosphate in rivers and streams. (author)

  12. Comparison of interglacial warm events since the marine oxygen isotope stage 11

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Oba, T.; Banakar, V.K.

    Large numbers of oxygen isotopic curves of benthic foraminifcral tests from deep-sea sediment cores have been published. The curves are well-established reliable proxies for past climate and relative sea level fluctuations. In order to understand...

  13. EQUILIBRIUM AND KINETIC NITROGEN AND OXYGEN-ISOTOPE FRACTIONATIONS BETWEEN DISSOLVED AND GASEOUS N2O

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    INOUE, HY; MOOK, WG

    1994-01-01

    Experiments were performed to determine the equilibrium as well as kinetic stable nitrogen and oxygen isotope fractionations between aqueous dissolved and gaseous N2O. The equilibrium fractionations, defined as the ratio of the isotopic abundance ratios (15R and 18R, respectively) of gaseous and

  14. Forensic applications of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in tracing nitrate sources in urban environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, S.R.; Ging, P.B.; Lee, R.W.; Ebbert, J.C.; Tesoriero, A.J.; Inkpen, E.L.

    2002-01-01

    Ground and surface waters in urban areas are susceptible to nitrate contamination from septic systems, leaking sewer lines, and fertilizer applications. Source identification is a primary step toward a successful remediation plan in affected areas. In this respect, nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrate, in conjunction with hydrologic data and water chemistry, have proven valuable in urban studies from Austin, Texas, and Tacoma, Washington. In Austin, stream water was sampled during stremflow and baseflow conditions to assess surface and subsurface sources of nitrate, respectively. In Tacoma, well waters were sampled in adjacent sewered and un-sewered areas to determine if locally high nitrate concentrations were caused by septic systems in the un-sewered areas. In both studies, sewage was identified as a nitrate source and mixing between sewage and other sources of nitrate was apparent. In addition to source identification, combined nitrogen and oxygen isotopes were important in determining the significance of denitrification, which can complicate source assessment by reducing nitrate concentrations and increasing ??15N values. The two studies illustrate the value of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate for forensic applications in urban areas. ?? Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. on behalf of AEHS.

  15. Carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotope fractionation during food cooking: Implications for the interpretation of the fossil human record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Royer, Aurélien; Daux, Valérie; Fourel, François; Lécuyer, Christophe

    2017-08-01

    Stable isotope data provide insight into the reconstruction of ancient human diet. However, cooking may alter the original stable isotope compositions of food due to losses and modifications of biochemical and water components. To address this issue, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios were measured on meat aliquots sampled from various animals such as pork, beef, duck and chicken, and also from the flesh of fishes such as salmon, European seabass, European pilchard, sole, gilt-head bream, and tuna. For each specimen, three pieces were cooked according to the three most commonly-known cooking practices: boiling, frying and roasting on a barbecue. Our data show that cooking produced isotopic shifts up to 1.8‰, 3.5‰, and 5.2‰ for δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 18 O values, respectively. Such variations between raw and cooked food are much greater than previously estimated in the literature; they are more sensitive to the type of food rather than to the cooking process itself, except in the case of boiling. Reconstructions of paleodietary may thus suffer slight bias in cases of populations with undiversified diets that are restrained toward a specific raw or cooked product, or using a specific cooking mode. In cases of oxygen isotope compositions from skeletal remains (bones, teeth), they not only constitute a valuable proxy for reconstructing past climatic conditions, but they could also be used to improve our knowledge of past human diet. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Palmyra Island Monthly Oxygen Isotope Data (delta 18O) for 1886-1998

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Palmyra Island Monthly Coral Oxygen Isotope Data. 112-yr, monthly-resolved coral record from Palmyra Island (5 deg 52 min N, 162 deg 8 min W). The coral was drilled...

  17. Separation of isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen by low temperature distillation of nitrogen oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isomura, Shohei; Tonooka, Yasuhiko; Kaetsu, Hayato

    1987-02-01

    In general, the distillation parameters, such as the number of theoretical plate (NTP) and the height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP), can be obtained from the operation at the steady state. However, it is time-consuming to achieve the steady state especially in the case of isotope separation. In this paper, with the purpose of simultaneous separation of isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen by NO distillation, we tried to determine the distillation parameters by an analytical method through the transient-state operation. It was confirmed that the results from the analysis were in good agreement with those observed for the operation at the steady state. Enrichment of the isotopes was carried out using a distillation column with a height of 1 m and inside diameter of 12 mm. The dependence of HETP on liquid flow rate was measured by the proposed method. The obtained HETP values were from 2 to 4 cm. The operation time of about 5 h was found to be long enough to determine the distillation parameters.

  18. Separation of isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen by low temperature distillation of nitrogen oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isomura, Shohei; Tonooka, Yasuhiko; Kaetsu, Hayato

    1987-01-01

    In general, the distillation parameters, such as the number of theoretical plate (NTP) and the height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP), can be obtained from the operation at the steady state. However, it is time-consuming to achieve the steady state especially in the case of isotope separation. In this paper, with the purpose of simultaneous separation of isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen by NO distillation, we tried to determine the distillation parameters by an analytical method through the transient-state operation. It was confirmed that the results from the analysis were in good agreement with those observed for the operation at the steady state. Enrichment of the isotopes was carried out using a distillation column with a height of 1 m and inside diameter of 12 mm. The dependence of HETP on liquid flow rate was measured by the proposed method. The obtained HETP values were from 2 to 4 cm. The operation time of about 5 h was found to be long enough to determine the distillation parameters. (author)

  19. The development of a completely automated oxygen isotope mass spectrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahern, T.K.

    1980-01-01

    A completely automated mass spectrometer system has been developed to measure the oxygen isotope ratio of carbon dioxide samples. The system has an accuracy of 0.03 percent, and is capable of analyzing more than 100 samples a day. The system uses an Interdata minicomputer as the primary controller. The intelligence of the system is contained within hardware circuits, software within the minicomputer, and firmware written for a Motorola 6802 microprocessor. A microprocessor-based inlet system controller maximizes the throughput of carbon dioxide samples within the inlet system. The inlet system normally contains four different aliquots of carbon dioxide and introduces these samples to the mass spectrometer through a single admittance leak. The system has been used in the analysis of 111 samples of ice taken from the Steele glacier

  20. Fractionation of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes at the hydrate gas forming in the sea sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pashkina, V.I.; Esikov, A.D.

    1990-01-01

    The paper gives data on isotope composition of interstitial and near-bottom waters sampled in a region of gas-hydrate formation in the Sea of Okhotsk. The studies show that heavy isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen is used in gas-hydrate formation, with the result that isotope composition of its constitution water constitutes δ 18 O=+1.99per mille, δD=+23per mille relatively to SMOW. Formation of autogenic carbonates leads to isotope exchange with interstitial water wich, in turn, changes its primary isotope composition in the direction of increasing of O-18 content. The near-bottom waters are isotope-light relatively to the SMOW standard and to the mean isotope composition of interstitial water in the studied region of gas-hydrate spreading. (orig.) [de

  1. Isotope exchange of molecular oxygen with oxygen of La0,7Sr0,3CoO3-δ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vdovin, G.K.; Kuzin, B.L.; Kurumchin, Eh.Kh.

    1991-01-01

    The exchange rate of the oxygen in La 0,7 Sr 0,3 CoO 3-δ has been measured by an isotopic exchange method at temperatures 620-1250 K and pressures 1.6-10 torr. The activation energy and the dependence of the exchange rate on pressures in gas have been defined. It is suggested that the knees on the temperature dependences of the exchange rate are attributed to the appearance of Co 2+ ions on the surface of the sample at elevated temperature as new centres of the exchange reaction. The activation energies of the adsorption and desorption processes on the La 0,7 Sr 0,3 CoO 3-δ surface have been estimated

  2. INVESTIGATION OF DISSOLVED SULPHATE IN VARIOUS GEOTHERMAL FIELDS OF SUMATRA USING OXYGEN AND SULPHUR ISOTOPES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Ristin Pujiindiyati

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available There are at least 30 high temperature systems; eleven active volcanoes, five degassing volcanoes and one caldera volcano controlled by Sumatra Fault Zone over a length of 1700 km. To understand this geothermal field system, some information about geochemistry including isotope composition in its fluid is needed. Sulphur-34 and oxygen-18 isotopes in dissolved sulphate pair have been used to determine the origin of acidic fluid of sulphate and to evaluate the process involved. The fluids from eight hot springs, two fumaroles, four deep wells and crater have been collected in along Sumatra geothermal fields. Sulphur-34 (d 34S (SO4, 0/00 CDT and oxygen-18 (d 18O (SO4, 0/00 SMOW in sulphate is analyzed according to Robinson-Kusakabe and Rafter method, respectively. The d 34S (SO4 values from Sibayak wells are more enriched of 16.8 0/00 to 18.2 0/0 that may indicate the dissolution of anhydrite minerals or isotope partitioning in hydration of SO2. The d 34S (SO4 values from two fumaroles (Pusuk Bukit - North Sumatra and Rantau Dadap - South Sumatra are at depleted value of -0.150/00 and 1.80/00, those are close to d 34S from magmatic sulphur.  In general, the d 34S (SO4 of springs spread in a wide range of 5.250/00 to14.20/00 and show a mixing process between atmospheric sulphate and sulphate from deep wells. The d 18O (SO4 from wells exhibits depleted value around -3.60/00 suggesting that 87.5% of sulphate oxygen is derived from groundwater oxygen and 12.5% is derived from atmospheric molecular oxygen in sulphide oxidation reaction. In the other hand, hot springs (except Semurup, crater and fumaroles have enriched value of d 18O (SO4. These enriched values suggest that a higher percentage of atmospherically derived oxygen compared to those from the depth.   Keywords: isotope, geothermal, Sumatra

  3. Modelling and Mapping Oxygen-18 Isotope Composition of Precipitation in Spain for Hydrologic and Climatic Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez-Arevalo, J.; Diaz-Teijeiro, M. F. [Centro de Estudios y Experimentacion de Obras Publicas (CEDEX), Madrid (Spain); Castano, S. [Geological Survey of Spain (IGME), Madrid (Spain)

    2013-07-15

    A simple multiple regression model based on two geographic factors (latitude and elevation) has been developed that reproduces reasonably well the spatial distribution of the current mean oxygen-18 isotope composition in precipitation over spain. In a preliminary analysis, additional geographic and climatic factors do not improve the performance of the model. A continuous digital map of oxygen-18 isotope composition in precipitation has been produced by combining the polynomial model with a digital elevation model using GIS tools. Application of the resulting map to several groundwater case studies in spain has shown it to be useful as a reference of the input function to recharge. Further validation of the model, and further testing of its usefulness in surface hydrology and climatic studies, is ongoing through comparison of model results with isotope data from the GNIP database and from isotope studies in hydrogeology and climate change taking place in spain. (author)

  4. Distribution of oxygen isotopes in the water masses of Drake Passage and the South Atlantic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meredith, Michael P.; Grose, Katie E.; McDonagh, Elaine L.; Heywood, Karen J.; Frew, Russell D.; Dennis, Paul F.

    1999-09-01

    Measurements of the ratio of stable isotopes of oxygen (18O and 16O) from samples collected on World Ocean Circulation Experiment sections SR1b (eastern Drake Passage) and A11 (Punta Arenas to Cape Town) are used, together with hydrographic data, to deduce information about the formation and variability of South Atlantic and Southern Ocean water masses. The Drake Passage surface waters south of the Polar Front (PF) are isotopically light (δ18O around -0.4‰) owing to the influence of meteoric waters. The salinity and δ18O of the A11 surface waters yield an apparent freshwater end-member which is much isotopically lighter than the local precipitation, thus advection of these waters from farther south dominates over local effects in determining the surface water properties. The Drake Passage section shows unusual proximity of the two main fronts of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (the PF and Subantarctic Front (SAF)), and we observe cold, fresh, and isotopically light water derived from the temperature-minimum Winter Water at the SAF. This water is of the correct density to freshen the intermediate water north of the SAF and thus play a role in the formation of the comparatively fresh Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) of the South Atlantic. This confirms the role of Antarctic water in forming the South Atlantic variety of AAIW. Across the A11 section the oxygen isotope and salinity data at the AAIW core show very similar traces, with waters in the Malvinas Current loop showing lowest values of both. At the eastern boundary of the South Atlantic, the input of Red Sea Water from east of South Africa is observed via the presence of anomalously isotopically heavy AAIW. We deduce potentially significant temporal variability in the isotopic composition of Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW) by comparing the Drake Passage data to earlier data covering the outflow of the Weddell Sea. The A11 data show WSDW consistent with such variability, indicating that its effects could

  5. Stable sulfur and oxygen isotopes as geochemical tracers of sulfate in karst waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jing; Kobayashi, Tatsuaki; Strosnider, William H. J.; Wu, Pan

    2017-08-01

    Karst water resources, which are extremely sensitive to mining activities, are critical for the support of human societies and ecological systems in many regions worldwide. In order to determine the sources and fate of dissolved sulfate in low-pH karst waters, hydrochemical variations of karst waters with and without acid mine drainage (AMD) impacts were investigated along with stable isotope dynamics. As expected, hydrochemical characteristics and isotopic compositions of the AMD and AMD-downstream water (ADW) were dramatically different from that of the non-AMD-impacted water (NAW). The sources of sulfur isotopes in sulfate were predominantly pyrite oxidation for the AMD and ADW, and atmospheric deposition for the NAW. Based on the general isotope-balance model, the relative proportions of sulfate oxygen derived from water and air were calculated. The mean proportion of sulfate oxygen derived from water in ADW was roughly double that of AMD. This suggests that the sulfate associated with AMD is predominantly influenced by aerobic pyrite oxidation, while that of ADW is likely affected by the dissolution of pyrite under anaerobic conditions in reservoir sediment. This observation was coincident with the noted variations of hydrochemical characteristics and was supported by principal component analysis. These results provide a better understanding of how stable isotopes of sulfate and water can be used to track mining contamination in karst aquifers, which could benefit remediation planning for these distinctive systems.

  6. Oxygen isotope geochemistry of The Geysers reservoir rocks, California

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gunderson, Richard P.; Moore, Joseph N.

    1994-01-20

    Whole-rock oxygen isotopic compositions of Late Mesozoic graywacke, the dominant host rock at The Geysers, record evidence of a large liquid-dominated hydrothermal system that extended beyond the limits of the present steam reservoir. The graywackes show vertical and lateral isotopic variations that resulted from gradients in temperature, permeability, and fluid composition during this early liquid-dominated system. All of these effects are interpreted to have resulted from the emplacement of the granitic "felsite" intrusion 1-2 million years ago. The {delta}{sup 18}O values of the graywacke are strongly zoned around a northwest-southeast trending low located near the center of and similar in shape to the present steam system. Vertical isotopic gradients show a close relationship to the felsite intrusion. The {delta}{sup 18}O values of the graywacke decrease from approximately 15 per mil near the surface to 4-7 per mil 300 to 600 m above the intrusive contact. The {delta}{sup 18}O values then increase downward to 8-10 per mil at the felsite contact, thereafter remaining nearly constant within the intrusion itself. The large downward decrease in {delta}{sup 18}O values are interpreted to be controlled by variations in temperature during the intrusive event, ranging from 150{degree}C near the surface to about 425{degree}C near the intrusive contact. The upswing in {delta}{sup 18}O values near the intrusive contact appears to have been caused by lower rock permeability and/or heavier fluid isotopic composition there. Lateral variations in the isotopic distributions suggests that the effects of temperature were further modified by variations in rock permeability and/or fluid-isotopic composition. Time-integrated water:rock ratios are thought to have been highest within the central isotopic low where the greatest isotopic depletions are observed. We suggest that this region of the field was an area of high permeability within the main upflow zone of the liquid

  7. Temperature evolution and the oxygen isotope composition of Phanerozoic oceans from carbonate clumped isotope thermometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henkes, Gregory A.; Passey, Benjamin H.; Grossman, Ethan L.; Shenton, Brock J.; Yancey, Thomas E.; Pérez-Huerta, Alberto

    2018-05-01

    Surface temperature is among the most important parameters describing planetary climate and habitability, and yet there remains considerable debate about the temperature evolution of the Earth's oceans during the Phanerozoic Eon (541 million years ago to present), the time during which complex metazoan life radiated on Earth. Here we critically assess the emerging record of Phanerozoic ocean temperatures based on carbonate clumped isotope thermometry of fossil brachiopod and mollusk shells, and we present new data that fill important gaps in the Late Paleozoic record. We evaluate and reject the hypothesis that solid-state reordering of 13C-18O bonds has destroyed the primary clumped isotope temperature signal of most fossils during sedimentary burial at elevated temperatures. The resulting Phanerozoic record, which shows a general coupling between tropical seawater temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels since the Paleozoic, indicates that tropical temperatures during the icehouse climate of the Carboniferous period were broadly similar to present (∼25-30 °C), and suggests that benthic metazoans were able to thrive at temperatures of 35-40 °C during intervals of the early and possibly the latest Paleozoic when CO2 levels were likely 5-10× higher than present-day values. Equally important, there is no resolvable trend in seawater oxygen isotope ratios (δ18 O) over the past ∼500 million years, indicating that the average temperature of oxygen exchange between seawater and the oceanic crust has been high (∼270 °C) since at least the early Paleozoic, which points to mid-ocean ridges as the dominant locus of water-rock interaction over the past half-billion years.

  8. Oxygen isotopes in garnet and accessory minerals to constrain fluids in subducted crust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubatto, Daniela; Gauthiez-Putallaz, Laure; Regis, Daniele; Rosa Scicchitano, Maria; Vho, Alice; Williams, Morgan

    2017-04-01

    Fluids are considered a fundamental agent for chemical exchanges between different rock types in the subduction system. Constraints on the sources and pathways of subduction fluids thus provide crucial information to reconstruct subduction processes. Garnet and U-Pb accessory minerals constitute some of the most robust and ubiquitous minerals in subducted crust and can preserve multiple growth zones that track the metamorphic evolution of the sample they are hosted in. Microbeam investigation of the chemical (major and trace elements) and isotopic composition (oxygen and U-Pb) of garnet and accessory minerals is used to track significant fluid-rock interaction at different stages of the subduction system. This approach requires consideration of the diffusivity of oxygen isotopes particularly in garnet, which has been investigated experimentally. The nature of the protolith and ocean floor alteration is preserved in relict accessory phases within eclogites that have been fully modified at HP conditions (e.g. Monviso and Dora Maira units in the Western Alps). Minerals in the lawsonite-blueschists of the Tavsanli zone in Turkey record pervasive fluid exchange between mafic and sedimentary blocks at the early stage of subduction. High pressure shear zones and lithological boundaries show evidence of intense fluid metasomatism at depth along discontinuities in Monviso and Corsica. In the UHP oceanic crust of the Zermatt-Saas Zone, garnet oxygen isotopes and tourmaline boron isotopes indicate multistage fluid infiltration during prograde metamorphism. Localized exchanges of aqueous fluids are also observed in the subducted continental crust of the Sesia-Lanzo Zone. In most cases analyses of distinct mineral zones enable identification of multiple pulses of fluids during the rock evolution.

  9. Oxygen isotope signature of UV degradation of glyphosate and phosphonoacetate: Tracing sources and cycling of phosphonates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandy, Edward H. [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown (Sierra Leone); Blake, Ruth E., E-mail: ruth.blake@yale.edu [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109 (United States); School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and National “International Cooperation Base on Environment and Energy”, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100084 (China); Chang, Sae Jung [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109 (United States); Jun, Yao, E-mail: yaojun@ustb.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074 (China); Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109 (United States); School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and National “International Cooperation Base on Environment and Energy”, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100084 (China); Yu, Chan [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109 (United States); School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and National “International Cooperation Base on Environment and Energy”, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2013-09-15

    Highlights: • Phosphonate (phon) hydrolysis by UVR (1.2 kW) attained ≥90% completion in 84 h. • Isotope study reveals both ambient H{sub 2}O and O{sub 2} involvements in phon C-P bond cleavage. • Mechanistic models proposed for phon C-P bond cleavage based on O-isotope analysis. • Model equations used to calculate δ{sup 18}O{sub P-org} of original phon P-moiety-useful as a tracer. • Study shows relevance in tracing phon sources and cycling in the environment. -- Abstract: The degradation of phosphonates in the natural environment constitutes a major route by which orthophosphate (Pi) is regenerated from organic phosphorus and recently implicated in marine methane production, with ramifications to environmental pollution issues and global climate change concerns. This work explores the application of stable oxygen isotope analysis in elucidating the C-P bond cleavage mechanism(s) of phosphonates by UV photo-oxidation and for tracing their sources in the environment. The two model phosphonates used, glyphosate and phosphonoacetic acid were effectively degraded after exposure to UV irradiation. The isotope results indicate the involvement of both ambient water and atmospheric oxygen in the C-P bond cleavage and generally consistent with previously posited mechanisms of UV-photon excitation reactions. A model developed to calculate the oxygen isotopic composition of the original phosphonate P-moiety, shows both synthetic phosphonates having distinctly lower values compared to naturally derived organophosphorus compounds. Such mechanistic models, based on O-isotope probing, are useful for tracing the sources and reactions of phosphonates in the environment.

  10. The mechanism of oxygen isotopic fractionation during fungal denitrification - A pure culture study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wrage-Moennig, Nicole; Rohe, Lena; Anderson, Traute-Heidi; Braker, Gesche; Flessa, Heinz; Giesemann, Annette; Lewicka-Szczebak, Dominika; Well, Reinhard

    2014-05-01

    Nitrous oxide (N2O) from soil denitrification originates from bacteria and - to an unknown extent - also from fungi. During fungal denitrification, oxygen (O) exchange takes place between H2O and intermediates of the denitrification process as in bacterial exchange[1,2]. However, information about enzymes involved in fungal O exchanges and the associated fractionation effects is lacking. The objectives of this study were to estimate the O fractionation and O exchange during the fungal denitrifying steps using a conceptual model[2] adapted from concepts for bacterial denitrification[3], implementing controls of O exchange proposed by Aerssens, et al.[4] and using fractionation models by Snider et al.[5] Six different pure fungal cultures (five Hypocreales, one Sordariales) known to be capable of denitrification were incubated under anaerobic conditions, either with nitrite or nitrate. Gas samples were analyzed for N2O concentration and its isotopic signatures (SP, average δ15N, δ18O). To investigate O exchange, both treatments were also established with 18O-labelled water as a tracer in the medium. The Hypocreales strains showed O exchange mainly at NO2- reductase (Nir) with NO2- as electron acceptor and no additional O exchange at NO3- reductase (Nar) with NO3- as electron acceptor. The only Hypocreales species having higher O exchange with NO3- than with NO2- also showed O exchange at Nar. The Sordariales species tested seems capable of O exchange at NO reductase (Nor) additionally to O exchange at Nir with NO2-. The data will help to better interpret stable isotope values of N2O from soils. .[1] D. M. Kool, N. Wrage, O. Oenema, J. Dolfing, J. W. Van Groenigen. Oxygen exchange between (de)nitrification intermediates and H2O and its implications for source determination of NO?3- and N2O: a review. Rapid Commun. Mass Spec. 2007, 21, 3569. [2] L. Rohe, T.-H. Anderson, B. Braker, H. Flessa, A. Giesemann, N. Wrage-Mönnig, R. Well. Fungal Oxygen Exchange between

  11. Fractionation of Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotopes and Roles of Bacteria during Denitrification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, J.; Buyanjargal, A.; Jeen, S. W.

    2017-12-01

    Nitrate in groundwater can cause health and environmental problems when not properly treated. The purpose of this study was to develop a treatment method for nitrate in groundwater using organic carbon-based reactive mixtures (i.e., wood chips and gravel) through column experiments and to evaluate reaction mechanisms responsible for the treatment. The column experiments were operated for a total of 19 months. The results from the geochemical analyses for the experiments suggest that cultures of denitrifying bacteria used organic carbon while utilizing nitrate as their electron acceptor via denitrification process. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in all samples, accounting for 45.7% of the bacterial reads, followed by Firmicutes (22.6%) and Chlorobi (10.6%). Bacilli, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria_c consisted of 32, 30, 23, 11, and 2% of denitrifying bacteria class. The denitrification process caused fractionation of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate while nitrate concentration decreased. When fitted to the Rayleigh's fractionation model, enrichment factors (ɛ) were 11.5‰ and 5.6‰ for 15N and 18O isotopes, respectively. Previous studies suggested that nitrogen isotope enrichment factors of denitrification are within the range of 4.7 to 40‰ and oxygen isotopic enrichment factors are between 8 and 18.3‰. This study shows that nitrate in groundwater can be effectively treated using passive treatment systems, such as permeable reactive barriers (PRBs), and denitrificaton is the dominant process reponsible for the removal of nitrate.

  12. Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotope Effects of Ammonia Oxidation by Thermophilic Thaumarchaeota from a Geothermal Water Stream.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishizawa, Manabu; Sakai, Sanae; Konno, Uta; Nakahara, Nozomi; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Saito, Yumi; Imachi, Hiroyuki; Tasumi, Eiji; Makabe, Akiko; Koba, Keisuke; Takai, Ken

    2016-08-01

    Ammonia oxidation regulates the balance of reduced and oxidized nitrogen pools in nature. Although ammonia-oxidizing archaea have been recently recognized to often outnumber ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in various environments, the contribution of ammonia-oxidizing archaea is still uncertain due to difficulties in the in situ quantification of ammonia oxidation activity. Nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrite (δ(15)NNO2- and δ(18)ONO2-, respectively) are geochemical tracers for evaluating the sources and the in situ rate of nitrite turnover determined from the activities of nitrification and denitrification; however, the isotope ratios of nitrite from archaeal ammonia oxidation have been characterized only for a few marine species. We first report the isotope effects of ammonia oxidation at 70°C by thermophilic Thaumarchaeota populations composed almost entirely of "Candidatus Nitrosocaldus." The nitrogen isotope effect of ammonia oxidation varied with ambient pH (25‰ to 32‰) and strongly suggests the oxidation of ammonia, not ammonium. The δ(18)O value of nitrite produced from ammonia oxidation varied with the δ(18)O value of water in the medium but was lower than the isotopic equilibrium value in water. Because experiments have shown that the half-life of abiotic oxygen isotope exchange between nitrite and water is longer than 33 h at 70°C and pH ≥6.6, the rate of ammonia oxidation by thermophilic Thaumarchaeota could be estimated using δ(18)ONO2- in geothermal environments, where the biological nitrite turnover is likely faster than 33 h. This study extended the range of application of nitrite isotopes as a geochemical clock of the ammonia oxidation activity to high-temperature environments. Because ammonia oxidation is generally the rate-limiting step in nitrification that regulates the balance of reduced and oxidized nitrogen pools in nature, it is important to understand the biological and environmental factors underlying the regulation of

  13. Preliminary study on the characteristics of carbon and oxygen isotopes in the Shiziping geothermal field groundwater in Emei Mountain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Xiujing; Jia Shuyuan

    2000-01-01

    Emei Mountain is a well-known scenic tourism spot in China. In order to promote the development of tourist trade, the authors have explored the hydrothermal water in Emei Mountain. At the beginning of 1998, the hydrothermal water was successfully drilled from the Shiziping geothermal field. In the process of prospecting the hydrothermal water, the authors adopted the geochemical method such as carbon and oxygen isotopes. The result indicates that the groundwater of different genetic types has different constitution characteristics of carbon and oxygen isotopes. This provides the important basis for finding out the forming conditions of underground hydrothermal water. So, it is prospective to study the growth characteristics of hydrothermal water with the carbon and oxygen isotopes of HCO 3 in groundwater

  14. Deuterium isotope fractionation between ortho-alkyl substituted phenols and t-butylthiol in oxygen bases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wawer, A.; Jelenska-Kazimierczuk, M.; Szydlowski, J.

    1998-01-01

    Equilibrium isotope effect in the exchange reaction of deuterium between phenol(P), 2-isopropyl phenol (IPP), 2,6-diisopropyl phenol (DIPP), 2,6-diterbutyl phenol (DTBP) and tertbutylthiol (TBT) has been studied in 296 K. The fractionation factors (α) have been measured in cyclohexane and carbon tetrachloride solutions and in a few oxygen bases: acetone, 1,4-dioxane, ethyl formate, ethyl ether, tetrahydrofurane, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide and hexamethylphosphoramide. Using chemical shifts of phenol OH protons, the thermodynamic parameters of complex formation with the oxygen bases have been determined. The experimental data show that lnα correlates with the formation enthalpy of the phenol-oxygen base complex in DIPP-TBT-base system but there is no simple correlation in IPP-TBT-base system. Furthermore, it was found that in DTBT-TBT-base system lnα depends linearly on the basicity of the solvent (DN parameters). On the other hand, lnα correlates with acidic parameters of the solvents (AN) in IPP-TBT-base and P-TBT-base systems. All above correlations are explained by taking into account two competition processes: self association of phenol molecules and their solvation by oxygen bases. (author)

  15. Oxygen and U-Th isotopes and the timescales of hydrothermal exchange and melting in granitoid wall rocks at Mount Mazama, Crater Lake, Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ankney, Meagan E.; Bacon, Charles R.; Valley, John W.; Beard, Brian L.; Johnson, Clark M.

    2017-01-01

    We report new whole rock U-Th and in-situ oxygen isotope compositions for partially melted (0–50 vol% melt), low-δ18O Pleistocene granitoid blocks ejected during the ∼7.7 ka caldera-forming eruption of Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake, Oregon). The blocks are interpreted to represent wall rocks of the climactic magma chamber that, prior to eruption, experienced variable amounts of exchange with meteoric hydrothermal fluids and subsequent partial melting. U-Th and oxygen isotope results allow us to examine the timescales of hydrothermal circulation and partial melting, and provide an “outside in” perspective on the buildup to the climactic eruption of Mt. Mazama. Oxygen isotope compositions measured in the cores and rims of individual quartz (n = 126) and plagioclase (n = 91) crystals, and for transects across ten quartz crystals, document zonation in quartz (Δ18OCore-Rim ≤ 0.1–5.5‰), but show homogeneity in plagioclase (Δ18OCore-Rim ≤ ±0.8‰). We propose that oxygen isotope zonation in quartz records hydrothermal exchange followed by high-temperature exchange in response to partial melting caused by injection of basaltic to andesitic recharge magma into the deeper portions of the chamber. Results of modeling of oxygen diffusion in quartz indicates that hydrothermal exchange in quartz occurred over a period of ∼1000–63,000 years. Models also suggest that the onset of melting of the granitoids occurred a minimum of ∼10–200 years prior to the Mazama climactic eruption, an inference which is broadly consistent with results for magnetite homogenization and for Zr diffusion in melt previously reported by others.Uranium-thorium isotope compositions of most granitoid blocks are in 238U excess, and are in agreement with a 238U enriched array previously measured for volcanic rocks at Mt. Mazama. Uranium excess in the granitoids is likely due to enrichment via hydrothermal circulation, given their low δ18O values. The sample with the

  16. Oxygen isotope fractionations across individual leaf carbohydrates in grass and tree species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehmann, Marco M; Gamarra, Bruno; Kahmen, Ansgar; Siegwolf, Rolf T W; Saurer, Matthias

    2017-08-01

    Almost no δ 18 O data are available for leaf carbohydrates, leaving a gap in the understanding of the δ 18 O relationship between leaf water and cellulose. We measured δ 18 O values of bulk leaf water (δ 18 O LW ) and individual leaf carbohydrates (e.g. fructose, glucose and sucrose) in grass and tree species and δ 18 O of leaf cellulose in grasses. The grasses were grown under two relative humidity (rH) conditions. Sucrose was generally 18 O-enriched compared with hexoses across all species with an apparent biosynthetic fractionation factor (ε bio ) of more than 27‰ relative to δ 18 O LW , which might be explained by isotopic leaf water and sucrose synthesis gradients. δ 18 O LW and δ 18 O values of carbohydrates and cellulose in grasses were strongly related, indicating that the leaf water signal in carbohydrates was transferred to cellulose (ε bio  = 25.1‰). Interestingly, damping factor p ex p x , which reflects oxygen isotope exchange with less enriched water during cellulose synthesis, responded to rH conditions if modelled from δ 18 O LW but not if modelled directly from δ 18 O of individual carbohydrates. We conclude that δ 18 O LW is not always a good substitute for δ 18 O of synthesis water due to isotopic leaf water gradients. Thus, compound-specific δ 18 O analyses of individual carbohydrates are helpful to better constrain (post-)photosynthetic isotope fractionation processes in plants. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Covariance of oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition in plant water: Species effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, L.W.; DeNiro, M.J. (Univ. of California, Los Angeles (United States))

    1989-12-01

    Leaf water becomes enriched in the heavy isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen during evapotranspiration. The magnitude of the enrichment has been shown to be influenced by temperature and humidity, but the effects of species-specific factors on leaf water enrichment of D and {sup 18}O have not been studied for different plants growing together. To learn whether leaf water enrichment patterns and processes for D and {sup 18}O are different for individual species growing under the same environmental conditions the authors tested the proposal that leaf waters in plants with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) show high sloped (m in the leaf water equation {delta}D = m {delta}{sup 18}O + b) than in C{sub 3} plants. They determined the relationships between the stable hydrogen ({delta}D) and oxygen ({delta}{sup 18}O) isotope ratios of leaf waters collected during the diurnal cycle of evapotranspiration for Yucca schidigera, Ephedra aspera, Agave deserti, Prunus ilicifolia, Yucca whipplei, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Dyckia fosteriana, Simmondsia chinensis, and Encelia farinosa growing at two sites in southern California. The findings indicate that m in the aforementioned equation is related to the overall residence time for water in the leaf and proportions of water subjected to repeated evapotranspiration enrichments of heavy isotopes.

  18. Variations in stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in atmospheric water vapor in the marine boundary layer across a wide latitude range.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jingfeng; Xiao, Cunde; Ding, Minghu; Ren, Jiawen

    2014-11-01

    The newly-developed cavity ring-down laser absorption spectroscopy analyzer with special calibration protocols has enabled the direct measurement of atmospheric vapor isotopes at high spatial and temporal resolution. This paper presents real-time hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope data for atmospheric water vapor above the sea surface, over a wide range of latitudes spanning from 38°N to 69°S. Our results showed relatively higher values of δ(18)O and δ(2)H in the subtropical regions than those in the tropical and high latitude regions, and also a notable decreasing trend in the Antarctic coastal region. By combining the hydrogen and oxygen isotope data with meteoric water line and backward trajectory model analysis, we explored the kinetic fractionation caused by subsiding air masses and related saturated vapor pressure in the subtropics, and the evaporation-driven kinetic fractionation in the Antarctic region. Simultaneous observations of meteorological and marine variables were used to interpret the isotopic composition characteristics and influential factors, indicating that d-excess is negatively correlated with humidity across a wide range of latitudes and weather conditions worldwide. Coincident with previous studies, d-excess is also positively correlated with sea surface temperature and air temperature (Tair), with greater sensitivity to Tair. Thus, atmospheric vapor isotopes measured with high accuracy and good spatial-temporal resolution could act as informative tracers for exploring the water cycle at different regional scales. Such monitoring efforts should be undertaken over a longer time period and in different regions of the world. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Oxygen isotope mass balance of atmospheric nitrate at Dome C, East Antarctica, during the OPALE campaign

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Savarino

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Variations in the stable oxygen isotope composition of atmospheric nitrate act as novel tools for studying oxidative processes taking place in the troposphere. They provide both qualitative and quantitative constraints on the pathways determining the fate of atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NO + NO2 = NOx. The unique and distinctive 17O excess (Δ17O = δ17O − 0.52 × δ18O of ozone, which is transferred to NOx via oxidation, is a particularly useful isotopic fingerprint in studies of NOx transformations. Constraining the propagation of 17O excess within the NOx cycle is critical in polar areas, where there exists the possibility of extending atmospheric investigations to the glacial–interglacial timescale using deep ice core records of nitrate. Here we present measurements of the comprehensive isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate collected at Dome C (East Antarctic Plateau during the austral summer of 2011/2012. Nitrate isotope analysis has been here combined for the first time with key precursors involved in nitrate production (NOx, O3, OH, HO2, RO2, etc. and direct observations of the transferrable Δ17O of surface ozone, which was measured at Dome C throughout 2012 using our recently developed analytical approach. Assuming that nitrate is mainly produced in Antarctica in summer through the OH + NO2 pathway and using concurrent measurements of OH and NO2, we calculated a Δ17O signature for nitrate on the order of (21–22 ± 3 ‰. These values are lower than the measured values that ranged between 27 and 31 ‰. This discrepancy between expected and observed Δ17O(NO3− values suggests the existence of an unknown process that contributes significantly to the atmospheric nitrate budget over this East Antarctic region. However, systematic errors or false isotopic balance transfer functions are not totally excluded.

  20. Oxygen isotopes in mammal bone phosphate: A new tool for paleohydrological and paleoclimatological research?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longinelli, Antonio

    1984-02-01

    Oxygen isotope analyses of water in blood of humans and domestic pigs indicate that the oxygen isotope fractionation effects between ingested water and body water are the same in all specimens of the same species. The δ18O of body water has been shown to vary linearly with the mean δ18O of local meteoric water. This conclusion also holds for the bone phosphate. Thus, δ18O( PO3-4) values of unaltered fossil bones from humans and domestic pigs can be used to reconstruct the δ18O values of local meteoric waters during the life-times of the mammals. Such data can be used for paleohydrological and paleoclimatological studies both on land and at sea.

  1. Stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of brines - comparing isotope ratio mass spectrometry and isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahrens, Christian; Koeniger, Paul; van Geldern, Robert; Stadler, Susanne

    2013-04-01

    Today's standard analytical methods for high precision stable isotope analysis of fluids are gas-water equilibration and high temperature pyrolysis coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometers (IRMS). In recent years, relatively new laser-based analytical instruments entered the market that are said to allow high isotope precision data on nearly every media. This optical technique is referred to as isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS). The objective of this study is to evaluate the capability of this new instrument type for highly saline solutions and a comparison of the analytical results with traditional IRMS analysis. It has been shown for the equilibration method that the presence of salts influences the measured isotope values depending on the salt concentration (see Lécuyer et al, 2009; Martineau, 2012). This so-called 'isotope salt effect' depends on the salt type and salt concentration. These factors change the activity in the fluid and therefore shift the isotope ratios measured by the equilibration method. Consequently, correction factors have to be applied to these analytical data. Direct conversion techniques like pyrolysis or the new laser instruments allow the measurement of the water molecule from the sample directly and should therefore not suffer from the salt effect, i.e. no corrections of raw values are necessary. However, due to high salt concentrations this might cause technical problems with the analytical hardware and may require labor-intensive sample preparation (e.g. vacuum distillation). This study evaluates the salt isotope effect for the IRMS equilibration technique (Thermo Gasbench II coupled to Delta Plus XP) and the laser-based IRIS instruments with liquid injection (Picarro L2120-i). Synthetic salt solutions (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, MgSO4, CaSO4) and natural brines collected from the Stassfurt Salt Anticline (Germany; Stadler et al., 2012) were analysed with both techniques. Salt concentrations ranged from seawater salinity

  2. Ras Umm Sidd Oxygen Isotope (delta 18O) Data for 1750 to 1995

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Ras Umm Sidd bimonthly coral oxygen isotope data (coral core RUS-95). Notes on the data: File (Ras Umm Sidd d18O.txt.) includes columns for Year AD (bimonthly...

  3. Role of stable isotope mass spectroscopy in hydrological sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keesari, Tirumalesh

    2017-01-01

    Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) is a specialized technique used to provide information about a given sample about its geographic, chemical, physical and biological origin. The ability to determine the source of water molecule stems from the relative isotopic abundances of its constituent elements, viz., hydrogen and oxygen or sometimes through its dissolved elements such as carbon, nitrogen and sulphur etc. Since the isotope ratios of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen can become locally enriched or depleted through a variety of kinetic and thermodynamic factors, measurement of the isotope ratios can be used to unravel the processes and differentiate water samples which otherwise exhibit similar chemical signatures. For brevity, this article focuses mainly on measurement of water isotopes, common notation for expressing isotope data and standards, theory of isotope hydrology, field applications and advances

  4. Stable hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur isotopes composition in different tissues of cattle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Fengmei; Shi Guangyu; Wang Huiwen; Yang Shuming

    2012-01-01

    In order to research on stable hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur isotopes composition in different tissues of cattle, as well as the breed, δ 2 H and δ 34 S values of different defatted muscle, cattle tail hair, blood, liver, also δ 2h and δ 18 O values of water from muscle were determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The stable sulfur isotope composition was not affected by cattle variety, meanwhile the hydrogen was uncertain; the δ 2 H and δ 34 S values between different defatted muscle, blood, liver, cattle hair were significantly different, at the same time the δ 34 S and δ 2 H values between each tissue were not significantly correlated; the δ 2 H values were strongly correlated with the δ 18 O values of muscle water. The above results indicated that stable sulfur and hydrogen isotopes fractionation in the various tissues were discrepant, thus the proper tissue should be selected according to the purpose and object in the beef traceability. (authors)

  5. Iron isotopic fractionation during continental weathering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fantle, Matthew S.; DePaolo, Donald J.

    2003-10-01

    The biological activity on continents and the oxygen content of the atmosphere determine the chemical pathways through which Fe is processed at the Earth's surface. Experiments have shown that the relevant chemical pathways fractionate Fe isotopes. Measurements of soils, streams, and deep-sea clay indicate that the {sup 56}Fe/{sup 54}Fe ratio ({delta}{sup 56}Fe relative to igneous rocks) varies from +1{per_thousand} for weathering residues like soils and clays, to -3{per_thousand} for dissolved Fe in streams. These measurements confirm that weathering processes produce substantial fractionation of Fe isotopes in the modern oxidizing Earth surface environment. The results imply that biologically-mediated processes, which preferentially mobilize light Fe isotopes, are critical to Fe chemistry in weathering environments, and that the {delta}{sup 56}Fe of marine dissolved Fe should be variable and negative. Diagenetic reduction of Fe in marine sediments may also be a significant component of the global Fe isotope cycle. Iron isotopes provide a tracer for the influence of biological activity and oxygen in weathering processes through Earth history. Iron isotopic fractionation during weathering may have been smaller or absent in an oxygen-poor environment such as that of the early Precambrian Earth.

  6. Carbon, hydrogen oxygen isotope studies on imbedded old tree ring and paleoclimate reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Yanrong; Mu Zhiguo; Cui Haiting

    2002-01-01

    Tree ring is a kind of natural archives, on which the isotopic analysis is important to study global climate and environmental change. The authors mainly provide a comprehensive introduction to the fractionation models of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen isotope in plants, their research technique and the extract methods from cellulose. That results show isotopic tracer can record the message of climatic variation and has become a powerful tool for paleoclimate reconstruction and for the modern environment changing research. Especially studying on PAGES. the cellulose isotopic analyses of imbedded old tree ring have become the mainly quantitative means of environmental evolvement. In addition, China is a typical monsoon country, research in tree ring stable isotope seasonal variation can give a lot of important information on that. Up to now, the research techniques and works on tree ring in China are still in its earlier stage, and remain many limitations. It needs further accumulate basic research materials, intensity regional contrast and intercross studies on relative subjects

  7. Low-temperature, non-stoichiometric oxygen isotope exchange coupled to Fe(II)-goethite interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frierdich, Andrew J. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Beard, Brian L. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Rosso, Kevin M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Scherer, Michelle M. [Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Spicuzza, Michael J. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Valley, John W. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Johnson, Clark M. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

    2015-07-01

    The oxygen isotope composition of natural iron oxide minerals has been widely used as a paleoclimate proxy. Interpretation of their stable isotope compositions, however, requires accurate knowledge of isotopic fractionation factors and an understanding of their isotopic exchange kinetics, the latter of which informs us how diagenetic processes may alter their isotopic compositions. Prior work has demonstrated that crystalline iron oxides do not significantly exchange oxygen isotopes with pure water at low temperature, which has restricted studies of isotopic fractionation factors to precipitation experiments or theoretical calculations. Using a double three-isotope method (¹⁸O-¹⁷O-¹⁶O and ⁵⁷Fe-⁵⁶Fe-⁵⁴Fe) we compare O and Fe isotope exchange kinetics, and demonstrate, for the first time, that O isotope exchange between structural O in crystalline goethite and water occurs in the presence of aqueous Fe(II) (Fe(II)aq) at ambient temperature (i.e., 22–50 °C). The three-isotope method was used to extrapolate partial exchange results to infer the equilibrium, mass-dependent isotope fractionations between goethite and water. In addition, this was combined with a reversal approach to equilibrium by reacting goethite in two unique waters that vary in composition by about 16‰ in ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios. Our results show that interactions between Fe(II)aq and goethite catalyzes O isotope exchange between the mineral and bulk fluid; no exchange (within error) is observed when goethite is suspended in ¹⁷O-enriched water in the absence of Fe(II)aq. In contrast, Fe(II)-catalyzed O isotope exchange is accompanied by significant changes in ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios. Despite significant O exchange, however, we observed disproportionate amounts of Fe versus O exchange, where Fe isotope exchange in goethite was roughly three times that of O. This disparity provides novel insight into the reactivity of oxide minerals in aqueous

  8. Isotope and chemical tracers in groundwater hydrology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kendall, C.; Stewart, M.K.; Morgenstern, U.; Trompetter, V.

    1999-01-01

    The course sessions cover: session 1, Fundamentals of stable and radioactive isotopes; session 2, Stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in hydrology: background, examples, sampling strategy; session 3, Catchment studies using oxygen and hydrogen isotopes: background - the hydrologic water balance, evapotranspiration - the lion's share, runoff generation - new water/old water fractions, groundwater recharge - the crumbs; session 4, Isotopes in catchment hydrology: survey of applications, future developments; session 5, Applications of tritium in hydrology: background and measurement, interpretation, examples; session 6, Case studies using mixing models: Hutt Valley groundwater system, an extended mixing model for simulating tracer transport in the unsaturated zone; session 7, Groundwater dating using CFC concentrations: background, sampling and measurement, use and applications; session 8, Groundwater dating with carbon-14: background, sampling and measurement, use and applications; session 9, NZ case studies: Tauranga warm springs, North Canterbury Plains groundwater; session 10, Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes: background and examples, biological applications of C-N-S isotopes; session 11, New developments in isotope hydrology: gas isotopes, compound specific applications, age dating of sediments etc; session 12, NZ case studies: North Canterbury Plains groundwater (continued), Waimea Plains groundwater. (author). refs., figs

  9. Application of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of waters in Tengchong hydrothermal systems of China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Minzi; Hou Fagao; Lin Ruifen; Ni Baoling

    1988-01-01

    This paper summarizes the results obtained for hydrothermal systems in Tengchong by using deuterium, oxygen-18 and tritium as natural tracers. On the basis of deuterium and oxygen-18 analyses of 69 thermal springs and some other meteoric, surface and underground water samples it has been confirmed that all geothermal waters are originally meteoric, but the δD of hot spring waters is often lighter than that of local surface and underground waters. It seems that the recharging water is from higher elevations and far from the thermal areas. The differences in oxygen-18 and deuterium contents between thermal springs and deep thermal waters have been calculated for single-stage steam separation from 276 deg. C to 96 deg. C. The oxygen isotope shift of deep thermal water produced by water-rock reactions is of 1.57 per mille and part of the observed oxygen isotope shift of thermal springs seems to have occurred due to subsurface boiling. The tritium content ( 18 O three subsurface processes would have been distinguished, they are subsurface boiling, mixing-subsurface boiling and subsurface boiling-mixing. The springs formed by subsurface boiling have tritium content of less than 5 TU. The tritium content of 5-10 TU is for springs formed by mixing-subsurface boiling and 10-20 TU is for subsurface boiling-mixing. The tritium content of geothermal water in Hot Sea, geothermal field seems higher than that of the Geysers U.S.A. and Wairakei N.Z. It would show that the circulation time of the thermal water in Hot Sea geothermal system is not so long, the reservoir is quite good with percolation and the recharging water is sufficiently enough. The most important applications of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of water in geothermal study are in two ways, as tracers of water origins and as tracers of reservoir processes. This paper discussed these two aspects of Tengchong hydrothermal systems. 6 refs, 6 figs, 5 tabs

  10. 18O isotopic tracer studies of silicon oxidation in dry oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, C.J.

    1986-01-01

    Oxidation of silicon in dry oxygen has been an important process in the integrated circuit industry for making gate insulators on metal-oxide-semiconductory (MOS) devices. This work examines this process using isotopic tracers of oxygen to determine the transport mechanisms of oxygen through silicon dioxide. Oxides were grown sequentially using mass-16 and mass-18 oxygen gas sources to label the oxygen molecules from each step. The resulting oxides are analyzed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The results of these analyses suggest two oxidant species are present during the oxidation, each diffuses and oxidizes separately during the process. A model from this finding using a sum of two linear-parabolic growth rates, each representing the growth rate from one of the oxidants, describes the reported oxidation kinetics in the literature closely. A fit of this relationship reveals excellent fits to the data for oxide thicknesses ranging from 30 A to 1 μm and for temperatures ranging from 800 to 1200 0 C. The mass-18 oxygen tracers also enable a direct observation of the oxygen solubility in the silicon dioxide during a dry oxidation process. The SIMS profiles establish a maximum solubility for interstitial oxygen at 1000 0 C at 2 x 10 20 cm -3 . Furthermore, the mass-18 oxygen profiles show negligible network diffusion during an 1000 0 C oxidation

  11. High Precision Continuous and Real-Time Measurement of Atmospheric Oxygen Using Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim-Hak, D.; Hoffnagle, J.; Rella, C.; Sun, M.

    2016-12-01

    Oxygen is a major and vital component of the Earth atmosphere representing about 21% of its composition. It is consumed or produced through biochemical processes such as combustion, respiration, and photosynthesis. Although atmospheric oxygen is not a greenhouse gas, it can be used as a top-down constraint on the carbon cycle. The variation observations of oxygen in the atmosphere are very small, in the order of the few ppm's. This presents the main technical challenge for measurement as a very high level of precision is required and only few methods including mass spectrometry, fuel cell, and paramagnetic are capable of overcoming it. Here we present new developments of a high-precision gas analyzer that utilizes the technique of Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy to measure oxygen concentration and oxygen isotope. Its compact and ruggedness design combined with high precision and long-term stability allows the user to deploy the instrument in the field for continuous monitoring of atmospheric oxygen level. Measurements have a 1-σ 5-minute averaging precision of 1-2 ppm for O2 over a dynamic range of 0-20%. We will present supplemental data acquired from our 10m tower measurements in Santa Clara, CA.

  12. Determination Of Oxygen Isotope Ratio (18O-/16O) and Sulfur (34S-/32S) Value Of BaSO4 Din 5033 For Internal Standard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evarista Ristin, P.I.; Sidauruk, Paston; Wibagoyo; Djiono; Satrio

    2000-01-01

    It has been done an experiment to determine of oxygen( 18 O-/ 16 O) and Sulfur ( 34 S-/ 32 S) ) isotop value of BaSO 4 DIN 5033 (merck) for internal standard. The used technique for preparation of CO 2 gas to measure oxygen isotop ratio ratio (stated as deltaδ 18 O) is based on Rafter on Rafte method using graphite for reduction of BaSO 4 . Where the used technique for preparation of SO 2 gas to measure isotope sulphur ratio (started as δ 34 S) is based on Robinson - Kasakabe method using Cupro oxide to oxidize Ag 2 S. The result of this experiment is 11,48±0,41 0/00 and 5,00 plus minus ±0,33 o/oo for deltaδ 18 O and δ 34 S value respectively. Based on this experiment. BaSO 4 DIN 5033 can be used as internal standard because is values both oxygen and sulphur lie in the middle of range of its variation in nature. The result of interlab comparison shows that the value of this experiment is nearly similar to the value obtained from laboratorium of Pinstech-Pakistan. To acquire the result, it is necessary to carry out more interlab comparison

  13. CAN GALACTIC CHEMICAL EVOLUTION EXPLAIN THE OXYGEN ISOTOPIC VARIATIONS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lugaro, Maria; Liffman, Kurt; Ireland, Trevor R.; Maddison, Sarah T.

    2012-01-01

    A number of objects in primitive meteorites have oxygen isotopic compositions that place them on a distinct, mass-independent fractionation line with a slope of one on a three-isotope plot. The most popular model for describing how this fractionation arose assumes that CO self-shielding produced 16 O-rich CO and 16 O-poor H 2 O, where the H 2 O subsequently combined with interstellar dust to form relatively 16 O-poor solids within the solar nebula. Another model for creating the different reservoirs of 16 O-rich gas and 16 O-poor solids suggests that these reservoirs were produced by Galactic chemical evolution (GCE) if the solar system dust component was somewhat younger than the gas component and both components were lying on the line of slope one in the O three-isotope plot. We argue that GCE is not the cause of mass-independent fractionation of the oxygen isotopes in the solar system. The GCE scenario is in contradiction with observations of the 18 O/ 17 O ratios in nearby molecular clouds and young stellar objects. It is very unlikely for GCE to produce a line of slope one when considering the effect of incomplete mixing of stellar ejecta in the interstellar medium. Furthermore, the assumption that the solar system dust was younger than the gas requires unusual timescales or the existence of an important stardust component that is not theoretically expected to occur nor has been identified to date.

  14. Using Oxygen Isotopic Values in Order to Infer Palaeoclimatic Differences between Northern and Central-Southern Greece

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michael, Dimitra-Ermioni; Dotsika, Elissavet

    2017-12-01

    Even though isotopic analyses have been extensively implemented on human skeletal remains for the purpose of dietary reconstruction, less attention has been given to the ingested water and thus to the investigation of palaeoclimatic conditions. In particular, oxygen isotopic fingerprinting has never been applied on human skeletal remains from Greece for the abovementioned purpose before. The basic aim of the present study is to compare climatic conditions from two ancient populations, deriving from two different ecological locations; Edessa (Greek Macedonia; 2nd-4th c. AD) and Thebes (Sterea Hellas, 13th-14th c. AD). Oxygen values in Edessa are at -7.69 ±1.13 ‰ and -9.18 ±1.88 ‰ for tooth enamel and bone apatite respectively. On the other hand, oxygen signals in Thebes are at -5.8 ±2.16 ‰ and -9.23 ±1.3 % for the enamel and bone apatite respectively. The utility of oxygen isotopic signatures for the purpose of palaeoclimatic investigation lies on the fact that the ratio of 18 to 16O of meteoric precipitation, expressed as δ18O per mill (‰), relative to the international standard (vSMOW) varies geographically by temperature, humidity, evaporation, distance to the sea, altitude and latitude. Therefore, results as expected, point out that Edessa do presents more negative enamel isotopic values in relation to Thebes, however the noted difference is not observed for the bone apatite samples. The lack of bone apatite differentiation between sites could be attributed to cultural diversity (particularly in Thebes), shift in dietary habits due to migration or social status, climatic fluctuations within each site or to possible diagenetic alteration of bone apatite samples.

  15. Could a secular increase in organic burial explain the rise of oxygen? Insights from a geological carbon cycle model constrained by the carbon isotope record

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krissansen-Totton, J.; Kipp, M.; Catling, D. C.

    2017-12-01

    The stable isotopes of carbon in marine sedimentary rock provide a window into the evolution of the Earth system. Conventionally, a relatively constant carbon isotope ratio in marine sedimentary rocks has been interpreted as implying constant organic carbon burial relative to total carbon burial. Because organic carbon burial corresponds to net oxygen production from photosynthesis, it follows that secular changes in the oxygen source flux cannot explain the dramatic rise of oxygen over Earth history. Instead, secular declines in oxygen sink fluxes are often invoked as causes for the rise of oxygen. However, constant fractional organic burial is difficult to reconcile with tentative evidence for low phosphate concentrations in the Archean ocean, which would imply lower marine productivity and—all else being equal—less organic carbon burial than today. The conventional interpretation of the carbon isotope record rests on the untested assumption that the isotopic ratio of carbon inputs into the ocean reflect mantle isotopic values throughout Earth history. In practice, differing rates of carbonate and organic weathering will allow for changes in isotopic inputs, as suggested by [1] and [2]. However, these inputs can not vary freely because large changes in isotopic inputs would induce secular trends in carbon reservoirs, which are not observed in the isotope record. We apply a geological carbon cycle model to all Earth history, tracking carbon isotopes in crustal, mantle, and ocean reservoirs. Our model is constrained by the carbon isotope record such that we can determine the extent to which large changes in organic burial are permitted. We find both constant organic burial and 3-5 fold increases in organic burial since 4.0 Ga can be reconciled with the carbon isotope record. Changes in the oxygen source flux thus need to be reconsidered as a possible contributor to Earth's oxygenation. [1] L. A. Derry, Organic carbon cycling and the lithosphere, in Treatise on

  16. Oxygen isotope regional pattern in granitoids from the Cachoeirinha Belt, northeast Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sial, A.N.

    1984-01-01

    Four groups of granitoids are present within the Cachoeirinha belt and in the adjacent migmatitic basement, between 37 0 and 40 0 W long. and 7 0 and 8 0 15' S lat., States of Pernambuco and Paraiba: a) K 2 O - enriched, very porphyritic; b) a calc-alkalic slightly porphyritic group; c) group with trondjemitic affinities; and d) peralkalic group. Petrology and oxygen isotope geochemistry for over 100 samples from these groups were studied. Almost all plutons for which 5 or more samples were analyzed, exhibit a total range of gamma 18 O less than 2% o. A broad range of mean oxygen isotope composition is observed, varying from 6.93 to 12.79% o. There is a systematic regional trend in which the calc-alkalic granitoids (conceicao-type) found within the Cachoeirinha space are the most 18 O - enriched rocks (10.6 to 12.9% o) while the lowest mean gamma 18 O values (4.5 to 9.7% o) are found in the K 2 O - enriched granitoids (Itaporanga-type). Intermediate gamma 18 O values were recorded in the bodies with trondhjemitic affinities (8.9 to 9.8% o) which intruded metasediments of the Salgueiro Group and in the peralkalic granitoids of Catingueira (8.1 to 9.8% o) which intruded Cachoeirinha metamorphics. Among the potassic granitoids, mean gamma 18 O increases from Bodoco to Itaporanga (from west to east). As a whole, the W.R. gamma 18 O of these plutons correlate with the type of grade of metamorphism of the host rocks and, therefore, with the tectonic framework, increasing from those which intruded the gneiss-migmatites to those which intruded the low-grade metamorphics of the Cachoeirinha Group. The possible origin of each rock group is discussed in light of the oxygen isotope geochemistry. (Author) [pt

  17. Raman scattering method and apparatus for measuring isotope ratios and isotopic abundances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harney, R.C.; Bloom, S.D.

    1978-01-01

    Raman scattering is used to measure isotope ratios and/or isotopic abundances. A beam of quasi-monochromatic photons is directed onto the sample to be analyzed, and the resulting Raman-scattered photons are detected and counted for each isotopic species of interest. These photon counts are treated mathematically to yield the desired isotope ratios or isotopic abundances

  18. Oxygen and sulfur isotope systematics of sulfate produced during abiotic and bacterial oxidation of sphalerite and elemental sulfur

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balci, N.; Mayer, B.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Mandernack, K.W.

    2012-01-01

    Studies of metal sulfide oxidation in acid mine drainage (AMD) systems have primarily focused on pyrite oxidation, although acid soluble sulfides (e.g., ZnS) are predominantly responsible for the release of toxic metals. We conducted a series of biological and abiotic laboratory oxidation experiments with pure and Fe-bearing sphalerite (ZnS & Zn 0.88Fe 0.12S), respectively, in order to better understand the effects of sulfide mineralogy and associated biogeochemical controls of oxidation on the resultant ?? 34S and ?? 18O values of the sulfate produced. The minerals were incubated in the presence and absence of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans at an initial solution pH of 3 and with water of varying ?? 18O values to determine the relative contributions of H 2O-derived and O 2-derived oxygen in the newly formed sulfate. Experiments were conducted under aerobic and anaerobic conditions using O 2 and Fe(III) aq as the oxidants, respectively. Aerobic incubations with A. ferrooxidans, and S o as the sole energy source were also conducted. The ??34SSO4 values from both the biological and abiotic oxidation of ZnS and ZnS Fe by Fe(III) aq produced sulfur isotope fractionations (??34SSO4-ZnS) of up to -2.6???, suggesting the accumulation of sulfur intermediates during incomplete oxidation of the sulfide. No significant sulfur isotope fractionation was observed from any of the aerobic experiments. Negative sulfur isotope enrichment factors (??34SSO4-ZnS) in AMD systems could reflect anaerobic, rather than aerobic pathways of oxidation. During the biological and abiotic oxidation of ZnS and ZnS Fe by Fe(III) aq all of the sulfate oxygen was derived from water, with measured ?? 18OSO 4-H 2O values of 8.2??0.2??? and 7.5??0.1???, respectively. Also, during the aerobic oxidation of ZnS Fe and S o by A. ferrooxidans, all of the sulfate oxygen was derived from water with similar measured ?? 18OSO 4-H 2O values of 8.1??0.1??? and 8.3??0.3???, respectively. During biological oxidation

  19. Can oxygen stable isotopes be used to track precipitation moisture source in vascular plant-dominated peatlands?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amesbury, Matthew J.; Charman, Dan J.; Newnham, Rewi M.; Loader, Neil J.; Goodrich, Jordan; Royles, Jessica; Campbell, David I.; Keller, Elizabeth D.; Baisden, W. Troy; Roland, Thomas P.; Gallego-Sala, Angela V.

    2015-11-01

    Variations in the isotopic composition of precipitation are determined by fractionation processes which occur during temperature- and humidity-dependent phase changes associated with evaporation and condensation. Oxygen stable isotope ratios have therefore been frequently used as a source of palaeoclimate data from a variety of proxy archives, which integrate this signal over time. Applications from ombrotrophic peatlands, where the source water used in cellulose synthesis is derived solely from precipitation, have been mostly limited to Northern Hemisphere Sphagnum-dominated bogs, with few in the Southern Hemisphere or in peatlands dominated by vascular plants. New Zealand (NZ) provides an ideal location to undertake empirical research into oxygen isotope fractionation in vascular peatlands because single taxon analysis can be easily carried out, in particular using the preserved root matrix of the restionaceous wire rush (Empodisma spp.) that forms deep Holocene peat deposits throughout the country. Furthermore, large gradients are observed in the mean isotopic composition of precipitation across NZ, caused primarily by the relative influence of different climate modes. Here, we test whether δ18O of Empodisma α-cellulose from ombrotrophic restiad peatlands in NZ can provide a methodology for developing palaeoclimate records of past precipitation δ18O. Surface plant, water and precipitation samples were taken over spatial (six sites spanning >10° latitude) and temporal (monthly measurements over one year) gradients. A link between the isotopic composition of root-associated water, the most likely source water for plant growth, and precipitation in both datasets was found. Back-trajectory modelling of precipitation moisture source for rain days prior to sampling showed clear seasonality in the temporal data that was reflected in root-associated water. The link between source water and plant cellulose was less clear, although mechanistic modelling predicted mean

  20. Oxygen isotope variations at the margin of a CAI records circulation within the solar nebula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Justin I; Hutcheon, Ian D; Simon, Steven B; Matzel, Jennifer E P; Ramon, Erick C; Weber, Peter K; Grossman, Lawrence; DePaolo, Donald J

    2011-03-04

    Micrometer-scale analyses of a calcium-, aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) and the characteristic mineral bands mantling the CAI reveal that the outer parts of this primitive object have a large range of oxygen isotope compositions. The variations are systematic; the relative abundance of (16)O first decreases toward the CAI margin, approaching a planetary-like isotopic composition, then shifts to extremely (16)O-rich compositions through the surrounding rim. The variability implies that CAIs probably formed from several oxygen reservoirs. The observations support early and short-lived fluctuations of the environment in which CAIs formed, either because of transport of the CAIs themselves to distinct regions of the solar nebula or because of varying gas composition near the proto-Sun.

  1. Hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of milk in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chesson, Lesley A; Valenzuela, Luciano O; O'Grady, Shannon P; Cerling, Thure E; Ehleringer, James R

    2010-02-24

    Models of hydrogen and oxygen incorporation in human tissues recognize the impact of geographic location on the isotopic composition of fluid intake, but inputs can include nonlocal beverages, such as milk. Milk and cow drinking water were collected from dairies, and commercially available milk was purchased from supermarkets and fast food restaurants. It was hypothesized that milk water delta(2)H and delta(18)O values record geographic location information. Correlations between milk water isotope ratios and purchase location tap water were significant. However, the amount of variation in milk delta(2)H and delta(18)O values explained by tap water was low, suggesting a single estimation of fluid input isotope ratios may not always be adequate in studies. The delta(2)H and delta(18)O values of paired milk and cow drinking water were related, suggesting potential for geographical origin assignment using stable isotope analysis. As an application example, milk water delta(18)O values were used to predict possible regions of origin for restaurant samples.

  2. The oxygen isotope composition of phosphate released from phytic acid by the activity of wheat and Aspergillus niger phytase

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Sperber, C.; Tamburini, F.; Brunner, B.; Bernasconi, S. M.; Frossard, E.

    2015-07-01

    Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for living organisms. Under P-limiting conditions plants and microorganisms can exude extracellular phosphatases that release inorganic phosphate (Pi) from organic phosphorus compounds (Porg). Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate, IP6) is an important form of Porg in many soils. The enzymatic hydrolysis of IP6 by phytase yields available Pi and less phosphorylated inositol derivates as products. The hydrolysis of organic P compounds by phosphatases leaves an isotopic imprint on the oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of released Pi, which might be used to trace P in the environment. This study aims at determining the effect of phytase on the oxygen isotope composition of released Pi. For this purpose, enzymatic assays with histidine acid phytases from wheat and Aspergillus niger were prepared using IP6, adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and glycerophosphate (GPO4) as substrates. For a comparison to the δ18O of Pi released by other extracellular enzymes, enzymatic assays with acid phosphatases from potato and wheat germ with IP6 as a substrate were prepared. During the hydrolysis of IP6 by phytase, four of the six Pi were released, and one oxygen atom from water was incorporated into each Pi. This incorporation of oxygen from water into Pi was subject to an apparent inverse isotopic fractionation (ϵ ~ 6 to 10 ‰), which was similar to that imparted by acid phosphatase from potato during the hydrolysis of IP6 (ϵ ~ 7 ‰), where less than three Pi were released. The incorporation of oxygen from water into Pi during the hydrolysis of AMP and GPO4 by phytase yielded a normal isotopic fractionation (ϵ ~ -12 ‰), similar to values reported for acid phosphatases from potato and wheat germ. We attribute this similarity in ϵ to the same amino acid sequence motif (RHGXRXP) at the active site of these enzymes, which leads to similar reaction mechanisms. We suggest that the striking

  3. Equilibrium mass-dependent fractionation relationships for triple oxygen isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Xiaobin; Liu, Yun

    2011-12-01

    With a growing interest in small 17O-anomaly, there is a pressing need for the precise ratio, ln 17α/ln 18α, for a particular mass-dependent fractionation process (MDFP) (e.g., for an equilibrium isotope exchange reaction). This ratio (also denoted as " θ") can be determined experimentally, however, such efforts suffer from the demand of well-defined process or a set of processes in addition to high precision analytical capabilities. Here, we present a theoretical approach from which high-precision ratios for MDFPs can be obtained. This approach will complement and serve as a benchmark for experimental studies. We use oxygen isotope exchanges in equilibrium processes as an example. We propose that the ratio at equilibrium, θE ≡ ln 17α/ln 18α, can be calculated through the equation below: θa-bE=κa+(κa-κb){ln18βb}/{ln18α} where 18βb is the fractionation factor between a compound "b" and the mono-atomic ideal reference material "O", 18αa-b is the fractionation factor between a and b and it equals to 18βa/ 18βb and κ is a new concept defined in this study as κ ≡ ln 17β/ln 18β. The relationship between θ and κ is similar to that between α and β. The advantages of using κ include the convenience in documenting a large number of θ values for MDFPs and in estimating any θ values using a small data set due to the fact that κ values are similar among O-bearing compounds with similar chemical groups. Frequency scaling factor, anharmonic corrections and clumped isotope effects are found insignificant to the κ value calculation. However, the employment of the rule of geometric mean (RGM) can significantly affect the κ value. There are only small differences in κ values among carbonates and the structural effect is smaller than that of chemical compositions. We provide κ values for most O-bearing compounds, and we argue that κ values for Mg-bearing and S-bearing compounds should be close to their high temperature limitation (i.e., 0.5210 for

  4. Digesting the data - Effects of predator ingestion on the oxygen isotopic signature of micro-mammal teeth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barham, Milo; Blyth, Alison J.; Wallwork, Melinda D.; Joachimski, Michael M.; Martin, Laure; Evans, Noreen J.; Laming, Belinda; McDonald, Bradley J.

    2017-11-01

    Biogenic minerals such as dental apatite have become commonly analysed archives preserving geochemical indicators of past environmental conditions and palaeoecologies. However, post-mortem, biogenic minerals are modified due to the alteration/replacement of labile components, and recent moves to utilise micro-mammal tooth δ18O signatures for refined Cenozoic terrestrial palaeoclimate reconstructions has lacked consideration of the chemical effects of predator digestion. Here, the physical and chemical condition of laboratory-raised mouse (Mus musculus) teeth have been investigated in conjunction with their bulk phosphate and tissue-specific δ18O values prior, and subsequent, to ingestion and excretion by various predator species (owls, mammals and a reptile). Substantial variability (up to 2‰) in the δ18O values of both undigested teeth and those ingested by specific predators suggests significant natural heterogeneity of individual prey δ18O. Statistically distinct, lower δ18O values (∼0.7‰) are apparent in teeth ingested by barn owls compared to undigested controls as a result of the chemically and enzymatically active digestive and waste-pellet environments. Overall, dentine tissues preserve lower δ18O values than enamel, while the greatest modification of oxygen isotope signals is exhibited in the basal enamel of ingested teeth as a result of its incompletely mineralised state. However, recognition of 18O-depletion in chemically purified phosphate analyses demonstrates that modification of original δ18O values is not restricted to labile oxygen-bearing carbonate and organic phases. The style and magnitude of digestive-alteration varies with predator species and no correlation was identified between specific physical or minor/trace-element (patterns or concentrations) modification of ingested teeth and disruption of their primary oxygen isotope values. Therefore, there is a current lack of any screening tool for oxygen isotope disruption as a result

  5. In situ oxygen isotope compositions in olivines of different types of cosmic spherules: An assessment of relationships to chondritic particles

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Rudraswami, N.G.; ShyamPrasad, M.; Jones, R.H.; Nagashima, K.

    bearing cosmic spherules (Rudraswami et al., 2015b). In addition, some Mg-rich relict olivine grains are very 16O-rich, with 17O ranging from −21.9 to -18.7‰, similar to oxygen isotopic compositions observed in calcium aluminium rich inclusions (CAIs... isotope analyses of the olivine grains are provided in Appendix B and Table 1, respectively. 5    Four scoriaceous spherules namely, AAS62-61-P64, AAS62-9-P43, AAS62-9-P51 and AAS62-9- P54 were identified for oxygen isotope studies (Fig. 1a...

  6. Preliminary measurements of tritium, deuterium and oxygen-18 in lakes and groundwater of volcanic Rotorua region, New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, C.B.; Freestone, H.J.; Nairn, I.A.

    1977-06-01

    This report presents an initial survey of the isotopic characteristics of non-hydrothermal waters of Rotorua region. Measurements of deuterium, oxygen and tritium have been made on samples collected between 1970 and 1973. Some major springs emerging close to land-locked lakes have been identified as containing mixtures of lake-derived water and precipitation-derived recharge in the catchments between lake and spring. The stable isotope composition of precipitation-recharged groundwater occupies a fairly narrow range, but is nevertheless seperable into two distinct isotopic families. The circumstances leading to these isotopic differences are not yet fully understood. This isotopic data has been gathered with a view to identifying hydrological problems in the region capable of study by isotopic methods and as essential background data to studies of the region's many hydrothermal systems. (auth.)

  7. Effects of diagenesis on strontium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen concentration and isotopic composition of bone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Bruce K.; Deniro, Michael J.; Schoeninger, Margaret J.; De Paolo, Donald J.; Hare, P. E.

    1986-09-01

    Paleodietary analysis based on variations in the trace element and stable isotopic composition of inorganic and organic phases in fossil bone depends on the assumption that measured values reflect in vivo values. To test for postmortem alteration, we measured 87Sr /86Sr , 13C /12C , 18O /16O and 15N /14N ratios and Sr concentrations in modern and prehistoric (610 to 5470 yr old) bones of animals with marine or terrestrial diets from Greenland. Bones from modern terrestrial feeders have substantially lower Sr concentrations and more radiogenic 87Sr /86Sr ratios than those from modern marine feeders. This contrast was not preserved in the prehistoric samples, which showed almost complete overlap for both Sr concentration and isotopic composition in bones from the two types of animals. Leaching experiments, X-ray diffraction analysis and infrared spectroscopy indicate that alteration of the Sr concentration and isotopic composition in prehistoric bone probably results from nearly complete exchange with groundwater. Oxygen isotope ratios in fossil apatite carbonate also failed to preserve the original discrimination between modern terrestrial and marine feeders. The C isotope ratio of apatite carbonate did not discriminate between animals with marine or terrestrial diets in the modern samples. Even so, the ranges of apatite δ 13C values in prehistoric bone are more scattered than in modern samples for both groups, suggesting alteration had occurred. δ 13C and δ 15N values of collagen in modern bone are distinctly different for the two feeding types, and this distinction is preserved in most of the prehistoric samples. Our results suggest that postmortem alteration of dietary tracers in the inorganic phases of bone may be a problem at all archaeological sites and must be evaluated in each case. While collagen analyzed in this study was resistant to alteration, evaluation of the possibility of diagenetic alteration of its isotopic composition in bones from other

  8. CO self-shielding as the origin of oxygen isotope anomalies in the early solar nebula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, J R; Young, E D

    2005-05-19

    The abundances of oxygen isotopes in the most refractory mineral phases (calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions, CAIs) in meteorites have hitherto defied explanation. Most processes fractionate isotopes by nuclear mass; that is, 18O is twice as fractionated as 17O, relative to 16O. In CAIs 17O and 18O are nearly equally fractionated, implying a fundamentally different mechanism. The CAI data were originally interpreted as evidence for supernova input of pure 16O into the solar nebula, but the lack of a similar isotope trend in other elements argues against this explanation. A symmetry-dependent fractionation mechanism may have occurred in the inner solar nebula, but experimental evidence is lacking. Isotope-selective photodissociation of CO in the innermost solar nebula might explain the CAI data, but the high temperatures in this region would have rapidly erased the signature. Here we report time-dependent calculations of CO photodissociation in the cooler surface region of a turbulent nebula. If the surface were irradiated by a far-ultraviolet flux approximately 10(3) times that of the local interstellar medium (for example, owing to an O or B star within approximately 1 pc of the protosun), then substantial fractionation of the oxygen isotopes was possible on a timescale of approximately 10(5) years. We predict that similarly irradiated protoplanetary disks will have H2O enriched in 17O and 18O by several tens of per cent relative to CO.

  9. Geochemical importance of isotopic fractionation during respiration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schleser, G.; Foerstel, H.

    1975-01-01

    In 1935 it was found that atmospheric oxygen contained a relatively greater abundance of the 18 O isotope than did the oxygen bound in water (Dole effect). A major contribution to the fractionation of the stable oxygen isotopes should result from the respiration of microorganisms. In this respect our interest centers on the soil because nearly all organic material produced on land is decomposed within the soil. The oceans are less important because the primary productivity on land is twice the value for the oceans. In a first approach we measured the oxygen isotope fractionation during the respiration of E. coli K12 for different respiration rates. These results, accomplished with a chemostat, indicate that the fractionation factor α of the oxygen isotopes increases with the increasing respiratory activity, measured as Q/sub O 2 /. At low dilution rates or growth rates respectively of about 0.05 h -1 , the fractionation factor amounts to 1.006 increasing to 1.017 at dilution rates of about 1.0 h -1 . The results are interpreted as a kinetic mass fractionation due to the slightly different diffusion coefficients of 16 O 2 and 18 O 16 O. The respiration rates in conjunction with the corresponding fractionation data are compared with the respiration rates of typical soil microorganisms such as Azotobacter, in order to deduce fractionation data for these organisms. This is necessary to calculate a mean global fractionation factor. Understanding the Dole effect with these fractionation processes should finally give us the opportunity to calculate gas-exchange rates between the atmosphere and the oceans, on the basis of the behavior of the stable oxygen isotopes

  10. Covariance of oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions in plant water: species effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, L.W.; DeNiro, M.J.

    1989-01-01

    Leaf water becomes enriched in the heavy isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen during evapotranspiration. The magnitude of the enrichment has been shown to be influenced by temperature and humidity, but the effects of species—specific factors on leaf water enrichment of D and 18 O have not been studied for different plants growing together. Accordingly, to learn whether leaf water enrichment patterns and processes for D and 18 O are different for individual species growing under the same environmental conditions we tested the proposal that leaf waters in plants with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) show higher slopes (m in the leaf water equation °D = m ° 18 O + b) than in C 3 plants. We determined the relationships between the stable hydrogen (°D) and oxygen (° 18 O) isotope ratios of leaf waters collected during the diurnal cycle of evapotranspiration for Yucca schidigera, Ephedra aspera, Agave deserti, Prunus ilicifolia, Yucca whipplei, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Dyckia fosteriana, Simmondsia chinensis, and Encelia farinosa growing at two sites in southern California. Slopes (m in the above leaf water equation) ranged from 1.50 to 3.21, compared to °8 for meteoric water, but differences in slope could not be attributed to carboxylation pathway (CAM vs. C 3 ) nor climate (coastal California vs. Sonoran Desert). Higher slopes were correlated with greater overall ranges of leaf water enrichment of D and 18 O. Water in plants with higher slopes also differed most from unaltered meteoric water. Leaf water isotope ratios in plants with lower slopes were better correlated with temperature and humidity. The findings indicate that m in the aforementioned equation is related to the overall residence time for water in the leaf and proportions of water subjected to repeated evapotranspiration enrichments of heavy isotopes

  11. Caution on the storage of waters and aqueous solutions in plastic containers for hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spangenberg, Jorge E

    2012-11-30

    The choice of containers for storage of aqueous samples between their collection, transport and water hydrogen ((2)H) and oxygen ((18)O) stable isotope analysis is a topic of concern for a wide range of fields in environmental, geological, biomedical, food, and forensic sciences. The transport and separation of water molecules during water vapor or liquid uptake by sorption or solution and the diffusive transport of water molecules through organic polymer material by permeation or pervaporation may entail an isotopic fractionation. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the extent of such fractionation. Sixteen bottle-like containers of eleven different organic polymers, including low and high density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and perfluoroalkoxy-Teflon (PFA), of different wall thickness and size were completely filled with the same mineral water and stored for 659 days under the same conditions of temperature and humidity. Particular care was exercised to keep the bottles tightly closed and prevent loss of water vapor through the seals. Changes of up to +5‰ for δ(2)H values and +2.0‰ for δ(18)O values were measured for water after more than 1 year of storage within a plastic container, with the magnitude of change depending mainly on the type of organic polymer, wall thickness, and container size. The most important variations were measured for the PET and PC bottles. Waters stored in glass bottles with Polyseal™ cone-lined PP screw caps and thick-walled HDPE or PFA containers with linerless screw caps having an integrally molded inner sealing ring preserved their original δ(2)H and δ(18)O values. The carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen stable isotope compositions of the organic polymeric materials were also determined. The results of this study clearly show that for precise and accurate measurements of the water stable isotope composition in aqueous solutions, rigorous sampling and

  12. Groundwater oxygen isotope anomaly before the M6.6 Tottori earthquake in Southwest Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onda, Satoki; Sano, Yuji; Takahata, Naoto; Kagoshima, Takanori; Miyajima, Toshihiro; Shibata, Tomo; Pinti, Daniele L; Lan, Tefang; Kim, Nak Kyu; Kusakabe, Minoru; Nishio, Yoshiro

    2018-03-19

    Geochemical monitoring of groundwater in seismically-active regions has been carried out since 1970s. Precursors were well documented, but often criticized for anecdotal or fragmentary signals, and for lacking a clear physico-chemical explanation for these anomalies. Here we report - as potential seismic precursor - oxygen isotopic ratio anomalies of +0.24‰ relative to the local background measured in groundwater, a few months before the Tottori earthquake (M 6.6) in Southwest Japan. Samples were deep groundwater located 5 km west of the epicenter, packed in bottles and distributed as drinking water between September 2015 and July 2017, a time frame which covers the pre- and post-event. Small but substantial increase of 0.07‰ was observed soon after the earthquake. Laboratory crushing experiments of aquifer rock aimed to simulating rock deformation under strain and tensile stresses were carried out. Measured helium degassing from the rock and 18 O-shift suggest that the co-seismic oxygen anomalies are directly related to volumetric strain changes. The findings provide a plausible physico-chemical basis to explain geochemical anomalies in water and may be useful in future earthquake prediction research.

  13. Climate and isotopic tracers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jean-Baptiste, Ph.

    1997-01-01

    The applications of natural radioactivity and isotopic measurements in the sciences concerning Earth and its atmosphere, are numerous: carbon 14 dating with the Tandetron apparatus at the Cea, measurement of oxygen 18 in coral or sediment limestone for the determination of ocean temperature and salinity, carbon 14 dating of corals for the determination of sea level variations, deuterium content in polar ice-cap leads to temperature variations determination; isotopic measurements also enable the determination of present climate features such as global warming, oceanic general circulation

  14. Otolith oxygen isotopes measured by high-precision secondary ion mass spectrometry reflect life history of a yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matta, Mary Elizabeth; Orland, Ian J; Ushikubo, Takayuki; Helser, Thomas E; Black, Bryan A; Valley, John W

    2013-03-30

    The oxygen isotope ratio (δ(18)O value) of aragonite fish otoliths is dependent on the temperature and the δ(18)O value of the ambient water and can thus reflect the environmental history of a fish. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) offers a spatial-resolution advantage over conventional acid-digestion techniques for stable isotope analysis of otoliths, especially given their compact nature. High-precision otolith δ(18)O analysis was conducted with an IMS-1280 ion microprobe to investigate the life history of a yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera), a Bering Sea species known to migrate ontogenetically. The otolith was cut transversely through its core and one half was roasted to eliminate organic contaminants. Values of δ(18)O were measured in 10-µm spots along three transects (two in the roasted half, one in the unroasted half) from the core toward the edge. Otolith annual growth zones were dated using the dendrochronology technique of crossdating. Measured values of δ(18)O ranged from 29.0 to 34.1‰ (relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water). Ontogenetic migration from shallow to deeper waters was reflected in generally increasing δ(18)O values from age-0 to approximately age-7 and subsequent stabilization after the expected onset of maturity at age-7. Cyclical variations of δ(18)O values within juvenile otolith growth zones, up to 3.9‰ in magnitude, were caused by a combination of seasonal changes in the temperature and the δ(18)O value of the ambient water. The ion microprobe produced a high-precision and high-resolution record of the relative environmental conditions experienced by a yellowfin sole that was consistent with population-level studies of ontogeny. Furthermore, this study represents the first time that crossdating has been used to ensure the dating accuracy of δ(18)O measurements in otoliths. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. OXYGEN ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF THE ALLENDE TYPE C CAIs: EVIDENCE FOR ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE DURING NEBULAR MELTING AND ASTEROIDAL THERMAL METAMORPHISM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krot, A N; Chaussidon, M; Yurimoto, H; Sakamoto, N; Nagashima, K; Hutcheon, I D; MacPherson, G J

    2008-02-21

    Based on the mineralogy and petrography, coarse-grained, igneous, anorthite-rich (Type C) calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) in the CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Allende have been recently divided into three groups: (i) CAIs with melilite and Al,Ti-diopside of massive and lacy textures (coarse grains with numerous rounded inclusions of anorthite) in a fine-grained anorthite groundmass (6-1-72, 100, 160), (ii) CAI CG5 with massive melilite, Al,Ti-diopside and anorthite, and (iii) CAIs associated with chondrule material: either containing chondrule fragments in their peripheries (ABC, TS26) or surrounded by chondrule-like, igneous rims (93) (Krot et al., 2007a,b). Here, we report in situ oxygen isotopic measurements of primary (melilite, spinel, Al,Ti-diopside, anorthite) and secondary (grossular, monticellite, forsterite) minerals in these CAIs. Spinel ({Delta}{sup 17}O = -25{per_thousand} to -20{per_thousand}), massive and lacy Al,Ti-diopside ({Delta}{sup 17}O = -20{per_thousand} to -5{per_thousand}) and fine-grained anorthite ({Delta}{sup 17}O = -15{per_thousand} to -2{per_thousand}) in 100, 160 and 6-1-72 are {sup 16}O-enriched relative spinel and coarse-grained Al,Ti-diopside and anorthite in ABC, 93 and TS26 ({Delta}{sup 17}O ranges from -20{per_thousand} to -15{per_thousand}, from -15{per_thousand} to -5{per_thousand}, and from -5{per_thousand} to 0{per_thousand}, respectively). In 6-1-72, massive and lacy Al,Ti-diopside grains are {sup 16}O-depleted ({Delta}{sup 17}O {approx} -13{per_thousand}) relative to spinel ({Delta}{sup 17}O = -23{per_thousand}). Melilite is the most {sup 16}O-depleted mineral in all Allende Type C CAIs. In CAI 100, melilite and secondary grossular, monticellite and forsterite (minerals replacing melilite) are similarly {sup 16}O-depleted, whereas grossular in CAI 160 is {sup 16}O-enriched ({Delta}{sup 17}O = -10{per_thousand} to -6{per_thousand}) relative to melilite ({Delta}{sup 17}O = -5{per_thousand} to -3{per_thousand}). We infer

  16. Oxygen isotopes in tree rings record variation in precipitation δ18O and amount effects in the south of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brienen, Roel J W; Hietz, Peter; Wanek, Wolfgang; Gloor, Manuel

    2013-12-01

    [1] Natural archives of oxygen isotopes in precipitation may be used to study changes in the hydrological cycle in the tropics, but their interpretation is not straightforward. We studied to which degree tree rings of Mimosa acantholoba from southern Mexico record variation in isotopic composition of precipitation and which climatic processes influence oxygen isotopes in tree rings ( δ 18 O tr ). Interannual variation in δ 18 O tr was highly synchronized between trees and closely related to isotopic composition of rain measured at San Salvador, 710 km to the southwest. Correlations with δ 13 C, growth, or local climate variables (temperature, cloud cover, vapor pressure deficit (VPD)) were relatively low, indicating weak plant physiological influences. Interannual variation in δ 18 O tr correlated negatively with local rainfall amount and intensity. Correlations with the amount of precipitation extended along a 1000 km long stretch of the Pacific Central American coast, probably as a result of organized storm systems uniformly affecting rainfall in the region and its isotope signal; episodic heavy precipitation events, of which some are related to cyclones, deposit strongly 18 O-depleted rain in the region and seem to have affected the δ 18 O tr signal. Large-scale controls on the isotope signature include variation in sea surface temperatures of tropical north Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. In conclusion, we show that δ 18 O tr of M . acantholoba can be used as a proxy for source water δ 18 O and that interannual variation in δ 18 O prec is caused by a regional amount effect. This contrasts with δ 18 O signatures at continental sites where cumulative rainout processes dominate and thus provide a proxy for precipitation integrated over a much larger scale. Our results confirm that processes influencing climate-isotope relations differ between sites located, e.g., in the western Amazon versus coastal Mexico, and that tree ring isotope records can help in

  17. Doubly labeled water method: in vivo oxygen and hydrogen isotope fractionation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoeller, D.A.; Leitch, C.A.; Brown, C.

    1986-01-01

    The accuracy and precision of the doubly labeled water method for measuring energy expenditure are influenced by isotope fractionation during evaporative water loss and CO 2 excretion. To characterize in vivo isotope fractionation, we collected and isotopically analyzed physiological fluids and gases. Breath and transcutaneous water vapor were isotopically fractionated. The degree of fractionation indicated that the former was fractionated under equilibrium control at 37 0 C, and the latter was kinetically fractionated. Sweat and urine were unfractionated. By use of isotopic balance models, the fraction of water lost via fractionating routes was estimated from the isotopic abundances of body water, local drinking water, and dietary solids. Fractionated water loss averaged 23% (SD = 10%) of water turnover, which agreed with our previous estimates based on metabolic rate, but there was a systematic difference between the results based on O 2 and hydrogen. Corrections for isotopic fractionation of water lost in breath and (nonsweat) transcutaneous loss should be made when using labeled water to measure water turnover or CO 2 production

  18. Oxygen Isotopes in Intra-Back Arc Basalts from the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parks, B. H.; Wang, Z.; Saal, A. E.; Frey, F. A.; Blusztajn, J.

    2013-12-01

    The chemical compositions of volcanic rocks from the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) reflect complex and dynamic interactions among the subducting oceanic lithosphere, the mantle wedge, and the overlying continental crust. Oxygen isotope ratios of olivine phenocrysts can be a useful means to identifying their relative contributions to the arc magmatism. In this study, we report high-precision oxygen-isotope ratios of olivine phenocrysts in a set of intra-back arc basalts from the SVZ. The samples were collected from monogenetic cinder cones east of the volcanic front (35-39 degrees S), and have been geochemically well-characterized with major and trace element contents, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions. Compared to lavas from the volcanic front, these intra-back arc lavas have similar radiogenic isotope, and a more alkalic and primitive (higher MgO content) chemical composition. We determined the oxygen-isotope ratios using the CO2-laser-fluorination method set up at the Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University following the techniques reported in Wang et al (2011). The samples were analyzed with standards of Gore Mountain Garnet (5.77×0.12‰ 1σ; Valley et al., 1995) and Kilbourne Hole Olivine (5.23×0.07‰ 1σ; Sharp, 1990) in order to account for minor changes in the vacuum line during analyses. The obtained δ18OSMOW values of olivine phenocrysts from the intra-back arc basalts vary from 4.98×0.01 to 5.34×0.01‰. This range, surprisingly, is similar to the δ18O values of olivines from mantle peridotites (5.2×0.2‰). Preliminary results indicate significant correlations of 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd and trace element ratios of the basaltic matrix with the δ18O values of olivine phenocrysts, indicating at least three components involved in the formation of the arc volcanism. By comparing the δ18O with the variations of major and trace element contents (e.g., MgO, TiO2 and Ni), and trace element ratios (e.g. Ba/Nb), we evaluate the effects

  19. Constraints on the nature of the projectile using siderophile elements and triple-oxygen isotopes: Zhamanshin impact structure, Kazakhstan

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jonášová, Šárka; Ackerman, Lukáš; Žák, Karel; Skála, Roman; Magna, T.; Pack, A.; Deutsch, A.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 51, SI, Supplement 1 (2016), A358-A358 ISSN 1086-9379. [Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society /79./. 07.08.2016-12.08.2016, Berlin] Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : impact glass * irghizites * geochemistry * meteoritic component * siderophile elements * osmium isotopes * triple-oxygen Isotopes * Zhamanshin Subject RIV: DD - Geochemistry

  20. Oxygen isotope studies of the Salton Sea geothermal field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olson, E.R.

    1978-01-01

    Interbedded shales and sandstones were drilled to a depth of 1588 metres in Sinclair Number Four Well, Salton Sea Geothermal Field. Bottom hole temperatures are approximately 290 0 C. The oxygen dels of hydrothermal and detrital calcite have a systematic relationship at any depth in the geothermal reservoir. Typical values are: vein calcite, +6 0 / 00 ; calcite in white sandstone, +10 0 / 00 ; calcite in dark gray shale, +11 0 / 00 ; calcite in light gray shale, +17 0 / 00 ; calcite in red-brown shale, +20 0 / 00 . This succession represents decreasing water-rock interaction that is also indicated by the clay mineralogy of the shales. Permeability has a marked effect on the equilibration of water and rocks at any given temperature. Original differences in permeability have resulted in partial preservation of original detrital sedimentary compositions. The fluids in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field are probabaly partially evaporated Colorado River water, and their oxygen del values vary as much as 4 0 / 00 throughout the field. Truesdell's (1974) data suggest that dissolved salts may make the water oxygen activity del as much as 6 0 / 00 greater than the concentration del in the geothermal reservoir. Such an uncertainty is a serious impediment to precise isotope geothermometry in this system.(auth.)

  1. Isotope hydrology. Raigon aquifer hydrochemistry - Uruguay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plata Bedmar, A.; Dellepere, A.; Roma, M.T; Ramirez, M.; Garat, S.; Padros, D.; Caristo, R.; Lavanca, R.; Aranda, E.; Michelis, G.; Monroi, F.; Luaces, A.

    2001-01-01

    The purpose of this study is the Raigon Acuifer investigation by isotopic techniques as well as the dynamic behavior in the water resources. These techniques are based on the natural water isotope deuterium, oxygen-18, tritium and carbon-14 measurement. The hydrochemistry is used like a complementary tool

  2. Workshop on Oxygen in the Terrestrial Planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    Lunar Metal Grains: Solar, Lunar or Terrestrial Origin? 22) Isotopic Zoning in the Inner Solar System; 23) Redox Conditions on Small Bodies; 24) Determining the Oxygen Fugacity of Lunar Pyroclastic Glasses Using Vanadium Valence - An Update; 25) Mantle Redox Evolution and the Rise of Atmospheric O2; 26) Variation of Kd for Fe-Mg Exchange Between Olivine and Melt for Compositions Ranging from Alkaline Basalt to Rhyolite; 27) Determining the Partial Pressure of Oxygen (PO,) in Solutions on Mars; 28) The Influence of Oxygen Environment on Kinetic Properties of Silicate Rocks and Minerals; 29) Redox Evolution of Magmatic Systems; 30) The Constancy of Upper Mantlefo, Through Time Inferred from V/Sc Ratios in Basalts: Implications for the Rise in Atmospheric 0 2; 31) Nitrogen Solubility in Basaltic Melt. Effects of Oxygen Fugacity, Melt Composition and Gas Speciation; 32) Oxygen Isotope Anomalies in the Atmospheres of Earth and Mars; 33) The Effect of Oxygen Fugacity on Interdiffusion of Iron and Magnesium in Magnesiowiistite 34) The Calibration of the Pyroxene Eu-Oxybarometer for the Martian Meteorites; 35) The Europium Oxybarometer: Power and Pitfalls; 36) Oxygen Fugacity of the Martian Mantle from PigeoniteMelt Partitioning of Samarium, Europium and Gadolinium; 37) Oxidation-Reduction Processes on the Moon: Experimental Verification of Graphite Oxidation in the Apollo 17 Orange Glasses; 38) Oxygen and Core Formation in the Earth; 39) Geologic Record of the Atmospheric Sulfur Chemistry Before the Oxygenation of the Early Earth s Atmosphere; 40) Comparative Planetary Mineralogy: V/(CrCAl) Systematics in Chromite as an Indicator of Relative Oxygen Fugacity; 41) How Well do Sulfur Isotopes Constrain Oxygen Abundance in the Ancient Atmospheres? 42) Experimental Constraints on the Oxygen Isotope (O-18/ O-16) Fractionation in the Ice vapor and Adsorbant vapor Systems of CO2 at Conditions Relevant to the Surface of Mars; 43) Micro-XANES Measurements on Experimental Spinels andhe

  3. Isotopes of carbon and oxygen in the carbonate impurities of coal have potential as palaeoenvironmental indicators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verhagen, B.T.; Falcon, R.M.

    1990-01-01

    The nature and systematics of impurities such as carbonates need to be established in order to understand their provenance in coal seams with reference to mining, beneficiation and ultimately their elimination or reduction. To this end, mineralogical and carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotopic studies were undertaken on carbonate occurrences in coal from the eastern Transvaal highveld. Isotopic variations of considerable amplitude and individual values of extreme ''lightness'' are to be found in the carbonates in coal of the Witbank and adjacent basins. The observed isotopic ratios have a clear bearing on the nature and origins of the carbonates. 1 tab., 1 fig

  4. A 1000-year record of dry conditions in the eastern Canadian prairies reconstructed from oxygen and carbon isotope measurements on Lake Winnipeg sediment organics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhay, W.M.; Simpson, S.; Thorleifson, H.; Lewis, M.; King, J.; Telka, A.; Wilkinson, Philip M.; Babb, J.; Timsic, S.; Bailey, D.

    2009-01-01

    A short sediment core (162 cm), covering the period AD 920-1999, was sampled from the south basin of Lake Winnipeg for a suite of multi-proxy analyses leading towards a detailed characterisation of the recent millennial lake environment and hydroclimate of southern Manitoba, Canada. Information on the frequency and duration of major dry periods in southern Manitoba, in light of the changes that are likely to occur as a result of an increasingly warming atmosphere, is of specific interest in this study. Intervals of relatively enriched lake sediment cellulose oxygen isotope values (??18Ocellulose) were found to occur from AD 1180 to 1230 (error range: AD 1104-1231 to 1160-1280), 1610-1640 (error range: AD 1571-1634 to 1603-1662), 1670-1720 (error range: AD 1643-1697 to 1692-1738) and 1750-1780 (error range: AD 1724-1766 to 1756-1794). Regional water balance, inferred from calculated Lake Winnipeg water oxygen isotope values (??18Oinf-lw), suggest that the ratio of lake evaporation to catchment input may have been 25-40% higher during these isotopically distinct periods. Associated with the enriched d??18Ocellulose intervals are some depleted carbon isotope values associated with more abundantly preserved sediment organic matter (d??13COM). These suggest reduced microbial oxidation of terrestrially derived organic matter and/or subdued lake productivity during periods of minimised input of nutrients from the catchment area. With reference to other corroborating evidence, it is suggested that the AD 1180-1230, 1610-1640, 1670-1720 and 1750-1780 intervals represent four distinctly drier periods (droughts) in southern Manitoba, Canada. Additionally, lower-magnitude and duration dry periods may have also occurred from 1320 to 1340 (error range: AD 1257-1363), 1530-1540 (error range: AD 1490-1565 to 1498-1572) and 1570-1580 (error range: AD 1531-1599 to 1539-1606). ?? 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Contamination risk of stable isotope samples during milling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaac-Renton, M; Schneider, L; Treydte, K

    2016-07-15

    Isotope analysis of wood is an important tool in dendrochronology and ecophysiology. Prior to mass spectrometry analysis, wood must be homogenized, and a convenient method involves a ball mill capable of milling samples directly in sample tubes. However, sample-tube plastic can contaminate wood during milling, which could lead to biological misinterpretations. We tested possible contamination of whole wood and cellulose samples during ball-mill homogenization for carbon and oxygen isotope measurements. We used a multi-factorial design with two/three steel milling balls, two sample amounts (10 mg, 40 mg), and two milling times (5 min, 10 min). We further analyzed abrasion by milling empty tubes, and measured the isotope ratios of pure contaminants. A strong risk exists for carbon isotope bias through plastic contamination: the δ(13) C value of polypropylene deviated from the control by -6.77‰. Small fibers from PTFE filter bags used during cellulose extraction also present a risk as the δ(13) C value of this plastic deviated by -5.02‰. Low sample amounts (10 mg) showed highest contamination due to increased abrasion during milling (-1.34‰), which is further concentrated by cellulose extraction (-3.38‰). Oxygen isotope measurements were unaffected. A ball mill can be used to homogenize samples within test tubes prior to oxygen isotope analysis, but not prior to carbon or radiocarbon isotope analysis. There is still a need for a fast, simple and contamination-free sample preparation procedure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. The oxygen isotope effect on the in-plane penetration depth in cuprate superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khasanov, R; Shengelaya, A; Morenzoni, E; Conder, K; Savic, I M; Keller, H

    2004-01-01

    Muon spin rotation (μSR) studies of the oxygen isotope ( 16 O/ 18 O) effect (OIE) on the in-plane magnetic field penetration depth λ ab in cuprate high-temperature superconductors (HTS) are presented. First, the doping dependence of the OIE on the transition temperature T c in various HTS is briefly discussed. It is observed that different cuprate families show similar doping dependences of the OIE on T c . Then, bulk μSR, low-energy μSR, and magnetization studies of the total and site-selective OIE on λ ab are described in some detail. A substantial OIE on λ ab was observed in various cuprate families at all doping levels, suggesting that cuprate HTS are non-adiabatic superconductors. The experiments clearly demonstrate that the total OIE on T c and λ ab arise from the oxygen sites within the superconducting CuO 2 planes, demonstrating that the phonon modes involving the movement of planar oxygen are dominantly coupled to the supercarriers. Finally, it is shown that the OIE on T c and λ ab exhibit a relation that appears to be generic for different families of cuprate HTS. The observation of these unusual isotope effects implies that lattice effects play an essential role in cuprate HTS and have to be considered in any realistic model of high-temperature superconductivity

  7. Isotope exchange in oxide-containing catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Kenneth G. (Inventor); Upchurch, Billy T. (Inventor); Hess, Robert V. (Inventor); Miller, Irvin M. (Inventor); Schryer, David R. (Inventor); Sidney, Barry D. (Inventor); Wood, George M. (Inventor); Hoyt, Ronald F. (Inventor)

    1989-01-01

    A method of exchanging rare-isotope oxygen for common-isotope oxygen in the top several layers of an oxide-containing catalyst is disclosed. A sample of an oxide-containing catalyst is exposed to a flowing stream of reducing gas in an inert carrier gas at a temperature suitable for the removal of the reactive common-isotope oxygen atoms from the surface layer or layers of the catalyst without damaging the catalyst structure. The reduction temperature must be higher than any at which the catalyst will subsequently operate. Sufficient reducing gas is used to allow removal of all the reactive common-isotope oxygen atoms in the top several layers of the catalyst. The catalyst is then reoxidized with the desired rare-isotope oxygen in sufficient quantity to replace all of the common-isotope oxygen that was removed.

  8. The isotopic composition of valves and organic tissue of diatoms grown in steady state cultures under varying conditions of temperature, light and nutrients. Implications for the interpretation of oxygen isotopes from sedimentary biogenic opal as proxies of environmental variations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kowalczyk, K

    2006-05-15

    The oxygen isotopes of diatomaceous silica from marine and freshwater sediments are frequently used as indicators of the palaeotemperature development, particularly in cases where calcareous microfossils are rare or absent. With regard to terrestrial waters it is unknown whether or not palaeotemperature scale can be used in a limnic ecosystem. Due to the fact that the seasonal variations in lakes are larger than in oceans, specific problems arise when working with freshwater sediments. Thus, an understanding of the contribution of the various factors (e.g. temperature, light nutrients, competition) influencing the formation of isotope signals in biogenic opal is a prerequisite for the accurate interpretation of environmental processes. Since it is impossible to examine the influence of a single parameter under natural ecosystem conditions due to permanent changes of the environment, laboratory experiments with single diatom species are needed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the oxygen isotope variations in biogenic opal and different environmental parameters using steady state cultures with diatoms. It should be examined whether or not the different diatom species grown under identical conditions show equal oxygen isotope ratios (species relationship), if variations of the water temperature induce variations of the oxygen isotope ratio (relationship with temperature), variable parameters such as light intensity and nitrate concentration influence the isotope ratio, and if vital effects (e.g. growth rate) lead to variations of the oxygen isotope ratio. (orig.)

  9. The isotopic composition of valves and organic tissue of diatoms grown in steady state cultures under varying conditions of temperature, light and nutrients. Implications for the interpretation of oxygen isotopes from sedimentary biogenic opal as proxies of environmental variations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kowalczyk, K.

    2006-05-01

    The oxygen isotopes of diatomaceous silica from marine and freshwater sediments are frequently used as indicators of the palaeotemperature development, particularly in cases where calcareous microfossils are rare or absent. With regard to terrestrial waters it is unknown whether or not palaeotemperature scale can be used in a limnic ecosystem. Due to the fact that the seasonal variations in lakes are larger than in oceans, specific problems arise when working with freshwater sediments. Thus, an understanding of the contribution of the various factors (e.g. temperature, light nutrients, competition) influencing the formation of isotope signals in biogenic opal is a prerequisite for the accurate interpretation of environmental processes. Since it is impossible to examine the influence of a single parameter under natural ecosystem conditions due to permanent changes of the environment, laboratory experiments with single diatom species are needed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the oxygen isotope variations in biogenic opal and different environmental parameters using steady state cultures with diatoms. It should be examined whether or not the different diatom species grown under identical conditions show equal oxygen isotope ratios (species relationship), if variations of the water temperature induce variations of the oxygen isotope ratio (relationship with temperature), variable parameters such as light intensity and nitrate concentration influence the isotope ratio, and if vital effects (e.g. growth rate) lead to variations of the oxygen isotope ratio. (orig.)

  10. The impact of moisture sources on the oxygen isotope composition of precipitation at a continental site in central Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krklec, Kristina; Domínguez-Villar, David; Lojen, Sonja

    2018-06-01

    The stable isotope composition of precipitation records processes taking place within the hydrological cycle. Potentially, moisture sources are important controls on the stable isotope composition of precipitation, but studies focused on this topic are still scarce. We studied the moisture sources contributing to precipitation at Postojna (Slovenia) from 2009 to 2013. Back trajectory analyses were computed for the days with precipitation at Postojna. The moisture uptake locations were identified along these trajectories using standard hydrometeorological formulation. The moisture uptake locations were integrated in eight source regions to facilitate its comparison to the monthly oxygen isotope composition (δ18O values) of precipitation. Nearly half of the precipitation originated from continental sources (recycled moisture), and >40% was from central and western Mediterranean. Results show that moisture sources do not have a significant impact on the oxygen isotope composition at this site. We suggest that the large proportion of recycled moisture originated from transpiration rather than evaporation, which produced water vapour with less negative δ18O values. Thus the difference between the oceanic and local vapour source was reduced, which prevented the distinction of the moisture sources based on their oxygen isotope signature. Nevertheless, δ18O values of precipitation are partially controlled by climate parameters, which is of major importance for paleoclimate studies. We found that the main climate control on Postojna δ18O values of precipitation is the surface temperature. Amount effect was not recorded at this site, and the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) does not impact the δ18O values of precipitation. The Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO) was correlated to oxygen stable isotope composition, although this atmospheric pattern was not a control. Instead we found that the link to δ18O values results from synoptic scenarios affecting We

  11. THz spectroscopy of the 29 cm{sup -1} oxygen vibrational line in natural silicon and isotopically enriched {sup 28}Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lassmann, Kurt; Dressel, Martin [1. Physikalisches Inst., Univ. Stuttgart (Germany); Gorshunov, Boris; Zhukova, E.S. [1. Physikalisches Inst., Univ. Stuttgart (Germany); A.M. Prokhorov Gen. Phys. Inst., RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Moscow Inst. Physics and Technology (Russian Federation); Korolev, P.S. [A.M. Prokhorov Gen. Phys. Inst., RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Lomonosov Moscow State Univ. (Russian Federation); Kalinsuhkin, V.P. [A.M. Prokhorov Gen. Phys. Inst., RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Abrosimov, N.V. [Leibniz Inst. Kristallzuechtung, Berlin (Germany); Sennikov, P.G. [Inst. Chem. High-Purity Substances, Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Pohl, H.J. [PTB, Braunschweig (Germany); Zakel, S. [VITCON-Projektconsult, Jena (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    Looking for a possible host-isotope effect on the low-energy two-dimensional motion of interstitial oxygen in silicon we have measured the resonance parameters of the lowest transition of the 30 cm{sup -1} band of the Si-O-Si complex in natural Si and in isotopically enriched {sup 28}Si at temperatures between 5 K and 22 K by means of coherent-source terahertz spectroscopy. At 5.5 K we obtain for the resonance maxima 29.24 {+-} 0.003 cm{sup -1} and 29.22 {+-} 0.003 cm{sup -1} and for the line widths 0.09 {+-} 0.01 cm{sup -1} and 0.11 {+-} 0.01 cm{sup -1} for {sup 28}Si and {sup nat}Si, respectively. Both lines can be fitted by single Lorentzians, so, no obvious isotopic structure or asymmetry of the line in {sup nat}Si due to the Si neighbors in the Si-O-Si complex is detected. We therefore conclude that down-shift and broadening of the {sup nat}Si-resonance is not due to the Si isotopes in the isolated Si-O-Si complex but to an average effect of the isotopically inhomogeneous lattice.

  12. Oxygen isotope mapping and evaluation of paleo-hydrothermal systems associated with synvolcanic intrusion and VMS deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, B.E

    2001-01-01

    Whole-rock oxygen isotope mapping provides a useful method for the delineation and quantitative evaluation of paleo-hydrothermal systems associated with syn-volcanic intrusions and volcanic-associated massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. During the course of a four-year study of regional alteration systems associated with VMS Deposits, four syn-volcanic intrusive complexes in Canada were mapped using stable isotope techniques. The complexes included Noranda, Quebec; Clifford-Ben Nevis, Ontario; Snow Lake, Manitoba, and Sturgeon Lake, Ontario. This study was regional in extent, involving large areas and large numbers of whole-rock samples: Noranda (625 km 2 ;≥600 samples, plus others (total = 1198); Sturgeon Lake (525 km 2 ; 452 samples); Clifford-Ben Nevis (160 km 2 ; 251 samples); and Snow Lake (84 km 2 ; 575 samples). Isotopic data on whole-rock carbonates and hydrous minerals were also collected. The regional isotopic studies were carried out in concert with other studies on mineral assemblages and mineral composition, and on associated intrusive and extrusive rocks. The Clifford-Ben Nevis area was selected as a control area, in as much as it contains no known VMS deposits; all other areas are well-known, productive VMS districts. Oxygen isotope maps are, in a sense, thermal maps, illustrating the paleo-distribution of heat and fluids, and offering a potential aid to exploration. The isotopic data may be contoured to reveal zones of 18 O depletion and enrichment, relative to unaltered rocks. Zones of δ 18 O≤60% comprise rocks that have reacted with seawater at high (e.g., 300+ o C) temperatures. The volume of foot-wall rocks isotopically-depleted by water/rock interaction during the life of one or more episodes of submarine hydrothermal activity is proportional to the amount of heat available from the syn-volcanic intrusive center. These altered rocks comprise the reaction zone often inferred to have supplied metals and other constituents for the VMS deposits

  13. Oxygen isotope fractionation between human phosphate and water revisited

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daux, Valérie; Lécuyer, Christophe; Héran, Marie-Anne

    2008-01-01

    to investigate the impact of solid food consumption on the oxygen isotope composition of the total ingested water (drinking water+solid food water). The results, along with those from three, smaller published data sets, can be considered as random estimates of a unique delta18OW/delta18OP linear relationship...... collected at 12 sites located at latitudes ranging from 4 degrees N to 70 degrees N together with the corresponding oxygen composition of tap waters (delta18OW) from these areas. In addition, the delta18O of some raw and boiled foods were determined and simple mass balance calculations were performed......: delta18OW=1.54(+/-0.09)xdelta18OP-33.72(+/-1.51)(R2=0.87: p [H0:R2=0]=2x10(-19)). The delta18O of cooked food is higher than that of the drinking water. As a consequence, in a modern diet the delta18O of ingested water is +1.05 to 1.2 per thousand higher than that of drinking water in the area. In meat...

  14. Sulfur and Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Sulfate in the Fresh Water, King Sejong Station, King George Island, Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, M.; Lee, I.; Lee, J.; Park, B.; Mayer, B.; Kaufman, A. J.; Park, S.; Kim, G.; Lee, K.

    2008-12-01

    Isotopic compositions of sulfur (δ34S) and oxygen (δ18O) were measured for the sulfate of the fresh water near the King Sejong Station, King George Island, Antarctica. Sejong station is located in the Barton peninsular of the King George Island. The geology around King Sejong station mainly composed of basalt-andesite, quart monzodiorite, and granodiorite. Lapilli tuff, conglomerate, sandstone, and siltstone occur along the southern and eastern shore of the Barton peninsula. Lapilli tuff also occurs on the highland located on southeastern part of the Barton peninsula. The δ34S values of sulfate extracted from fresh water samples at King Sejong Station range from 13.7 to 16.3 per mil excluding 1 sample. These sulfur values are very narrow in their range compared with those from anthropogenic sources. These sulfur values are 5 to 7 per mil lower than those of typical present seawater. Considering the rocks occurring near the King Sejong station, these sulfur isotopic values do not seem to be related to any evaporites of certain age. In Antarctic region the natural source of sulfate dissolved in water could be originated from marine biogenic source (DMS), sea-salt, volcanic source, or other continental sources. Most of the δ34S values of sulfate at King Sejong station seems to indicate the dominance of marine biogenic origin for the source of sulfur. The δ18O values of sulfate extracted from fresh water samples at King Sejong Station range from 1.9 to 6.4 per mil excluding 1 sample. These oxygen isotope values are lower than those of the sulfate in the present seawater by 6 per mil. However, both sulfur and oxygen isotope values strongly represent the influence of the seawater sulfate. One sample have 2.6 and -1.1 per mil in its δ34S and δ18O values, respectively, that are quite different from the isotopic values of other samples. This sample was collected in the highland far from the King Sejong station. Therefore this sample might reflect the composition of

  15. Clumped-isotope geochemistry of carbonates: A new tool for the reconstruction of temperature and oxygen isotope composition of seawater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bernasconi, Stefano M., E-mail: Stefano.bernasconi@erdw.ethz.ch [Geological Institute, ETH Zuerich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zuerich (Switzerland); Schmid, Thomas W.; Grauel, Anna-Lena [Geological Institute, ETH Zuerich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zuerich (Switzerland); Mutterlose, Joerg [Institut fuer Geologie, Mineralogie und Geophysik, Ruhr Universitaet Bochum, Universitaetsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum (Germany)

    2011-06-15

    Highlights: > Clumped-isotope thermometry of carbonates is discussed. > Clumped isotopes of Belemnites show higher sea surface temperatures than commonly assumed for the lower Cretaceous. > The potential of clumped-isotope measurement on foraminifera is discussed. - Abstract: Clumped-isotope geochemistry deals with State of ordering of rare isotopes in molecules, in particular with their tendency to form bonds with other rare isotopes rather than with the most abundant ones. Among its possible applications, carbonate clumped-isotope thermometry is the one that has gained most attention because of the wide potential of applications in many disciplines of the earth sciences. In particular, it allows reconstructing the temperature of formation of carbonate minerals without knowledge of the isotopic composition of the water from which they were formed. In addition, the O isotope composition of the waters from which they were formed can be calculated using the {delta}{sup 18}O of the same carbonate sample. This feature offers new approaches in paleoclimatology for reconstructing past global geochemical cycles. In this contribution two applications of this method are presented. First the potential of a new analytical method of measurement of clumped isotopes on small samples of foraminifera, for high-resolution SST and seawater {delta}{sup 18}O reconstructions from marine sediments is shown. Furthermore the potential of clumped isotope analysis of belemnites, for reconstructing seawater {delta}{sup 18}O and temperatures in the Cretaceous is shown.

  16. A study of oxygen isotopic fractionation during bio-induced calcite precipitation in eutrophic Baldeggersee, Switzerland

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Teranes, J.L.; McKenzie, J.A.; Bernasconi, S.M.; Lotter, A.F.; Sturm, M.

    1999-01-01

    Abstract—In order to better understand environmental factors controlling oxygen isotope shifts in autochthonous lacustrine carbonate sequences, we undertook an extensive one-year study (March, 1995 to February, 1996) of water-column chemistry and daily sediment trap material from a small lake in

  17. SIMS study of oxygen diffusion in monoclinic HfO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Michael P.; De Souza, Roger A.

    2018-01-01

    The diffusion of oxygen in dense ceramics of monoclinic HfO2 was studied by means of (18O/16O) isotope exchange annealing and subsequent determination of isotope depth profiles by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. Anneals were performed in the temperature range of 573 ≤T /K ≤ 973 at an oxygen partial pressure of p O2=200 mbar . All measured isotope profiles exhibited two features: the first feature, closer to the surface, was attributed mainly to slow oxygen diffusion in an impurity silicate phase; the second feature, deeper in the sample, was attributed to oxygen diffusion in bulk monoclinic HfO2 . The activation enthalpy of oxygen tracer diffusion in bulk HfO2 was found to be ΔHD∗≈0.5 eV .

  18. Early-Middle Pleistocene benthic turnover and oxygen isotope stratigraphy from the Central Mediterranean (Valle di Manche, Crotone Basin, Italy): Data and trends

    OpenAIRE

    Michele Azzarone; Patrizia Ferretti; Veronica Rossi; Daniele Scarponi; Luca Capraro; Patrizia Macrì; John W. Huntley; Costanza Faranda

    2018-01-01

    Ostracod faunal turnover and oxygen isotope data (foraminifera) along the Valle di Manche (VdM) section are herein compiled. Specifically, the material reported in this work includes quantitative palaeoecological data and patterns of ostracod fauna framed within a high-resolution oxygen isotope stratigraphy (δ18O) from Uvigerina peregrina. In addition, the multivariate ostracod faunal stratigraphic trend (nMDS axis-1 sample score) is calibrated using bathymetric distributions of extant mollus...

  19. Oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions of gases respired by humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Epstein, S.; Zeiri, L.

    1988-01-01

    Oxygen-isotope fractionation associated with respiration in human individuals at rest is linearly related to the fraction of the O 2 utilized in the respiration process. The slope of this relationship is affected by a history of smoking, by vigorous exercise, and by the N 2 /O 2 ratio of the inhaled gas. For patients who suffer anemia-related diseases, the slope of this relationship is directly proportional to their level of hemoglobin. These results introduce a new approach for studying the mechanisms of O 2 consumption in human respiration and how they are affected by related diseases

  20. Synopsis of oxygen isotopes in geothermal solids and fluids of New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blattner, P.

    1982-01-01

    Geothermal minerals serve as downhole probes of oxygen isotope compositions and thus of parameters of geothermal hydrology. ''Deep'' wells (2500 m) in New Zealand show no sign of Δ 18 O values ''bottoming out''. Ngawha differs from other systems both in the level and profile details of Δ 18 O values. The reservoir fluid at Ngawha hydrogeology may or may not be suited for development of a high-throughput surface recharge system

  1. Tracing the oxygen triple isotopic composition of tropospheric molecular oxygen in biogenic apatite - a new tool for palaeoclimatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pack, A.; Süssenberger, A.; Gehler, A.; Wotzlaw, J.

    2009-04-01

    O as function of log Mb. Predicted and measured data agree within the uncertainty of the model and the measurements, respectively. Small mammals with their high specific metabolic rate show the greatest portion of oxygen from air O2 in their body water and in their bones and teeth. With this approach, ∆17O of air O2 can be determined with an uncertainty in the range of 0.05-0.1‰. This is more precise than what can be obtained from analyses of terrigene sulfate. With well-preserved fossil material, it may be possible to determine ∆17O of air O2 beyond the time limit of ice core data. The high precision of our approach may allow identifying variations in ∆17O of air O2 between glacial and interglacial periods. With mammal material, we will construct a ∆17O-profile of tropospheric O2 back to the Palaeogene. Using the same approach with reptile apatite, we expect to be able to extend the database beyond the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary. Correct interpretation of ∆17O of biogenic apatite, however, requires knowledge of the metabolic parameters for the analyzed groups as well as the β-values for all isotope fractionation processes involved. [1] Luz B. et al. (1999) Nature, 400, 547-550. [2] Pack A. et al. (2007) Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 21, 3721-3728. [3] Rumble D. et al. (2007) Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 71, 3592-3600. [4] Bao H. et al. (2008) Nature, 453, 504-506. [5] Blunier T. et al. (2002) Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 16, 3-1-15. [6] Bryant J. D. and Froelich P. N. (1995) Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 59, 4523-4537.

  2. The oxygen isotope effect on the in-plane penetration depth in cuprate superconductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khasanov, R [Physik-Institut der Universitaet Zuerich, CH-8057 Zurich (Switzerland); Shengelaya, A [Physik-Institut der Universitaet Zuerich, CH-8057 Zurich (Switzerland); Morenzoni, E [Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Conder, K [Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, ETH Zuerich and PSI Villigen, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Savic, I M [Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, 11001 Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro); Keller, H [Physik-Institut der Universitaet Zuerich, CH-8057 Zurich (Switzerland)

    2004-10-13

    Muon spin rotation ({mu}SR) studies of the oxygen isotope ({sup 16}O/{sup 18}O) effect (OIE) on the in-plane magnetic field penetration depth {lambda}{sub ab} in cuprate high-temperature superconductors (HTS) are presented. First, the doping dependence of the OIE on the transition temperature T{sub c} in various HTS is briefly discussed. It is observed that different cuprate families show similar doping dependences of the OIE on T{sub c}. Then, bulk {mu}SR, low-energy {mu}SR, and magnetization studies of the total and site-selective OIE on {lambda}{sub ab} are described in some detail. A substantial OIE on {lambda}{sub ab} was observed in various cuprate families at all doping levels, suggesting that cuprate HTS are non-adiabatic superconductors. The experiments clearly demonstrate that the total OIE on T{sub c} and {lambda}{sub ab} arise from the oxygen sites within the superconducting CuO{sub 2} planes, demonstrating that the phonon modes involving the movement of planar oxygen are dominantly coupled to the supercarriers. Finally, it is shown that the OIE on T{sub c} and {lambda}{sub ab} exhibit a relation that appears to be generic for different families of cuprate HTS. The observation of these unusual isotope effects implies that lattice effects play an essential role in cuprate HTS and have to be considered in any realistic model of high-temperature superconductivity.

  3. Oxygen isotope fractionation between bird eggshell calcite and body water: application to fossil eggs from Lanzarote (Canary Islands)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazzerini, Nicolas; Lécuyer, Christophe; Amiot, Romain; Angst, Delphine; Buffetaut, Eric; Fourel, François; Daux, Valérie; Betancort, Juan Francisco; Flandrois, Jean-Pierre; Marco, Antonio Sánchez; Lomoschitz, Alejandro

    2016-10-01

    Oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of fossil bird eggshell calcite (δ18Ocalc and δ13Ccalc) are regularly used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions. However, the interpretation of δ18Ocalc values of fossil eggshells has been limited to qualitative variations in local climatic conditions as oxygen isotope fractionations between calcite, body fluids, and drinking water have not been determined yet. For this purpose, eggshell, albumen water, and drinking water of extant birds have been analyzed for their oxygen and carbon isotope compositions. Relative enrichments in 18O relative to 16O between body fluids and drinking water of +1.6 ± 0.9 ‰ for semi-aquatic birds and of +4.4 ± 1.9 ‰ for terrestrial birds are observed. Surprisingly, no significant dependence to body temperature on the oxygen isotope fractionation between eggshell calcite and body fluids is observed, suggesting that bird eggshells precipitate out of equilibrium. Two empirical equations relating the δ18Ocalc value of eggshell calcite to the δ18Ow value of ingested water have been established for terrestrial and semi-aquatic birds. These equations have been applied to fossil eggshells from Lanzarote in order to infer the ecologies of the Pleistocene marine bird Puffinus sp. and of the enigmatic giant birds from the Pliocene. Both δ13Ccalc and δ18Ocalc values of Puffinus eggshells point to a semi-aquatic marine bird ingesting mostly seawater, whereas low δ13Ccalc and high δ18Ocalc values of eggshells from the Pliocene giant bird suggest a terrestrial lifestyle. This set of equations can help to quantitatively estimate the origin of waters ingested by extinct birds as well as to infer either local environmental or climatic conditions.

  4. Measurement of isotope abundance variations in nature by gravimetric spiking isotope dilution analysis (GS-IDA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chew, Gina; Walczyk, Thomas

    2013-04-02

    Subtle variations in the isotopic composition of elements carry unique information about physical and chemical processes in nature and are now exploited widely in diverse areas of research. Reliable measurement of natural isotope abundance variations is among the biggest challenges in inorganic mass spectrometry as they are highly sensitive to methodological bias. For decades, double spiking of the sample with a mix of two stable isotopes has been considered the reference technique for measuring such variations both by multicollector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) and multicollector-thermal ionization mass spectrometry (MC-TIMS). However, this technique can only be applied to elements having at least four stable isotopes. Here we present a novel approach that requires measurement of three isotope signals only and which is more robust than the conventional double spiking technique. This became possible by gravimetric mixing of the sample with an isotopic spike in different proportions and by applying principles of isotope dilution for data analysis (GS-IDA). The potential and principle use of the technique is demonstrated for Mg in human urine using MC-TIMS for isotopic analysis. Mg is an element inaccessible to double spiking methods as it consists of three stable isotopes only and shows great potential for metabolically induced isotope effects waiting to be explored.

  5. On the Use of Biomineral Oxygen Isotope Data to Identify Human Migrants in the Archaeological Record: Intra-Sample Variation, Statistical Methods and Geographical Considerations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma Lightfoot

    Full Text Available Oxygen isotope analysis of archaeological skeletal remains is an increasingly popular tool to study past human migrations. It is based on the assumption that human body chemistry preserves the δ18O of precipitation in such a way as to be a useful technique for identifying migrants and, potentially, their homelands. In this study, the first such global survey, we draw on published human tooth enamel and bone bioapatite data to explore the validity of using oxygen isotope analyses to identify migrants in the archaeological record. We use human δ18O results to show that there are large variations in human oxygen isotope values within a population sample. This may relate to physiological factors influencing the preservation of the primary isotope signal, or due to human activities (such as brewing, boiling, stewing, differential access to water sources and so on causing variation in ingested water and food isotope values. We compare the number of outliers identified using various statistical methods. We determine that the most appropriate method for identifying migrants is dependent on the data but is likely to be the IQR or median absolute deviation from the median under most archaeological circumstances. Finally, through a spatial assessment of the dataset, we show that the degree of overlap in human isotope values from different locations across Europe is such that identifying individuals' homelands on the basis of oxygen isotope analysis alone is not possible for the regions analysed to date. Oxygen isotope analysis is a valid method for identifying first-generation migrants from an archaeological site when used appropriately, however it is difficult to identify migrants using statistical methods for a sample size of less than c. 25 individuals. In the absence of local previous analyses, each sample should be treated as an individual dataset and statistical techniques can be used to identify migrants, but in most cases pinpointing a specific

  6. Geochemistry and oxygen isotope composition of main-group pallasites and olivine-rich clasts in mesosiderites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Greenwood, Richard C.; Barrat, Jean-Alix; Scott, Edward R. D.

    2015-01-01

    origin. Although the Dawn mission did not detect mesosiderite-like material on Vesta, evidence linking the mesosiderites and HEDs includes: (i) theirnearly identical oxygen isotope compositions; (ii) the presence in both of coarse-grained Mg-rich olivines; (iii) both have synchronous Lu-Hf and Mn-Cr ages...

  7. Oxygen isotope systematics of chondrules in the Allende CV3 chondrite: High precision ion microprobe studies

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Rudraswami, N.G.; Ushikubo, T.; Nakashima, D.; Kita, N.T.

    grains and some of them were derived from precursors related to refractory inclusions. However, most relict olivine grains show oxygen isotope ratios that overlap with those in homogeneous chondrules. The delta sup(17)O values of four barred olivine...

  8. Environmental isotopes in New Zealand hydrology ; 4. Oxygen isotope variations in subsurface waters of the Waimea Plains, Nelson

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stewart, M.K.; Dicker, M.J.I.; Johnston, M.R.

    1981-01-01

    Oxygen isotope measurements of ground and surface waters of the Waimea Plains, Nelson, have been used to identify sources of water in aquifers beneath the plains. Major rivers flowing onto the plains are from higher-altitude catchments (maximum altitude 2000 m) and have delta O 18 approximately equal to -7.2%, whereas rainfall on the plains and adjacent low-altitude catchment streams have delta O 18 approximately equal to -6.2%. The delta O 18 measurements indicate that the 3 major aquifer units, the ''Lower Confined Aquifers'' and the ''Upper Confined Aquifers'' in the Hope Gravel (Late Pleistocene) and the ''Unconfined Aquifers'' in the Appleby Gravel (Holocene) are recharged from different sources. The ''Lower Confined Aquifers'' probably receive slow recharge in the south near Brightwater. The ''Upper Confined Aquifers'' are recharged, in the south, from the Wairoa River and locally in the north are connected with the unconfined aquifers. The ''Unconfined Aquifers'' are recharged from the Waimea River and, away from the river, from rainfall. Intermixing of water, via multiple screened wells, between the various aquifers is also indicated. (author). 5 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

  9. Correction of mass spectrometric isotope ratio measurements for isobaric isotopologues of O2, CO, CO2, N2O and SO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaiser, Jan; Röckmann, Thomas

    2008-12-01

    Gas isotope ratio mass spectrometers usually measure ion current ratios of molecules, not atoms. Often several isotopologues contribute to an ion current at a particular mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). Therefore, corrections have to be applied to derive the desired isotope ratios. These corrections are usually formulated in terms of isotope ratios (R), but this does not reflect the practice of measuring the ion current ratios of the sample relative to those of a reference material. Correspondingly, the relative ion current ratio differences (expressed as delta values) are first converted into isotopologue ratios, then into isotope ratios and finally back into elemental delta values. Here, we present a reformulation of this data reduction procedure entirely in terms of delta values and the 'absolute' isotope ratios of the reference material. This also shows that not the absolute isotope ratios of the reference material themselves, but only product and ratio combinations of them, are required for the data reduction. These combinations can be and, for carbon and oxygen have been, measured by conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometers. The frequently implied use of absolute isotope ratios measured by specially calibrated instruments is actually unnecessary. Following related work on CO2, we here derive data reduction equations for the species O2, CO, N2O and SO2. We also suggest experiments to measure the required absolute ratio combinations for N2O, SO2 and O2. As a prelude, we summarise historic and recent measurements of absolute isotope ratios in international isotope reference materials. Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Precise and accurate isotope ratio measurements by ICP-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, J S; Dietze, H J

    2000-09-01

    The precise and accurate determination of isotope ratios by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) is important for quite different application fields (e.g. for isotope ratio measurements of stable isotopes in nature, especially for the investigation of isotope variation in nature or age dating, for determining isotope ratios of radiogenic elements in the nuclear industry, quality assurance of fuel material, for reprocessing plants, nuclear material accounting and radioactive waste control, for tracer experiments using stable isotopes or long-lived radionuclides in biological or medical studies). Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), which used to be the dominant analytical technique for precise isotope ratio measurements, is being increasingly replaced for isotope ratio measurements by ICP-MS due to its excellent sensitivity, precision and good accuracy. Instrumental progress in ICP-MS was achieved by the introduction of the collision cell interface in order to dissociate many disturbing argon-based molecular ions, thermalize the ions and neutralize the disturbing argon ions of plasma gas (Ar+). The application of the collision cell in ICP-QMS results in a higher ion transmission, improved sensitivity and better precision of isotope ratio measurements compared to quadrupole ICP-MS without the collision cell [e.g., for 235U/238U approximately 1 (10 microg x L(-1) uranium) 0.07% relative standard deviation (RSD) vs. 0.2% RSD in short-term measurements (n = 5)]. A significant instrumental improvement for ICP-MS is the multicollector device (MC-ICP-MS) in order to obtain a better precision of isotope ratio measurements (with a precision of up to 0.002%, RSD). CE- and HPLC-ICP-MS are used for the separation of isobaric interferences of long-lived radionuclides and stable isotopes by determination of spallation nuclide abundances in an irradiated tantalum target.

  11. Isotope measurement techniques for atmospheric methane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowe, D.; White, J.; Levin, I.; Wahlen, M.; Miller, J.B.; Bergamaschi, P.

    2002-01-01

    Measurement techniques for the carbon isotopic composition of atmospheric methane (δ 13 C) are described in detail as applied in several leading institutions active in this field since many years. The standard techniques with offline sample preparation and subsequent measurement by dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) are compared with continuous flow IRMS. The potential use of infrared absorption spectroscopy is briefly discussed. Details on quality control and calibration are provided. Basic analytical aspects for the measurement of other species, 2 H and 14 C, are also given. (author)

  12. CARBON AND OXYGEN ISOTOPIC RATIOS FOR NEARBY MIRAS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hinkle, Kenneth H. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726 (United States); Lebzelter, Thomas [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna Türkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria); Straniero, Oscar, E-mail: khinkle@noao.edu, E-mail: thomas.lebzelter@univie.ac.at, E-mail: straniero@oa-teramo.inaf.it [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Collurania I-64100 Teramo (Italy)

    2016-07-01

    Carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios are reported for a sample of 46 Mira and SRa-type variable asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Vibration–rotation first and second-overtone CO lines in 1.5–2.5 μ m spectra were measured to derive isotopic ratios for {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C, {sup 16}O/{sup 17}O, and {sup 16}O/{sup 18}O. Comparisons with previous measurements for individual stars and with various samples of evolved stars, as available in the extant literature, are discussed. Models for solar composition AGB stars of different initial masses are used to interpret our results. We find that the majority of M-stars have main sequence masses ≤2 M {sub ⊙} and have not experienced sizable third dredge-up (TDU) episodes. The progenitors of the four S-type stars in our sample are slightly more massive. Of the six C-stars in the sample three have clear evidence relating their origin to the occurrence of TDU. Comparisons with O-rich presolar grains from AGB stars that lived before the formation of the solar system reveal variations in the interstellar medium chemical composition. The present generation of low-mass AGB stars, as represented by our sample of long period variables (LPVs), shows a large spread of {sup 16}O/{sup 17}O ratios, similar to that of group 1 presolar grains and in agreement with theoretical expectations for the composition of mass 1.2–2 M {sub ⊙} stars after the first dredge-up. In contrast, the {sup 16}O/{sup 18}O ratios of present-day LPVs are definitely smaller than those of group 1 grains. This is most probably a consequence of the the decrease with time of the {sup 16}O/{sup 18}O ratio in the interstellar medium due to the chemical evolution of the Milky Way. One star in our sample has an O composition similar to that of group 2 presolar grains originating in an AGB star undergoing extra-mixing. This may indicate that the extra-mixing process is hampered at high metallicity, or, equivalently, favored at low metallicity. Similarly to O

  13. Experimental study on isotope fractionation of evaporating water of different initial isotopic composition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pooja Devi; Jain, A.K.; Rao, M.S.; Kumar, B.

    2014-01-01

    The studies of evaporative isotopic fractionation in controlled conditions are of particular importance for understanding the mechanism of evaporation fractionation in natural conditions. We present the measurements of the average isotopic fractionation factors during the evaporation of water having different initial isotopic compositions at constant temperature. The results show that the isotopic composition of residual water become more enriched over the time and the initial isotopic composition of evaporating water has considerable effect on the average isotopic fractionation factors. The average isotopic fractionation factors in evaporation of Water A and Water B under the present experimental conditions were found to be 0.9817 ± 0.0044 and 0.9887 ± 0.0031 for oxygen and 0.9178 ± 0.0182 and 0.9437 ± 0.0169 for hydrogen, respectively. The findings of this work should lead to a better understanding and use of stable isotope techniques in isotope hydrology by using a simple technique of evaporation pan. (author)

  14. Oxygen isotope effect on 55Mn nuclear magnetic shielding in permanganate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haase, A.R.; Lutz, O.; Mueller, M.; Nolle, A.

    1976-01-01

    By Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy the 55 Mn resonance lines of the different permanganate species 55 Mn 16 Osub(4-n) 18 Osub(n) - (n=0,1,2,3,4) have been resolved in aqueous solutions of potassium permanganate. An isotope effect on the Larmor frequency of 55 Mn of (0.599 +- 0.015)ppm to lower frequency was found for the substition of an 16 O atom by an 18 O atom in the permanganate ion. An oxygen exchange rate in the permanganate-water system is given. (orig.) [de

  15. Sulfur Isotope Trends in Archean Microbialite Facies Record Early Oxygen Production and Consumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zerkle, A.; Meyer, N.; Izon, G.; Poulton, S.; Farquhar, J.; Claire, M.

    2014-12-01

    The major and minor sulfur isotope composition (δ34S and Δ33S) of pyrites preserved in ~2.65-2.5 billion-year-old (Ga) microbialites record localized oxygen production and consumption near the mat surface. These trends are preserved in two separate drill cores (GKF01 and BH1-Sacha) transecting the Campbellrand-Malmani carbonate platform (Ghaap Group, Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa; Zerkle et al., 2012; Izon et al., in review). Microbialite pyrites possess positive Δ33S values, plotting parallel to typical Archean trends (with a Δ33S/δ34S slope of ~0.9) but enriched in 34S by ~3 to 7‰. We propose that these 34S-enriched pyrites were formed from a residual pool of sulfide that was partially oxidized via molecular oxygen produced by surface mat-dwelling cyanobacteria. Sulfide, carrying the range of Archean Δ33S values, could have been produced deeper within the microbial mat by the reduction of sulfate and elemental sulfur, then fractionated upon reaction with O2 produced by oxygenic photosynthesis. Preservation of this positive 34S offset requires that: 1) sulfide was only partially (50­­-80%) consumed by oxidation, meaning H2S was locally more abundant (or more rapidly produced) than O2, and 2) the majority of the sulfate produced via oxidation was not immediately reduced to sulfide, implying either that the sulfate pool was much larger than the sulfide pool, or that the sulfate formed near the mat surface was transported and reduced in another part of the system. Contrastingly, older microbialite facies (> 2.7 Ga; Thomazo et al., 2013) appear to lack these observed 34S enrichments. Consequently, the onset of 34S enrichments could mark a shift in mat ecology, from communities dominated by anoxygenic photosynthesizers to cyanobacteria. Here, we test these hypotheses with new spatially resolved mm-scale trends in sulfur isotope measurements from pyritized stromatolites of the Vryburg Formation, sampled in the lower part of the BH1-Sacha core. Millimeter

  16. LITERATURE SURVEY ON ISOTOPIC ABUNDANCE RATIO MEASUREMENTS - 2001-2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HOLDEN, N.E.

    2005-01-01

    Along with my usual weekly review of the published literature for new nuclear data, I also search for new candidates for best measurements of isotopic abundances from a single source. Most of the published articles, that I previously had found in the Research Library at the Brookhaven Lab, have already been sent to the members of the Atomic Weights Commission, by either Michael Berglund or Thomas Walczyk. In the last few days, I checked the published literature for any other articles in the areas of natural variations in isotopic abundance ratios, measurements of isotopic abundance ratios on samples of extra-terrestrial material and isotopic abundance ratio measurements performed using ICPMS instruments. Hopefully this information will be of interest to members of the Commission, the sub-committee on isotopic abundance measurements (SIAM), members of the former sub-committee on natural isotopic fractionation (SNIF), the sub-committee on extra-terrestrial isotope ratios (SETIR), the RTCE Task Group and the Guidelines Task Group, who are dealing with ICPMS and TIMS comparisons. In the following report, I categorize the publications in one of four areas. Measurements performed using either positive or negative ions with Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer, TIMS, instruments; measurements performed on Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, ICPMS, instruments; measurements of natural variations of the isotopic abundance ratios; and finally measurements on extra-terrestrial samples with instrumentation of either type. There is overlap in these areas. I selected out variations and ET results first and then categorized the rest of the papers by TIMS and ICPMS

  17. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2005-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeoclimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. (author). 52 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs

  18. Environmental isotope observations on Sishen ground waters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verhagen, B. Th.

    1982-01-01

    Environmental isotope measurements have been conducted on the outputs of some of the main dewatering points in both north and south mining areas as well as on numerous other observation points in the Sishen compartment. The effect of the dykes bounding the compartment could be observed from the behaviour of the isotopic composition of ground waters in the conduit zone. Measurements were done on radiocarbon, tritium oxygen-18 and carbon-13

  19. Origin of the brines near WIPP from the drill holes ERDA-6 and WIPP-12 based on stable isotope concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spiegler, P.; Updegraff, D.

    1983-03-01

    Pathways which might alter the isotopic compositions of deuterium and oxygen-18 meteoric water, seawaters, and in hydration waters in gypsum to the isotopic compositions of brines encountered at ERDA-6 and WIPP-12 are discussed. Present geologic conditions do not favor the alteration of the isotopic compositions of waters that exist near the WIPP site to those of the brines by these pathways. It is concluded that the brines encountered at ERDA-6 and WIPP-12 are probably derived from ancient ocean waters that have been isotopically enriched in oxygen-18 by exchange interaction with rock. The dehydration of gypsum as a process of origin of these brines cannot be ruled out

  20. Isotope-dilution mass spectrometry in the measurement of plutonium isotope half-lives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abernathey, R.M.; Marsh, S.F.

    1981-01-01

    Isotope-dilution mass spectrometry has been used at Los Alamos to measure the half-lives of 239 Pu, 240 Pu, and 241 Pu. The latter was determined by measuring the rate of decrease of the 241 Pu/ 242 Pu ratio in an appropriate isotopic mixture over a period of several years. The half-lives of the two lighter isotopes are too long to be determined in this manner. They were determined by measuring the rate of production of the uranium daughter relative to a known added 233 U spike. Experimental procedures were designed to control sources of error and to permit a detailed statistical treatment which included all known sources of error and accounted for all covariances. The uncertainties, at the 95% confidence level, associated with the measured half-lives were less than 0.4% for 241 Pu and less than 0.2% for 239 Pu and 240 Pu

  1. Stable isotope genealogy of meteorites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pillinger, C.T.

    1988-01-01

    One of the oldest problems in meteoritics is that of taxonomically grouping samples. In recent years the use of isotopes, particularly oxygen isotopes has proved very successful in this respect. Other light-element systematics potentially can perform the same function. For example, nitrogen in iron meteorites, and nitrogen and carbon in ureilites and SNC meteorites. These measurements will serve to extend and augment existing classification schemes and provide clues to the nature of meteorite parent bodies. They can also aid in the recognition of the isotopic signatures relating to inaccessible regions of the Earth. (author)

  2. Mass independent isotope effects and their observations in nature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thiemens, M.H.

    2002-01-01

    In 1983, Thiemens and Heidenreich reported the first chemically produced mass independent isotope effect. A significant feature of the fractionation was that it identically produced the isotopic relation observed in the calcium-aluminum inclusions in the Allende meteorite. This δ 17 O=δ 18 O composition had previously been thought to represent a nucleosynthetic component as no chemical process was capable of producing a mass independent isotopic composition. It now appears nearly certain that the meteoritic oxygen isotopic anomalies were produced by chemical, rather than nuclear, processes. Since oxygen is the major element in stony planets this represents a major event in the formation of the solar system. In a recent review (Thiemens, 1999), it has been shown that mass independent isotopic compositions are pervasive in the Earth's atmosphere. Molecules which have been demonstrated to possess mass independent isotopic compositions include: O 2 , O 3 , CO 2 , CO, and N 2 O. In each case, the specific nature of the mass independent isotopic composition has provided details of their atmospheric chemistry that could not have been obtained by any other measurement technique. Most recently, solid materials have been observed to possess mass independent isotopic composition. In this paper, these observations are briefly discussed. These solid reservoirs include: 1) carbonates and sulphates from Mars, 2) terrestrial aerosol sulphate, 3) sulphides and sulphates from the Earth, ranging in time from 3.8 to 2.2 billion years before present, 4) sulphates from the Namibian desert and 5) the Antartic Dry Valleys. The information obtained from these measurements is extraordinarily wide ranging, extending from understanding the history of Martian atmosphereregolith interaction to the evolution of the oxygen in the Earth's earliest atmosphere. As was the case for gas phase species, this information and insight could not have been obtained by any other measurement technique

  3. Seasonal Variations in Stable Isotope Ratios of Oxygen and Hydrogen in Two Tundra Rivers in NE European Russia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huitu, E.; Arvola, L. [Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki (Finland); Sonninen, E. [Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, University of Helsinki (Finland)

    2013-07-15

    The variability in stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen ({delta} {sup 18}O and {delta}{sup 2}H values) in river waters in northeast European Russia was studied for the period from July 2007 to october 2008. Exceptional isotope composition in precipitation obtained during the sampling period was clearly traced in the composition of river waters. Water from permafrost thawing did not make a great contribution to river flow. (author)

  4. Oxygen isotope variations in phosphate of biogenic apatites. Pt. 2. Phosphorite rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kolodny, Y; Luz, B; Shemesh, A [Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem (Israel). Dept. of Geology

    1983-09-01

    Phosphorites from sedimentary sequences ranging in age from Archaen to Recent were analysed for delta/sup 18/O in both the PO/sub 4/ (delta/sup 18/Osub(p)) and CO/sub 3/ (delta/sup 18/Osub(c)) in the apatite lattice. The oxygen isotope record is considerably better preserved in phosphates than in either carbonates or cherts. The use of the Longinelli and Nuti temperature equation yields temperatures for Recent phosphorites that are in good agreement with those measured in the field. The delta/sup 18/Osub(p) values of ancient phosphorites decrease with increasing age. These changes with time are not likely to be due to post-depositional exchange. Changes in delta/sup 18/O values of seawater and variations of temperatures with time can account for the delta/sup 18/Osub(p) time trend, but the latter explanation is preferred. In Ancient phosphorites delta/sup 18/Osub(c) in structurally bound carbonate in apatite is not a reliable geochemical indicator.

  5. Determination of the hydrogen isotopic compositions of organic materials and hydrous minerals using thermal combustion laser spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehler, Geoff; Wassenaar, Leonard I

    2012-04-17

    Hydrogen isotopic compositions of hydrous minerals and organic materials were measured by combustion to water, followed by optical isotopic analysis of the water vapor by off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions were calculated by numerical integration of the individual isotopologue concentrations measured by the optical spectrometer. Rapid oxygen isotope exchange occurs within the combustion reactor between water vapor and molecular oxygen so that only hydrogen isotope compositions may be determined. Over a wide range in sample sizes, precisions were ±3-4 per mil. This is comparable but worse than continuous flow-isotope ratio mass spectroscopy (CF-IRMS) methods owing to memory effects inherent in water vapor transfer. Nevertheless, the simplicity and reduced cost of this analysis compared to classical IRMS or CF-IRMS methods make this an attractive option to determine the hydrogen isotopic composition of organic materials where the utmost precision or small sample sizes are not needed.

  6. ANALYTICAL EMPLOYMENT OF STABLE ISOTOPES OF CARBON, NITROGEN, OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN FOR FOOD AUTHENTICATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Novelli

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen were used for analytical purposes for the discrimination of the type of production (farming vs. fishing in the case of sea bass and for geographical origin in the case of milk. These results corroborate similar experimental evidences and confirm the potential of this analytical tool to support of food traceability.

  7. The source of phosphate in the oxidation zone of ore deposits: Evidence from oxygen isotope compositions of pyromorphite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burmann, Fabian; Keim, Maximilian F.; Oelmann, Yvonne; Teiber, Holger; Marks, Michael A. W.; Markl, Gregor

    2013-12-01

    empirical equation from Longinelli and Nuti (1973) presented by Puceat et al. (2010): T(°C)=118.7-4.22[(δ18OP+(22.6-δ18ONBS120c))-δ18OW] where T is the temperature of the ambient water, δ18OP is the oxygen isotope composition of the phosphate at equilibrium conditions, δ18ONBS120c is the oxygen isotope composition of reference material NBS120c according to Vennemann et al. (2002) and δ18OW is the oxygen isotope composition of the ambient water. Knowledge of the δ18OP of ambient water and its temperature renders it possible to calculate a theoretical equilibrium value for δ18OP. If phosphate is again released from organisms into the soil, it will reflect the δ18OP of the cell-internal P cycling. In addition, extracellular enzymes are released in soil if the demand for P requires the hydrolysis of organic P in soil (McGill and Cole, 1981). Extracellular enzymes also transfer O atoms from water to phosphate and thus, change δ18OP. The associated isotopic fractionation factors vary between -10‰ (enzyme: 5‧-nucleotidase) and -30‰ (enzyme: alkaline phosphatase; Liang and Blake, 2006, 2009). All recent publications on δ18OP of phosphate in the readily available P fraction in soil (resin P) showed δ18OP values in the range calculated for isotopic equilibrium fractionation irrespective of environmental conditions (parent material, climate, biome). At most 20% down to 0% of the measured δ18OP fell outside the calculated isotopic equilibrium range (Angert et al., 2011, 2012; Tamburini et al., 2012). We therefore infer a dominant role of intracellular enzyme activity for δ18OP values in resin P in soil.Theoretical calculations by Lecuyer et al. (1999) imply that oxygen isotope exchange between phosphate and water can also occur in the absence of biological activity. An extrapolation of their equations to temperatures of 10 °C shows, however, that it takes more than 6000 years to exchange 10% of the phosphate oxygen (Colman et al., 2005). Traditionally, the oxygen

  8. Oxygen isotope ratios in the shell of Mytilus edulis: archives of glacier meltwater in Greenland?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Versteegh, E. A. A.; Blicher, Martin E.; Mortensen, J.

    2012-01-01

    Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is accelerating and will contribute significantly to global sea level rise during the 21st century. Instrumental data on GrIS melting only cover the last few decades, and proxy data extending our knowledge into the past are vital for validating models...... predicting the influence of ongoing climate change. We investigated a potential meltwater proxy in Godthåbsfjord (West Greenland), where glacier meltwater causes seasonal excursions with lower oxygen isotope water (δ18Ow) values and salinity. The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) potentially records...... its potential as a palaeo-meltwater proxy. First, we confirmed that M. edulis shell calcite oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) values are in equilibrium with ambient water and generally reflect meltwater conditions. Subsequently we investigated if this species recorded the full range of δ18Ow values occurring...

  9. Neodymium isotope ratios in fish debris as a tracer for a low oxygen water mass in the equatorial Pacific across the last glacial termination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reimi Sipala, M. A.; Marcantonio, F.

    2017-12-01

    The deep ocean has long been suggested as a potential sink of carbon during the LGM, providing storage for the drawdown of atmospheric CO2 observed in the climate record. However, the exact location, origin and pathway of this respired carbon pool remains largely unconstrained. The equatorial Pacific is an important player in the ocean biogeochemical cycling of carbon, with many researchers focusing on the changes in iron-limited systems and potential micronutrient supply changes throughout the Pleistocene glaciation. Here we attempt to isolate the role of deep water circulation changes that may be associated with changing bottom water oxygen conditions in the Central Equatorial Pacific during the last deglaciation. We measure the variability of the Nd isotopic composition of fish debris from three sites in the Central Equatorial Pacific (CEP) along a meridional transect at approximately 160° W -- 0° 28' N (ML1208-17PC), 4° 41' N (ML1208-31BB), and 7 ° 2'N (ML1208-31BB). Nd isotopic values in fish debris reflect the Nd isotopic composition of bottom water at the time of deposition and are insensitive to moderate changes in redox conditions or pore water oxygen levels. Nd isotope ratios can, therefore, be used as an effective deep-ocean water mass tracer. This work attempts to illuminate our current understanding of changes in bottom water oxygenation conditions throughout the Equatorial Pacific over the past 25 kyr. High authigenic U concentrations during peak glacial conditions have been attributed to deep-water suboxic conditions potentially associated with increased respired carbon storage. However, it is still unclear if these changes originate in the Southern Ocean, and propagate to the equatorial Pacific through an increased in penetration of Southern Ocean Intermediate water, or if they represent a change in the efficiency of the biological pump, permitting a drawdown of oxygen in bottom water without increased nutrient availability.

  10. An experimental study on the effect of carbonic anhydrase on the oxygen isotope exchange kinetics and equilibrium in the carbonic acid system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchikawa, J.; Zeebe, R. E.

    2011-12-01

    Stable oxygen isotopes of marine biogenic carbonates are often depleted in 18O relative to the values expected for thermodynamic equilibrium with ambient seawater. One possibility is that 18O-depletion in carbonates is kinetically controlled. The kinetic isotope effect associated with the hydration of CO2 results in 18O-depleted HCO3-. If the HCO3- is utilized before re-establishing equilibrium with ambient water under rapid calcification, the 18O-depletion will be recorded in carbonates. But one caveat in this kinetic model is the fact that many marine calcifiers posses carbonic anhydrase, a zinc-bearing enzyme that catalyzes the CO2 hydration reaction. It is expected that this enzyme accelerates 18O-equilibration in the carbonic acid system by facilitating direct oxygen isotope exchange between HCO3- and H2O via CO2 hydration. Clearly this argues against the conceptual framework of the kinetic model. Yet the critical variable here is the effectiveness of the carbonic anhydrase, which is likely to depend on its concentration and the carbonate chemistry of the aqueous medium. It is also hitherto unknown whether the presence of carbonic anhydrase alters the equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionations between dissolved carbonate species and water. We performed a series of quantitative inorganic carbonate precipitation experiments to examine the changes in the oxygen isotope equilibration time as a function of carbonic anhydrase concentrations. We conducted experiments at pH 8.3 and 8.9. These pH values are similar to the average surface ocean pH and the elevated pH levels observed within calcification microenvironments of certain corals and planktonic foraminifera. A summary of our new experimental results will be presented.

  11. Bayesian Nitrate Source Apportionment to Individual Groundwater Wells in the Central Valley by use of Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Boron Isotopic Tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockhart, K.; Harter, T.; Grote, M.; Young, M. B.; Eppich, G.; Deinhart, A.; Wimpenny, J.; Yin, Q. Z.

    2014-12-01

    Groundwater quality is a concern in alluvial aquifers underlying agricultural areas worldwide, an example of which is the San Joaquin Valley, California. Nitrate from land applied fertilizers or from animal waste can leach to groundwater and contaminate drinking water resources. Dairy manure and synthetic fertilizers are the major sources of nitrate in groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley, however, septic waste can be a major source in some areas. As in other such regions around the world, the rural population in the San Joaquin Valley relies almost exclusively on shallow domestic wells (≤150 m deep), of which many have been affected by nitrate. Consumption of water containing nitrate above the drinking water limit has been linked to major health effects including low blood oxygen in infants and certain cancers. Knowledge of the proportion of each of the three main nitrate sources (manure, synthetic fertilizer, and septic waste) contributing to individual well nitrate can aid future regulatory decisions. Nitrogen, oxygen, and boron isotopes can be used as tracers to differentiate between the three main nitrate sources. Mixing models quantify the proportional contributions of sources to a mixture by using the concentration of conservative tracers within each source as a source signature. Deterministic mixing models are common, but do not allow for variability in the tracer source concentration or overlap of tracer concentrations between sources. Bayesian statistics used in conjunction with mixing models can incorporate variability in the source signature. We developed a Bayesian mixing model on a pilot network of 32 private domestic wells in the San Joaquin Valley for which nitrate as well as nitrogen, oxygen, and boron isotopes were measured. Probability distributions for nitrogen, oxygen, and boron isotope source signatures for manure, fertilizer, and septic waste were compiled from the literature and from a previous groundwater monitoring project on several

  12. Oxygen respiration rates of benthic foraminifera as measured with oxygen microsensors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Geslin, E.; Risgaard-Petersen, N.; Lombard, Fabien

    2011-01-01

    of the foraminiferal specimens. The results show a wide range of oxygen respiration rates for the different species (from 0.09 to 5.27 nl cell−1 h−1) and a clear correlation with foraminiferal biovolume showed by the power law relationship: R = 3.98 10−3 BioVol0.88 where the oxygen respiration rate (R) is expressed......Oxygen respiration rates of benthic foraminifera are still badly known, mainly because they are difficult to measure. Oxygen respiration rates of seventeen species of benthic foraminifera were measured using microelectrodes and calculated on the basis of the oxygen fluxes measured in the vicinity...... groups (nematodes, copepods, ostracods, ciliates and flagellates) suggests that benthic foraminifera have a lower oxygen respiration rates per unit biovolume. The total contribution of benthic foraminifera to the aerobic mineralisation of organic matter is estimated for the studied areas. The results...

  13. Correlation and Stacking of Relative Paleointensity and Oxygen Isotope Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lurcock, P. C.; Channell, J. E.; Lee, D.

    2012-12-01

    The transformation of a depth-series into a time-series is routinely implemented in the geological sciences. This transformation often involves correlation of a depth-series to an astronomically calibrated time-series. Eyeball tie-points with linear interpolation are still regularly used, although these have the disadvantages of being non-repeatable and not based on firm correlation criteria. Two automated correlation methods are compared: the simulated annealing algorithm (Huybers and Wunsch, 2004) and the Match protocol (Lisiecki and Lisiecki, 2002). Simulated annealing seeks to minimize energy (cross-correlation) as "temperature" is slowly decreased. The Match protocol divides records into intervals, applies penalty functions that constrain accumulation rates, and minimizes the sum of the squares of the differences between two series while maintaining the data sequence in each series. Paired relative paleointensity (RPI) and oxygen isotope records, such as those from IODP Site U1308 and/or reference stacks such as LR04 and PISO, are warped using known warping functions, and then the un-warped and warped time-series are correlated to evaluate the efficiency of the correlation methods. Correlations are performed in tandem to simultaneously optimize RPI and oxygen isotope data. Noise spectra are introduced at differing levels to determine correlation efficiency as noise levels change. A third potential method, known as dynamic time warping, involves minimizing the sum of distances between correlated point pairs across the whole series. A "cost matrix" between the two series is analyzed to find a least-cost path through the matrix. This least-cost path is used to nonlinearly map the time/depth of one record onto the depth/time of another. Dynamic time warping can be expanded to more than two dimensions and used to stack multiple time-series. This procedure can improve on arithmetic stacks, which often lose coherent high-frequency content during the stacking process.

  14. Precision Mass Measurement of Argon Isotopes

    CERN Multimedia

    Lunney, D

    2002-01-01

    % IS388\\\\ \\\\ A precision mass measurement of the neutron-deficient isotopes $^{32,33,34}$Ar is proposed. Mass values of these isotopes are of importance for: a) a stringent test of the Isobaric-Multiplet- Mass-Equation, b) a verification of the correctness of calculated charge-dependent corrections as used in super-allowed $\\beta$- decay studies aiming at a test of the CVC hypothesis, and c) the determination of the kinematics in electron-neutrino correlation experiments searching for scalar currents in weak interaction. The measurements will be carried out with the ISOLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer.

  15. Unexpected variations in the triple oxygen isotope composition of stratospheric carbon dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegel, Aaron A.; Cole, Amanda S.; Hoag, Katherine J.; Atlas, Elliot L.; Schauffler, Sue M.; Boering, Kristie A.

    2013-10-01

    We report observations of stratospheric CO2 that reveal surprisingly large anomalous enrichments in 17O that vary systematically with latitude, altitude, and season. The triple isotope slopes reached 1.95 ± 0.05(1σ) in the middle stratosphere and 2.22 ± 0.07 in the Arctic vortex versus 1.71 ± 0.03 from previous observations and a remarkable factor of 4 larger than the mass-dependent value of 0.52. Kinetics modeling of laboratory measurements of photochemical ozone-CO2 isotope exchange demonstrates that non-mass-dependent isotope effects in ozone formation alone quantitatively account for the 17O anomaly in CO2 in the laboratory, resolving long-standing discrepancies between models and laboratory measurements. Model sensitivities to hypothetical mass-dependent isotope effects in reactions involving O3, O(1D), or CO2 and to an empirically derived temperature dependence of the anomalous kinetic isotope effects in ozone formation then provide a conceptual framework for understanding the differences in the isotopic composition and the triple isotope slopes between the laboratory and the stratosphere and between different regions of the stratosphere. This understanding in turn provides a firmer foundation for the diverse biogeochemical and paleoclimate applications of 17O anomalies in tropospheric CO2, O2, mineral sulfates, and fossil bones and teeth, which all derive from stratospheric CO2.

  16. Measurements of stable isotope ratios in milk samples from a farm placed in the mountains of Transylvania

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magdas, D. A., E-mail: gabriela.cristea@itim-cj.ro; Cristea, G., E-mail: gabriela.cristea@itim-cj.ro; Bot, A.; Puscas, R.; Radu, S.; Mirel, V. [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 65-103 Donath Str., 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Cordea, D. V.; Mihaiu, M. [University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Calea Manastur, 400372 Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

    2013-11-13

    Product origin is of great importance for consumers especially because its association in consumer's perception with food quality, freedom from disease or pollution. Stable isotope ratio analysis is a powerful technique in food authenticity and traceability control which has been introduced within the European wine industry to ensure authenticity of wine provenance and to detect adulteration. Isotopic ratios measurements have also been successfully to other food commodities like: fruit juices, honey and dairy foods. The δ{sup 18}O and δ{sup 2}H content in milk water reflects the isotope composition of the ground water drunk by animals. Seasonal effects are also very important: in summer, milk water contains higher δ{sup 18}O and δ{sup 2}H values due to the fresh plants that are ate by animals. Relative carbon stable isotope abundances in total milk reflect the isotopic composition of the diet fed to the dairy cows. In this study the hydrogen, oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of 15 milk samples coming from a unit placed in the mountains of Transylvania was investigated. The distribution of the obtained isotopic values was than discussed taking into account that all the animals were feed with the same type of forage and consumed water was taken from the same source.

  17. Measurements of stable isotope ratios in milk samples from a farm placed in the mountains of Transylvania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magdas, D. A.; Cristea, G.; Bot, A.; Puscas, R.; Radu, S.; Mirel, V.; Cordea, D. V.; Mihaiu, M.

    2013-01-01

    Product origin is of great importance for consumers especially because its association in consumer's perception with food quality, freedom from disease or pollution. Stable isotope ratio analysis is a powerful technique in food authenticity and traceability control which has been introduced within the European wine industry to ensure authenticity of wine provenance and to detect adulteration. Isotopic ratios measurements have also been successfully to other food commodities like: fruit juices, honey and dairy foods. The δ 18 O and δ 2 H content in milk water reflects the isotope composition of the ground water drunk by animals. Seasonal effects are also very important: in summer, milk water contains higher δ 18 O and δ 2 H values due to the fresh plants that are ate by animals. Relative carbon stable isotope abundances in total milk reflect the isotopic composition of the diet fed to the dairy cows. In this study the hydrogen, oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of 15 milk samples coming from a unit placed in the mountains of Transylvania was investigated. The distribution of the obtained isotopic values was than discussed taking into account that all the animals were feed with the same type of forage and consumed water was taken from the same source

  18. Oxygen-isotope wiggle maching as a tol for synchronising ice-cor and terrestrial records over Termination !

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoek, W.Z.; Bohncke, S.J.P.

    2001-01-01

    In NW Europe, the large number of terrestrial records that are now available from Termination 1 (15-10kcal yr BP) form the basis for a highly detailed picture of Lateglacial environmental change. Nevertheless, the Greenland oxygen-isotope records (GRIP/GISP2) are still regarded as the best

  19. The molecular physics of photolytic fractionation of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in planetary atmospheres (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, M. S.; Schmidt, J. A.; Hattori, S.; Danielache, S.; Meusinger, C.; Schinke, R.; Ueno, Y.; Nanbu, S.; Kjaergaard, H. G.; Yoshida, N.

    2013-12-01

    Atmospheric photochemistry is able to produce large mass independent anomalies in atmospheric trace gases that can be found in geological and cryospheric records. This talk will present theoretical and experimental investigations of the molecular mechanisms producing photolytic fractionation of isotopes with special attention to sulfur and oxygen. The zero point vibrational energy (ZPE) shift and reflection principle theories are starting points for estimating isotopic fractionation, but these models ignore effects arising from isotope-dependent changes in couplings between surfaces, excited state dynamics, line densities and hot band populations. The isotope-dependent absorption spectra of the isotopologues of HCl, N2O, OCS, CO2 and SO2 have been examined in a series of papers and these results are compared with experiment and ZPE/reflection principle models. Isotopic fractionation in planetary atmospheres has many interesting applications. The UV absorption of CO2 is the basis of photochemistry in the CO2-rich atmospheres of the ancient Earth, and of Mars and Venus. For the first time we present accurate temperature and isotope dependent CO2 absorption cross sections with important implications for photolysis rates of SO2 and H2O, and the production of a mass independent anomaly in the Ox reservoir. Experimental and theoretical results for OCS have implications for the modern stratospheric sulfur budget. The absorption bands of SO2 are complex with rich structure producing isotopic fractionation in photolysis and photoexcitation.

  20. Stable carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, isotope analysis of plants from a South Asian tropical forest: Implications for primatology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Patrick; Blumenthal, Scott A; Dittus, Wolfgang; Wedage, Oshan; Lee-Thorp, Julia A

    2017-06-01

    Stable isotope analysis of primate tissues in tropical forest contexts is an increasingly popular means of obtaining information about niche distinctions among sympatric species, including preferences in feeding height, forest canopy density, plant parts, and trophism. However, issues of equifinality mean that feeding height, canopy density, as well as the plant parts and plant species consumed, may produce similar or confounding effects. With a few exceptions, researchers have so far relied largely on general principles and/or limited plant data from the study area as references for deducing the predominant drivers of primate isotope variation. Here, we explore variation in the stable carbon (δ 13 C), nitrogen (δ 15 N), and oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope ratios of 288 plant samples identified as important to the three primate species from the Polonnaruwa Nature Sanctuary, Sri Lanka, relative to plant part, season, and canopy height. Our results show that plant part and height have the greatest effect on the δ 13 C and δ 18 O measurements of plants of immediate relevance to the primates, Macaca sinica, Semnopithecus priam thersites, and Trachypithecus vetulus, living in this monsoonal tropical forest. We find no influence of plant part, height or season on the δ 15 N of measured plants. While the plant part effect is particularly pronounced in δ 13 C between fruits and leaves, differential feeding height, and plant taxonomy influence plant δ 13 C and δ 18 O differences in addition to plant organ. Given that species composition in different regions and forest types will differ, the results urge caution in extrapolating general isotopic trends without substantial local baselines studies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Measurement control for plutonium isotopic measurements using gamma-ray spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fleissner, J.G.

    1985-01-01

    A measurement control (MC) program should be an integral part of every nondestructive assay measurement system used for the assay of special nuclear materials. This report describes an MC program for plutonium isotopic composition measurements using high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy. This MC program emphasizes the standardization of data collection procedures along with the implementation of internal and external measurement control checks to provide the requisite measurement quality assurance. This report also describes the implementation of the MC program in the isotopic analysis code GRPAUT. Recommendations are given concerning the importance and frequency of the various MC checks in order to ensure a successful implementation of the MC procedures for the user's application

  2. Palaeotemperature reconstructions of the European permafrost zone during Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 compared with climate model results.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Huissteden, J.; Vandenberghe, J.; Pollard, D.

    2003-01-01

    A palaeotemperature reconstruction based on periglacial phenomena in Europe north of approximately 51 °N, is compared with high-resolution regional climate model simulations of the marine oxygen isotope Stage 3 (Stage 3) palaeoclimate. The experiments represent Stage 3 warm (interstadial), Stage 3

  3. Measurement of heavy particle and isotope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, Masaru; Kohno, Takeshi; Imai, Takashi; Munakata, Kazuoki

    1987-01-01

    The report describes some achievements made so far in developing heavy particle and isotope measuring equipment that is planned to be mounted on the No.6 technical test satelite of the National Space Development Agency, ETS VI. Some ideas are proposed for such heavy particle and isotope measuring equipment that uses Astromag. The structure of SSD is shown which is planned to be incorporated in the sensor for the equipment. The planned charged particle detector consists of position sensitive detectors, PIN diodes and Si(Li) plates. Tests are made for the basic characteristics of such a detector. The characteristics of a PSD are also investigated. The PSD has a resolution of about 1 mm for 14 MeV He. Tests of a 0.3 mm PIN diode and 1.2 mm Si(Li) is carried out with 234 MeV-nucl Fe beams to determine their pulse height distribution. The PIN diode and Si(Li) are found to have a resolution of 6.79 and 17.6 MeV for energy loss of 158 and 710 MeV, respectively. If developed, a stripe-type Si PIN diode will serve for analysis of isotopes. A conceptual diagram of such a stripe device is proposed. The mechanism of measurement by a heavy particle and isotope detecting system incorporating Astromag is also illustrated. (Nogami, K.)

  4. Correction for the 17O interference in δ(13C) measurements when analyzing CO2 with stable isotope mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coplen, Tyler B.; Brand, Willi A.; Assonov, Sergey S.

    2010-01-01

    Measurements of δ(13C) determined on CO2 with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) must be corrected for the amount of 17O in the CO2. For data consistency, this must be done using identical methods by different laboratories. This report aims at unifying data treatment for CO2 IRMS by proposing (i) a unified set of numerical values, and (ii) a unified correction algorithm, based on a simple, linear approximation formula. Because the oxygen of natural CO2 is derived mostly from the global water pool, it is recommended that a value of 0.528 be employed for the factor λ, which relates differences in 17O and 18O abundances. With the currently accepted N(13C)/N(12C) of 0.011 180(28) in VPDB (Vienna Peedee belemnite) reevaluation of data yields a value of 0.000 393(1) for the oxygen isotope ratio N(17O)/N(16O) of the evolved CO2. The ratio of these quantities, a ratio of isotope ratios, is essential for the 17O abundance correction: [N(17O)/N(16O)]/[N(13C)/N(12C)] = 0.035 16(8). The equation [δ(13C) ≈ 45δVPDB-CO2 + 2 17R/13R (45δVPDB-CO2 – λ46δVPDB-CO2)] closely approximates δ(13C) values with less than 0.010 ‰ deviation for normal oxygen-bearing materials and no more than 0.026 ‰ in extreme cases. Other materials containing oxygen of non-mass-dependent isotope composition require a more specific data treatment. A similar linear approximation is also suggested for δ(18O). The linear approximations are easy to implement in a data spreadsheet, and also help in generating a simplified uncertainty budget.

  5. Stable oxygen isotope variability in two contrasting glacier river catchments in Greenland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yde, Jacob C.; Knudsen, Niels T.; Steffensen, Jørgen P.

    2016-01-01

    the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). At the Mittivakkat Gletscher river, a small river draining a local temperate glacier in southeast Greenland, diurnal oscillations in δ18O occurred with a 3 h time lag to the diurnal oscillations in run-off. The mean annual δ18O was -14.68±0.18‰ during the peak flow period...... event. Overall, a comparison of the δ18O compositions from glacial river water in Greenland shows distinct differences between water draining local glaciers and ice caps (between -23.0 and -13.7 ‰) and the GrIS (between -29.9 and -23.2 ‰). This study demonstrates that water isotope analyses can be used......Analysis of stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) characteristics is a useful tool to investigate water provenance in glacier river systems. In order to attain knowledge on the diversity of δ18O variations in Greenlandic rivers, we examined two contrasting glacierised catchments disconnected from...

  6. Oxygen stable isotopes during the Last Glacial Maximum climate: perspectives from data-model (iLOVECLIM) comparison

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Caley, T.; Roche, D.M.V.A.P.; Waelbroeck, C.; Michel, E.

    2014-01-01

    We use the fully coupled atmosphere-ocean three-dimensional model of intermediate complexity iLOVECLIM to simulate the climate and oxygen stable isotopic signal during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 000 years). By using a model that is able to explicitly simulate the sensor (Î18O), results can be

  7. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2014-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeoclimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteoric waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author)

  8. Stable isotope geochemistry: definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2015-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeoclimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteoric waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author).

  9. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2016-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeoclimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteoric waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author).

  10. Stable isotope measurements of atmospheric CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, J.W.C.; Ferretti, D.F.; Vaughn, B.H.; Francey, R.J.; Allison, C.E.

    2002-01-01

    The measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios of atmospheric carbon dioxide, δ 13 CO 2 are useful for partitioning surface-atmospheric fluxes into terrestrial and oceanic components. δC 18 OO also has potential for segregating photosynthetic and respiratory fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we describe in detail the techniques for making these measurements. The primary challenge for all of the techniques used to measure isotopes of atmospheric CO 2 is to achieve acceptable accuracy and precision and to maintain them over the decades needed to observe carbon cycle variability. The keys to success such an approach are diligent intercalibrations of laboratories from around the world, as well as the use of multiple techniques such as dual inlet and GC-IRMS and the intercomparison of such measurements. We focus here on two laboratories, the Stable Isotope Lab at the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado is described and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Atmospheric Research (CSIRO). Different approaches exist at other laboratories (e.g. programs operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and The Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Toboku University (TU)) however these are not discussed here. Finally, we also discuss the recently developed Gas Chromatography - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS) technique which holds significant promise for measuring ultra-small samples of gas with good precision. (author)

  11. Isotope shifting capacity of rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blattner, P.; Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lower Hutt

    1980-01-01

    Any oxygen isotope shifted rock volume exactly defines a past throughput of water. An expression is derived that relates the throughput of an open system to the isotope shift of reservoir rock and present-day output. The small isotope shift of Ngawha reservoir rock and the small, high delta oxygen-18 output are best accounted for by a magmatic water source

  12. Isotopic characterization of targets for nuclear measurements at CBNM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bievre, P. de

    1985-01-01

    Nuclear measurements for which ''nuclear'' targets are prepared are almost always isotope-specific i.e. they are normally related to a particular nuclide in the target. The amount of this nuclide must be accurately assessed. There are essentially two ways to determine the number of atoms of this particular nuclide. (1) By determination of the amount of element, to which the nuclide belongs, on the target via classsical means; weighing substraction of impurities, calculation of element amount using known of the chemical compound in which the element is incorporated and, finally, measurement of the isotopic composition in order to determine the fraction of the nuclide concerned in the element. An alternative way may be to perform an elemental assay on the target followed by determination of the isotopic composition. (2) Another approach is isotope dilution mass spectrometry where a change in the isotopic composition of the ''target'' is induced by adding a known number of atoms (called ''spike'') of the element with a quite different composition. Measurement of the resulting change in isotopic composition yields directly the number of atoms of the nuclide under investigation. The method is highly selective, accurate and isotope-specific. (orig.)

  13. Oxygen isotope variability in snow from western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica and its relation to temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helsen, M.M.; Wal, R.S.W. van de; Broeke, M.R. van den; As, D. van; Reijmer, C.H.; Meijer, H.A.J.

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents (delta) 18 O records from snow pits from four locations in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica that contain at least four annual cycles. The aim of the study was to analyse in detail these records as well as the prevailing temperatures during accumulation in order to infer to what extent isotopic composition in this area can be interpreted as temperature information. The original seasonal amplitudes of the isotope records were reconstructed by use of a simple back-diffusion model. Automatic weather station data were used to describe the accumulation history and the near-surface temperatures; the temperatures at the atmospheric level of snow formation were inferred from a regional climate model. The results show that the strongly intermittent nature of the accumulation in this area can result in the exclusion of entire seasons from the isotope records. The temperature records also reveal that the oxygen isotope records in these snow pits are biased towards higher temperatures, since snowfall conditions are associated with higher temperatures. This effect is greatest at low temperatures. A comparison between the seasonal extreme isotopic and temperature values points out that on timescales of seasons to several years, isotopic variability cannot be interpreted with confidence as temperature changes at the accumulation sites

  14. Isotopic distributions, element ratios, and element mass fractions from enrichment-meter-type gamma-ray measurements of MOX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Close, D.A.; Parker, J.L.; Haycock, D.L.; Dragnev, T.

    1991-01-01

    The gamma-ray spectra from ''infinitely'' thick mixed oxide samples have been measured. The plutonium isotopics, the U/Pu ratio, the high-Z mass fractions (assuming only plutonium, uranium, and americium), and the low-Z mass fraction (assuming the matrix is only oxygen) can be determined by carefully analyzing the data. The results agree well with the chemical determination of these parameters. 8 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

  15. Capillary absorption spectrometer and process for isotopic analysis of small samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, M. Lizabeth; Kelly, James F.; Sams, Robert L.; Moran, James J.; Newburn, Matthew K.; Blake, Thomas A.

    2018-04-24

    A capillary absorption spectrometer and process are described that provide highly sensitive and accurate stable absorption measurements of analytes in a sample gas that may include isotopologues of carbon and oxygen obtained from gas and biological samples. It further provides isotopic images of microbial communities that allow tracking of nutrients at the single cell level. It further targets naturally occurring variations in carbon and oxygen isotopes that avoids need for expensive isotopically labeled mixtures which allows study of samples taken from the field without modification. The process also permits sampling in vivo permitting real-time ambient studies of microbial communities.

  16. Capillary absorption spectrometer and process for isotopic analysis of small samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, M. Lizabeth; Kelly, James F.; Sams, Robert L.; Moran, James J.; Newburn, Matthew K.; Blake, Thomas A.

    2016-03-29

    A capillary absorption spectrometer and process are described that provide highly sensitive and accurate stable absorption measurements of analytes in a sample gas that may include isotopologues of carbon and oxygen obtained from gas and biological samples. It further provides isotopic images of microbial communities that allow tracking of nutrients at the single cell level. It further targets naturally occurring variations in carbon and oxygen isotopes that avoids need for expensive isotopically labeled mixtures which allows study of samples taken from the field without modification. The method also permits sampling in vivo permitting real-time ambient studies of microbial communities.

  17. Palaeotemperature estimation in the Holsteinian Interglacial (MIS 11) based on oxygen isotopes of aquatic gastropods from eastern Poland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szymanek, Marcin

    2017-12-01

    For quantitative estimation of past water temperature of four Holsteinian (MIS 11) palaeolakes from eastern Poland, the oxygen isotope palaeothermometer was applied to shells of the aquatic gastropods Viviparus diluvianus and Valvata piscinalis. The δ18O composition of their shells demonstrated the average growth-season water temperatures during the mesocratic stage of the interglacial (Ortel Królewski Lake), during its climatic optimum - the Carpinus-Abies Zone (Ossówka-Hrud, Roskosz and Szymanowo Lakes), and in the post-optimum (Szymanowo Lake). The calculation was based on δ18OShell values and the δ18OWater assumed for the Holsteinian from the modern oxygen isotope composition of precipitation and the expected amount of evaporative enrichment. The mean oxygen isotope palaeotemperatures of Ortel Królewski lake waters were in the range of 18.1-21.9°C and were uniform for the Taxus and Pinus-Larix zones. Ossówka-Hrud and Roskosz Lakes had mean temperatures of 17.4-21.0°C during the climatic optimum, whereas the temperature of Szymanowo lake waters was estimated at 20.6-21.7°C at that time. These values are concordant with the pollen-inferred July air temperatures noted during the Holsteinian in eastern Poland. Relatively high values of 25°C in the post-optimum noted at Szymanowo were connected with the presence of a shallow and warm isolated bay indicated by pollen and mollusc records.

  18. Oxygen and carbon isotope analyses of a Late Quaternary core in the Zaire (Congo) fan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olausson, E.

    1984-01-01

    Oxygen and carbon isotope analyses have been carried out on samples from a core of the Angola Basin (6 0 50'S, 10 0 45'E, depth 2100 m). The pelagic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber, a species with a shallow water habitat, and two benthic species Uvigerina peregrina and Bulimina aculeata have been analysed. The data are given relative to PDB. (Auth.)

  19. Precipitation regime influence on oxygen triple-isotope distributions in Antarctic precipitation and ice cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Martin F.

    2018-01-01

    The relative abundance of 17O in meteoric precipitation is usually reported in terms of the 17O-excess parameter. Variations of 17O-excess in Antarctic precipitation and ice cores have hitherto been attributed to normalised relative humidity changes at the moisture source region, or to the influence of a temperature-dependent supersaturation-controlled kinetic isotope effect during in-cloud ice formation below -20 °C. Neither mechanism, however, satisfactorily explains the large range of 17O-excess values reported from measurements. A different approach, based on the regression characteristics of 103 ln (1 +δ17 O) versus 103 ln (1 +δ18 O), is applied here to previously published isotopic data sets. The analysis indicates that clear-sky precipitation ('diamond dust'), which occurs widely in inland Antarctica, is characterised by an unusual relative abundance of 17O, distinct from that associated with cloud-derived, synoptic snowfall. Furthermore, this distinction appears to be largely preserved in the ice core record. The respective mass contributions to snowfall accumulation - on both temporal and spatial scales - provides the basis of a simple, first-order explanation for the observed oxygen triple-isotope ratio variations in Antarctic precipitation, surface snow and ice cores. Using this approach, it is shown that precipitation during the last major deglaciation, both in western Antarctica at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide and at Vostok on the eastern Antarctic plateau, consisted essentially of diamond dust only, despite a large temperature differential (and thus different water vapour supersaturation conditions) at the two locations. In contrast, synoptic snowfall events dominate the accumulation record throughout the Holocene at both sites.

  20. Carbon and oxygen isotope signatures in conifers from the Swiss National Park

    Science.gov (United States)

    Churakova (Sidorova), Olga; Saurer, Matthias; Siegwolf, Rolf; Bryukhanova, Marina; Bigler, Christof

    2015-04-01

    Our study investigates the physiological response and plasticity of trees under climatic changes for larch (Larix decidua) and mountain pine (Pinus mugo var. uncinata) in the Swiss National Park.This research was done in the context of investigation tree mortality and their potential to survive under the harsh mountainous conditions. For the stable isotope analysis we selected four mountain pine and four larch trees from each a south- and north-facing slope. Oxygen isotope ratios can give insight into water sources and evaporative processes. To understand the differential response of mountain pine and larch to short-term climatic changes we measured 18O/16O in water extracted from twigs and needles as well as soil samples for each species at both sites. The seasonal variabilities in 18O/16O needles and twigs of mountain pine and larch trees as well as soil samples were related to changes in climate conditions from end of May until middle of October. To reveal the main climatic factors driving tree growth of pine and larch trees in the long-term, tree-ring width chronologies were built and bulk 18O/16O, 13C/12C wood chronologies were analyzed and correlated with climatic parameters over the last 100 years. The results indicate a strong influence of spring and summer temperatures for larch trees, while variation of spring and summer precipitations is more relevant for mountain pine trees. This work is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Marie-Heim Vögtlin Program PMPDP-2 145507

  1. Chemical and oxygen isotope zonings in garnet from subducted continental crust record mineral replacement and metasomatism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vho, Alice; Rubatto, Daniela; Regis, Daniele; Baumgartner, Lukas; Bouvier, Anne-Sophie

    2017-04-01

    Garnet is a key mineral in metamorphic petrology for constraining pressure, temperature and time paths. Garnet can preserve multiple growth stages due to its wide P-T stability field and the relatively slow diffusivity for major and trace elements at sub-solidus temperatures. Pressure-temperature-time-fluid paths of the host rock may be reconstructed by combining metamorphic petrology with microscale trace element and oxygen isotope measurements in garnet. Subduction zones represent relevant geological settings for geochemical investigation of element exchanges during aqueous fluid-rock interactions. The Sesia Zone consists of a complex continental sequence containing a variety of mono-metamorphic and poly-metamorphic lithologies such as metagranitoids, sediments and mafic boudins. The precursor Varisican-Permian amphibolite-facies basement (6-9 kbar 650-850°C; Lardeaux and Spalla, 1991; Robyr et al., 2013) experienced high pressure metamorphism (15-22 kbar 500-550°C; Regis, et al. 2014; Robyr et al., 2013) during Alpine subduction. In different lithologies of the Internal Complex (Eclogitic Micaschist Complex), including metabasites from the Ivozio Complex, Ti-rich metasediments from Val Malone and pre-Alpine Mn-quartzites associated to metagabbros from Cima Bonze, garnet is abundant and shows a variety of complex textures that cannot be reconciled with typical growth zoning, but indicate resorption and replacement processes and possible metasomatism. In-situ, microscale oxygen isotopes analysis of garnet zones was performed by ion microprobe with the SwissSIMS Cameca IMS 1280-HR at University of Lausanne and SHRIMP-SI at the Australian National University. Each sample has a distinct δ18O composition, and the δ18O values show different degrees of variation between domains. Homogeneously low values of < 5‰ are measured in the garnets from the Ivozio Complex metagabbro. Intragrain variations of up to 3.5‰ in the porphyroblasts from Val Malone metasediments

  2. Quasi-free one nucleon knockout reactions on neutron-rich oxygen isotopes at the R3B-LAND setup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atar, Leyla; Aumann, Thomas [TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt (Germany); GSI, Darmstadt (Germany); Bertulani, Carlos [Texas A and M University-Commerce, Commerce (United States); Paschalis, Stefanos [TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt (Germany); Nociforo, Chiara [GSI, Darmstadt (Germany); Collaboration: R3B-Collaboration

    2016-07-01

    Recent experiments have showed a reduction of spectroscopic strengths of about 60-70% for stable nuclei. When going to driplines this tendency is changing, loosely bound nucleons have spectroscopic strengths close unity while deeply bound nucleons have a large reduction of the strength. We aim to make a systematic study of spectroscopic factors (SF) of the Oxygen isotopes using quasi-free (p,2p) and (p,pn) knockout reactions in inverse kinematics. Quasi-free knockout reactions are a direct tool to study the occupancy and the location of valance and deeply bound single particle states. The Oxygen isotopes offer a large variation of separation energies which will allow us to obtain a qualitative and quantitative understanding of SF in a large variation of isospin asymmetry. For this we performed an experiment at the R3B-LAND setup at the GSI with a secondary beam {sup 14-24}O. The {sup 16-18}O and {sup 21-23}O isotopes have been analyzed and the preliminary results will be presented. The results include the partial cross sections, gamma ray spectra of the residual fragments in coincidence, and the SF obtained via comparison with theory.

  3. Cross-continental triple oxygen isotope analysis of tropospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, M. C.; Rangarajan, R.; Newman, S.; Laskar, A. H.

    2016-12-01

    The abundance variations of near surface atmospheric CO2 isotopologues (primarily 16O12C16O, 16O13C16O, 17O12C16O, and 18O12C16O) represent an integrated signal from anthropogenic/biogeochemical processes, including fossil fuel burning, biospheric photosynthesis and respiration, hydrospheric isotope exchange with water, and stratospheric photochemistry. Oxygen isotopes, in particular, are affected by the carbon and water cycles. Being a useful tracer that directly probes governing processes in CO2 biogeochemical cycles, D17O (= ln(1+d17O) - 0.516´ln(1+d18O)) provides an alternative constraint on the strengths of the associated cycles involving CO2. Here, we report more than one year of data obtained from Taiwan (Taipei), South China Sea, and USA (Pasadena, CA and Palos Verdes, CA). On average, the D17O values from these locations are similar and show no significant influence from the 2014-2016 El Nino event, in contrast to what has been reported for the 1997-1998 El Nino from the CO2 data collected from La Jolla, CA. Implications for utilizing the new tracer D17O for carbon cycling studies will be made.

  4. Forward Modeling of Carbonate Proxy Data from Planktonic Foraminifera using Oxygen Isotope Tracers in a Global Ocean Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Gavin A.

    1999-01-01

    The distribution and variation of oxygen isotopes in seawater are calculated using the Goddard Institute for Space Studies global ocean model. Simple ecological models are used to estimate the planktonic foraminiferal abundance as a function of depth, column temperature, season, light intensity, and density stratification. These models are combined to forward model isotopic signals recorded in calcareous ocean sediment. The sensitivity of the results to the changes in foraminiferal ecology, secondary calcification, and dissolution are also examined. Simulated present-day isotopic values for ecology relevant for multiple species compare well with core-top data. Hindcasts of sea surface temperature and salinity are made from time series of the modeled carbonate isotope values as the model climate changes. Paleoclimatic inferences from these carbonate isotope records are strongly affected by erroneous assumptions concerning the covariations of temperature, salinity, and delta (sup 18)O(sub w). Habitat-imposed biases are less important, although errors due to temperature-dependent abundances can be significant.

  5. Bringing organic carbon isotopes and phytoliths to the table as additional constraints on paleoelevation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheldon, N. D.; Cotton, J. M.; Hren, M. T.; Hyland, E. G.; Smith, S. Y.; Strömberg, C. A. E.

    2015-12-01

    A commonly used tool in paleotectonic and paleoaltimetry studies is the oxygen isotopic composition of authigenic carbonates formed that formed in lakes or soils, with both spatial (e.g., shoreline to mountain top) or temporally resolved records potentially providing constraints. However, in many cases there is a substantial spread in the oxygen isotope data for a given time period, often to the point of allowing for essentially any interpretation of the data depending upon how they have been used by the investigator. One potential way of distinguishing between different potential paleotectonic or paleoaltimetric interpretations is to use carbon isotope and plant microfossil (phytolith) analyses from the same paleosols to screen the oxygen isotope data by looking for evidence of evaporative enrichment. For example, if both inorganic (carbonate) and organic carbon isotopes are measured from the same paleosol, then in it possible to determine if the two isotope record equilibrium conditions or if they record disequilibrium driven by kinetic effects. In the former case, the oxygen isotope results can be considered reliable whereas in the latter case, the oxygen isotope results can be considered unreliable and could be culled from the interpretation. Similarly, because the distribution of C4 plants varies as a function of temperature and elevation, the presence/absence or abundance of C4 plant phytoliths, or of carbon isotope compositions that require a component of C4 vegetation can also be used to constrain paleoelevation by providing a maximum elevation constraint. Worked examples will include the late Miocene-Pliocene of Catamarca, Argentina, where phytoliths and organic carbon isotopes provide a maximum elevation constraint and can be used to demonstrate that oxygen isotopes do not provide a locally useful constraint on paleoelevation, and Eocene-Miocene of southwestern Montana where organic matter and phytoliths can be used to select between different potential

  6. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2009-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeolimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteroic waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author). 56 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

  7. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2012-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeoclimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteoric waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author). 89 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.

  8. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2008-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeolimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteroic waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author). 56 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs

  9. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2009-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeolimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteroic waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author). 56 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs

  10. Stable isotope geochemistry : definitions, terminology, measurement and some applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faure, K.

    2013-01-01

    In 1936, Alfred Nier produced the first precise measurement of isotope abundance ratios and his design still remains the basis of stable isotope mass spectrometry. With this gift from the physicists for routine measurement of isotope ratios, earth scientists began to explore the natural variations of isotopes. Thus began a new era in geoscience research with the hydrological cycle and marine palaeoclimatic research being the first topics to be investigated. Stable isotope measurements have been applied to many fundamental problems in geochemistry, petrology, and paleoclimatology, as well as related fields in archaeology, anthropology, physical chemistry, biology and forensic sciences. These applications can be broadly classified into four main types: 1. Thermometry: Formation temperatures of rock and mineral systems are determined on the basis of temperature-dependent fractionations of the isotopic ratios between two or more cogenetic phases. 2. Tracers: Reservoirs like the ocean, the mantle, meteoric waters and organic matter have distinct stable isotope signatures that can be used to trace the origin of rocks, fluids, contaminants etc. 3. Reaction mechanism: Distinctions can be made between diffusion and recrystallization, open and closed systems and bacterial and thermogenic processes. 4. Chemostratigraphy: Abrupt changes (excursions) in the stable isotope ratios of ocean sediments and certain terrestrial materials can be used as stratigraphic markers. (author). 91 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.

  11. BENCHMARKING ORTEC ISOTOPIC MEASUREMENTS AND CALCULATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dewberry, R; Raymond Sigg, R; Vito Casella, V; Nitin Bhatt, N

    2008-09-29

    This report represents a description of compiled benchmark tests conducted to probe and to demonstrate the extensive utility of the Ortec ISOTOPIC {gamma}-ray analysis computer program. The ISOTOPIC program performs analyses of {gamma}-ray spectra applied to specific acquisition configurations in order to apply finite-geometry correction factors and sample-matrix-container photon absorption correction factors. The analysis program provides an extensive set of preset acquisition configurations to which the user can add relevant parameters in order to build the geometry and absorption correction factors that the program determines from calculus and from nuclear g-ray absorption and scatter data. The Analytical Development Section field nuclear measurement group of the Savannah River National Laboratory uses the Ortec ISOTOPIC analysis program extensively for analyses of solid waste and process holdup applied to passive {gamma}-ray acquisitions. Frequently the results of these {gamma}-ray acquisitions and analyses are to determine compliance with facility criticality safety guidelines. Another use of results is to designate 55-gallon drum solid waste as qualified TRU waste3 or as low-level waste. Other examples of the application of the ISOTOPIC analysis technique to passive {gamma}-ray acquisitions include analyses of standard waste box items and unique solid waste configurations. In many passive {gamma}-ray acquisition circumstances the container and sample have sufficient density that the calculated energy-dependent transmission correction factors have intrinsic uncertainties in the range 15%-100%. This is frequently the case when assaying 55-gallon drums of solid waste with masses of up to 400 kg and when assaying solid waste in extensive unique containers. Often an accurate assay of the transuranic content of these containers is not required, but rather a good defensible designation as >100 nCi/g (TRU waste) or <100 nCi/g (low level solid waste) is required. In

  12. Past 20,000-year history of Himalayan aridity: Evidence from oxygen isotope records in the Bay of Bengal

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Chauhan, O.S.

    Late Quaternary climate history of the Himalayas is inferred from sea surface salinity (SSS) changes determined from the oxygen isotope in planktonic foraminifers, in a turbidity-free, 14C-dated core from the Bay of Bengal. The heaviest d18O...

  13. Carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of coal and carbon dioxide derived from laboratory coal combustion: A preliminary study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warwick, Peter D.; Ruppert, Leslie F.

    2016-01-01

    The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has dramatically increased from the start of the industrial revolution in the mid-1700s to present levels exceeding 400 ppm. Carbon dioxide derived from fossil fuel combustion is a greenhouse gas and a major contributor to on-going climate change. Carbon and oxygen stable isotope geochemistry is a useful tool to help model and predict the contributions of anthropogenic sources of CO2 in the global carbon cycle. Surprisingly few studies have addressed the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of CO2 derived from coal combustion. The goal of this study is to document the relationships between the carbon and oxygen isotope signatures of coal and signatures of the CO2 produced from laboratory coal combustion in atmospheric conditions.Six coal samples were selected that represent various geologic ages (Carboniferous to Tertiary) and coal ranks (lignite to bituminous). Duplicate splits of the six coal samples were ignited and partially combusted in the laboratory at atmospheric conditions. The resulting coal-combustion gases were collected and the molecular composition of the collected gases and isotopic analyses of δ13C of CO2, δ13C of CH4, and δ18O of CO2 were analysed by a commercial laboratory. Splits (~ 1 g) of the un-combusted dried ground coal samples were analyzed for δ13C and δ18O by the U.S. Geological Survey Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory.The major findings of this preliminary work indicate that the isotopic signatures of δ13C (relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite scale, VPDB) of CO2 resulting from coal combustion are similar to the δ13CVPDB signature of the bulk coal (− 28.46 to − 23.86 ‰) and are not similar to atmospheric δ13CVPDB of CO2 (~ − 8 ‰, see http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/isotopes/c13tellsus.html). The δ18O values of bulk coal are strongly correlated to the coal dry ash yields and appear to have little or no influence on the δ18O values of CO2

  14. Stable Isotope (delta OXYGEN-18, Delta Deuterium, Delta CARBON-13) Dendroclimatological Studies in the Waterloo Region of Southern Ontario, Canada, Between AD 1610 and 1990.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhay, William Mark

    Oxygen (delta^{18} O), hydrogen (delta^2H) and carbon (delta^{13}C) isotopes were measured in wood cellulose from elm, white pine and maple trees that grew in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The measured oxygen and hydrogen isotopic data were used for model-based reconstructions of delta^{18}{O}_{meteoric water}, mean annual temperature (MAT) and relative humidity for a period, AD 1610 to 1880, that precedes instrumental records of climate. The carbon isotope measurements were compared with the Cellulose Model inferred climate data to reveal additional environmental information. Modifications made to the Cellulose Model focused on the dynamics of oxygen and hydrogen isotopic fractionation in plants during evapotranspiration and photosynthetic assimilation. For instance, kinetic fractionation of ^{18}O was found to be predictable from theoretical considerations of leaf energy balance and boundary layer dynamics. Kinetic fractionation during evapotranspiration is sensitive to the nature of the boundary layer, which is controlled by leaf size and morphology. Generally, plants with small segmented leaves have a lower component of turbidity in the leaf boundary layer, which results in higher kinetic fractionation values, than do plants having large simple leaves and more turbulent boundary layers. Kinetic ^2H enrichment in plant leaf water can also be rationalized in terms of leaf size and morphology when an apparent temperature-dependent isotope effect, acting in opposition to evaporative enrichment, is taken into account. Accounting for this temperature -dependent isotope effect helps to: (1) reconcile hydrogen kinetic fractionation inconsistencies for different leaves; (2) explain a temperature effect previously attributed to variable biochemical fractionation during cellulose synthesis, and; (3) verify hydrogen biochemical effects in plants. This improved characterization of the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic effects in plants, using the modified Cellulose Model, helped

  15. Carbon 13 and oxygen 18 isotope record of the early eocene nammal formation, salt range, pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghazi, S.; Sajid, Z.

    2014-01-01

    The Nammal Formation is the lowermost unit of the Early Eocene succession in the Salt Range, Pakistan. It is well exposed throughout the Salt Range. The Nammal Formation having 30 to 35 meters thickness is predominantly composed of nodular limestone interbedded with marl and shale. The present study was focussed on stable carbon 13 and oxygen 18 isotopic analysis based on data from two stratigraphically important sections. The samples from the Nilawahan section provided with the delta 13C values varied between 1.34 to -1.56 (VPDB) and values of delta 18O fluctuated between -4.47 to -6.59 (VPDB). Likewise the sample analysis of BadshahPur section exhibited that the delta 13C values changes from 1.09 to -1.65 (VPDB) and delta 18O values range from -4.17 to -6.85 (VPDB). The isotopic records of carbon 13 and oxygen 18 indicated the shallow marine deposition of the Nammal Formation under tropical conditions. It highlighted the palaeo climatic and diagenetic conditions of the Nammal Formation at the time of deposition in the Salt Range region. (author)

  16. A new route of oxygen isotope exchange in the solid phase: demonstration in CuSO4.5H2O.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danon, Albert; Saig, Avraham; Finkelstein, Yacov; Koresh, Jacob E

    2005-11-10

    Temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry (TPD-MS) measurements on [(18)O]water-enriched copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO(4).5H(2)(18)O) reveal an unambiguous occurrence of efficient oxygen isotope exchange between the water of crystallization and the sulfate in its CuSO(4) solid phase. To the best of our knowledge, the occurrence of such an exchange was never observed in a solid phase. The exchange process was observed during the stepwise dehydration (50-300 degrees C) of the compound. Specifically, the exchange promptly occurs somewhere between 160 and 250 degrees C; however, the exact temperature could not be resolved conclusively. It is shown that only the fifth, sulfate-associated, anionic H(2)O molecule participates in the exchange process and that the exchange seems to occur in a preferable fashion with, at the most, one oxygen atom in SO(4). Such an exchange, occurring below 250 degrees C, questions the common conviction of unfeasible oxygen exchange under geothermic conditions. This new oxygen exchange phenomenon is not exclusive to copper sulfate but is unambiguously observed also in other sulfate- and nitrate-containing minerals.

  17. Stable isotope measurement techniques for atmospheric greenhouse gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    The technical requirements to perform useful measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and of their isotope ratios are of direct relevance for all laboratories engaged in this field. A meaningful interpretation of isotopes in global models on sources and sinks of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases depends on strict laboratory protocols and data quality control measures ensuring comparable data in time and space. Only with this precondition met, the isotope techniques can serve as a potentially powerful method for reducing uncertainties in the global CO 2 budgets and for tracing pathways and interaction of terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric pools of carbon. This publication provides four contributions describing methods for the determination of the isotopic composition of trace gases in atmospheric air and in ice cores. These contributions have been indexed separately

  18. Isotopic study of some fossil and actual hydrothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demont, J.M.

    1981-07-01

    Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of rocks from the INAG no 1 drillhole provide evidence of a fossil hydrothermal system in the Ceyssat region of the Massif Central. Oxygen isotope temperatures for the mineral paragenesis are about 275 0 C and the water is of marine origin. Measurements have also been made of delta 13 C values of dissolved carbon and gaseous CO 2 from several hot springs in the Pyrenees and Massif Central. The carbon isotopic composition of the total systems have been calculated from the gas-liquid ratios at the emergence sites and these results are discussed in terms of the origin of the carbon. Most of the hydrothermal carbon is of deep origin. The observed variations in isotopic compositions may be explained by the behavior of the fluids during their ascent to the surface [fr

  19. Hydrogen isotope correction for laser instrument measurement bias at low water vapor concentration using conventional isotope analyses: application to measurements from Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, L R; Sharp, Z D; Galewsky, J; Strong, M; Van Pelt, A D; Dong, F; Noone, D

    2011-03-15

    The hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios of water vapor can be measured with commercially available laser spectroscopy analyzers in real time. Operation of the laser systems in relatively dry air is difficult because measurements are non-linear as a function of humidity at low water concentrations. Here we use field-based sampling coupled with traditional mass spectrometry techniques for assessing linearity and calibrating laser spectroscopy systems at low water vapor concentrations. Air samples are collected in an evacuated 2 L glass flask and the water is separated from the non-condensable gases cryogenically. Approximately 2 µL of water are reduced to H(2) gas and measured on an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. In a field experiment at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO), we ran Picarro and Los Gatos Research (LGR) laser analyzers for a period of 25 days in addition to periodic sample collection in evacuated flasks. When the two laser systems are corrected to the flask data, they are strongly coincident over the entire 25 days. The δ(2)H values were found to change by over 200‰ over 2.5 min as the boundary layer elevation changed relative to MLO. The δ(2)H values ranged from -106 to -332‰, and the δ(18)O values (uncorrected) ranged from -12 to -50‰. Raw data from laser analyzers in environments with low water vapor concentrations can be normalized to the international V-SMOW scale by calibration to the flask data measured conventionally. Bias correction is especially critical for the accurate determination of deuterium excess in dry air. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Grasland Stable Isotope Flux Measurements: Three Isotopomers of Carbon Dioxide Measured by QCL Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeeman, M. J.; Tuzson, B.; Eugster, W.; Werner, R. A.; Buchmann, N.; Emmenegger, L.

    2007-12-01

    To improve our understanding of greenhouse gas dynamics of managed ecosystems such as grasslands, we not only need to investigate the effects of management (e.g., grass cuts) and weather events (e.g., rainy days) on carbon dioxide fluxes, but also need to increase the time resolution of our measurements. Thus, for the first time, we assessed respiration and assimilation fluxes with high time resolution (5Hz) stable isotope measurements at an intensively managed farmland in Switzerland (Chamau, 400m ASL). Two different methods were used to quantify fluxes of carbon dioxide and associated fluxes of stable carbon isotopes: (1) the flux gradient method, and (2) the eddy covariance method. During a week long intensive measurement campaign, we (1) measured mixing ratios of carbon dioxide isotopomers (12C16O2, 12C16O18O, 13C16O2) with a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL, Aerodyne Inc.) spectroscope and (2) collected air samples for isotope analyses (13C/12C) and (18O/16O) of carbon dioxide by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS, Finnigan) every two hours, concurrently along a height profile (z = 0.05; 0.10; 0.31; 2.15m). In the following week, the QCL setup was used for closed-path eddy covariance flux measurement of the carbon dioxide isotopomers, with the air inlet located next to an open-path Infra Red Gas Analyzers (IRGA, LiCor 7500) used simultaneously for carbon dioxide measurements. During this second week, an area of grass inside the footprint was cut and harvested after several days. The first results of in-field continuous QCL measurements of carbon dioxide mixing ratios and their stable isotopic ratios show good agreement with IRGA measurements and isotope analysis of flask samples by IRMS. Thus, QCL spectroscopy is a very promising tool for stable isotope flux investigations.

  1. Ion detectors for isotopic measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCormick, A.

    1978-12-15

    Detector development over the past two decades has been such that this is now the least likely part of the mass spectrometry equipment to give rise to the sort of measurement errors to cause concern. It is now possible to choose from a number of different types of device which can provide more or less 100% efficiency in ion beam detection under all conceivable experimental conditions required for isotopic analysis, from measurement of large samples using the traditional Faraday cage to measurement of exceedingly small ion currents by ion counting techniques. There are even methods of distinguishing one type of ionic species from another in the detector, thus improving the accuracy when unwanted isobaric species might otherwise grossly distort the measurement. Notable contributions to detector development for nuclear measurements have been made by Dietz at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, by Barnett at Oak Ridge and by Daly at Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE), Aldermaston. This paper describes the detection methods which are currently in use at AWRE for isotopic analysis of solid samples for routine applications as well as non-routine applications. Other methods are merely mentioned as a stimulus for discussion.

  2. Deduction of kinetic mechanism in multisubstrate enzyme reactions from tritium isotope effects. Application to dopamine beta-hydroxylase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klinman, J.P.; Humphries, H.; Voet, J.G.

    1980-01-01

    Primary tritium isotope effects have been measured for the hydroxylation of [2-3H] dopamine catalyzed by dopamine beta-hydroxylase. Experimental values vary from 8.8 +/- 1.4 at 0.02 mM oxygen to 4.1 +/- 0.6 at 1.0 mM oxygen. It is shown that the observed dependence of the isotope effect on oxygen concentration provides unequivocal evidence for a kinetically significant dissociation of both dopamine and oxygen from enzyme, ternary complex. This approach, which is applicable to any multisubstrate enzyme characterized by detectable kinetic isotope effects, provides an alternate to classical methods for the elucidation of kinetic order in enzyme-catalyzed reactions

  3. Isotopic Zonation Within Sulfate Evaporite Mineral Crystals Reveal Quantitative Paleoenvironment Details

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coleman, M.; Rhorssen, M.; Mielke, R. E.

    2008-12-01

    Isotopic variations measured within a single crystal of hydrated magnesium sulfate are greater than 30 permil for delta 2-H, almost 10 permil for δ18O in water of hydration; and greater than 3 permil in sulfate oxygen. These results are interpreted to indicate the relative humidity of the system during evaporation (15 to 20 percent in this test case) and constrain the volume of water involved. The theoretical basis of this system is the isotopic fractionation between the species in solution and those precipitated as evaporite salts. Precipitation preferentially accumulates more of the heavy isotopes of sulfur and oxygen in mineral sulfate, relative to sulfate in solution. During the course of mineral growth this leads to successive depletion of the respective heavier isotopes in the residual brine reflected in a parallel trend in successive precipitates or even in successive zones within a single crystal. The change in isotopic composition at any one time during the process, relative to the initial value, can be described by an isotopic version of the Rayleigh Fractionation equation, depending only on the extent of the completion of the process and the relevant fractionation factor. Evaporation preferentially removes isotopically lighter hydrogen and oxygen leading to successive extents of enrichment in the respective heavier isotopes in the residual water. However, the relative effects on hydrogen and oxygen isotopes differs as function of relative humidity [1]. ALL OF THESE CHANGES ARE PRESERVED IN THE MINERAL ISOTOPE COMPOSITIONS. We precipitated barium sulfate from epsomite or gypsum samples, which was reduced at 1450°C in the presence of graphite and glassy carbon in a Finnigan TC/EA to produce CO for O isotopic analysis in a Finnigan 253 mass spectrometer, while a separate subsample was oxidized to SO2 in a Costech Elemental Analyzer. However, to make progress with this approach we needed to make a large number of measurements of hydration water and so we

  4. Electrical, electrochemical and isotopic exchange measurements on lanthanum gallate based ceramics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bronin, D.I.; Gorelov, V.P. [RAS, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation). Inst. of High-Temperature Electrochemistry]|[Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany); Kuzin, B.L.; Kurumchin, E.Kh.; Vdovin, G.K.; Sokolova, Ju.V.; Beresnev, S.M. [RAS, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation). Inst. of High-Temperature Electrochemistry; Keppeler, M.; Naefe, H.; Aldinger, F. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany)

    2000-07-01

    The solubility limits of Sr and Mg in La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}Ga{sub 1-y}Mg{sub y}O{sub 3-{delta}} (LSGM) and the electrical conductivity of LSGM and La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}Ga{sub 1-y-z}Mg{sub y}Co{sub z}O{sub 3-{delta}} (LSGMC) were studied. By electrochemical and isotopic exchange measurements on both LSGM material and on an LSGM pellet whose surface was modified by Co-doping, it was shown that the oxygen exchange rate between the solids and the surrounding gas phase is much higher in the case of the modified electrolyte material. A single fuel cell with an LSGM electrolyte was constructed and tested. (orig.)

  5. Assessment of nitrogen and oxygen isotopic fractionation during nitrification and its expression in the marine environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casciotti, Karen L; Buchwald, Carolyn; Santoro, Alyson E; Frame, Caitlin

    2011-01-01

    Nitrification is a microbially-catalyzed process whereby ammonia (NH(3)) is oxidized to nitrite (NO(2)(-)) and subsequently to nitrate (NO(3)(-)). It is also responsible for production of nitrous oxide (N(2)O), a climatically important greenhouse gas. Because the microbes responsible for nitrification are primarily autotrophic, nitrification provides a unique link between the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios have provided insights into where nitrification contributes to the availability of NO(2)(-) and NO(3)(-), and where it constitutes a significant source of N(2)O. This chapter describes methods for determining kinetic isotope effects involved with ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation, the two independent steps in the nitrification process, and their expression in the marine environment. It also outlines some remaining questions and issues related to isotopic fractionation during nitrification. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. A Time-Measurement System Based on Isotopic Ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vo, Duc T.; Karpius, P.J.; MacArthur, D.W.; Thron, J.L.

    2007-01-01

    A time-measurement system can be built based on the ratio of gamma-ray peak intensities from two radioactive isotopes. The ideal system would use a parent isotope with a short half-life decaying to a long half-life daughter. The activities of the parent-daughter isotopes would be measured using a gamma-ray detector system. The time can then be determined from the ratio of the activities. The best-known candidate for such a system is the 241 Pu- 241 Am parent-daughter pair. However, this 241 Pu- 241 Am system would require a high-purity germanium detector system and sophisticated software to separate and distinguish between the many gamma-ray peaks produced by the decays of the two isotopes. An alternate system would use two different isotopes, again one with a short half-life and one with a half-life that is long relative to the other. The pair of isotopes 210 Pb and 241 Am (with half-lives of 22 and 432 years, respectively) appears suitable for such a system. This time-measurement system operates by measuring the change in the ratio of the 47-keV peak of 210 Pb to the 60-keV peak of 241 Am. For the system to work reasonably well, the resolution of the detector would need to be such that the two gamma-ray peaks are well separated so that their peak areas can be accurately determined using a simple region-of-interest (ROI) method. A variety of detectors were tested to find a suitable system for this application. The results of these tests are presented here.

  7. Applications of stable Isotope ratios determinations in fruit juice authentication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magdas, Dana Alina; Dehelean, Adriana; Voica, Cezara; Puscas, Romulus

    2010-01-01

    Full text: Adulteration of a product consists in making it impure by fraudulent addition of a foreign or inferior substance. The result is either an alteration of the product and of its quality or a falsification. The falsification is a voluntary act with the intention of abuse. The falsification may be more or less sophisticated and its sophistication as well as its costs increases with the improvement of analytical methods. Vacuum concentration with aroma does not affect the chemical composition of fruit juices and therefore the determination of deuterium (D) and oxygen-18 content in waters is the most confident procedure for differentiating between a natural single strength juice and a juice rediluted from a concentrate. This technique is based on the fact that when absorbed by a plant, the rainwater or the irrigation water is fractionated by evapotranspiration, and enriched in the heavy isotopes (deuterium and oxygen-18) with respect to the light isotope (hydrogen and oxygen-16, respectively). It is known that climatic conditions affect the isotope content of rain waters and therefore that of fruit juices waters: the warmer climate, the higher the deuterium and oxygen-18 contents in water. Rainwater and tap water have nearly the same isotopic content and the water of fruit juices derived from concentrate by dilution with tap water has an isotopic content close to that of tap water. This makes it easy to distinguish diluted concentrates from the isotopically more enriched water of authentic single strength juice. In this study, single strength juice, in Romanian fruits, were investigated by mean of stable isotope measurements (oxygen, hydrogen and carbon) in order to offer a discussion basis for the authenticity of some fruit juices currently available on Romanian market. (authors)

  8. Environmental isotope hydrology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1973-01-01

    Environmental isotope hydrology is a relatively new field of investigation based on isotopic variations observed in natural waters. These isotopic characteristics have been established over a broad space and time scale. They cannot be controlled by man, but can be observed and interpreted to gain valuable regional information on the origin, turnover and transit time of water in the system which often cannot be obtained by other techniques. The cost of such investigations is usually relatively small in comparison with the cost of classical hydrological studies. The main environmental isotopes of hydrological interest are the stable isotopes deuterium (hydrogen-2), carbon-13, oxygen-18, and the radioactive isotopes tritium (hydrogen-3) and carbon-14. Isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen are ideal geochemical tracers of water because their concentrations are usually not subject to change by interaction with the aquifer material. On the other hand, carbon compounds in groundwater may interact with the aquifer material, complicating the interpretation of carbon-14 data. A few other environmental isotopes such as 32 Si and 238 U/ 234 U have been proposed recently for hydrological purposes but their use has been quite limited until now and they will not be discussed here. (author)

  9. Anatomy of the thriple oxygen isotope Terrestrial Fractionatoin Line

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharp, Z. D.; Pack, A.

    2017-12-01

    In the triple oxygen isotope system, it is well established that the δ17O value of nearly all terrestrial materials is approximately ½ that of the corresponding δ18O value. In triple isotope space then, all samples plot on a slope 1/2 line, termed the Terrestrial Fractionation Line (TFL). It has recently been recognized that subtle, but significant departures from the TFL exist, given by Δ'17O = δ'17O -λ× δ'18O + γ, where λ is the slope of the TFL (γ is the y-intercept and assumed to be zero in most studies). There have been many published λ values, ranging from 0.52 to 0.5305. λ values determined from a best-fit to rock and mineral samples range from 0.5244 to 0.5266. λ values from meteoric waters are 0.527 to 0.528 (γ = 0.007 to 0.034), explained by equilibrium and kinetic processes. Extreme polar glacial samples define a λ >0.53. As pointed out by Matsuhisia et al. (GCA, 1978), there is no single factor that controls the δ17O-δ18O slope, and clearly there is no `correct' TFL line. However, some generalities can be noted. 1) Meteoric waters generally plot with a λ = 0.528 with a Δ'17O = 0.033. At both high and low δ18O values, the Δ'17O values of meteoritic waters decrease. Mantle derived samples plot in a limited δ space, with δ18O values of 5-9‰ and a Δ'17O of -0.05‰. Rock and mineral samples falling outside this narrow range have undergone interaction with meteoric or ocean water at some point in their history, either by alteration or neoform mineral growth. The quartz-water triple isotope fractionation factor varies with temperatures, ranging from 0.5237 to 0.5266 at 0°C and 200°C, respective. A fit to published rock data gives an overall λ = 0.5237-0.5240. These results are most likely explained by the sum of hydrothermal and low-temperature mineral-water fractionations. Attempting to place any significance on a TFL from a set of data in unwarranted without understanding the processes controlling the isotopic compositions of

  10. Planetary fertility during the past 400 ka based on the triple isotope composition of atmospheric oxygen in trapped gases from the Vostok ice core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blunier, T.; Bender, M. L.; Barnett, B.; von Fisher, J. C.

    2012-04-01

    The productivity of the biosphere leaves its imprint on the isotopic composition of atmospheric oxygen. Ultimately atmospheric oxygen, through photosynthesis, originates from seawater. Fractionations during the passage from seawater to atmospheric O2 and during respiration are mass dependent, affecting δ17O about half as much as δ18O. An "anomalous" (also termed mass independent) fractionation process changes δ17O about 1.7 times as much as δ18O during isotope exchange between O2 and CO2 in the stratosphere. The relative rates of biological O2 production and stratospheric processing determine the relationship between δ17O and δ18O of O2 in the atmosphere. Variations of this relationship thus allow us to estimate changes in the rate of mass dependent O2 production by photosynthesis versus the rate of mass independent O2-CO2 exchange in the stratosphere. However, the analysis of the 17O anomaly is complicated because each hydrological and biological process influencing δ17O and δ18O fractionates 17O and 18O in slightly different proportions. In this study we present oxygen data covering the last 400 kyr from the Vostok ice core. We reconstruct oxygen productivities from the triple isotope composition of atmospheric oxygen with a box model. Our steady state model for the oxygen cycle takes into account fractionation during photosynthesis and respiration of the land and ocean biosphere as well as fractionation when oxygen passes through the stratosphere. We consider changes of fractionation factors linked to climate variations taking into account the span of estimates of the main factors affecting our calculations. We find that ocean oxygen productivity was likely elevated relative to modern during glacials. However, this increase probably did not fully compensate for a reduction in land ocean productivity resulting in a slight reduction in total oxygen production during glacials.

  11. Mineralogy and Oxygen Isotope Compositions of an Unusual Hibonite-Perovskite Refractory Inclusion from Allende

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, L. P.; Snead, C.; Rahman, Z.; McKeegan, K. D.

    2012-01-01

    Hibonite-rich Ca- and Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) are among the earliest formed solids that condensed in the early nebula. We discovered an unusual refractory inclusion from the Allende CV3 chondrite (SHAL) containing an approx 500 micron long single crystal of hibonite and co-existing coarse-grained perovskite. The mineralogy and petrography of SHAL show strong similarities to some FUN inclusions, especially HAL. Here we report on the mineralogy, petrography, mineral chemistry and oxygen isotopic compositions in SHAL.

  12. Nitrogen and Triple Oxygen Isotopic Analyses of Atmospheric Particulate Nitrate over the Pacific Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamezaki, Kazuki; Hattori, Shohei; Iwamoto, Yoko; Ishino, Sakiko; Furutani, Hiroshi; Miki, Yusuke; Miura, Kazuhiko; Uematsu, Mitsuo; Yoshida, Naohiro

    2017-04-01

    Nitrate plays a significant role in the biogeochemical cycle. Atmospheric nitrate (NO3- and HNO3) are produced by reaction precursor as NOx (NO and NO2) emitted by combustion, biomass burning, lightning, and soil emission, with atmospheric oxidants like ozone (O3), hydroxyl radical (OH), peroxy radical and halogen oxides. Recently, industrial activity lead to increases in the concentrations of nitrogen species (NOx and NHy) throughout the environment. Because of the increase of the amount of atmospheric nitrogen deposition, the oceanic biogeochemical cycle are changed (Galloway et al., 2004; Kim et al., 2011). However, the sources and formation pathways of atmospheric nitrate are still uncertain over the Pacific Ocean because the long-term observation is limited. Stable isotope analysis is useful tool to gain information of sources, sinks and formation pathways. The nitrogen stable isotopic composition (δ15N) of atmospheric particulate NO3- can be used to posses information of its nitrogen sources (Elliott et al., 2007). Triple oxygen isotopic compositions (Δ17O = δ17O - 0.52 ×δ18O) of atmospheric particulate NO3- can be used as tracer of the relative importance of mass-independent oxygen bearing species (e.g. O3, BrO; Δ17O ≠ 0 ‰) and mass-dependent oxygen bearing species (e.g. OH radical; Δ17O ≈ 0 ‰) through the formation processes from NOx to NO3- in the atmosphere (Michalski et al., 2003; Thiemens, 2006). Here, we present the isotopic compositions of atmospheric particulate NO3- samples collected over the Pacific Ocean from 40˚ S to 68˚ N. We observed significantly low δ15N values for atmospheric particulate NO3- on equatorial Pacific Ocean during both cruises. Although the data is limited, combination analysis of δ15N and Δ17O values for atmospheric particulate NO3- showed the possibility of the main nitrogen source of atmospheric particulate NO3- on equatorial Pacific Ocean is ammonia oxidation in troposphere. Furthermore, the Δ17O values

  13. Oxygen isotope thermometry of quartz-Al2SiO5veins in high-grade metamorphic rocks on Naxos island (Greece)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putlitz, Benita; Valley, John; Matthews, Alan; Katzir, Yaron

    2002-04-01

    Diffusion models predict that peak metamorphic temperatures are best recorded by the oxygen isotope fractionation between minerals in a bi-mineralic rock in which a refractory accessory mineral with slow oxygen diffusion rate is modally minor to a mineral with a faster diffusion rate. This premise is demonstrated for high-grade metamorphism on the island of Naxos, Greece, where quartz-kyanite oxygen isotope thermometry from veins in high-grade metamorphic pelites gives temperatures of 635-690 °C. These temperatures are in excellent agreement with independent thermometry for the regional M2 peak metamorphic conditions and show that the vein minerals isotopically equilibrated at the peak of metamorphism. Quartz-sillimanite fractionations in the same veins give similar temperatures (680+/-35 °C) and suggest that the veins grew near to the kyanite-sillimanite boundary, corresponding to pressures of 6.5 to 7.5 kbar for temperatures of 635-685 °C. By contrast, quartz-kyanite and quartz-biotite pairs in the host rocks yield lower temperature estimates than the veins (590-600 and 350-550 °C, respectively). These lower apparent temperatures are also predicted from calculations of diffusional resetting in the polyphase host-rock system. The data demonstrate that bimineralic vein assemblages can be used as accurate thermometers in high-temperature rocks whereas retrograde exchange remains a major problem in many polymineralic rocks.

  14. Utilization of stable isotopes for characterizing an underground gas generator; Utilisation des isotopes stables pour caracteriser un gazogene souterrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pirard, J P; Antenucci, D; Renard, X [Liege Univ. (Belgium); Letolle, R [Paris-6 Univ., 75 (France)

    1994-12-31

    The principles of isotopic exchange and isotope ratio result interpretation are first reviewed; then, in the framework of an underground coal gasification project in Belgium, experiments and modelling of the underground gas generator have been carried out: isotopic abundances of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen have been measured in the gasifying agent (O{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O) and in the effluent (CO{sub 2}, CO, H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, CH{sub 4}, O{sub 2}, heavy oils and various organic and mineral substances). Gasification kinetics and temperatures have been evaluated and isotope application to thermometry is discussed. 1 fig., 9 refs.

  15. Chemical and oxygen isotopic properties of ordinary chondrites (H5, L6) from Oman: Signs of isotopic equilibrium during thermal metamorphism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Arshad; Nasir, Sobhi J.; Jabeen, Iffat; Al Rawas, Ahmed; Banerjee, Neil R.; Osinski, Gordon R.

    2017-10-01

    Mean bulk chemical data of recently found H5 and L6 ordinary chondrites from the deserts of Oman generally reflect isochemical features which are consistent with the progressive thermal metamorphism of a common, unequilibrated starting material. Relative differences in abundances range from 0.5-10% in REE (Eu = 14%), 6-13% in siderophile elements (Co = 48%), and >10% in lithophile elements (exceptions are Ba, Sr, Zr, Hf, U = >30%) between H5 and L6 groups. These differences may have accounted for variable temperature conditions during metamorphism on their parent bodies. The CI/Mg-normalized mean abundances of refractory lithophile elements (Al, Ca, Sm, Yb, Lu, V) show no resolvable differences between H5 and L6 suggesting that both groups have experienced the same fractionation. The REE diagram shows subtle enrichment in LREE with a flat HREE pattern. Furthermore, overall mean REE abundances are 0.6 × CI with enriched La abundance ( 0.9 × CI) in both groups. Precise oxygen isotope compositions demonstrate the attainment of isotopic equilibrium by progressive thermal metamorphism following a mass-dependent isotope fractionation trend. Both groups show a slope-1/2 line on a three-isotope plot with subtle negative deviation in Δ17O associated with δ18O enrichment relative to δ17O. These deviations are interpreted as the result of liberation of water from phyllosilicates and evaporation of a fraction of the water during thermal metamorphism. The resultant isotope fractionations caused by the water loss are analogous to those occurring between silicate melt and gas phase during CAI and chondrule formation in chondrites and are controlled by cooling rates and exchange efficiency.

  16. Stable isotope hydrology. Deuterium and oxygen-18 in the water cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gat, J.R.; Gonfiantini, R.

    1981-01-01

    This monograph is mainly intended for hydrologists, hydrogeologists and geochemists who want to become acquainted, rapidly but in some detail, with the theoretical background of stable isotope fractionation in natural physico-chemical processes involving fresh water, with the isotopic differences actually encountered in natural waters and with their use for practical hydrological purposes. Throughout the monograph, and in particular in the last chapter, a series of examples are discussed, giving the results obtained with stable isotope techniques in current hydrological and hydrogeological investigations or, more generally, in water resources exploration and assessment. One chapter is also dedicated to the techniques for measuring D/H and 18 O/ 16 O ratios in water

  17. Analytical Method for Carbon and Oxygen Isotope of Small Carbonate Samples with the GasBench Ⅱ-IRMS Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIANG Cui-cui

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available An analytical method for measuring carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of trace amount carbonate (>15 μg was established by Delta V Advantage isotope Ratio MS coupled with GasBench Ⅱ. Different trace amount (5-50 μg carbonate standard samples (IAEA-CO-1 were measured by GasBench Ⅱ with 12 mL and 3.7 mL vials. When the weight of samples was less than 40 μg and it was acidified in 12 mL vials, most standard deviations of the δ13C and δ18O were more than 0.1‰, which couldn’t satisfied high-precision measurements. When the weight of samples was greater than 15 μg and it was acidified in 3.7 mL vials, standard deviations for the δ13C and δ18O were 0.01‰-0.07‰ and 0.01‰-0.08‰ respectively, which satisfied high-precision measurements. Therefore, small 3.7 mL vials were used to increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in headspace, carbonate samples even less as 15 μg can be analyzed routinely by a GasBench Ⅱ continuous-flow IRMS. Meanwhile, the linear relationship between sample’s weight and peak’s area was strong (R2>0.993 2 and it can be used to determine the carbon content of carbonate samples.

  18. Uranium isotope ratio measurements in field settings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaw, R.W.; Barshick, C.M.; Young, J.P.; Ramsey, J.M.

    1997-01-01

    The authors have developed a technique for uranium isotope ratio measurements of powder samples in field settings. Such a method will be invaluable for environmental studies, radioactive waste operations, and decommissioning and decontamination operations. Immediate field data can help guide an ongoing sampling campaign. The measurement encompasses glow discharge sputtering from pressed sample hollow cathodes, high resolution laser spectroscopy using conveniently tunable diode lasers, and optogalvanic detection. At 10% 235 U enrichment and above, the measurement precision for 235 U/( 235 U+ 238 U) isotope ratios was ±3%; it declined to ±15% for 0.3% (i.e., depleted) samples. A prototype instrument was constructed and is described

  19. Oxygenation measurements in head and neck cancers during hyperbaric oxygenation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, A.; Kuhnt, T.; Dunst, J.; Liedtke, H.; Krivokuca, A.; Bloching, M.

    2002-01-01

    Background: Tumor hypoxia has proven prognostic impact in head and neck cancers and is associated with poor response to radiotherapy. Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) offers an approach to overcome hypoxia. We have performed pO 2 measurements in selected patients with head and neck cancers under HBO to determine in how far changes in the oxygenation occur and whether a possible improvement of oxygenation parameters is maintained after HBO. Patients and Methods: Seven patients (five male, two female, age 51-63 years) with squamous cell cancers of the head and neck were investigated (six primaries, one local recurrence). The median pO 2 prior to HBO was determined with the Eppendorf histograph. Sites of measurement were enlarged cervical lymph nodes (n = 5), the primary tumor (n = 1) and local recurrence (n = 1). Patients then underwent HBO (100% O 2 at 240 kPa for 30 minutes) and the continuous changes in the oxygenation during HBO were determined with a Licox probe. Patients had HBO for 30 minutes (n = 6) to 40 minutes (n = 1). HBO was continued because the pO 2 had not reached a steady state after 30 minutes. After decompression, patients ventilated pure oxygen under normobaric conditions and the course of the pO 2 was further measured over about 15 minutes. Results: Prior to HBO, the median tumor pO 2 in the Eppendorf histography was 8.6 ± 5.4 mm Hg (range 3-19 mm Hg) and the pO 2 measured with the Licox probe was 17.3 ± 25.5 mm Hg (range 0-73 mm Hg). The pO 2 increased significantly during HBO to 550 ± 333 mm Hg (range 85-984 mm Hg, p = 0.018). All patients showed a marked increase irrespective of the oxygenation prior to HBO. The maximum pO 2 in the tumor was reached after 10-33 minutes (mean 17 minutes). After leaving the hyperbaric chamber, the pO 2 was 282 ± 196 mm Hg. All patients maintained an elevated pO 2 for further 5-25 minutes (138 ± 128 mm Hg, range 42-334 mm Hg, p = 0.028 vs the pO 2 prior to HBO). Conclusions: Hyperbaric oxygenation resulted in a

  20. A universal carbonate ion effect on stable oxygen isotope ratios in unicellular planktonic calcifying organisms

    OpenAIRE

    Ziveri, P.; Thoms, S.; Probert, I.; Geisen, M.; Langer, H.

    2012-01-01

    The oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) of calcium carbonate of planktonic calcifying organisms is a key tool for reconstructing both past seawater temperature and salinity. The calibration of paloeceanographic proxies relies in general on empirical relationships derived from field experiments on extant species. Laboratory experiments have more often than not revealed that variables other than the target parameter influence the proxy signal, which makes proxy c...

  1. Multiple S and O isotope constraints on O2 at 2.25 Ga

    Science.gov (United States)

    Killingsworth, B.; Sansjofre, P.; Philippot, P.; Thomazo, C.; Cartigny, P.; Lalonde, S.

    2017-12-01

    The composition of Earth's atmosphere around the time of the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) at the Archean-Proterozoic boundary is of great interest for reconstructing the redox evolution of the Earth. Sulfate has been shown to be a valuable recorder of isotopic signals of atmospheric O2 but its records are sparse around the time of the GOE. To constrain O2 around the GOE, we have measured quadruple sulfur and triple oxygen isotopes of sulfate from barite in sedimentary drill core from the Turee Creek Group, Australia from 2.25 Ga. A combined sulfur and oxygen approach for estimating the triple oxygen isotope composition of O2 at 2.25 Ga will be presented and its implications for the Paleoproterozoic atmosphere will be discussed.

  2. Ab initio R1 mechanism of photostimulated oxygen isotope exchange reaction on a defect TiO{sub 2} surface: The case of terminal oxygen atom exchange

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kevorkyants, Ruslan, E-mail: ruslan.kevorkyants@gmail.com; Sboev, Mikhail N.; Chizhov, Yuri V.

    2017-05-01

    Highlights: • DFT R1 mechanism of photostimulated oxygen isotope exchange between {sup 16}O{sup 18}O and terminal oxygen atom of a defect surface of nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2} is proposed. • The mechanism involves four adsorption intermediates and five transition states. • Activation energy of the reaction is 0.24 eV. • G-tensors of O{sub 3}{sup −} intermediates match EPR data on O{sub 2} adsorbed on UV-irradiated TiO{sub 2} surface. - Abstract: Based on density functional theory we propose R1 mechanism of photostimulated oxygen isotope exchange (POIEx) reaction between {sup 16}O{sup 18}O and terminal oxygen atom of a defect TiO{sub 2} surface, which is modeled by amorphous Ti{sub 8}O{sub 16} nanocluster in excited S{sup 1} electronic state. The proposed mechanism involves four adsorption intermediates and five transition states. The computed activation energy of the POIEx equals 0.24 eV. The computed g-tensors of the predicted ozonide O{sub 3}{sup −} chemisorption species match well EPR data on O{sub 2} adsorption on UV-irradiated nanocrystalline TiO{sub 2}. This match serves a mean of justification of the proposed R1 mechanism of the POIEx reaction. In addition, it is found that the proposed R1 POIEx reaction’s mechanism differs from R1 mechanism of thermo-assisted OIEx reaction on a surface of supported vanadium oxide catalyst VO{sub x}/TiO{sub 2} reported earlier.

  3. Quasifree (p , 2 p ) Reactions on Oxygen Isotopes: Observation of Isospin Independence of the Reduced Single-Particle Strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atar, L.; Paschalis, S.; Barbieri, C.; Bertulani, C. A.; Díaz Fernández, P.; Holl, M.; Najafi, M. A.; Panin, V.; Alvarez-Pol, H.; Aumann, T.; Avdeichikov, V.; Beceiro-Novo, S.; Bemmerer, D.; Benlliure, J.; Boillos, J. M.; Boretzky, K.; Borge, M. J. G.; Caamaño, M.; Caesar, C.; Casarejos, E.; Catford, W.; Cederkall, J.; Chartier, M.; Chulkov, L.; Cortina-Gil, D.; Cravo, E.; Crespo, R.; Dillmann, I.; Elekes, Z.; Enders, J.; Ershova, O.; Estrade, A.; Farinon, F.; Fraile, L. M.; Freer, M.; Galaviz Redondo, D.; Geissel, H.; Gernhäuser, R.; Golubev, P.; Göbel, K.; Hagdahl, J.; Heftrich, T.; Heil, M.; Heine, M.; Heinz, A.; Henriques, A.; Hufnagel, A.; Ignatov, A.; Johansson, H. T.; Jonson, B.; Kahlbow, J.; Kalantar-Nayestanaki, N.; Kanungo, R.; Kelic-Heil, A.; Knyazev, A.; Kröll, T.; Kurz, N.; Labiche, M.; Langer, C.; Le Bleis, T.; Lemmon, R.; Lindberg, S.; Machado, J.; Marganiec-Gałązka, J.; Movsesyan, A.; Nacher, E.; Nikolskii, E. Y.; Nilsson, T.; Nociforo, C.; Perea, A.; Petri, M.; Pietri, S.; Plag, R.; Reifarth, R.; Ribeiro, G.; Rigollet, C.; Rossi, D. M.; Röder, M.; Savran, D.; Scheit, H.; Simon, H.; Sorlin, O.; Syndikus, I.; Taylor, J. T.; Tengblad, O.; Thies, R.; Togano, Y.; Vandebrouck, M.; Velho, P.; Volkov, V.; Wagner, A.; Wamers, F.; Weick, H.; Wheldon, C.; Wilson, G. L.; Winfield, J. S.; Woods, P.; Yakorev, D.; Zhukov, M.; Zilges, A.; Zuber, K.; R3B Collaboration

    2018-01-01

    Quasifree one-proton knockout reactions have been employed in inverse kinematics for a systematic study of the structure of stable and exotic oxygen isotopes at the R3B /LAND setup with incident beam energies in the range of 300 - 450 MeV /u . The oxygen isotopic chain offers a large variation of separation energies that allows for a quantitative understanding of single-particle strength with changing isospin asymmetry. Quasifree knockout reactions provide a complementary approach to intermediate-energy one-nucleon removal reactions. Inclusive cross sections for quasifree knockout reactions of the type O A (p ,2 p )N-1A have been determined and compared to calculations based on the eikonal reaction theory. The reduction factors for the single-particle strength with respect to the independent-particle model were obtained and compared to state-of-the-art ab initio predictions. The results do not show any significant dependence on proton-neutron asymmetry.

  4. Oxygen isotope studies of early Precambrian granitic rocks from the Giants Range batholith, northeastern Minnesota, U.S.A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viswanathan, S.

    1974-01-01

    Oxygen isotope studies of granitic rocks from the 2.7 b.y.-old composite Giants Range batholith show that: (1) ??(O18)quartz values of 9 to 10 permil characterize relatively uncontaminated Lower Precambrian, magmatic granodiorites and granites; (2) granitic rocks thought to have formed by static granitization have ??(O18)quartz values that are 1 to 2 permil higher than magmatic granitic rocks; (3) satellite leucogranite bodies have values nearly identical to those of the main intrusive phases even where they transect O18-rich metasedimentary wall rocks; (4) oxygen isotopic interaction between the granitic melts and their O18-rich wall rocks was minimal; and (5) O18/O18 ratios of quartz grains in a metasomatic granite are largely inherited from the precursor rock, but during the progression - sedimentary parent ??? partially granitized parent ??? metasomatic granite ??? there is gradual decrease in ??(O18)quartz by 1 to 2 permil. ?? 1974.

  5. Quasifree (p, 2p) Reactions on Oxygen Isotopes: Observation of Isospin Independence of the Reduced Single-Particle Strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atar, L; Paschalis, S; Barbieri, C; Bertulani, C A; Díaz Fernández, P; Holl, M; Najafi, M A; Panin, V; Alvarez-Pol, H; Aumann, T; Avdeichikov, V; Beceiro-Novo, S; Bemmerer, D; Benlliure, J; Boillos, J M; Boretzky, K; Borge, M J G; Caamaño, M; Caesar, C; Casarejos, E; Catford, W; Cederkall, J; Chartier, M; Chulkov, L; Cortina-Gil, D; Cravo, E; Crespo, R; Dillmann, I; Elekes, Z; Enders, J; Ershova, O; Estrade, A; Farinon, F; Fraile, L M; Freer, M; Galaviz Redondo, D; Geissel, H; Gernhäuser, R; Golubev, P; Göbel, K; Hagdahl, J; Heftrich, T; Heil, M; Heine, M; Heinz, A; Henriques, A; Hufnagel, A; Ignatov, A; Johansson, H T; Jonson, B; Kahlbow, J; Kalantar-Nayestanaki, N; Kanungo, R; Kelic-Heil, A; Knyazev, A; Kröll, T; Kurz, N; Labiche, M; Langer, C; Le Bleis, T; Lemmon, R; Lindberg, S; Machado, J; Marganiec-Gałązka, J; Movsesyan, A; Nacher, E; Nikolskii, E Y; Nilsson, T; Nociforo, C; Perea, A; Petri, M; Pietri, S; Plag, R; Reifarth, R; Ribeiro, G; Rigollet, C; Rossi, D M; Röder, M; Savran, D; Scheit, H; Simon, H; Sorlin, O; Syndikus, I; Taylor, J T; Tengblad, O; Thies, R; Togano, Y; Vandebrouck, M; Velho, P; Volkov, V; Wagner, A; Wamers, F; Weick, H; Wheldon, C; Wilson, G L; Winfield, J S; Woods, P; Yakorev, D; Zhukov, M; Zilges, A; Zuber, K

    2018-02-02

    Quasifree one-proton knockout reactions have been employed in inverse kinematics for a systematic study of the structure of stable and exotic oxygen isotopes at the R^{3}B/LAND setup with incident beam energies in the range of 300-450  MeV/u. The oxygen isotopic chain offers a large variation of separation energies that allows for a quantitative understanding of single-particle strength with changing isospin asymmetry. Quasifree knockout reactions provide a complementary approach to intermediate-energy one-nucleon removal reactions. Inclusive cross sections for quasifree knockout reactions of the type ^{A}O(p,2p)^{A-1}N have been determined and compared to calculations based on the eikonal reaction theory. The reduction factors for the single-particle strength with respect to the independent-particle model were obtained and compared to state-of-the-art ab initio predictions. The results do not show any significant dependence on proton-neutron asymmetry.

  6. Proton-induced knockout reactions with netron-rich oxygen isotopes at R{sup 3}B

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atar, Leyla [IKP, TU Darmstadt (Germany); GSI (Germany); Collaboration: R3B-Collaboration

    2014-07-01

    Proton-induced knockout reactions are one of the main goal of the experimental program at the future R{sup 3}B (Reactions with Relativistic Radioactive Beams) Experiment at FAIR. It allows us to obtain spectroscopic information about valence and deeply bound single-nucleon states and to study their evolution over a large variation in isospin. Recent studies have shown that the occupancies of loosely bound valence nucleons in neutron- or proton-rich nuclei have a spectroscopic factor close to unity, whereas single-particle strength for deeply bound nucleons is suppressed in isospin asymmetric systems compared to the predictions of the many-body shell model. Further experimental and theoretical studies are needed for a qualitative and quantitative understanding. For this aim a series of measurements have been performed on the complete oxygen isotopic chain using the existing experimental setup LAND/R{sup 3}B at GSI. We present the main scientific goals, the concepts of the experiment and the preliminary results.

  7. Oxygen isotope analyses of ground ice from North of West Siberia, from Yakutia and from Chukotka

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaikmaee, R.; Vassilchuk, Y.

    1991-01-01

    The aim of the present work is to make the large amount of original factual material obtained by studying the oxygen isotope composition in different types of permafrost and ground ice available to specialists. The samples analysed were systematically collected over a period of many years from different permafrost areas of the Soviet Union with the aim of elucidating and studying the regularities of isotope composition formation in different types of ground ice and selecting the most promising objects for paleoclimatic reconstructions. Much attention was paid on methodical problems of isotopic analysis starting with the collection, transportation and storage of samples up to the interpretation of the results obtained. Besides permafrost isotope data covering a large geographical area, a good deal of data concerns the isotopic composition of precipitation and surface water in permafrost areas. This is of great consequence as regards the understanding of the regularities of isotope compositions formation in permafrost. The largest chapter gives a brief account of the isotopic composition in different types of ground ice. The conclusion has been reached that in terms of paleoclimatic research syngenetic ice wedges are most promising. Grounding on the representative data bank it may be maintained with certainty that the isotopic composition provides a reliable basis for the differentiation of ice wedges originating in different epochs , however, it also reveals regional regularities. Much more complicated is the interpretation of textural ice isotopic composition. In some cases it is possible to use the distribution of 18 O in vertical sections of textural ice for their stratigraphic division. One has to consider here different mechanisms of textural ice formation as a result of which the initial isotopic composition of the ice-forming water can be in some cases highly modified. A problem of its own is the investigation of 18 O variations in the section of massive

  8. A First Look at Oxygen and Silicon Isotope Variations in Diatom Silica from a Pliocene Antarctic Marine Sediment Core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbott, T.; Dodd, J. P.; Hackett, H.; Scherer, R. P.

    2016-02-01

    Coupled oxygen (δ18O) and silicon (δ30Si) isotope variations in diatom silica (opal-A) are increasingly used as a proxy to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions (water temperatures, water mass mixing, nutrient cycling) in marine environments. Diatom silica is a particularly significant paleoenvironmental proxy in high latitude environments, such as the Southern Ocean, where diatom blooms are abundant and diatom frustules are well preserved in the sediment. The Andrill-1B (AND-1B) sediment core from the Ross Sea (Antarctica) preserves several Pliocene ( 4.5 Ma) age diatomite units. Here we present preliminary δ18O and δ30Si values for a diatomite subunit in the AND-1B sediment core. Initial isotope values for the AND-1B diatoms silica record relatively high variability (range δ18O: 36.3‰ to 39.9‰) that could be interpreted as large-scale changes in the water temperature and/or freshwater mixing in the Ross Sea; however, a significant concern with marine sediment of this age is isotope fractionation during diagenesis and the potential formation of opal-CT lepispheres. The effects of clay contamination on the diatom silica δ18O values have been addressed through sample purification and quantified through chemical and physical analyses of the diatom silica. The isotopic effects of opal-CT are not as clearly understood and more difficult to physically separate from the primary diatom silica. In order to better understand the isotope variations in the AND-1B diatoms, we also evaluated silicon and oxygen isotope fractionation during the transition from opal-A to opal-CT in a controlled laboratory experiment. Opal-A from cultured marine diatoms (Thalassiosira weissflogii) was subjected to elevated temperatures (150°C) in acid digestion vessels for 4 weeks to initiate opal-CT precipitation. Quantifying the effects of opal-CT formation on δ18O and δ30Si variations in biogenic silica improves our understanding of the use of diatom silica isotope values a

  9. Stable isotope investigations from tree rings (Betula pubescens) in Northern Iceland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertler, N.A.N.; Rose, J.J.; Mattey, D.P.; Brownlees, M.; Stoetter, J.E.

    1999-01-01

    Stable isotope investigations from recent trees (Betual pubescens) from two different locations in Northern Iceland have been carried out to examine applicability for paleoclimatic research. The aim was to correlate oxygen and carbon isotope data of annual and three year resolution derived from individual rings with meteorological data, in order to establish a calibration function for fossil wood samples. A precise dendrochronological record has been established for all cores to permit a direct comparison between different data sets. The material used for the isotopic analysis is pure α-cellulose. The oxygen and carbon ratios were measured using a new technique, employing CO with continuous flow mass spectrometry. As this method does not allow a simultaneous measurements of the carbon ratios, the δ 13 C values have been analysed separately, using CO 2 . Both methods demonstrated their reliability through high precision and accuracy in the values for the measured standards. However there is little confidence in the sample data, as they suffer from poor precision and non-consistency

  10. Skin Dose Equivalent Measurement from Neutron-Deficient Isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Hsiao-Hua; Costigan, Steve A.; Romero, Leonard L.; Whicker, Jeffrey J.

    1997-12-01

    Neutron-deficient-isotopes decay via positron emission and/or electron capture often followed by x-ray, gamma-ray, and 0.511 MeV photons from positron annihilation. For cases of significant area and/or personnel contamination with these isotopes, determination of skin dose equivalent (SDE) is required by 10CFR835. For assessment of SDE, we evaluated the MICROSPEC-2(TM) system manufactured by Bubble Technology Industries of Canada which uses three different probes for dose measurement. We used two probes: (1) the X-probe which measures lower energy (4 - 120 keV) photon energy distributions and determines deep dose equivalent, SDE and dose equivalent to eyes, and (2) the B-probe which measures electron (positron) energy distributions, and determines skin dose equivalent. Also, the measured photon and beta spectra can be used to identify radioactive isotopes in the contaminated area. Measurements with several neutron-deficient sources showed that this system provided reasonably accurate SDE rate measurements when compared with calculated benchmark SDE rates with an average percent difference of 40%. Variations were expected because of differences between the assumed geometries used by MlCROSPEC-2 and the calculations when compared to the measurement conditions

  11. First measurements on the core and edge isotope composition using the JET isotope separator neutral particle analyser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bettella, D; Murari, A; Stamp, M; Testa, D

    2003-01-01

    Direct measurements of tokamak plasmas isotope composition are in general quite difficult and have therefore been very seldom performed. On the other hand, the importance of this measurement is going to increase, as future experiments will be progressively focused on plasmas approaching reactor conditions. In this paper, we report for the first time encouraging experimental evidence supporting a new method to determine the radial profile of the density ratio n H /(n H + n D ), based on neutral particle analyser (NPA) measurements. The measurements have been performed in JET with the ISotope SEParator (ISEP), a NPA device specifically developed to measure the energy spectra of the three hydrogen isotopes with very high accuracy and low cross-talk. The data presented here have been collected in two different experimental conditions. In the first case, the density ratio has been kept constant during the discharge. The isotope ratio derived from the ISEP has been compared with the results of visible spectroscopy at the edge and with the isotope composition derived from an Alfven eigenmodes active diagnostic (AEAD) system at about half the minor radius for the discharges reported in this paper. A preliminary evaluation of the additional heating effects on the measurements has also been carried out. In the second set of experiments, the isotope composition of deuterium plasmas has been abruptly changed with suitable short blips of hydrogen, in order to assess the capability of the method to study the transport of the hydrogen isotope species. Future developments of the methodology and its applications to the evaluation of hydrogen transport coefficients are also briefly discussed. The results obtained so far motivate further development of the technique, which constitutes one of the few candidate diagnostic approaches viable for ITER

  12. Aquatic respiration rate measurements at low oxygen concentrations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moritz Holtappels

    Full Text Available Despite its huge ecological importance, microbial oxygen respiration in pelagic waters is little studied, primarily due to methodological difficulties. Respiration measurements are challenging because of the required high resolution of oxygen concentration measurements. Recent improvements in oxygen sensing techniques bear great potential to overcome these limitations. Here we compare 3 different methods to measure oxygen consumption rates at low oxygen concentrations, utilizing amperometric Clark type sensors (STOX, optical sensors (optodes, and mass spectrometry in combination with (18-18O2 labeling. Oxygen concentrations and consumption rates agreed well between the different methods when applied in the same experimental setting. Oxygen consumption rates between 30 and 400 nmol L(-1 h(-1 were measured with high precision and relative standard errors of less than 3%. Rate detection limits in the range of 1 nmol L(-1 h(-1 were suitable for rate determinations in open ocean water and were lowest at the lowest applied O2 concentration.

  13. Measurement of oxygen transfer from air into organic solvents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ramesh, Hemalata; Mayr, Torsten; Hobisch, Mathias

    2016-01-01

    biological reactions require the supply of oxygen, most normally from air. However, reliable on-line measurements of oxygen concentration in organic solvents (and hence oxygen transfer rates from air to the solvent) has to date proven impossible due limitations in the current analytical methods. Results...... applications). Subsequently, we measured the oxygen transfer rates from air into these organic solvents. Conclusion The measurement of oxygen transfer rates from air into organic solvents using the dynamic method was established using the solvent resistant optical sensor. The feasibility of online oxygen...... For the first time, we demonstrate on-line oxygen measurements in non-aqueous media using a novel optical sensor. The sensor was used to measure oxygen concentration in various organic solvents including toluene, THF, isooctane, DMF, heptane and hexane (which have all been shown suitable for several biological...

  14. Oxygen isotope anomaly in tropospheric CO2 and implications for CO2 residence time in the atmosphere and gross primary productivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Mao-Chang; Mahata, Sasadhar; Laskar, Amzad H; Thiemens, Mark H; Newman, Sally

    2017-10-13

    The abundance variations of near surface atmospheric CO 2 isotopologues (primarily 16 O 12 C 16 O, 16 O 13 C 16 O, 17 O 12 C 16 O, and 18 O 12 C 16 O) represent an integrated signal from anthropogenic/biogeochemical processes, including fossil fuel burning, biospheric photosynthesis and respiration, hydrospheric isotope exchange with water, and stratospheric photochemistry. Oxygen isotopes, in particular, are affected by the carbon and water cycles. Being a useful tracer that directly probes governing processes in CO 2 biogeochemical cycles, Δ 17 O (=ln(1 + δ 17 O) - 0.516 × ln(1 + δ 18 O)) provides an alternative constraint on the strengths of the associated cycles involving CO 2 . Here, we analyze Δ 17 O data from four places (Taipei, Taiwan; South China Sea; La Jolla, United States; Jerusalem, Israel) in the northern hemisphere (with a total of 455 measurements) and find a rather narrow range (0.326 ± 0.005‰). A conservative estimate places a lower limit of 345 ± 70 PgC year -1 on the cycling flux between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere and infers a residence time of CO 2 of 1.9 ± 0.3 years (upper limit) in the atmosphere. A Monte Carlo simulation that takes various plant uptake scenarios into account yields a terrestrial gross primary productivity of 120 ± 30 PgC year -1 and soil invasion of 110 ± 30 PgC year -1 , providing a quantitative assessment utilizing the oxygen isotope anomaly for quantifying CO 2 cycling.

  15. Isotopic measurement of uranium using NP-type chelate resin beads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Lanbi; Chen Wenpo; Wang Shijun

    1994-08-01

    NP-type chelate resin beads is used as a carrier of samples in the isotopic measurements of uranium by mass spectrometry. The results show that its absorption efficiency for uranium can be greater than 50%. It is one order magnitude higher than that strong basic anion resin, however, the ionization efficiencies of both are almost the same. Therefore, the amount of uranium required for isotopic analysis can be reduced one order of magnitude. This method has been used for isotopic analysis of uranium in NP-type chelate resin beads contained 10 -9 ∼ 10 -7 g uranium. For standard sample UTB-500, the external precision of measurements are within +-0.2%, for natural uranium samples are within +- 0.5%. The application of NP-type chelate resin beads in the isotopic measurement of uranium is a new creative achievement. It has been used in the depletion test of uranium-atomic vapor laser isotope separation

  16. Relationship of leaf oxygen and carbon isotopic composition with transpiration efficiency in the C4 grasses Setaria viridis and Setaria italica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellsworth, Patrick Z; Ellsworth, Patrícia V; Cousins, Asaph B

    2017-06-15

    Leaf carbon and oxygen isotope ratios can potentially provide a time-integrated proxy for stomatal conductance (gs) and transpiration rate (E), and can be used to estimate transpiration efficiency (TE). In this study, we found significant relationships of bulk leaf carbon isotopic signature (δ13CBL) and bulk leaf oxygen enrichment above source water (Δ18OBL) with gas exchange and TE in the model C4 grasses Setaria viridis and S. italica. Leaf δ13C had strong relationships with E, gs, water use, biomass, and TE. Additionally, the consistent difference in δ13CBL between well-watered and water-limited plants suggests that δ13CBL is effective in separating C4 plants with different availability of water. Alternatively, the use of Δ18OBL as a proxy for E and TE in S. viridis and S. italica was problematic. First, the oxygen isotopic composition of source water, used to calculate leaf water enrichment (Δ18OLW), was variable with time and differed across water treatments. Second, water limitations changed leaf size and masked the relationship of Δ18OLW and Δ18OBL with E. Therefore, the data collected here suggest that δ13CBL but not Δ18OBL may be an effective proxy for TE in C4 grasses. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  17. Using cosmogenic isotopes to measure basin-scale rates of erosion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bierman, P.R.; Steig, E.

    1992-01-01

    The authors present a new and different approach to interpreting the abundance of in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides such as 36 Cl, 26 Al, and 10 Be. Unlike most existing models, which are appropriate for evaluating isotope concentrations on bedrock surfaces, this model can be used to interpret isotope concentration in fluvial sediment. Because sediment is a mixture of material derived from the entire drainage basin, measured isotope abundances can be used to estimate spatially-averaged rates of erosion and sediment transport. Their approach has the potential to provide geomorphologists with a relatively simple but powerful means by which to constrain rates of landscape evolution. The model considers the flux of cosmogenic isotopes into and out of various reservoirs. Implicit in model development are the assumptions that a geomorphic steady-state has been reached and that sampled sediment is spatially and temporally representative of all sediment leaving the basin. Each year, the impinging cosmic-ray flux produces a certain quantity of cosmogenic isotopes in the rock and soil of a drainage basin. For a basin in steady state, the outgoing isotope flux is also constant. They solve for the rate of mass loss as a function of isotope abundance in the sediment, the cosmic ray attenuation length, the isotope half life, and the effective isotope production rate. There are only a few published measurements of cosmogenic isotope abundance in sediment. They calculated model denudation rates for sediment samples from Zaire and central Texas. The denudation rates they calculated appear reasonable and are similar to those they have measured directly on granite landforms in Georgia and southeastern California and those calculated for the Appalachian Piedmont

  18. Interaction cross sections and matter radii of oxygen isotopes using the Glauber model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Suhel; Usmani, A. A.; Ahmad, Shakeb; Khan, Z. A.

    2017-05-01

    Using the Coulomb modified correlation expansion for the Glauber model S matrix, we calculate the interaction cross sections of oxygen isotopes (O-2616) on 12C at 1.0 GeV/nucleon. The densities of O-2616 are obtained using (i) the Slater determinants consisting of the harmonic oscillator single-particle wave functions (SDHO) and (ii) the relativistic mean-field approach (RMF). Retaining up to the two-body density term in the correlation expansion, the calculations are performed employing the free as well as the in-medium nucleon-nucleon (N N ) scattering amplitude. The in-medium N N amplitude considers the effects arising due to phase variation, higher momentum transfer components, and Pauli blocking. Our main focus in this work is to reveal how could one make the best use of SDHO densities with reference to the RMF one. The results demonstrate that the SDHO densities, along with the in-medium N N amplitude, are able to provide satisfactory explanation of the experimental data. It is found that, except for O,2423, the predicted SDHO matter rms radii of oxygen isotopes closely agree with those obtained using the RMF densities. However, for O,2423, our results require reasonably larger SDHO matter rms radii than the RMF values, thereby predicting thicker neutron skins in 23O and 24O as compared to RMF ones. In conclusion, the results of the present analysis establish the utility of SDHO densities in predicting fairly reliable estimates of the matter rms radii of neutron-rich nuclei.

  19. High-frequency climate linkages between the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean during marine oxygen isotope stage 100 (MIS100)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Becker, Julia; Lourens, L.J.; Raymo, M.E.

    2006-01-01

    High-resolution records of Mediterranean and North Atlantic deep-sea sediments indicate that rapid changes in hydrology and climate occurred during marine oxygen isotope stage 100 (MIS100) (at ~2.52 Ma), which exhibits characteristics similar to late Pleistocene Dansgaard-Oeschger, Bond cycles and

  20. Oxygen isotope geochemistry of Laurentide ice-sheet meltwater across Termination I

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vetter, Lael; Spero, Howard J.; Eggins, Stephen M.; Williams, Carlie; Flower, Benjamin P.

    2017-12-01

    We present a new method that quantifies the oxygen isotope geochemistry of Laurentide ice-sheet (LIS) meltwater across the last deglaciation, and reconstruct decadal-scale variations in the δ18O of LIS meltwater entering the Gulf of Mexico between ∼18 and 11 ka. We employ a technique that combines laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) and oxygen isotope analyses on individual shells of the planktic foraminifer Orbulina universa to quantify the instantaneous δ18Owater value of Mississippi River outflow, which was dominated by meltwater from the LIS. For each individual O. universa shell, we measure Mg/Ca (a proxy for temperature) and Ba/Ca (a proxy for salinity) with LA-ICP-MS, and then analyze the same O. universa for δ18O using the remaining material from the shell. From these proxies, we obtain δ18Owater and salinity estimates for each individual foraminifer. Regressions through data obtained from discrete core intervals yield δ18Ow vs. salinity relationships with a y-intercept that corresponds to the δ18Owater composition of the freshwater end-member. Our data suggest that from 15.5 through 14.6 ka, estimated δ18Ow values of Mississippi River discharge from discrete core intervals range from -11‰ to -21‰ VSMOW, which is consistent with δ18O values from both regional precipitation and the low-elevation, southern margin of the LIS. During the Bølling and Allerød (14.0 through 13.3 ka), estimated δ18Ow values of Mississippi River discharge from discrete core intervals range from -22‰ to -38‰ VSMOW. These values suggest a dynamic melting history of different parts of the LIS, with potential contributions to Mississippi River outflow from both the low-elevation, southern margin of the LIS and high-elevation, high-latitude domes in the LIS interior that were transported to the ablation zone. Prior to ∼15.5 ka, the δ18Owater value of the Mississippi River was similar to that of regional precipitation or low-latitude LIS meltwater, but the Ba

  1. Combined oxygen- and carbon-isotope records through the Early Jurassic: multiple global events and two modes of carbon-cycle/temperature coupling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hesselbo, Stephen P.; Korte, Christoph

    2010-01-01

    , to the extent that meaningful comparisons between these events can begin to be made. Here we present new carbon and oxygen isotope data from mollusks (bivalves and belemnites) and brachiopods collected through the marine Early Jurassic succession of NE England, including the Sinemurian-Plienbachian boundary...... GSSP. All materials have been screened by chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy to check for diagenetic alteration. Analysis of carbon isotopes from marine calcite is supplemented by analysis of carbon-isotope values from fossil wood collected through the same section. It is demonstrated...... that both long-term and short-term carbon-isotope shifts from the UK Early Jurassic represent global changes in carbon cycle balances. The Sinemurian-Pliensbachian boundary event is an event of global significance and shows several similarities to the Toarcian OAE (relative sea-level change, carbon-isotope...

  2. Monitoring in situ biodegradation of hydrocarbons by using stable carbon isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, P.K.; Hinchee, R.E.

    1991-01-01

    Spilled or leaked nonhalogenated petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil can generally be metabolized by indigenous, aerobic bacteria. In situ biological degradation of hydrocarbons may be accelerated by supplying inorganic nutrients and/or oxygen. Approaches to monitoring and verifying enhanced in situ biodegradation have included measurements of changes over time in the (a) concentration of hydrocarbons, (b) temperature, (c) number of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms, (d) ratio of fast-degrading hydrocarbons (e.g., pristanes or phytanes), and (e) metabolic intermediates. Measurements of oxygen consumption over time and elevated carbon dioxide concentrations in soil gas also have been used as indicators of hydrocarbon degradation. An alternative approach that may help substantiate biodegradation is to measure stable carbon isotope ratios in soil gas CO 2 . Stable carbon isotope ratio analysis is inexpensive and commercially available at many laboratories. Carbon dioxide produced by hydrocarbon degradation may be distinguished from that produced by other processes based on the carbon isotopic compositions characteristic of the source material and/or fractionation accompanying microbial metabolism. Here the authors demonstrate the applicability of the stable isotope technique for monitoring enhanced. aerobic biodegradation of hydrocarbons using data from three locations in the United States

  3. Temperature and Pressure Depences on the Isotopic Fractionation Effect in the Thermal Decomposition of Ozone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Su-Ju Kim

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available To understand the mass-independent isotopic fractionation effects, thermal decomposition of ozone was performed. Initial oxygen gas was converted to ozone completely. Then, the ozone was decomposed to oxygen at various temperatures(30~150C. Isotopic compositions of product oxygen and residual ozone were measured using a stable isotope mass spectrometer. The experimental results were compared with the studies which were peformed at the similar conditions. From the raw experimental data, the functions of the instantaneous fractionation factors were calculated by the least square fit. The results clearly showed the temperature dependence. They also showed the pressure dependence and the surface effect. This study may play an important role in the study of ozone decomposition mechanism. It can be applied to explain the mass-independent isotopic pattern found in stratospheric ozone and in meteorites.

  4. Oxygen 18 isotopic analysis of sub-glacial concentrations of the Laurentide Ice Sheet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hillaire-Marcel, C [Quebec Univ., Montreal (Canada); Cailleux, A [Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, 92 (France); Soucy, J

    1979-07-01

    Calcareous concretions occuring on Grenvillian gneiss have been discovered north of Hull, Quebec. Their structure and isotopic composition (delta/sub PDB//sup 18/O approximately equal to -26%; delta/sub PDB//sup 13/C approximately equal to 0%; /sup 14/C age > 35,000 BP) indicate subglacial conditions of precipitation. It is concluded that they were deposited at the base of the Laurentide ice sheet. Assuming equilibrium conditions with the subglacial film of water during precipitation of calcite, it is possible to define a -27.5 to -31.8% (vs. 'standard mean ocean water' (SMOW)) range for the oxygen-18 content of ice.

  5. The parent body controls on cosmic spherule texture: Evidence from the oxygen isotopic compositions of large micrometeorites

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Ginneken, M.; Gattacceca, J.; Rochette, P.; Sonzogni, C.; Alexandre, A.; Vidal, V.; Genge, M. J.

    2017-09-01

    High-precision oxygen isotopic compositions of eighteen large cosmic spherules (>500 μm diameter) from the Atacama Desert, Chile, were determined using IR-laser fluorination - Isotope Ratio Mass spectrometry. The four discrete isotopic groups defined in a previous study on cosmic spherules from the Transantarctic Mountains (Suavet et al., 2010) were identified, confirming their global distribution. Approximately 50% of the studied cosmic spherules are related to carbonaceous chondrites, 38% to ordinary chondrites and 12% to unknown parent bodies. Approximately 90% of barred olivine (BO) cosmic spherules show oxygen isotopic compositions suggesting they are related to carbonaceous chondrites. Similarly, ∼90% porphyritic olivine (Po) cosmic spherules are related to ordinary chondrites and none can be unambiguously related to carbonaceous chondrites. Other textures are related to all potential parent bodies. The data suggests that the textures of cosmic spherules are mainly controlled by the nature of the precursor rather than by the atmospheric entry parameters. We propose that the Po texture may essentially be formed from a coarse-grained precursor having an ordinary chondritic mineralogy and chemistry. Coarse-grained precursors related to carbonaceous chondrites (i.e. chondrules) are likely to either survive atmospheric entry heating or form V-type cosmic spherules. Due to the limited number of submicron nucleation sites after total melting, ordinary chondrite-related coarse-grained precursors that suffer higher peak temperatures will preferentially form cryptocrystalline (Cc) textures instead of BO textures. Conversely, the BO textures would be mostly related to the fine-grained matrices of carbonaceous chondrites due to the wide range of melting temperatures of their constituent mineral phases, allowing the preservation of submicron nucleation sites. Independently of the nature of the precursors, increasing peak temperatures form glassy textures.

  6. Sulphur isotope variations in the atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newman, L.; Krouse, H.R.; Grinenko, V.A.

    1991-01-01

    The measurement of the isotope ratios of sulphur and oxygen can in principal be used to assess sulphur inputs into, transformation within, and removal from the atmosphere. Major inputs arise from both anthropogenic and biogenic activities. Transformations arise from oxidation, neutralization, and other chemical reactions. Advection causes dilution and the main removal processes are dry deposition (governed by gravitation and diffusion) and rain. The admixture of sources can be discerned from their isotopic signatures whereas transformations and removal can be followed from the isotopic fractionation that might occur. In this chapter, the atmospheric sulphur cycle and the associated chemistry are summarized. Also presented is information on natural isotopic variations and fundamental concepts relating to the use of isotopic data to delineate anthropogenic S in the atmosphere. Examples of successful applications of these concepts are given. Finally, consideration is given to the potential of using isotopically enriched sulphur to study transport and transformation of atmospheric S compounds. Refs, figs and tabs

  7. Isotopic mixing in carbon monoxide catalyzed by zinc oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carnisio, G.; Garbassi, F.; Petrini, G.; Parravano, G.

    1978-01-01

    The rate of the isotopic mixing in CO has been studied at 300 0 C, for CO partial pressures from 6 to 100 Torr and a total pressure of 250 Torr on ZnO catalysts. Significant deviations from a first-order rate in p/sub co/ were found. The rate of oxygen exchange between ZnO and gas-phase CO was also measured and the results were employed to calculate the fraction of surface sites active for the CO isotopic mixing. Values on the order of 0.001 were found. The turnover rate and surface collision efficiency varied between 0.7 and 107 min -1 and 0.13 and 2.24 x 10 -8 , respectively. H 2 additions to CO increased the rate of isotopic mixing, whereas the rate of H 2 + D 2 was decreased by the presence of CO. The H 2 + D 2 rate was faster than that of isotopic mixing in CO, but as the ratio p/sub H 2 //p/sub co/ decreased the rates became about equal. It is argued that on ZnO samples, in which the rate of CO isotopic mixing and the rate of ZnO--CO oxygen exchange were influenced in a similar manner by the CO pressure, the isotopic mixing in CO took place via the ZnO oxygen, while oxide oxygen participation was not kinetically significant for ZnO samples in which the two reactions had different kinetics. The crucial factor controlling the path followed by the isotopic mixing in CO seems to be the surface Zn/O ratio, since a close correlation was found between the former and the reaction kinetics of the CO isotopic mixing reaction. Solid-state conditions which may vary the Zn/O surface ratio (foreign additions) are indicated. The implications of these findings to the problem of product selectivity from CO-H 2 mixtures reacting on metal oxide surfaces are discussed

  8. Raman spectral, elemental, crystallinity, and oxygen-isotope variations in conodont apatite during diagenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lei; Cao, Ling; Zhao, Laishi; Algeo, Thomas J.; Chen, Zhong-Qiang; Li, Zhihong; Lv, Zhengyi; Wang, Xiangdong

    2017-08-01

    Conodont apatite has long been used in paleoenvironmental studies, often with minimal evaluation of the influence of diagenesis on measured elemental and isotopic signals. In this study, we evaluate diagenetic influences on conodonts using an integrated set of analytical techniques. A total of 92 points in 19 coniform conodonts from Ordovician marine units of South China were analyzed by micro-laser Raman spectroscopy (M-LRS), laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), high-resolution X-ray microdiffraction (HXRD), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Each conodont element was analyzed along its full length, including the albid crown, hyaline crown, and basal body, in either a whole specimen (i.e., reflecting the composition of its outer layer) or a split specimen (i.e., reflecting the composition of its interior). In the conodonts of this study, the outer surfaces consist of hydroxyfluorapatite and the interiors of strontian hydroxyfluorapatite. Ionic substitutions resulted in characteristic Raman spectral shifts in the position (SS1) and width (SS2) of the ν1-PO43- stretching band. Although multiple elements were enriched (Sr2+, Mg2+) and depleted (Fe3+, Mn2+, Ca2+) during diagenesis, geochemical modeling constraints and known Raman spectral patterns suggest that Sr uptake was the dominant influence on diagenetic redshifts of SS1. All study specimens show lower SS2 values than modern bioapatite and synthetic apatite, suggesting that band width decreases with time in ancient bioapatite, possibly through an annealing process that produces larger, more uniform crystal domains. Most specimens consist mainly of amorphous or poorly crystalline apatite, which is inferred to represent the original microstructure of conodonts. In a subset of specimens, some tissues (especially albid crown) exhibit an increased degree of crystallinity developed through aggrading neomorphism. However, no systematic relationship was observed between

  9. Near Surface CO2 Triple Oxygen Isotope Composition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sasadhar Mahata

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The isotopic composition of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a powerful tool for constraining its sources and sinks. In particular, the 17O oxygen anomaly [Δ17O = 1000 × ln(1 + δ17O/1000 - 0.516 × 1000 × ln(1 + δ18O/1000], with a value > 0.5‰ produced in the middle atmosphere, provides an ideal tool for probing the exchange of carbon dioxide between the biosphere/hydrosphere and atmosphere. The biosphere/hydrosphere and anthropogenic emissions give values ≤ 0.3‰. Therefore, any anomaly in near surface CO2 would reflect the balance between stratospheric input and exchange with the aforementioned surface sources. We have analyzed Δ17O values of CO2 separated from air samples collected in Taipei, Taiwan, located in the western Pacific region. The obtained mean anomaly is 0.42 ± 0.14‰ (1-σ standard deviation, in good agreement with model prediction and a published decadal record. Apart from typically used δ13C and δ18O values, the Δ17O value could provide an additional tracer for constraining the carbon cycle.

  10. Plutonium isotopic measurements by gamma-ray spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunnink, R.

    1973-11-01

    A method is reported for analysis of isotopic and total plutonium by detecting and analyzing gamma rays emitted by the sample. A computerized prototype-system was developed and is now being routinely used at the Savannah River Plant for the nondestructive assay of solution samples. The analyses for 238 Pu, 239 Pu, 240 Pu, 241 Pu, and for 241 Am, when it is present, can be made in counting times as short as 10 to 15 minutes under optimum conditions. Comparison of isotopic ratio values with mass spectrometry generally shows agreement within 0.1 percent for 239 Pu and about 1 percent for 240 Pu and 241 Pu. Some preliminary isotopic measurements on solids are also discussed. (U.S.)

  11. Oxygen activity measurements in simulated converter matte

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Tshilombo, KG

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available to the composition of the gas atmosphere over the melt. The measured oxygen activity was generally close to that predicted by FactSage calculations. This indicates that such oxygen activity measurements could be useful to monitor iron removal during converting...

  12. SRS-sensor 13C/12C isotops measurements for detecting Helicobacter Pylori

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grishkanich, Aleksandr; Chubchenko, Yan; Elizarov, Valentin; Zhevlakov, Aleksandr; Konopelko, Leonid

    2018-02-01

    We developed SRS-sensor 13C/12C isotops measurements detecting Helicobacter Pylori for medical diagnostics of human health. Measuring of absolute 13C/12C isotope amount ratios allows to explore the topical problems of the modern world, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, medical diagnostics of human health. SRS method is used to measure the ratio of carbon isotopes in the exhaled carbon dioxide, which is used to diagnose the human infection of Helicobacter pylori and the influence of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium on the occurrence of gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers. A method for the analysis of human infection with Helicobacter pylori was developed on the basis of measurements of the ratio of 13C / 12C carbon isotopes in human exhaled air with a high level of measurement accuracy. The article reviews the work in the field of provision comparability of absolute 13C/12C isotope amount ratios in the environment and food. The analysis of the technical and metrological characteristics of traditional and perspective instruments for measuring isotope ratios is presented. The provision of comparability of absolute 13C/12C isotope amount ratios is carried by gravimetrically prepared reference standards. The key features and emerging issues are discussed.

  13. Carbon Isotope Measurements of Experimentally-Derived Hydrothermal Mineral-Catalyzed Organic Products by Pyrolysis-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Socki, Richard A.; Fu, Qi; Niles, Paul B.

    2011-01-01

    We report results of experiments to measure the C isotope composition of mineral catalyzed organic compounds derived from high temperature and high pressure synthesis. These experiments make use of an innovative pyrolysis technique designed to extract and measure C isotopes. To date, our experiments have focused on the pyrolysis and C isotope ratio measurements of low-molecular weight intermediary hydrocarbons (organic acids and alcohols) and serve as a proof of concept for making C and H isotope measurements on more complicated mixtures of solid-phase hydrocarbons and intermediary products produced during high temperature and high pressure synthesis on mineral-catalyzed surfaces. The impetus for this work stems from recently reported observations of methane detected within the Martian atmosphere [1-4], coupled with evidence showing extensive water-rock interaction during Martian history [5-7]. Methane production on Mars could be the result of synthesis by mineral surface-catalyzed reduction of CO2 and/or CO by Fischer-Tropsch Type (FTT) reactions during serpentization reactions [8,9]. Others have conducted experimental studies to show that FTT reactions are plausible mechanisms for low-molecular weight hydrocarbon formation in hydrothermal systems at mid-ocean ridges [10-12]. Further, recent experiments by Fu et al. [13] focus on examining detailed C isotope measurements of hydrocarbons produced by surface-catalyzed mineral reactions. Work described in this paper details the experimental techniques used to measure intermediary organic reaction products (alcohols and organic acids).

  14. Beyond the neutron drip line: The unbound oxygen isotopes 25O and 26O

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caesar, C.; Simonis, J.; Adachi, T.

    2013-01-01

    The very neutron-rich oxygen isotopes 25O and 26O are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The unbound states are populated in an experiment performed at the R3B-LAND setup at GSI via proton-knockout reactions from 26F and 27F at relativistic energies around 442 and 414 MeV/nucleon, res...

  15. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope constraints on hydrothermal alteration of the Trinity peridotite, Klamath Mountains, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liakhovitch, V.; Quick, J.E.; Gregory, R.T.

    2005-01-01

    The Trinity peridotite represents a rare opportunity to examine a relatively fertile plagioclase peridotite that was exhumed and later subjected to intrusive events in a seafloor environment, followed by its emplacement and incorporation into a continent. Over 250 stable isotopic determinations on whole rocks and minerals elucidate the hydrothermal evolution of the Trinity complex. All three serpentine polymorphs are present in the Trinity peridotite; these separate on the basis of their ??D values: antigorite, -46 serpentinization, or overprinting of earlier low-temperature seafloor serpentinization. Regionally, contours of ??D values exhibit bull's-eye patterns associated with the gabbroic plutons, with ??D maxima coinciding with the blackwall alteration at the margins on the plutons. In contrast to the hydrogen isotope behavior, oxygen isotope values of the three polymorphs are indistinguishable, spanning the range 5.3 history: (1) lithospheric emplacement and cooling of the peridotite in an oceanic environment ??? 472 Ma; (2) intrusion of gabbroic plutons into cold peridotite in an arc environment between 435 and 404 Ma; and finally (3) intrusion of felsic plutons between 171 and 127 Ma, long after the peridotite was incorporated into the continental crust. Copyright ?? 2005 by V. H. Winston & Son, Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. A Microdrop Generator for the Calibration of a Water Vapor Isotope Ratio Spectrometer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Iannone, Rosario Q.; Romanini, Daniele; Kassi, Samir; Meijer, Harro A. J.; Kerstel, Erik R. Th.

    A microdrop generator is described that produces water vapor with a known isotopic composition and volume mixing ratio for the calibration of a near-infrared diode laser water isotope ratio spectrometer. The spectrometer is designed to measure in situ the water vapor deuterium and oxygen ((17)O and

  17. Unravelling spatiotemporal tree-ring signals in Mediterranean oaks: a variance-covariance modelling approach of carbon and oxygen isotope ratios.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shestakova, Tatiana A; Aguilera, Mònica; Ferrio, Juan Pedro; Gutiérrez, Emilia; Voltas, Jordi

    2014-08-01

    Identifying how physiological responses are structured across environmental gradients is critical to understanding in what manner ecological factors determine tree performance. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of signal strength of carbon isotope discrimination (Δ(13)C) and oxygen isotope composition (δ(18)O) for three deciduous oaks (Quercus faginea (Lam.), Q. humilis Mill. and Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and one evergreen oak (Q. ilex L.) co-occurring in Mediterranean forests along an aridity gradient. We hypothesized that contrasting strategies in response to drought would lead to differential climate sensitivities between functional groups. Such differential sensitivities could result in a contrasting imprint on stable isotopes, depending on whether the spatial or temporal organization of tree-ring signals was analysed. To test these hypotheses, we proposed a mixed modelling framework to group isotopic records into potentially homogeneous subsets according to taxonomic or geographical criteria. To this end, carbon and oxygen isotopes were modelled through different variance-covariance structures for the variability among years (at the temporal level) or sites (at the spatial level). Signal-strength parameters were estimated from the outcome of selected models. We found striking differences between deciduous and evergreen oaks in the organization of their temporal and spatial signals. Therefore, the relationships with climate were examined independently for each functional group. While Q. ilex exhibited a large spatial dependence of isotopic signals on the temperature regime, deciduous oaks showed a greater dependence on precipitation, confirming their higher susceptibility to drought. Such contrasting responses to drought among oak types were also observed at the temporal level (interannual variability), with stronger associations with growing-season water availability in deciduous oaks. Thus, our results indicate that Mediterranean deciduous

  18. Chromium isotope fractionation during coprecipitation with calcium carbonate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rodler, Alexandra; Sánchez-Pastor, Nuria; Fernández-Díaz, Lurdes

    The chromium (Cr) isotopic composition of carbonates can potentially be used as a paleoclimate proxy to elucidate past fluctuations of oxygen contents in atmosphere and hydrosphere. The use of Cr isotopes to track paleoenvironmental changes, for example related to the rise of oxygen during the Ar...... et al., 2007, Water Air Soil Poll. 179, 381-390. [2] Sánchez-Pastor et al., 2011, Cryst. Growth Des. 11, 3081-3089.......The chromium (Cr) isotopic composition of carbonates can potentially be used as a paleoclimate proxy to elucidate past fluctuations of oxygen contents in atmosphere and hydrosphere. The use of Cr isotopes to track paleoenvironmental changes, for example related to the rise of oxygen during...... the Archaean and Protoerozoic, needs careful assessment of the signal robustness and necessitates a thorough understanding of the Cr cycle in Earth system processes. We conducted experiments testing the incorporation and isotopic fractionation of chromate into the calcite lattice. Our experiments indicate...

  19. An oxygen isotope study on hydrothermal sources of granite-type uranium deposits in South China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yongfei, Z.

    1987-01-01

    The usefulness of oxygen isotope measurements in solving problems of hydrothermal sources has been demonstrated in a number of detailed studies of the granite type uranium deposits in this paper. Remarkly the granite-type uranium deposits in Southr China have been shown to have formed from magmatic water, meteoric water, of mixtures of both the above, and origin of waters in the ore-forming fluid may be different for differing uranium deposits ore differing stages of the mineralization. Consequences obtained in this study for typical uranium deposits of different age and geologic sitting agree well with that obtained by other geologic-geochemical investigation. Furthermore, not only meteoric water is of importance to origin and evolution of the ore-forming fluid, but also mixing of waters from different sources is considered to be one of the most characteristic features of many hydrothermal uranium deposits related to granitoids or volcanics. (C.D.G.) [pt

  20. Method to make accurate concentration and isotopic measurements for small gas samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, M. R.; Wahl, E.; Cunningham, K. L.

    2013-12-01

    Carbon isotopic ratio measurements of CO2 and CH4 provide valuable insight into carbon cycle processes. However, many of these studies, like soil gas, soil flux, and water head space experiments, provide very small gas sample volumes, too small for direct measurement by current constant-flow Cavity Ring-Down (CRDS) isotopic analyzers. Previously, we addressed this issue by developing a sample introduction module which enabled the isotopic ratio measurement of 40ml samples or smaller. However, the system, called the Small Sample Isotope Module (SSIM), does dilute the sample during the delivery with inert carrier gas which causes a ~5% reduction in concentration. The isotopic ratio measurements are not affected by this small dilution, but researchers are naturally interested accurate concentration measurements. We present the accuracy and precision of a new method of using this delivery module which we call 'double injection.' Two portions of the 40ml of the sample (20ml each) are introduced to the analyzer, the first injection of which flushes out the diluting gas and the second injection is measured. The accuracy of this new method is demonstrated by comparing the concentration and isotopic ratio measurements for a gas sampled directly and that same gas measured through the SSIM. The data show that the CO2 concentration measurements were the same within instrument precision. The isotopic ratio precision (1σ) of repeated measurements was 0.16 permil for CO2 and 1.15 permil for CH4 at ambient concentrations. This new method provides a significant enhancement in the information provided by small samples.

  1. Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Special Session: Oxygen in the Solar System, I

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    The Special Session: Oxygen in the Solar System, I, included the following reports:Oxygen in the Solar System: Origins of Isotopic and Redox Complexity; The Origin of Oxygen Isotope Variations in the Early Solar System; Solar and Solar-Wind Oxygen Isotopes and the Genesis Mission; Solar 18O/17O and the Setting for Solar Birth; Oxygen Isotopes in Early Solar System Materials: A Perspective Based on Microbeam Analyses of Chondrules from CV Carbonaceous Chondrites; Insight into Primordial Solar System Oxygen Reservoirs from Returned Cometary Samples; Tracing Meteorites to Their Sources Through Asteroid Spectroscopy; Redox Conditions Among the Terrestrial Planets; Redox Complexity in Martian Meteorites: Implications for Oxygen in the Terrestrial Planets; Implications of Sulfur Isotopes for the Evolution of Atmospheric Oxygen; Oxygen in the Outer Solar System; and On the Oxidation States of the Galilean Satellites: Implications for Internal Structures.

  2. Multiple stable isotope fronts during non-isothermal fluid flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fekete, Szandra; Weis, Philipp; Scott, Samuel; Driesner, Thomas

    2018-02-01

    Stable isotope signatures of oxygen, hydrogen and other elements in minerals from hydrothermal veins and metasomatized host rocks are widely used to investigate fluid sources and paths. Previous theoretical studies mostly focused on analyzing stable isotope fronts developing during single-phase, isothermal fluid flow. In this study, numerical simulations were performed to assess how temperature changes, transport phenomena, kinetic vs. equilibrium isotope exchange, and isotopic source signals determine mineral oxygen isotopic compositions during fluid-rock interaction. The simulations focus on one-dimensional scenarios, with non-isothermal single- and two-phase fluid flow, and include the effects of quartz precipitation and dissolution. If isotope exchange between fluid and mineral is fast, a previously unrecognized, significant enrichment in heavy oxygen isotopes of fluids and minerals occurs at the thermal front. The maximum enrichment depends on the initial isotopic composition of fluid and mineral, the fluid-rock ratio and the maximum change in temperature, but is independent of the isotopic composition of the incoming fluid. This thermally induced isotope front propagates faster than the signal related to the initial isotopic composition of the incoming fluid, which forms a trailing front behind the zone of transient heavy oxygen isotope enrichment. Temperature-dependent kinetic rates of isotope exchange between fluid and rock strongly influence the degree of enrichment at the thermal front. In systems where initial isotope values of fluids and rocks are far from equilibrium and isotope fractionation is controlled by kinetics, the temperature increase accelerates the approach of the fluid to equilibrium conditions with the host rock. Consequently, the increase at the thermal front can be less dominant and can even generate fluid values below the initial isotopic composition of the input fluid. As kinetics limit the degree of isotope exchange, a third front may

  3. Utilization of stable isotopes for characterizing an underground gas generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirard, J.P.; Antenucci, D.; Renard, X.; Letolle, R.

    1994-01-01

    The principles of isotopic exchange and isotope ratio result interpretation are first reviewed; then, in the framework of an underground coal gasification project in Belgium, experiments and modelling of the underground gas generator have been carried out: isotopic abundances of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen have been measured in the gasifying agent (O 2 , H 2 O) and in the effluent (CO 2 , CO, H 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 , O 2 , heavy oils and various organic and mineral substances). Gasification kinetics and temperatures have been evaluated and isotope application to thermometry is discussed. 1 fig., 9 refs

  4. Genealogy of Iron and Pallasite Meteorites as Revealed by Cr Isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanborn, M.; Yin, Q. Z.; Ziegler, K. G.

    2017-12-01

    The parent bodies and/or chemical reservoirs from which iron and stony-iron meteorites originated are not very well understood. It is unclear if particular groups of iron or stony-iron meteorites originated from melting of already known chondritic parent bodies or are representating new chemical reservoirs. Potential connections between iron meteorites and pallasites and known parent bodies have been suggested based on oxygen isotopes. Proposed genetic relationships include the IVA irons with ordinary chondrites1 and the anomalous pallasite Eagle Station with the CV chondrites2. Here, we use the power of Cr isotopes to further resolve potential connections between IVA irons and pallasites and specific parent bodies. Our new measurements of Cr isotopic composition of silicate inclusions from two IVA irons, Steinbach and São João Nepomuceno, are shown to be indistinguishable from that of the ordinary chondrites. Coupling Cr with oxygen indicates the IVA irons likely originated from the same source as LL chondrites. In contrast with Eagle Station, the new Cr isotope measurements combined with oxygen indicates the MGP Brenham and Krasnojarsk sampled a source material similar to that of the anomalous HEDs. As with Eagle Station, the Milton pallasite exhibits a carbonaceous chondrite (CC) Cr isotope composition, indicating that Eagle Station was not the lone case of a pallasite originating from a CC reservoir. By establishing these genetic relationships using Cr isotopes, it is now evident that the differentiation activity sampled by IVA irons and pallasites represents processes occurring on a diverse set of parent bodies in the early Solar System. [1] Ruzicka and Hutson (2006) MAPS, 41, 1959. [2] Shukolyukov and Lugmair (2006) EPSL, 250, 200.

  5. Oxygen isotopes in tree rings are a good proxy for Amazon precipitation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brienen, Roel J. W.; Helle, Gerd; Pons, Thijs L.; Guyot, Jean-Loup; Gloor, Manuel

    2012-10-01

    We present a unique proxy for the reconstruction of variation in precipitation over the Amazon: oxygen isotope ratios in annual rings in tropical cedar (Cedrela odorata). A century-long record from northern Bolivia shows that tree rings preserve the signal of oxygen isotopes in precipitation during the wet season, with weaker influences of temperature and vapor pressure. Tree ring δ18O correlates strongly with δ18O in precipitation from distant stations in the center and west of the basin, and with Andean ice core δ18O showing that the signal is coherent over large areas. The signal correlates most strongly with basin-wide precipitation and Amazon river discharge. We attribute the strength of this (negative) correlation mainly to the cumulative rainout processes of oxygen isotopes (Rayleigh distillation) in air parcels during westward transport across the basin. We further find a clear signature of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the record, with strong ENSO influences over recent decades, but weaker influence from 1925 to 1975 indicating decadal scale variation in the controls on the hydrological cycle. The record exhibits a significant increase in δ18O over the 20th century consistent with increases in Andean δ18O ice core and lake records, which we tentatively attribute to increased water vapor transport into the basin. Taking these data together, our record reveals a fresh path to diagnose and improve our understanding of variation and trends of the hydrological cycle of the world's largest river catchment.

  6. Measuring hydrogen-isotope distribution profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poppe, C.H.

    1977-01-01

    A new nondestructive technique was developed for measuring the depth distribution of hydrogen isotopes absorbed or implanted near the surface of any material. The method allows real-time study of the inventory and diffusion of hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium. Briefly, the technique involves bombarding the surface with a monoenergetic beam of ions chosen for their ability to react with the hydrogen isotope in question and produce fast neutrons. The energy distribution of the neutrons is a sensitive indicator of the energy of the bombarding particles at the instant of reaction, and hence of the depth of the reaction sites below he surface of the material. A sensitivity of one part per million was obtained for tritium in copper. The technique is applicable to several energy-related materials problems. 5 figures

  7. Oxygen isotopic composition of relict olivine grains in cosmic spherules: Links to chondrules from carbonaceous chondrites

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Rudraswami, N.G.; ShyamPrasad, M.; Nagashima, K.; Jones, R.H.

    aluminium rich inclusions (CAIs), amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs), and some porphyritic chondrules from carbonaceous chondrites. These grains appear to have recorded the initial oxygen isotopic composition of the inner solar nebula. Three olivine... to the major components of meteorites such as chondrules and calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs). CAIs, the first solar system objects in the solar nebula, are formed by condensation of refractory minerals at high temperatures. They are 16O...

  8. Oxygen diffusion in monazite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherniak, D. J.; Zhang, X. Y.; Nakamura, M.; Watson, E. B.

    2004-09-01

    We report measurements of oxygen diffusion in natural monazites under both dry, 1-atm conditions and hydrothermal conditions. For dry experiments, 18O-enriched CePO4 powder and monazite crystals were sealed in Ag-Pd capsules with a solid buffer (to buffer at NNO) and annealed in 1-atm furnaces. Hydrothermal runs were conducted in cold-seal pressure vessels, where monazite grains were encapsulated with 18O-enriched water. Following the diffusion anneals, oxygen concentration profiles were measured with Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) using the reaction 18O(p,α)15N. Over the temperature range 850-1100 °C, the Arrhenius relation determined for dry diffusion experiments on monazite is given by: Under wet conditions at 100 MPa water pressure, over the temperature range 700-880 °C, oxygen diffusion can be described by the Arrhenius relationship: Oxygen diffusion under hydrothermal conditions has a significantly lower activation energy for diffusion than under dry conditions, as has been found the case for many other minerals, both silicate and nonsilicate. Given these differences in activation energies, the differences between dry and wet diffusion rates increase with lower temperatures; for example, at 600 °C, dry diffusion will be more than 4 orders of magnitude slower than diffusion under hydrothermal conditions. These disparate diffusivities will result in pronounced differences in the degree of retentivity of oxygen isotope signatures. For instance, under dry conditions (presumably rare in the crust) and high lower-crustal temperatures (∼800 °C), monazite cores of 70-μm radii will preserve O isotope ratios for about 500,000 years; by comparison, they would be retained at this temperature under wet conditions for about 15,000 years.

  9. Isotope techniques in a water survey

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1959-10-15

    The circulation of water is one of the most interesting of natural phenomena. Exact knowledge of fluctuations in precipitation and other factors in water circulation is extremely important for areas which have a very limited water supply. The information about the circulation of water is also important for the disposal of radioactive wastes on land and in the sea. Before satisfactory methods of disposal can be devised, it is essential to know precisely whether and to what extent the wastes can be transferred from one place to another as a result of the circulation of water. One of the most efficient ways of gathering such information is to study the isotopic ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in water in different areas. Tritium can serve a s a tracer in the study of water circulation. A variety of information can be obtained by measurements of isotopic composition of water, e.g. the average age of the water molecule in a lake or age, size, storage time and flow rate of a groundwater body. The modern tools of hydrological research cannot be employed by every country, because measurements of the isotopic composition of water require great technical skill and scientific knowledge. Besides, interpretation of isotope data in terms of hydrology and climatology requires the knowledge of certain basic data for the whole world or at least for large areas. A more complete knowledge of the worldwide variations in the isotopic composition of water would greatly facilitate the interpretation of local conditions. Guided by these considerations, the International Atomic Energy Agency has decided to initiate a study to determine the world-wide distribution of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in water. On the basis of this study, it will be possible to make available basic data for the use of any country that wishes to apply isotope techniques for hydrological and climatological research. Under this project, it is proposed to collect samples of rain, river and ocean water in different

  10. ENSO variability reflected in precipitation oxygen isotopes across the Asian Summer Monsoon region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Zhongyin; Tian, Lide; Bowen, Gabriel J.

    2017-10-01

    Oxygen isotope signals (δ18O) from paleo-archives are important proxies for past Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) climate reconstruction. However, causes of interannual variation in the δ18O values of modern precipitation across the ASM region remain in argument. We report interannual δ18O variation in southern Tibetan Plateau precipitation based on long-term observations at Lhasa. These data, together with precipitation δ18O records from five Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) stations and two ice core δ18O records, were used to define a regional metric of ASM precipitation δ18O (ASMOI). Back-trajectory analyses for rainy season precipitation events indicate that moisture sources vary little between years with relatively high and low δ18O values, a result that is consistent for the south (Lhasa), southeast (Bangkok), and east ASM regions (Hong Kong). In contrast, δ18O values at these three locations are significantly correlated with convection in the estimated source regions and along transport paths. These results suggest that upstream convection, rather than moisture source change, causes interannual variation in ASM precipitation δ18O values. Contrasting values of the ASMOI in El Niño and La Niña years reveal a positive isotope-El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) response (e.g., high values corresponding to warm phases), which we interpret as a response to changes in regional convection. We show that the isotope-ENSO response is amplified at high elevation sites and during La Niña years. These findings should improve interpretations of paleo-δ18O data as a proxy for past ASM variation and provide new opportunities to use data from this region to study paleo-ENSO activity.

  11. Elucidation of oxidation and degradation products of oxygen containing fuel components by combined use of a stable isotopic tracer and mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frauscher, Marcella; Besser, Charlotte; Allmaier, Günter; Dörr, Nicole

    2017-11-15

    In order to reveal the degradation products of oxygen-containing fuel components, in particular fatty acid methyl esters, a novel approach was developed to characterize the oxidation behaviour. Combination of artificial alteration under pressurized oxygen atmosphere, a stable isotopic tracer, and gas chromatography electron impact mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) was used to obtain detailed information on the formation of oxidation products of (9Z), (12Z)-octadecadienoic acid methyl ester (C18:2 ME). Thereby, biodiesel simulating model compound C18:2 ME was oxidized in a rotating pressurized vessel standardized for lubricant oxidation tests (RPVOT), i.e., artificially altered, under 16 O 2 as well as 18 O 2 atmosphere. Identification of the formed degradation products, mainly carboxylic acids of various chain lengths, alcohols, ketones, and esters, was performed by means of GC-EI-MS. Comparison of mass spectra of compounds under both atmospheres revealed not only the degree of oxidation and the origin of oxygen atoms, but also the sites of oxidative attack and bond cleavage. Hence, the developed and outlined strategy based on a gas-phase stable isotopic tracer and mass spectrometry provides insight into the degradation of oxygen-containing fuels and fuel components by means of the accurate differentiation of oxygen origin in a degradation product. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Oxygen isotope dynamics of atmospheric nitrate over the Antarctic plateau: First combined measurements of ozone and nitrate 17O-excess (Δ17O)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicars, William; Savarino, Joël; Erbland, Joseph; Preunkert, Susanne; Jourdain, Bruno; Frey, Markus; Gil, Jaime; Legrand, Michel

    2013-04-01

    Variations in the isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate (NO3-) provide novel indicators for important processes in boundary layer chemistry, often acting as source markers for reactive nitrogen (NOx = NO + NO2) and providing both qualitative and quantitative constraints on the pathways that determine its fate. Stable isotope ratios of nitrate (δ15N, δ17O, δ18O) offer direct insight into the nature and magnitude of the fluxes associated with different processes, thus providing unique information regarding phenomena that are often difficult to quantify from concentration measurements alone. The unique and distinctive 17O-excess (Δ17O = δ17O - 0.52 × δ18O ) of ozone (O3), which is transferred to NOx via oxidation reactions in the atmosphere, has been found to be a particularly useful isotopic fingerprint in studies of NOx transformations. Constraining the propagation of 17O-excess within the NOx cycle is critical in polar areas where there exists the possibility of extending atmospheric interpretations to the glacial/interglacial time scale using deep ice core records of nitrate. Here we present measurements of the comprehensive isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate collected at Dome C, Antarctica during December 2011 to January 2012. Sampling was conducted within the framework of the OPALE (Oxidant Production over Antarctic Land and its Export) project, thus providing an opportunity to combine our isotopic observations with a wealth of meteorological and chemical data, including in-situ concentration measurements of the gas-phase precursors involved in nitrate production (NOx, O3, OH, HO2, etc.). Furthermore, nitrate isotope analysis has been combined in this study for the first time with parallel observations of the transferrable Δ17O of surface ozone, which was measured concurrently at Dome C using our recently developed analytical approach. This unique dataset has allowed for a direct comparison of observed Δ17O(NO3-) values to those that are

  13. Ocean circulation and shelf processes in the Arctic, Mediterranean traced by radiogenic neodymium isotopes, rare earth elements and stable oxygen isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laukert, Georgi

    2017-02-20

    Disentangling the sources, distribution and mixing of water masses involved in the transport and transfer of heat and freshwater in the Arctic Mediterranean (i.e. the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas, AM) is critical for the understanding of present and future hydrological changes in the high-latitude regions. This study refines the knowledge of water mass circulation in the AM and provides new insights into the processes occurring on the Arctic shelves and in high-latitude estuaries. A multi-proxy approach is used combining dissolved radiogenic Nd isotopes (ε{sub Nd}), rare earth elements (REEs) and stable oxygen isotopes (δ{sup 18}O) together with standard hydrographic tracers. The sources, distribution and mixing of water masses that circulate in the AM and pass the Fram Strait are assessed through evaluation of dissolved ε{sub Nd} and REE, and δ{sup 18}O data obtained from samples recovered in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and through a compilation and reassessment of literature Nd isotope and concentration data previously reported for other sites within the AM. The Nd isotope and REE distribution in the central Fram Strait and the open AM is shown to primarily reflect the lateral advection of water masses and their mixing, whereas seawater-particle interactions exert important control only above the shelf regions. New insights into the processes occurring in high latitude estuaries are provided by dissolved Nd isotope and REE compositions together with δ{sup 18}O data for the Laptev Sea based on filtered samples recovered in 2012, 2013 and 2014. A combination of REE removal through coagulation of nanoparticles and colloids and REE redistribution within the water column through formation and melting of sea ice and river ice is suggested to account for the distribution of all REEs, while no REE release from particles is observed. The ice-related processes contribute to the redistribution of other elements and ultimately may also affect primary productivity in high

  14. Preliminary oxygen-18 and deuterium study of the dynamics of Lake Titicaca

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontes, J.C.; Boulange, B.; Carmouze, J.P.; Florkowski, T.

    1979-01-01

    An oxygen-18 study of Lake Titicaca indicates good mixing from the surface down to 250 m. An attempt was made to assess the isotope mass balance which suggests that up to 7% of inflow is lost by leakage and surface outflow. Further measurements are needed for final checking of the isotope balance model. (author)

  15. Stable platinum isotope measurements in presolar nanodiamonds by TEAMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallner, A.; Melber, K.; Merchel, S.; Ott, U.; Forstner, O.; Golser, R.; Kutschera, W.; Priller, A.; Steier, P.

    2013-01-01

    Nanodiamonds are stardust grains commonly found in primitive meteorites. They survived the formation of the solar system and kept their own individuality. Measurements of trace-element isotopic signatures in these grains will help understanding heavy element nucleosynthesis in massive stars and dust formation from their ejecta. We have continued previous attempts to search for stable Pt isotope anomalies in nanodiamonds via trace element accelerator mass spectrometry (TEAMS). The installation of a new injector beam line at the VERA facility allowed studying low traces of stable elements in different materials. Moreover, recent experiments showed that VERA provides the required measurement precision together with a low Pt machine background. Here, we observed for the first time an indication for enhancements of 198 Pt/ 195 Pt isotope ratios in two diamond residues prepared by different chemical separation techniques from the Allende meteorite. Variations in other isotopic ratios were within analytical uncertainty, and no anomaly was identified in a third diamond fraction.

  16. Stable platinum isotope measurements in presolar nanodiamonds by TEAMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wallner, A., E-mail: anton.wallner@univie.ac.at [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, VERA Laboratory, Waehringer Strasse 17, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Department of Nuclear Physics, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights (Australia); Melber, K. [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, VERA Laboratory, Waehringer Strasse 17, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Merchel, S. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Ott, U. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Chemie, Joh.-J.-Becherweg 27, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Forstner, O.; Golser, R.; Kutschera, W.; Priller, A.; Steier, P. [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, VERA Laboratory, Waehringer Strasse 17, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

    2013-01-15

    Nanodiamonds are stardust grains commonly found in primitive meteorites. They survived the formation of the solar system and kept their own individuality. Measurements of trace-element isotopic signatures in these grains will help understanding heavy element nucleosynthesis in massive stars and dust formation from their ejecta. We have continued previous attempts to search for stable Pt isotope anomalies in nanodiamonds via trace element accelerator mass spectrometry (TEAMS). The installation of a new injector beam line at the VERA facility allowed studying low traces of stable elements in different materials. Moreover, recent experiments showed that VERA provides the required measurement precision together with a low Pt machine background. Here, we observed for the first time an indication for enhancements of {sup 198}Pt/{sup 195}Pt isotope ratios in two diamond residues prepared by different chemical separation techniques from the Allende meteorite. Variations in other isotopic ratios were within analytical uncertainty, and no anomaly was identified in a third diamond fraction.

  17. Development, optimisation, and application of ICP-SFMS methods for the measurement of isotope ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stuerup, S.

    2000-07-01

    The measurement of isotopic composition and isotope ratios in biological and environmental samples requires sensitive, precise, and accurate analytical techniques. The analytical techniques used are traditionally based on mass spectrometry, among these techniques is the ICP-SFMS technique, which became commercially available in the mid 1990s. This technique is characterised by high sensitivity, low background, and the ability to separate analyte signals from spectral interferences. These features are beneficial for the measurement of isotope ratios and enable the measurement of isotope ratios of elements, which it has not previously been possible to measure due to either spectral interferences or poor sensitivity. The overall purpose of the project was to investigate the potential of the single detector ICP-SFMS technique for the measurement of isotope ratios in biological and environmental samples. One part of the work has focused on the fundamental aspects of the ICP-SFMS technique with special emphasize on the features important to the measurement of isotope ratios, while another part has focused on the development, optimisation and application of specific methods for the measurement of isotope ratios of elements of nutritional interest and radionuclides. The fundamental aspects of the ICP-SFMS technique were investigated theoretically and experimentally by the measurement of isotope ratios applying different experimental conditions. It was demonstrated that isotope ratios could be measured reliably using ICP-SFMS by educated choice of acquisition parameters, scanning mode, mass discrimination correction, and by eliminating the influence of detector dead time. Applying the knowledge gained through the fundamental study, ICP-SFMS methods for the measurement of isotope ratios of calcium, zinc, molybdenum and iron in human samples and a method for the measurement of plutonium isotope ratios and ultratrace levels of plutonium and neptunium in environmental samples

  18. Measurement of environmental tritium for isotope hydrology studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1973-01-01

    The Section of Isotope Hydrology of the IAEA Division of Research and Laboratories gains valuable hydrological information from studies of the concentration of environmental tritium in precipitation, surface and groundwater samples from various sites around the world. This photo story shows the steps in the measurement of these very low levels of tritium in water as performed in the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory of the Agency. (author)

  19. Isotope Investigations of Groundwater Movement in a Coarse Gravel Unsaturated Zone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mali, N. [Geological Survey of Slovenia, Department of Hydrogeology, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Kozar-Logar, J. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Leis, A. [Institute of Water Resources Management, Hydrogeology and Geophysics, Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz (Austria)

    2013-07-15

    The unsaturated zone above an aquifer serves as a water reservoir which discharges water and possible pollution to the saturated zone. This paper presents the application of oxygen-18 and tritium isotope methods in the study of groundwater transport processes in the unsaturated zone of Selniska Dobrava coarse gravel aquifer. The Selniska Dobrava gravel aquifer is an important water resource for Maribor and its surroundings, therefore the determination of transport processes in the unsaturated zone is important regarding its protection. Groundwater flow characteristics were estimated using isotopes and based on experimental work in a lysimeter. Tritium investigation results were compared with the results of long term oxygen-18 isotope investigation. In this paper the analytical approach, results and interpretation of {delta}{sup 18}O and tritium measurements in the unsaturated zone are presented. (author)

  20. Optoacoustic measurements of human placenta and umbilical blood oxygenation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanovskaya, T. N.; Petrov, I. Y.; Petrov, Y.; Patrikeeva, S. L.; Ahmed, M. S.; Hankins, G. D. V.; Prough, D. S.; Esenaliev, R. O.

    2016-03-01

    Adequate oxygenation is essential for normal embryogenesis and fetal growth. Perturbations in the intrauterine oxidative environment during pregnancy are associated with several pathophysiological disorders such as pregnancy loss, preeclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction. We proposed to use optoacoustic technology for monitoring placental and fetal umbilical blood oxygenation. In this work, we studied optoacoustic monitoring of oxygenation in placenta and umbilical cord blood ex vivo using technique of placenta perfusion. We used a medical grade, nearinfrared, tunable, optoacoustic system developed and built for oxygenation monitoring in blood vessels and in tissues. First, we calibrated the system for cord blood oxygenation measurements by using a CO-Oximeter (gold standard). Then we performed validation in cord blood circulating through the catheters localized on the fetal side of an isolated placental lobule. Finally, the oxygenation measurements were performed in the perfused placental tissue. To increase or decrease blood oxygenation, we used infusion of a gas mixture of 95% O2 + 5% CO2 and 95% N2 + 5% CO2, respectively. In placental tissue, up to four cycles of changes in oxygenation were performed. The optoacoustically measured oxygenation in circulating cord blood and in placental lobule closely correlated with the actual oxygenation data measured by CO-Oximeter. We plan to further test the placental and cord blood oxygenation monitoring with optoacoustics in animal and clinical studies.

  1. Seasonal Cyclicity in Trace Elements and Stable Isotopes of Modern Horse Enamel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Winter, Niels J; Snoeck, Christophe; Claeys, Philippe

    2016-01-01

    The study of stable isotopes in fossil bioapatite has yielded useful results and has shown that bioapatites are able to faithfully record paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic parameters from archeological to geological timescales. In an effort to establish new proxies for the study of bioapatites, intra-tooth records of enamel carbonate stable isotope ratios from a modern horse are compared with trace element profiles measured using laboratory micro X-Ray Fluorescence scanning. Using known patterns of tooth eruption and the relationship between stable oxygen isotopes and local temperature seasonality, an age model is constructed that links records from six cheek upper right teeth from the second premolar to the third molar. When plotted on this age model, the trace element ratios from horse tooth enamel show a seasonal pattern with a small shift in phase compared to stable oxygen isotope ratios. While stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in tooth enamel are forced respectively by the state of the hydrological cycle and the animal's diet, we argue that the seasonal signal in trace elements reflects seasonal changes in dust intake and diet of the animal. The latter explanation is in agreement with seasonal changes observed in carbon isotopes of the same teeth. This external forcing of trace element composition in mammal tooth enamel implies that trace element ratios may be used as proxies for seasonal changes in paleo-environment and paleo-diet.

  2. The stable isotopes in the hydrology studies at Raureni-Valcea area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costinel, D.; Vremera, R.; Faurescu, I.; Grecu, V. V.; Cuna, S.

    2009-01-01

    At present the hydrology and the climate studies are will continue to be joined to human activities. Observing differences of the stable isotopic concentration ratios informs us about certain geochemical or hydrological processes that took place. The isotopic composition of oxygen and hydrogen in rainwater varies with latitude, altitude, climate and time of the year. This methodology is an important tool in studying groundwater movement or freshwater origin. This study demonstrated the utility of the Continuous Flow - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry method for measuring natural variation of the occurring isotopes of hydrogen ( 2 H) and oxygen ( 18 O) in meteoric waters. We continue until now (September 2009) the last work in which we measured the variation of δ 18 O and δ 2 D values from precipitation fallen in Raureni-Valcea area between May-December 2007 and September 2008-March, together with the δ 18 O and δ 2 D values from the Bistrita river. For this area the local Meteoric Water Line was reported and the variation of δ 18 O and δ 2 D values was correlated with the temperature and humidity in the same period. (authors)

  3. Isotope composition and volume of Earth's early oceans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pope, Emily C; Bird, Dennis K; Rosing, Minik T

    2012-03-20

    Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of Earth's seawater are controlled by volatile fluxes among mantle, lithospheric (oceanic and continental crust), and atmospheric reservoirs. Throughout geologic time the oxygen mass budget was likely conserved within these Earth system reservoirs, but hydrogen's was not, as it can escape to space. Isotopic properties of serpentine from the approximately 3.8 Ga Isua Supracrustal Belt in West Greenland are used to characterize hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of ancient seawater. Archaean oceans were depleted in deuterium [expressed as δD relative to Vienna standard mean ocean water (VSMOW)] by at most 25 ± 5‰, but oxygen isotope ratios were comparable to modern oceans. Mass balance of the global hydrogen budget constrains the contribution of continental growth and planetary hydrogen loss to the secular evolution of hydrogen isotope ratios in Earth's oceans. Our calculations predict that the oceans of early Earth were up to 26% more voluminous, and atmospheric CH(4) and CO(2) concentrations determined from limits on hydrogen escape to space are consistent with clement conditions on Archaean Earth.

  4. The isotope altitude effect reflected in groundwater: a case study from Slovenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mezga, Kim; Urbanc, Janko; Cerar, Sonja

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the stable isotope data of oxygen (δ(18)O) and hydrogen (δ(2)H) in groundwater from 83 sampling locations in Slovenia and their interpretation. The isotopic composition of water was monitored over 3 years (2009-2011), and each location was sampled twice. New findings on the isotopic composition of sampled groundwater are presented, and the data are also compared to past studies regarding the isotopic composition of precipitation, surface water, and groundwater in Slovenia. This study comprises: (1) the general characteristics of the isotopic composition of oxygen and hydrogen in groundwater in Slovenia, (2) the spatial distribution of oxygen isotope composition (δ(18)O) and d-excess in groundwater, (3) the groundwater isotope altitude effect, (4) the correlation between groundwater d-excess and the recharge area altitude of the sampling location, (5) the relation between hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in groundwater in comparison to the global precipitation isotope data, (6) the groundwater isotope effect of distance from the sea, and (7) the estimated relation between the mean temperature of recharge area and δ(18)O in groundwater.

  5. Holocene climate variability revealed by oxygen isotope analysis of Sphagnum cellulose from Walton Moss, northern England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daley, T. J.; Barber, K. E.; Street-Perrott, F. A.; Loader, N. J.; Marshall, J. D.; Crowley, S. F.; Fisher, E. H.

    2010-07-01

    Stable isotope analyses of Sphagnum alpha-cellulose, precipitation and bog water from three sites across northwestern Europe (Raheenmore, Ireland, Walton Moss, northern England and Dosenmoor, northern Germany) over a total period of 26 months were used to investigate the nature of the climatic signal recorded by Sphagnum moss. The δ18O values of modern alpha-cellulose tracked precipitation more closely than bog water, with a mean isotopic fractionation factor αcellulose-precipitation of 1.0274 ± 0.001 (1 σ) (≈27‰). Sub-samples of isolated Sphagnum alpha-cellulose were subsequently analysed from core WLM22, Walton Moss, northern England yielding a Sphagnum-specific isotope record spanning the last 4300 years. The palaeo-record, calibrated using the modern data, provides evidence for large amplitude variations in the estimated oxygen isotope composition of precipitation during the mid- to late Holocene. Estimates of palaeotemperature change derived from statistical relationships between modern surface air temperatures and δ18O precipitation values for the British Isles give unrealistically large variation in comparison to proxies from other archives. We conclude that use of such relationships to calibrate mid-latitude palaeo-data must be undertaken with caution. The δ18O record from Sphagnum cellulose was highly correlated with a palaeoecologically-derived index of bog surface wetness (BSW), suggesting a common climatic driver.

  6. Stable isotope geochemistry of the Tongonan geothermal system, Leyte, Philippines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hulston, J.R.; Stewart, M.K.

    1982-01-01

    Stable isotope and geochemical data on samples from natural features, shallow wells and deep wells collected over a number of years from the Tongonan area of Leyte have been evaluated. The variations in the isotopic compositions of the thermal waters are used to describe natural processes occurring within the system. The effect of the ''excess enthalpy'' of the deep wells on the isotope data is formulated. Water from the deep Tongonan wells shows an oxygen-18 shift of 5 per mille, which is larger than at Wairakei and Broadlands, probably in part because of the high temperatures at Tongonan. Recent measurements indicate that the deuterium shift is very much smaller than previously thought. Isotopic measurements of methane in the gases suggests differing flows from the Eastern and Central Philippine faults

  7. Fractionation behavior of chromium isotopes during coprecipitation with calcium carbonate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rodler, Alexandra; Sánchez-Pastor, Nuria; Fernández-Díaz, Lurdes

    2015-01-01

    Interest in chromium (Cr) isotope incorporation into carbonates arises from the observation that Cr isotopic composition of carbonates could be used as a paleoclimate proxy to elucidate past fluctuations of oxygen contents in atmosphere and hydrosphere. The use of Cr isotopes to track paleoenviro......Interest in chromium (Cr) isotope incorporation into carbonates arises from the observation that Cr isotopic composition of carbonates could be used as a paleoclimate proxy to elucidate past fluctuations of oxygen contents in atmosphere and hydrosphere. The use of Cr isotopes to track...

  8. Continuous measurements of isotopic composition of water vapour on the East Antarctic Plateau

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Casado

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Water stable isotopes in central Antarctic ice cores are critical to quantify past temperature changes. Accurate temperature reconstructions require one to understand the processes controlling surface snow isotopic composition. Isotopic fractionation processes occurring in the atmosphere and controlling snowfall isotopic composition are well understood theoretically and implemented in atmospheric models. However, post-deposition processes are poorly documented and understood. To quantitatively interpret the isotopic composition of water archived in ice cores, it is thus essential to study the continuum between surface water vapour, precipitation, surface snow and buried snow. Here, we target the isotopic composition of water vapour at Concordia Station, where the oldest EPICA Dome C ice cores have been retrieved. While snowfall and surface snow sampling is routinely performed, accurate measurements of surface water vapour are challenging in such cold and dry conditions. New developments in infrared spectroscopy enable now the measurement of isotopic composition in water vapour traces. Two infrared spectrometers have been deployed at Concordia, allowing continuous, in situ measurements for 1 month in December 2014–January 2015. Comparison of the results from infrared spectroscopy with laboratory measurements of discrete samples trapped using cryogenic sampling validates the relevance of the method to measure isotopic composition in dry conditions. We observe very large diurnal cycles in isotopic composition well correlated with temperature diurnal cycles. Identification of different behaviours of isotopic composition in the water vapour associated with turbulent or stratified regime indicates a strong impact of meteorological processes in local vapour/snow interaction. Even if the vapour isotopic composition seems to be, at least part of the time, at equilibrium with the local snow, the slope of δD against δ18O prevents us from identifying

  9. Tales of volcanoes and El-Nino southern oscillations with the oxygen isotope anomaly of sulfate aerosol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaheen, Robina; Abauanza, Mariana; Jackson, Teresa L; McCabe, Justin; Savarino, Joel; Thiemens, Mark H

    2013-10-29

    The ability of sulfate aerosols to reflect solar radiation and simultaneously act as cloud condensation nuclei renders them central players in the global climate system. The oxidation of S(IV) compounds and their transport as stable S(VI) in the Earth's system are intricately linked to planetary scale processes, and precise characterization of the overall process requires a detailed understanding of the linkage between climate dynamics and the chemistry leading to the product sulfate. This paper reports a high-resolution, 22-y (1980-2002) record of the oxygen-triple isotopic composition of sulfate (SO4) aerosols retrieved from a snow pit at the South Pole. Observed variation in the O-isotopic anomaly of SO4 aerosol is linked to the ozone variation in the tropical upper troposphere/lower stratosphere via the Ozone El-Niño Southern Oscillations (ENSO) Index (OEI). Higher (17)O values (3.3‰, 4.5‰, and 4.2‰) were observed during the three largest ENSO events of the past 2 decades. Volcanic events inject significant quantities of SO4 aerosol into the stratosphere, which are known to affect ENSO strength by modulating stratospheric ozone levels (OEI = 6 and (17)O = 3.3‰, OEI = 11 and (17)O = 4.5‰) and normal oxidative pathways. Our high-resolution data indicated that (17)O of sulfate aerosols can record extreme phases of naturally occurring climate cycles, such as ENSOs, which couple variations in the ozone levels in the atmosphere and the hydrosphere via temperature driven changes in relative humidity levels. A longer term, higher resolution oxygen-triple isotope analysis of sulfate aerosols from ice cores, encompassing more ENSO periods, is required to reconstruct paleo-ENSO events and paleotropical ozone variations.

  10. Strontium geochemistry and carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of Lower Proterozoic dolomite and calcite marbles from the Marmorilik Formation, West Greenland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garde, A.A.

    1979-01-01

    The Marmorilik Formation, Rinkian mobile belt, West Greenland, is a large, Lower Proterozoic carbonate-rock sequence, deformed and metamorphosed under greenschist to amphibolite facies conditions. The pre-deformation thickness of the sequence is at least 2000 m, with about 1400 m of dolomite marble and 350 m of calcite marble. Strontium contents of forty-two dolomite and calcite marbles range from 30 to 100 ppm and 300 to 800 ppm, respectively, whereas samples with calcite of secondary origin have strontium contents between 80 ppm and 200 ppm. Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios were determined for forty calcite and dolomite marbles as -0.2+-1.0 per 1000 delta 13 C and -9.9+-1.5 per 1000 delta 18 O (vs. PDB) and are compatible with the isotopic compositions of unmetamorphosed carbonates of similar age. Calcite from eight calciumsilicate rocks, breccias and calcite veins is significantly more negative in delta 13 C and delta 18 O. Five 13 C analyses of graphite in marble range from -9.6 to -14 per 1000. Possible post-depositional changes in the strontium content and carbon and oxygen isotope compositions are discussed. It is concluded that (a) the calcite marbles are not dedolomites and are therefore of primary origin, (b) the delta 13 C and delta 18 O values of the marbles are primary or diagenetic (i.e., pre-metamorphic), and (c) the isotopic composition of the graphite is compatible with, though not necessarily evidence for, a biogenic origin. (Auth.)

  11. Isotopes in heterogeneous catalysis

    CERN Document Server

    Hargreaves, Justin SJ

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this book is to review the current, state-of-the-art application of isotopic methods to the field of heterogeneous catalysis. Isotopic studies are arguably the ultimate technique in in situ methods for heterogeneous catalysis. In this review volume, chapters have been contributed by experts in the field and the coverage includes both the application of specific isotopes - Deuterium, Tritium, Carbon-14, Sulfur-35 and Oxygen-18 - as well as isotopic techniques - determination of surface mobility, steady state transient isotope kinetic analysis, and positron emission profiling.

  12. Oxygen isotope study of the Long Valley magma system, California: isotope thermometry and convection in large silicic magma bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bindeman, Ilya; Valley, John

    2002-07-01

    Products of voluminous pyroclastic eruptions with eruptive draw-down of several kilometers provide a snap-shot view of batholith-scale magma chambers, and quench pre-eruptive isotopic fractionations (i.e., temperatures) between minerals. We report analyses of oxygen isotope ratio in individual quartz phenocrysts and concentrates of magnetite, pyroxene, and zircon from individual pumice clasts of ignimbrite and fall units of caldera-forming 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff (BT), pre-caldera Glass Mountain (2.1-0.78 Ma), and post-caldera rhyolites (0.65-0.04 Ma) to characterize the long-lived, batholith-scale magma chamber beneath Long Valley Caldera in California. Values of δ18O show a subtle 1‰ decrease from the oldest Glass Mountain lavas to the youngest post-caldera rhyolites. Older Glass Mountain lavas exhibit larger ( 1‰) variability of δ18O(quartz). The youngest domes of Glass Mountain are similar to BT in δ18O(quartz) values and reflect convective homogenization during formation of BT magma chamber surrounded by extremely heterogeneous country rocks (ranging from 2 to +29‰). Oxygen isotope thermometry of BT confirms a temperature gradient between "Late" (815 °C) and "Early" (715 °C) BT. The δ18O(quartz) values of "Early" and "Late" BT are +8.33 and 8.21‰, consistent with a constant δ18O(melt)=7.8+/-0.1‰ and 100 °C temperature difference. Zircon-melt saturation equilibria gives a similar temperature range. Values of δ18O(quartz) for different stratigraphic units of BT, and in pumice clasts ranging in pre-eruptive depths from 6 to 11 km (based on melt inclusions), and document vertical and lateral homogeneity of δ18O(melt). Worldwide, five other large-volume rhyolites, Lava Creek, Lower Bandelier, Fish Canyon, Cerro Galan, and Toba, exhibit equal δ18O(melt) values of earlier and later erupted portions in each of the these climactic caldera-forming eruptions. We interpret the large-scale δ18O homogeneity of BT and other large magma chambers as evidence

  13. Reproducibility of isotope ratio measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elmore, D.

    1981-01-01

    The use of an accelerator as part of a mass spectrometer has improved the sensitivity for measuring low levels of long-lived radionuclides by several orders of magnitude. However, the complexity of a large tandem accelerator and beam transport system has made it difficult to match the precision of low energy mass spectrometry. Although uncertainties for accelerator measured isotope ratios as low as 1% have been obtained under favorable conditions, most errors quoted in the literature for natural samples are in the 5 to 20% range. These errors are dominated by statistics and generally the reproducibility is unknown since the samples are only measured once

  14. Isotopic determinations of carbon and oxygen in the metasedimentary rocks of the Rio Pardo group-Bahia State, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa Pinto, N.M.A.C.

    1977-01-01

    Determination of the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions were made on approximately 100 samples of Late Precambrian metasedimentary rocks of the Rio Pardo Group from Southern Bahia. The results obtained show that carbon varies from δ 13 =C=5,73 per mille to δ 13 C=+9,00 per mille, and oxygen from δ 18 O=-1,87 per mille to δ 18 O=-19,67 per mille relative to PBD. The interpretations lead to some conclusions which confirm the validity the isotopic technique as auxiliary instrument in the study of geological problems. These include: 1) the evidence of a marine transgression during the Camaca sedimentation; 2) the probability that the dolomitic metalimestones of the Agua Preta formation belong to the Serra do Paraiso formation; 3) the assignment of the dolomitic metalismestones, which occur in Itiroro and which had been previously grouped with the crystalline basement rocks, to the Serra do Paraiso formation; 4) the removal of the marble from Serra do Paraiso formation and re-signment to the basement rocks, and finally; 5) the sedimentary evolution of the Rio Pardo Group from a typical fresh-water to a marine environment. (Author) [pt

  15. Controls on the stable isotope compositions of travertine from hyperalkaline springs in Oman: Insights from clumped isotope measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falk, E. S.; Guo, W.; Paukert, A. N.; Matter, J. M.; Mervine, E. M.; Kelemen, P. B.

    2016-11-01

    Carbonate formation at hyperalkaline springs is typical of serpentinization in peridotite massifs worldwide. These travertines have long been known to exhibit large variations in their carbon and oxygen isotope compositions, extending from apparent equilibrium values to highly depleted values. However, the exact causes of these variations are not well constrained. We analyzed a suite of well-characterized fresh carbonate precipitates and travertines associated with hyperalkaline springs in the peridotite section of the Samail ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman, and found their clumped isotope compositions vary systematically with formation environments. Based on these findings, we identified four main processes controlling the stable isotope compositions of these carbonates. These include hydroxylation of CO2, partial isotope equilibration of dissolved inorganic carbon, mixing between isotopically distinct carbonate end-members, and post-depositional recrystallization. Most notably, in fresh crystalline films on the surface of hyperalkaline springs and in some fresh carbonate precipitates from the bottom of hyperalkaline pools, we observed large enrichments in Δ47 (up to ∼0.2‰ above expected equilibrium values) which accompany depletions in δ18O and δ13C, yielding about 0.01‰ increase in Δ47 and 1.1‰ decrease in δ13C for every 1‰ decrease in δ18O, relative to expected equilibrium values. This disequilibrium trend, also reflected in preserved travertines ranging in age from modern to ∼40,000 years old, is interpreted to arise mainly from the isotope effects associated with the hydroxylation of CO2 in high-pH fluids and agrees with our first-order theoretical estimation. In addition, in some fresh carbonate precipitates from the bottom of hyperalkaline pools and in subsamples of one preserved travertine terrace, we observed additional enrichments in Δ47 at intermediate δ13C and δ18O, consistent with mixing between isotopically distinct carbonate end

  16. High-resolution conodont oxygen isotope record of Ordovician climate change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J.; Chen, Z.; Algeo, T. J.

    2013-12-01

    The Ordovician Period was characterized by several major events, including a prolonged 'super greenhouse' during the Early Ordovician, the 'Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE)' of the Middle and early Late Ordovician, and the Hirnantian ice age and mass extinction of the latest Ordovician (Webby et al., 2004, The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, Columbia University Press). The cause of the rapid diversification of marine invertebrates during the GOBE is not clear, however, and several scenarios have been proposed including widespread development of shallow cratonic seas, strong magmatic and tectonic activity, and climate moderation. In order to investigate relationships between climate change and marine ecosystem evolution during the Ordovician, we measured the oxygen isotopic composition of single coniform conodonts using a Cameca secondary ion mass spectrometer. Our δ18O profile shows a shift at the Early/Middle Ordovician transition that is indicative of a rapid 6 to 8 °C cooling. This cooling event marks the termination of the Early Ordovician 'super greenhouse' and may have established cooler tropical seawater temperatures that were more favorable for invertebrate animals, setting the stage for the GOBE. Additional cooling episodes occurred during the early Sandbian, early Katian, and Hirnantian, the last culminating in a short-lived (extinction. Our results differ from those of Trotter et al. (2008, 'Did cooling oceans trigger Ordovician biodiversification? Evidence from conodont thermometry,' Science 321:550-554). Instead of a slow, protracted cooling through the Early and Middle Ordovician, our high-resolution record shows that cooling occurred in several discrete steps, with the largest step being at the Early/Middle Ordovician transition.

  17. Nuclear isotope measurement in the Hanford environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wacker, J.F.; Stoffel, J.J.; Kelley, J.M.

    1995-01-01

    The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is located at the federal government's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State, which was built during World War II as part of the secret Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. Monitoring of the Site itself and surrounding environs for Hanford-related radionuclides has been a routine part of the operations since 1944. One of the most sensitive analytical methods used is thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) with triple-sector mass spectrometers. Normal geometry instruments have an abundance sensitivity of 10 -9 for uranium while the authors' newest Triple-Sector Isotope Mass Spectrometer (TRISM), utilizing a new ion-optical design developed at PNL, has an abundance sensitivity of 10 -11 . In favorable cases, sensitivity is such that complete isotopic analyses are obtained on total samples in the femtogram range; and minor isotopes in the attogram range are measured

  18. Silicon isotope ratio measurements by inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry for alteration studies of nuclear waste glasses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gourgiotis, Alkiviadis; Ducasse, Thomas; Barker, Evelyne; Jollivet, Patrick; Gin, Stéphane; Bassot, Sylvain; Cazala, Charlotte

    2017-02-15

    High-level, long-lived nuclear waste arising from spent fuel reprocessing is vitrified in silicate glasses for final disposal in deep geologic formations. In order to better understand the mechanisms driving glass dissolution, glass alteration studies, based on silicon isotope ratio monitoring of 29 Si-doped aqueous solutions, were carried out in laboratories. This work explores the capabilities of the new type of quadrupole-based ICP-MS, the Agilent 8800 tandem quadrupole ICP-MS/MS, for accurate silicon isotope ratio determination for alteration studies of nuclear waste glasses. In order to avoid silicon polyatomic interferences, a new analytical method was developed using O 2 as the reaction gas in the Octopole Reaction System (ORS), and silicon isotopes were measured in mass-shift mode. A careful analysis of the potential polyatomic interferences on SiO + and SiO 2 + ion species was performed, and we found that SiO + ion species suffer from important polyatomic interferences coming from the matrix of sample and standard solutions (0.5M HNO 3 ). For SiO 2 + , no interferences were detected, and thus, these ion species were chosen for silicon isotope ratio determination. A number of key settings for accurate isotope ratio analysis like, detector dead time, integration time, number of sweeps, wait time offset, memory blank and instrumental mass fractionation, were considered and optimized. Particular attention was paid to the optimization of abundance sensitivity of the quadrupole mass filter before the ORS. We showed that poor abundance sensitivity leads to a significant shift of the data away from the Exponential Mass Fractionation Law (EMFL) due to the spectral overlaps of silicon isotopes combined with different oxygen isotopes (i.e. 28 Si 16 O 18 O + , 30 Si 16 O 16 O + ). The developed method was validated by measuring a series of reference solutions with different 29 Si enrichment. Isotope ratio trueness, uncertainty and repeatability were found to be

  19. The triple oxygen isotope composition of phytoliths as a proxy of continental atmospheric humidity: insights from climate chamber and climate transect calibrations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Alexandre

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Continental atmospheric relative humidity (RH is a key climate parameter. Combined with atmospheric temperature, it allows us to estimate the concentration of atmospheric water vapor, which is one of the main components of the global water cycle and the most important gas contributing to the natural greenhouse effect. However, there is a lack of proxies suitable for reconstructing, in a quantitative way, past changes of continental atmospheric humidity. This reduces the possibility of making model–data comparisons necessary for the implementation of climate models. Over the past 10 years, analytical developments have enabled a few laboratories to reach sufficient precision for measuring the triple oxygen isotopes, expressed by the 17O-excess (17O-excess  =  ln (δ17O + 1 – 0.528  ×  ln (δ18O + 1, in water, water vapor and minerals. The 17O-excess represents an alternative to deuterium-excess for investigating relative humidity conditions that prevail during water evaporation. Phytoliths are micrometric amorphous silica particles that form continuously in living plants. Phytolith morphological assemblages from soils and sediments are commonly used as past vegetation and hydrous stress indicators. In the present study, we examine whether changes in atmospheric RH imprint the 17O-excess of phytoliths in a measurable way and whether this imprint offers a potential for reconstructing past RH. For that purpose, we first monitored the 17O-excess evolution of soil water, grass leaf water and grass phytoliths in response to changes in RH (from 40 to 100 % in a growth chamber experiment where transpiration reached a steady state. Decreasing RH from 80 to 40 % decreases the 17O-excess of phytoliths by 4.1 per meg/% as a result of kinetic fractionation of the leaf water subject to evaporation. In order to model with accuracy the triple oxygen isotope fractionation in play in plant water and in phytoliths we recommend direct and

  20. The origin of hailstone embryos deduced from isotope measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Federer, B.; Thalmann, B.; Oesch, A.; Brichet, N.; Waldvogel, A.; Jouzel, J.; Merlivat, L.

    1980-07-01

    A refined interpretation of the growth history of 30 hailstones is presented. The stones are analysed by the simultaneous determination of D and O 18 on the same samples, the application of a new isotopic cloud model and a more accurate determination of the isotope content of vapor at cloud base (R 0 ). Three questions are specifically addressed. 1) Are the frequently observed big-drop hailstones embryos a) merely melted and recirculated graupel, or b) drops grown by the coalescence process. Evidence is provided by the isotope measurements that interpretation b) is more likely. 2) What is the extent of recirculation of hailstones in severe storms. It is shown that by combining isotope, radar and crystallographic measurements, the presence or absence of recirculation can be demonstrated and consistent trajectories and updrafts can be obtained. 3) What are the temperatures of origin of graupel and drop embryos. By comparing the time sequence of these temperatures in hailstones fallen before and after seeding in the same storm, a possible seeding effect is discussed

  1. Measurement of boron isotope ratios in groundwater studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porteous, N.C.; Walsh, J.N.; Jarvis, K.E.

    1995-01-01

    Boron is present at low levels in groundwater and rainfall in the UK, ranging between 2 and 200 ng ml -1 . A sensitive technique has been developed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure boron isotope ratios at low concentrations with a precision (s r ) of between 0.1 and 0.2%. Samples were evaporated to increase elemental boron concentrations to 200 ng ml -1 and interfering matrix elements were removed by an adapted cation-exchange separation procedure. The validity of measuring boron isotopic ratios by ICP-MS at this concentration level is discussed in relation to the theoretical instrument precision attainable based on counting statistics. (author)

  2. Oxygen measurements in thin ribbon silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hyland, S L; Ast, D G; Baghdadi, A

    1987-03-01

    The oxygen content of thin silicon ribbons grown by the dendritic web technique was measured using a modification of the ASTM method based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Web silicon was found to have a high oxygen content, ranging from 13 to 19 ppma, calculated from the absorption peak associated with interstitial oxygen and using the new ASTM conversion coefficient. The oxygen concentration changed by about 10% along the growth direction of the ribbon. In some samples, a shoulder was detected on the absorption peak. A similar shoulder in Czochralski grown material has been variously interpreted in the literature as due to a complex of silicon, oxygen, and vacancies, or to a phase of SiO/sub 2/ developed along dislocations in the material. In the case of web silicon, it is not clear which is the correct interpretation.

  3. Measurement of natural carbon isotopic composition of acetone in human urine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Keita; Ohishi, Kazuki; Gilbert, Alexis; Akasaka, Mai; Yoshida, Naohiro; Yoshimura, Ryoko

    2016-02-01

    The natural carbon isotopic composition of acetone in urine was measured in healthy subjects using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry combined with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME-GC-C-IRMS). Before applying the technique to a urine sample, we optimized the measurement conditions of HS-SPME-GC-C-IRMS using aqueous solutions of commercial acetone reagents. The optimization enabled us to determine the carbon isotopic compositions within ±0.2 ‰ of precision and ±0.3‰ of error using 0.05 or 0.2 mL of aqueous solutions with acetone concentrations of 0.3-121 mg/L. For several days, we monitored the carbon isotopic compositions and concentrations of acetone in urine from three subjects who lived a daily life with no restrictions. We also monitored one subject for 3 days including a fasting period of 24 h. These results suggest that changes in the availability of glucose in the liver are reflected in changes in the carbon isotopic compositions of urine acetone. Results demonstrate that carbon isotopic measurement of metabolites in human biological samples at natural abundance levels has great potential as a tool for detecting metabolic changes caused by changes in physiological states and disease.

  4. The measurement of the isotope ratios and concentrations of zinc by thermal ionization mass spectrometry using double isotope dilution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Zhongguo

    1994-01-01

    The isotope ratios and concentrations of zinc are measured by silicagel-thermal ionization mass spectrometry using the double isotope spikers. The double isotope spikers ( 70 Zn and 67 Zn-enriched isotopes) are used to correct the isotope mass fractionation for the zinc isotope ratios, and to certify the zinc concentrations in the unknown samples. The zinc concentrations of these double isotope spikers are surveyed by a spiker made of pure (99.99%) natural zinc metal powder. The correcting factors (f a , f t and f n ) of the zinc isotope ratios in the spiked mixture, spike and unspiked samples for the isotope mass fractionation, and the spike-to-unspiked ratios (X r ) of the zinc isotope r in the spiked mixture samples can be obtained to solve the matrix equations by numerical approximation. The natural zinc isotope ratios are: 64 Zn/ 67 Zn = 11.8498, 66 Zn/ 67 Zn = 6.7977, 68 Zn/ 67 Zn = 4.5730 and 70 Zn/ 67 Zn = 0.1520. The uncertainties determined of the isotope ratios and concentrations of zinc are +- 0.16% and +-0.31%, respectively

  5. An oxygen isotope record from Lake Xiarinur in Inner Mongolia since the last deglaciation and its implication for tropical monsoon change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qing; Chu, Guoqiang; Xie, Manman; Zhu, Qingzeng; Su, Youliang; Wang, Xisheng

    2018-04-01

    We present a high-resolution oxygen isotope record from authigenic carbonate (δ18Ocarb) from Lake Xiarinur (Inner Mongolia) since the last deglaciation. The lake is located at the modern northern limit of the monsoon, and is therefore sensitive to the extension of the East Asian summer monsoon. Based on calibration against the instrumental record, the δ18Ocar variation has been interpreted as changes in atmospheric circulation pattern on decadal time scales. On longer time scales, the δ18Ocarb in lake sediments could be mainly regulated by the relative contribution of nearby (remote) water-vapor sources associated with subtropical (tropical) monsoon through changes in the distance from sources to the site of precipitation. Increased remote water vapors from tropical monsoon would lead to lighter isotope value in our study site. Through time the δ18Ocarb record in Lake Xiarinur indicate a notable weak tropical monsoon during the Younger Dryas, a gradual increasing monsoon from the early Holocene and weakening monsoon after the middle Holocene. Oxygen isotope records from lakes and stalagmite in the Asian monsoon region across different localities show a general similar temporal pattern since the last deglaciation, and highlight a fundamental role of the tropical monsoon.

  6. Inter-laboratory comparison of elemental analysis and gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). Part I: delta13C measurements of selected compounds for the development of an isotopic Grob-test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serra, F; Janeiro, A; Calderone, G; Rojas, J M Moreno; Rhodes, C; Gonthier, L A; Martin, F; Lees, M; Mosandl, A; Sewenig, S; Hener, U; Henriques, B; Ramalho, L; Reniero, F; Teixeira, A J; Guillou, C

    2007-03-01

    This study was directed towards investigating suitable compounds to be used as stable isotope reference materials for gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) calibration. Several compounds were selected from those used in the 'Grob-test' mixture. Oxygen- and nitrogen-containing substances were added to these compounds to allow the mixture to be used as a possible multi-isotopic calibration tool for 2H/1H, 13C/12C, 15N/14N and 18O/16O ratio determinations. In this paper we present the results of delta13C measurements performed by the consortium of the five laboratories taking part in this inter-calibration exercise. All the compounds were individually assessed for homogeneity, short-term stability and long-term stability by means of EA-IRMS, as required by the bureau communitaire de reference (BCR) Guide for Production of Certified Reference Materials. The results were compared then with the GC-C-IRMS measurements using both polar and non-polar columns, and the final mixture of selected compounds underwent a further certification exercise assessing limits of accuracy and reproducibility under specified GC-C-IRMS conditions. Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Oxygen isotope calibration of the onset of ice-rafting and history of glaciation in the North Atlantic region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shackleton, N.J.; Backman, J.; Zimmerman, H.; Kent, D.V.; Hall, M.A.; Roberts, David G.; Schnitker, D.; Baldauf, J.G.; Desprairies, A.; Homrighausen, R.; Huddlestun, P.; Keene, J.B.; Kaltenback, A.J.; Krumsiek, K.A.O.; Morton, A.C.; Murray, J.W.; Westberg-Smith, J.

    1984-01-01

    We report here that DSDP Site 552A, cored with the hydraulic piston corer on the west flank of Rockall Bank, recovered an undisturbed sequence of alternating white deep-sea carbonate oozes and dark-coloured layers that are rich in glacial debris. Oxygen isotope analysis of the sequence together with detailed nannofossil and palaeomagnetic stratigraphy shows that the first major horizon of ice-rafting occurred at about 2.4 Myr, and was preceded by a minor pulse of ice-rafting at about 2.5 Myr. The carbon isotope record shows that the site has been bathed by a water mass of similar characteristics to present-day North Atlantic deep water at least since 3.5 Myr. ?? 1984 Nature Publishing Group.

  8. Sulfur-induced offsets in MC-ICP-MS silicon-isotope measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Boorn, S.; Vroon, P.Z.; van Bergen, M.J.

    2009-01-01

    Sample preparation methods for MC-ICP-MS silicon-isotope measurements often involve a cation-exchange purification step. A previous study has argued that this would suffice for geological materials, as the occasional enrichment of anionic species would not compromise silicon-isotope analysis. Here

  9. Sulphur-induced offsets in MC-ICP-MS silicon-isotope measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Boorn, S.; Vroon, P.Z.; van Bergen, M.J.

    2010-01-01

    Sample preparation methods for MC-ICP-MS silicon-isotope measurements often involve a cation-exchange purification step. A previous study has argued that this would suffice for geological materials, as the occasional enrichment of anionic species would not compromise silicon-isotope analysis. Here

  10. Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Nitrate and Sulfate in Fog and River water in Podocarpus National Forest, Ecuador

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brothers, L. A.; Fabian, P.; Thiemens, M. H.

    2006-12-01

    The eastern slopes of the Andean rainforests of Ecuador possess some of the highest plant biodiversity found on the planet; however, these ecosystems are in jeopardy because region is experiences one of the highest deforestation rates in South America. This rainforest characterized by high acidity and low nutrient soils and experiences natural process which are both destabilizing and stabilizing to biodiversity rendering this a unique, though sensitive environment. There is increased concern that anthropogenic activities are affecting rainforests and could lead to higher extinction rates, changes in the biodiversity and far reaching effects on the global troposphere. Measurements of nitrate and sulfate in rain and fog water have shown periods of elevated concentrations in the Podocarpus National Park near Loja, Ecuador. These high episodes contribute to annual deposition rates that are comparable to polluted central Europe. Significant anthropogenic sources near this region are lacking and it is believed that the majority of the nitrate and sulfate pollution can be attributed to biomass burning in the Amazon basin. Concentration measurements do not elucidate the source of high nitrate and sulfate pollution; however, by measuring all three stable isotopes of oxygen in nitrate and sulfate from fog and river water provides a new way to examine the impacts of biomass burning on the region. By using stable isotope techniques atmospheric nitrate and sulfate can be resolved from terrestrial sources. This provides an unique way to trace the contributions from the biomass burning and farming sources. Current research at the field station monitors sulfate and nitrate concentrations in rain and fog water by standard methods to investigate water and nutrient pathways along with data from satellite and ground based remote sensing, in-situ observations and numerical models.

  11. Isotopic Resonance Hypothesis: Experimental Verification by Escherichia coli Growth Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Xueshu; Zubarev, Roman A.

    2015-03-01

    Isotopic composition of reactants affects the rates of chemical and biochemical reactions. As a rule, enrichment of heavy stable isotopes leads to progressively slower reactions. But the recent isotopic resonance hypothesis suggests that the dependence of the reaction rate upon the enrichment degree is not monotonous. Instead, at some ``resonance'' isotopic compositions, the kinetics increases, while at ``off-resonance'' compositions the same reactions progress slower. To test the predictions of this hypothesis for the elements C, H, N and O, we designed a precise (standard error +/-0.05%) experiment that measures the parameters of bacterial growth in minimal media with varying isotopic composition. A number of predicted resonance conditions were tested, with significant enhancements in kinetics discovered at these conditions. The combined statistics extremely strongly supports the validity of the isotopic resonance phenomenon (p biotechnology, medicine, chemistry and other areas.

  12. Broadband non-selective excitation of plutonium isotopes for isotope ratio measurements in resonance ionization mass spectrometry: a theoretical study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankari, M

    2012-10-15

    Making isotope ratio measurements with minimum isotope bias has always been a challenging task to mass spectrometrists, especially for the specific case of plutonium, owing to the strategic importance of the element. In order to use resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) as a tool for isotope ratio measurements, optimization of the various laser parameters and other atomic and system parameters is critical to minimize isotopic biases. Broadband simultaneous non-selective excitation of the isotopes of plutonium in the triple resonance excitation scheme with λ(1) = 420.77 nm, λ(2) = 847.28 nm, and λ(3) = 767.53 nm based on density matrix formalism has been theoretically computed for the determination of isotope ratios. The effects of the various laser parameters and other factors such as the atomization temperature and the dimensions of the atomic beam on the estimation of isotope ratios were studied. The effects of Doppler broadening, and time-dependent excitation parameters such as Rabi frequencies, ionization rate and the effect of non-Lorenztian lineshape have all been incorporated. The average laser powers and bandwidths for the three-excitation steps were evaluated for non-selective excitation. The laser intensity required to saturate the three-excitation steps were studied. The two-dimensional lineshape contour and its features were investigated, while the reversal of peak asymmetry of two-step and two-photon excitation peaks under these conditions is discussed. Optimized powers for the non-selective ionization of the three transitions were calculated as 545 mW, 150 mW and 545 mW and the laser bandwidth for all the three steps was ~20 GHz. The isotopic bias between the resonant and off-resonant isotope under the optimized conditions was no more than 9%, which is better than an earlier reported value. These optimized laser power and bandwidth conditions are better than in the earlier experimental work since these comprehensive calculations yield

  13. An isotope method for the measurement of creaming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiechen, A.; Heine, K.

    1974-01-01

    The principle of a method is described which allows the course of creaming to be recorded continously and automatically by means of isotopes. Without affecting the colloidal system of milk, an isotope is added in hydrosoluble form and with only small amounts of carriers. A small detector sensitive to the respective radiation of the isotope is used to measure the decrease of counting rate on the head of the creaming cylinder, the decrease of rate being due to the effective recess of the radiation source and to the absorption of rays in the cream layer. The choice of the isotope, i.e. kind and energy of its radiation, and of the detector allows to adapt the sensitivity of the method to the rate of creaming. The method described appears to be superior to those techniques in which sedimentation balances are used; it could therefore supply useful information in research work on the process of creaming. (orig.) [de

  14. Seasonal Cyclicity in Trace Elements and Stable Isotopes of Modern Horse Enamel.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niels J de Winter

    Full Text Available The study of stable isotopes in fossil bioapatite has yielded useful results and has shown that bioapatites are able to faithfully record paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic parameters from archeological to geological timescales. In an effort to establish new proxies for the study of bioapatites, intra-tooth records of enamel carbonate stable isotope ratios from a modern horse are compared with trace element profiles measured using laboratory micro X-Ray Fluorescence scanning. Using known patterns of tooth eruption and the relationship between stable oxygen isotopes and local temperature seasonality, an age model is constructed that links records from six cheek upper right teeth from the second premolar to the third molar. When plotted on this age model, the trace element ratios from horse tooth enamel show a seasonal pattern with a small shift in phase compared to stable oxygen isotope ratios. While stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in tooth enamel are forced respectively by the state of the hydrological cycle and the animal's diet, we argue that the seasonal signal in trace elements reflects seasonal changes in dust intake and diet of the animal. The latter explanation is in agreement with seasonal changes observed in carbon isotopes of the same teeth. This external forcing of trace element composition in mammal tooth enamel implies that trace element ratios may be used as proxies for seasonal changes in paleo-environment and paleo-diet.

  15. Uppermost Cretaceous to middle Oligocene carbon and oxygen isotope stratigraphy of Southwest Pacific : holes 1121B and 1124C, ODP Leg 181

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, K.-Y.; Mii, H.-S.; Shu, I-T.; Lin, Y.-J.

    2005-01-01

    Oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios of bulk sediments from ODP Leg 181, holes 1121B and 1124C, in the Southwest Pacific were measured. The isotopic signals are mainly contributed by calcareous nannofossils with minimal diagenetic alteration. A complete section of the late Paleogene age between 60.7 and 57.5 Ma was recovered from Hole 1121B. However, the Paleogene sedimentary sequence of Hole 1124C was truncated by three major hiatuses: late Paleocene to middle Eocene (59-42 Ma), middle Eocene to early Oligocene (40-33.5 Ma), and early Oligocene to middle Oligocene (31.3-27.5 Ma). The middle Eocene shows the most negative δ 18 O values (c. -0.8 permille) compared to the early Paleocene (c. -0.2 to -0.3 permille) and Oligocene (c. 0.6-0.9 permille). The δ 18 O pattern is consistent with previous understanding of the Paleogene paleoclimate: a warmth optimum in the early-middle Eocene followed by a major glaciation in the early Oligocene at c. 34 Ma. The hiatus of 33.5-40 Ma indicates that the Tasmanian Gateway had deepened enough by 33.5 Ma, allowing the breakthrough of cold, bottom water and consequently the formation of the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). With the aid of independent biochronological and magnetochronological markers, the Paleocene carbon isotopic profiles were correlated with that of DSDP 577 in the North Pacific. Both sites record the early part of the Paleocene carbon isotopic maximum event, while only Hole 1124C extends back to the early Paleocene and latest Cretaceous. A short hiatus of 60.5-62.5 Ma age may exist. Although the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary is not directly recorded, a significant cooling trend across the boundary is evident. The surface water became warmer after 64.5 Ma, and reached a stable warmth level during 64-59 Ma. A major cooling took place during c. 59-57 Ma in the late Paleocene. The temperature gradients between the two sites (ODP 1121 and 1124, paleolatitudes 64 degrees S versus 53 degrees S) are estimated to be c

  16. Mass measurements on radioactive isotopes using the ISOLTRAP spectrometer

    CERN Document Server

    Dilling, J; Kluge, H J; Kohl, A; Lamour, E; Marx, G; Schwarz, S C; Bollen, G; Kellerbauer, A G; Moore, R B; Henry, S

    2000-01-01

    ISOLTRAP is a Penning trap mass spectrometer installed at the on line isotope separator ISOLDE at CERN. Direct measurements of the masses of short lived radio isotopes are performed using the existing triple trap system. This consists of three electromagnetic traps in tandem: a Paul trap to accumulate and bunch the 60 keV dc beam, a Penning trap for cooling and isobar separation, and a precision Penning trap for the determination of the masses by cyclotron resonance. Measurements of masses of unknown mercury isotopes and in the vicinity of doubly magic /sup 208/Pb are presented, all with an accuracy of delta m/m approximately=1*10/sup -7/. Developments to replace the Paul trap by a radiofrequency quadrupole ion guide system to increase the collection efficiency are presently under way and the status is presented. (10 refs).

  17. Sources of Holocene variability of oxygen isotopes in paleoclimate archives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. N. LeGrande

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Variability in water isotopes has been captured in numerous archives and used to infer past climate changes. Here we examine water isotope variability over the course of the Holocene using the water-isotope enabled, coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, GISS ModelE-R. Eight Holocene time slices, ~1000 years apart are simulated and driven by estimated changes in orbital configuration, greenhouse gases, and ice sheet extent. We find that simulated water isotope archives match well with those seen in ice cores, ocean sediment cores, and speleothems. The climate changes associated with the water isotope changes, however, are more complex than simple modern spatial slope interpretations might suggest. In particular, water isotope variability in Asian speleothems is linked to alterations in landward water vapor transport, not local precipitation, and ice sheet changes over North America lead to the masking of temperature signals in Summit, Greenland. Salinity-seawater isotope variability is complicated by inter-ocean basin exchanges of water vapor. Water isotopes do reflect variability in the hydrology, but are better interpreted in terms of regional hydrological cycle changes rather than as indicators of local climate.

  18. Measurement of isotope shift of recycled uranium by laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oba, Masaki; Wakaida, Ikuo; Akaoka, Katsuaki; Miyabe, Masabumi

    1999-07-01

    Isotope shift of the recycled uranium atoms including the 236 U was measured by laser induced fluorescence method. Eight even levels at 2 eV and three odd levels at 4 eV were measured with isotope shifts among 238 U, 236 U and 235 U obtained. As for the measurement of the 4 eV levels, the Doppler free two photon absorption method was used, and the hyperfine structure of the 235 U was analyzed simultaneously. The isotope shift of 234 U was also observed in the three transition. (J.P.N.)

  19. Natural isotope correction of MS/MS measurements for metabolomics and (13)C fluxomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niedenführ, Sebastian; ten Pierick, Angela; van Dam, Patricia T N; Suarez-Mendez, Camilo A; Nöh, Katharina; Wahl, S Aljoscha

    2016-05-01

    Fluxomics and metabolomics are crucial tools for metabolic engineering and biomedical analysis to determine the in vivo cellular state. Especially, the application of (13)C isotopes allows comprehensive insights into the functional operation of cellular metabolism. Compared to single MS, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) provides more detailed and accurate measurements of the metabolite enrichment patterns (tandem mass isotopomers), increasing the accuracy of metabolite concentration measurements and metabolic flux estimation. MS-type data from isotope labeling experiments is biased by naturally occurring stable isotopes (C, H, N, O, etc.). In particular, GC-MS(/MS) requires derivatization for the usually non-volatile intracellular metabolites introducing additional natural isotopes leading to measurements that do not directly represent the carbon labeling distribution. To make full use of LC- and GC-MS/MS mass isotopomer measurements, the influence of natural isotopes has to be eliminated (corrected). Our correction approach is analyzed for the two most common applications; (13)C fluxomics and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) based metabolomics. Natural isotopes can have an impact on the calculated flux distribution which strongly depends on the substrate labeling and the actual flux distribution. Second, we show that in IDMS based metabolomics natural isotopes lead to underestimated concentrations that can and should be corrected with a nonlinear calibration. Our simulations indicate that the correction for natural abundance in isotope based fluxomics and quantitative metabolomics is essential for correct data interpretation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Electric Dipole Moment Measurements with Rare Isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chupp, Timothy

    2016-01-01

    The origin of matter is one of the deepest questions addressed by science and remains a mystery because our understanding of the Big Bang suggests that equal amounts of matter as antimatter would be created and annihilate leaving nothing from which stars, galaxies, planets and ultimately life as we know it was created. We know this is not the case in the universe, and so the explanation that the laws of physics can distinguish the difference of moving forward and backward in time and provide mechanisms that produce more matter that antimatter so that a little bit was left over. These same laws of physics affect our world today and would very slightly change the shape of an atom, stretching is along the direction of the spin of its nucleus. This subtle shape change has been searched in many systems - the neutron, atoms and molecules, but has not yet been detected, even as the motivation is strengthened by our understanding of their structure. We therefore look to new systems that have special features that make these effects stand out. Rare isotopes provide one possibility and specific radon atoms are our choice. We have developed techniques to make these measurements with short-lived radioactive atoms, studied the nuclei to provide deeper understanding of how these affect arise in such atoms (including radium) and developed new laser-based techniques to measure and control the magnetic fields necessary to perform these exquisitely sensitive measurements. In this work we have shown that radioactive radon atoms can be produced and transported to an apparatus that lines up the spins of the atoms. We have also shown that the nuclei of nearby radium are pear shaped and that the radon nuclei likely oscillate from one pear shape to its mirror reflection. We have also used the techniques which control nuclear spin to study the magnetic environment in a magnetically shielded room, which has the smallest magnetic field in a large volume in the universe. Measuring magnetic

  1. Electric Dipole Moment Measurements with Rare Isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chupp, Timothy [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

    2016-11-11

    The origin of matter is one of the deepest questions addressed by science and remains a mystery because our understanding of the Big Bang suggests that equal amounts of matter as antimatter would be created and annihilate leaving nothing from which stars, galaxies, planets and ultimately life as we know it was created. We know this is not the case in the universe, and so the explanation that the laws of physics can distinguish the difference of moving forward and backward in time and provide mechanisms that produce more matter that antimatter so that a little bit was left over. These same laws of physics affect our world today and would very slightly change the shape of an atom, stretching is along the direction of the spin of its nucleus. This subtle shape change has been searched in many systems - the neutron, atoms and molecules, but has not yet been detected, even as the motivation is strengthened by our understanding of their structure. We therefore look to new systems that have special features that make these effects stand out. Rare isotopes provide one possibility and specific radon atoms are our choice. We have developed techniques to make these measurements with short-lived radioactive atoms, studied the nuclei to provide deeper understanding of how these affect arise in such atoms (including radium) and developed new laser-based techniques to measure and control the magnetic fields necessary to perform these exquisitely sensitive measurements. In this work we have shown that radioactive radon atoms can be produced and transported to an apparatus that lines up the spins of the atoms. We have also shown that the nuclei of nearby radium are pear shaped and that the radon nuclei likely oscillate from one pear shape to its mirror reflection. We have also used the techniques which control nuclear spin to study the magnetic environment in a magnetically shielded room, which has the smallest magnetic field in a large volume in the universe. Measuring magnetic

  2. Oxygen and silicon stable isotopes of diatom silica. Reconstructing changes in surface water hydrography and silicic acid utilization in the late Pleistocene subarctic Pacific

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maier, Edith

    2014-03-05

    Deglacial variations in upper ocean nutrient dynamics and stratification in high latitudes, as well as associated changes in thermohaline overturning circulation, are thought to have played a key role in changing atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentrations. This thesis examines the relationship between past changes in subarctic Pacific upper ocean stratification and nutrient (silicic acid) utilization, using oxygen and silicon stable isotopes of diatom silica, for the first time at millennial-scale resolution and analyzed with a new and efficient instrumentation set-up. The isotopic data, presented in three manuscripts, show a consistent picture of millennial-scale variability in upper ocean stratification and silicic acid utilization during the last ∝50 ka BP, e.g. indicating that the subarctic Pacific was a source region for atmospheric CO{sub 2} during the last deglaciation (late Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Boelling/Alleroed). The presented results demonstrate the high potential of combined diatom oxygen and silicon stable isotope analysis especially for, but not restricted to, marine regions characterized by a low biogenic carbonate content like the subarctic Pacific and the Southern Ocean.

  3. Oxygen and silicon stable isotopes of diatom silica. Reconstructing changes in surface water hydrography and silicic acid utilization in the late Pleistocene subarctic Pacific

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maier, Edith

    2014-01-01

    Deglacial variations in upper ocean nutrient dynamics and stratification in high latitudes, as well as associated changes in thermohaline overturning circulation, are thought to have played a key role in changing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. This thesis examines the relationship between past changes in subarctic Pacific upper ocean stratification and nutrient (silicic acid) utilization, using oxygen and silicon stable isotopes of diatom silica, for the first time at millennial-scale resolution and analyzed with a new and efficient instrumentation set-up. The isotopic data, presented in three manuscripts, show a consistent picture of millennial-scale variability in upper ocean stratification and silicic acid utilization during the last ∝50 ka BP, e.g. indicating that the subarctic Pacific was a source region for atmospheric CO 2 during the last deglaciation (late Heinrich Stadial 1 and the Boelling/Alleroed). The presented results demonstrate the high potential of combined diatom oxygen and silicon stable isotope analysis especially for, but not restricted to, marine regions characterized by a low biogenic carbonate content like the subarctic Pacific and the Southern Ocean.

  4. A Portable, Field-Deployable Analyzer for Isotopic Water Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berman, E. S.; Gupta, M.; Huang, Y. W.; Lacelle, D.; McKay, C. P.; Fortson, S.

    2015-12-01

    Water stable isotopes have for many years been used to study the hydrological cycle, catchment hydrology, and polar climate among other applications. Typically, discrete water samples are collected and transported to a laboratory for isotope analysis. Due to the expense and labor associated with such sampling, isotope studies have generally been limited in scope and time-resolution. Field sampling of water isotopes has been shown in recent years to provide dense data sets with the increased time resolution illuminating substantially greater short term variability than is generally observed during discrete sampling. A truly portable instrument also opens the possibility to utilize the instrument as a tool for identifying which water samples would be particularly interesting for further laboratory investigation. To make possible such field measurements of liquid water isotopes, Los Gatos Research has developed a miniaturized, field-deployable liquid water isotope analyzer. The prototype miniature liquid water isotope analyzer (mini-LWIA) uses LGR's patented Off-Axis ICOS (Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy) technology in a rugged, Pelican case housing for easy transport and field operations. The analyzer simultaneously measures both δ2H and δ18O from liquid water, with both manual and automatic water introduction options. The laboratory precision for δ2H is 0.6 ‰, and for δ18O is 0.3 ‰. The mini-LWIA was deployed in the high Arctic during the summer of 2015 at Inuvik in the Canadian Northwest Territories. Samples were collected from Sachs Harbor, on the southwest coast of Banks Island, including buried basal ice from the Lurentide Ice Sheet, some ice wedges, and other types of ground ice. Methodology and water analysis results from this extreme field deployment will be presented.

  5. Measurement of stable isotope ratio of organic carbon in water samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujii, Toshihiro; Otsuki, Akira

    1977-01-01

    A new method for the measurement of stable isotope ratios was investigated and applied to organic carbon's isotope ratio measurements in water samples. A few river water samples from Tsuchiura city were tested. After the wet oxidation of organic carbons to carbon dioxide in a sealed ampoule, the isotope ratios were determined with the gas chromatograph-quadrupole mass spectrometer combined with a total organic carbon analyser, under the dynamic conditions. The GC-MS had been equipped with the multiple ion detector-digital integrator system. The ion intensities at m/e 44 and 45 were simultaneously measured at a switching rate of 1 ms. The measurements with carbon dioxide acquired from sodium carbonate (53 μg) gave the isotope ratios with the variation coefficient of 0.62%. However, the variation coefficients obtained from organic carbons in natural water samples were 2 to 3 times as high as that from sodium carbonate. This method is simple and rapid and may be applied to various fields especially in biology and medicine. (auth.)

  6. Fractionation of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon isotopes in n-alkanes and cellulose of three Sphagnum species

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brader, A.V.; Winden, J.F.; Bohncke, S.J.P.; Beets, C.J.; Reichart, G.-J.; De Leeuw, J.W.

    2010-01-01

    Compound-specific isotope measurements of organic compounds are increasingly important in palaeoclimate reconstruction. Searching for more accurate peat-based palaeoenvironmental proxies, compound-specific fractionation of stable C, H and O isotopes of organic compounds synthesized by Sphagnum were

  7. Silicon isotope ratio measurements by inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry for alteration studies of nuclear waste glasses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gourgiotis, Alkiviadis, E-mail: alkiviadis.gourgiotis@irsn.fr [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-DGE/SRTG/LT2S, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Ducasse, Thomas [CEA, DEN, DTCD, SECM, F-30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France); Barker, Evelyne [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-DGE/SRTG/LT2S, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Jollivet, Patrick; Gin, Stéphane [CEA, DEN, DTCD, SECM, F-30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France); Bassot, Sylvain; Cazala, Charlotte [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PRP-DGE/SRTG/LT2S, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

    2017-02-15

    High-level, long-lived nuclear waste arising from spent fuel reprocessing is vitrified in silicate glasses for final disposal in deep geologic formations. In order to better understand the mechanisms driving glass dissolution, glass alteration studies, based on silicon isotope ratio monitoring of {sup 29}Si-doped aqueous solutions, were carried out in laboratories. This work explores the capabilities of the new type of quadrupole-based ICP-MS, the Agilent 8800 tandem quadrupole ICP-MS/MS, for accurate silicon isotope ratio determination for alteration studies of nuclear waste glasses. In order to avoid silicon polyatomic interferences, a new analytical method was developed using O{sub 2} as the reaction gas in the Octopole Reaction System (ORS), and silicon isotopes were measured in mass-shift mode. A careful analysis of the potential polyatomic interferences on SiO{sup +} and SiO{sub 2}{sup +} ion species was performed, and we found that SiO{sup +} ion species suffer from important polyatomic interferences coming from the matrix of sample and standard solutions (0.5M HNO{sub 3}). For SiO{sub 2}{sup +}, no interferences were detected, and thus, these ion species were chosen for silicon isotope ratio determination. A number of key settings for accurate isotope ratio analysis like, detector dead time, integration time, number of sweeps, wait time offset, memory blank and instrumental mass fractionation, were considered and optimized. Particular attention was paid to the optimization of abundance sensitivity of the quadrupole mass filter before the ORS. We showed that poor abundance sensitivity leads to a significant shift of the data away from the Exponential Mass Fractionation Law (EMFL) due to the spectral overlaps of silicon isotopes combined with different oxygen isotopes (i.e. {sup 28}Si{sup 16}O{sup 18}O{sup +}, {sup 30}Si{sup 16}O{sup 16}O{sup +}). The developed method was validated by measuring a series of reference solutions with different {sup 29}Si

  8. Water stable isotope measurements of Antarctic samples by means of IRMS and WS-CRDS techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michelini, Marzia; Bonazza, Mattia; Braida, Martina; Flora, Onelio; Dreossi, Giuliano; Stenni, Barbara

    2010-05-01

    In the last years in the scientific community there has been an increasing interest for the application of stable isotope techniques to several environmental problems such as drinking water safeguarding, groundwater management, climate change, soils and paleoclimate studies etc. For example, the water stable isotopes, being natural tracers of the hydrological cycle, have been extensively used as tools to characterize regional aquifers and to reconstruct past temperature changes from polar ice cores. Here the need for improvements in analytical techniques: the high request for information calls for technologies that can offer a great quantity of analyses in short times and with low costs. Furthermore, sometimes it is difficult to obtain big amount of samples (as is the case for Antarctic ice cores or interstitial water) preventing the possibility to replicate the analyses. Here, we present oxygen and hydrogen measurements performed on water samples covering a big range of isotopic values (from very negative antarctic precipitation to mid-latitude precipitation values) carried out with both the conventional Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) technique and with a new method based on laser absorption techniques, the Wavelenght Scanned Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (WS-CRDS). This study is focusing on improving the precision of the measurements carried out with WS-CRDS in order to extensively apply this method to Antarctic ice core paleoclimate studies. The WS-CRDS is a variation of the CRDS developed in 1988 by O'Keef and Deacon. In CRDS a pulse of light goes through a box with high reflective inner surfaces; when there is no sample in the box the light beam doesn't find any obstacle in its path, but the reflectivity of the walls is not perfect so eventually there will be an absorption of the light beam; when the sample is injected in the box there is absorption and the difference between the time of absorption without and with sample is proportional to the quantity

  9. Oxygen isotope ratios in the shell of Mytilus edulis: Archives of glacier meltwater in Greenland?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Versteegh, E.A.A.; Blicher, M.E.; Mortensen, J.

    2012-01-01

    Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is accelerating and will contribute significantly to global sea level rise during the 21st century. Instrumental data on GrIS melting only cover the last few decades, and proxy data extending our knowledge into the past are vital for validating models...... these variations, because it precipitates its shell calcite in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with ambient seawater. As M. edulis shells are known to occur in raised shorelines and archaeological shell middens from previous Holocene warm periods, this species may be ideal in reconstructing past meltwater dynamics. We...

  10. Major, Trace Element Concentration and Triple-Oxygen Isotope Compositions of G- and I-Type Spherules from the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soens, B.; Goderis, S.; Greenwood, R. C.; McKibbin, S.; Van Ginneken, M.; Vanhaecke, F.; Debaille, V.; Franchi, I. A.; Claeys, Ph.

    2017-07-01

    We present new major, trace element concentration (LA-ICP-MS) and triple-oxygen isotope (LF-IRMS) data for G- and I-type cosmic spherules. This study suggests that both types of micrometeorites may originate from ordinary chondrite parent bodies.

  11. Ultra-high-precision Nd-isotope measurements of geological materials by MC-ICPMS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saji, Nikitha Susan; Wielandt, Daniel Kim Peel; Paton, Chad

    2016-01-01

    We report novel techniques allowing the measurement of Nd-isotope ratios with unprecedented accuracy and precision by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Using the new protocol, we have measured the Nd-isotopic composition of rock and synthetic Nd standards as well as th...

  12. Phosphorus dynamics in soils irrigated with reclaimed waste water or fresh water - A study using oxygen isotopic composition of phosphate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zohar, I.; Shaviv, A.; Young, M.; Kendall, C.; Silva, S.; Paytan, A.

    2010-01-01

    Transformations of phosphate (Pi) in different soil fractions were tracked using the stable isotopic composition of oxygen in phosphate (??18Op) and Pi concentrations. Clay soil from Israel was treated with either reclaimed waste water (secondary, low grade) or with fresh water amended with a chemical fertilizer of a known isotopic signature. Changes of ??18Op and Pi within different soil fractions, during a month of incubation, elucidate biogeochemical processes in the soil, revealing the biological and the chemical transformation impacting the various P pools. P in the soil solution is affected primarily by enzymatic activity that yields isotopic equilibrium with the water molecules in the soil solution. The dissolved P interacts rapidly with the loosely bound P (extracted by bicarbonate). The oxides and mineral P fractions (extracted by NaOH and HCl, respectively), which are considered as relatively stable pools of P, also exhibited isotopic alterations in the first two weeks after P application, likely related to the activity of microbial populations associated with soil surfaces. Specifically, isotopic depletion which could result from organic P mineralization was followed by isotopic enrichment which could result from preferential biological uptake of depleted P from the mineralized pool. Similar transformations were observed in both soils although transformations related to biological activity were more pronounced in the soil treated with reclaimed waste water compared to the fertilizer treated soil. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

  13. Ion microprobe analyses of oxygen three-isotope ratios of chondrules from the Sayh al Uhaymir 290 CH chondrite using a multiple-hole disk

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Nakashima, D.; Ushikubo, T.; Gowda, R.N.; Kita, N.T.; Valley, J.W.; Naga, K.

    Author version: Meteorit. Planet. Sci., vol.46(6); 2011; 857-874 Ion microprobe analyses of oxygen three isotope ratios of chondrules from the Sayh al Uhaymir 290 CH chondrite using a multiple-hole disk Daisuke Nakashima 1,2,* , Takayuki Ushikubo...

  14. Stable isotopes of authigenic minerals in variably-saturated fractured tuff

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, D.S.; Evans, D.D.

    1988-11-01

    Identifying stable isotope variation and mineralogical changes in fractured rock may help establish the history of climatic and geomorphological processes that might affect the isolation properties of a waste repository site. This study examines the use of the stable isotope ratios of oxygen ( 18 O/ 16 O) and carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C) in authigenic minerals as hydrogeochemical tools tracing low-temperature rock-water interaction in variably-saturated fractured stuff. Isotopic compositions of fracture-filling and rock matrix minerals in the Apache Leap tuff, near Superior, Arizona were concordant with geothermal temperatures and in equilibrium with water isotopically similar to present-day meteoric water and groundwater. Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of fracture-filling, in unsaturated fractured tuff, displayed an isotopic gradient believed to result from near-surface isotopic enrichment due to evaporation rather than the effects of rock-water interaction. Oxygen isotope ratios of rock matrix opal samples exhibited an isotopic gradient believed to result from, leaching and reprecipitation of silica at depth. Methods and results can be used to further define primary flowpaths and the movement of water in variably-saturated fractured rock. 71 refs., 23 figs., 3 tabs

  15. Stable isotopes of authigenic minerals in variably-saturated fractured tuff

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, D.S.; Evans, D.D.

    1988-11-01

    Identifying stable isotope variation and mineralogical changes in fractured rock may help establish the history of climatic and geomorphological processes that might affect the isolation properties of a waste repository site. This study examines the use of the stable isotope ratios of oxygen ({sup 18}O/{sup 16}O) and carbon ({sup 13}C/{sup 12}C) in authigenic minerals as hydrogeochemical tools tracing low-temperature rock-water interaction in variably-saturated fractured stuff. Isotopic compositions of fracture-filling and rock matrix minerals in the Apache Leap tuff, near Superior, Arizona were concordant with geothermal temperatures and in equilibrium with water isotopically similar to present-day meteoric water and groundwater. Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of fracture-filling, in unsaturated fractured tuff, displayed an isotopic gradient believed to result from near-surface isotopic enrichment due to evaporation rather than the effects of rock-water interaction. Oxygen isotope ratios of rock matrix opal samples exhibited an isotopic gradient believed to result from, leaching and reprecipitation of silica at depth. Methods and results can be used to further define primary flowpaths and the movement of water in variably-saturated fractured rock. 71 refs., 23 figs., 3 tabs.

  16. A Small Part Can Reveal the Whole: How Isotope Techniques Help Nutrition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madsen, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Stable isotopes can be used to measure the amount of water or other nutrients in the body or the amount of an ingested nutrient that is absorbed and metabolized or excreted. They can be also used to measure the rate of absorption, utilization or synthesis of proteins, fats or carbohydrates. Stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, iron and zinc can be used in studies assessing nutritional status, energy expenditure, breastfeeding practices, micronutrient status and the absorption of nutrients from the foods we eat

  17. Study of the tensor correlation in oxygen isotopes using mean-field-type and shell model methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugimoto, Satoru

    2007-01-01

    The tensor force plays important roles in nuclear structure. Recently, we have developed a mean-field-type model which can treat the two-particle-two-hole correlation induced by the tensor force. We applied the model to sub-closed-shell oxygen isotopes and found that an sizable attractive energy comes from the tensor force. We also studied the tensor correlation in 16O using a shell model including two-particle-two-hole configurations. In this case, quite a large attractive energy is obtained for the correlation energy from the tensor force

  18. Non-destructive estimates of soil carbonic anhydrase activity and associated soil water oxygen isotope composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Sam P.; Ogée, Jérôme; Sauze, Joana; Wohl, Steven; Saavedra, Noelia; Fernández-Prado, Noelia; Maire, Juliette; Launois, Thomas; Bosc, Alexandre; Wingate, Lisa

    2017-12-01

    The contribution of photosynthesis and soil respiration to net land-atmosphere carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange can be estimated based on the differential influence of leaves and soils on budgets of the oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of atmospheric CO2. To do so, the activity of carbonic anhydrases (CAs), a group of enzymes that catalyse the hydration of CO2 in soils and plants, needs to be understood. Measurements of soil CA activity typically involve the inversion of models describing the δ18O of CO2 fluxes to solve for the apparent, potentially catalysed, rate of CO2 hydration. This requires information about the δ18O of CO2 in isotopic equilibrium with soil water, typically obtained from destructive, depth-resolved sampling and extraction of soil water. In doing so, an assumption is made about the soil water pool that CO2 interacts with, which may bias estimates of CA activity if incorrect. Furthermore, this can represent a significant challenge in data collection given the potential for spatial and temporal variability in the δ18O of soil water and limited a priori information with respect to the appropriate sampling resolution and depth. We investigated whether we could circumvent this requirement by inferring the rate of CO2 hydration and the δ18O of soil water from the relationship between the δ18O of CO2 fluxes and the δ18O of CO2 at the soil surface measured at different ambient CO2 conditions. This approach was tested through laboratory incubations of air-dried soils that were re-wetted with three waters of different δ18O. Gas exchange measurements were made on these soils to estimate the rate of hydration and the δ18O of soil water, followed by soil water extraction to allow for comparison. Estimated rates of CO2 hydration were 6.8-14.6 times greater than the theoretical uncatalysed rate of hydration, indicating that CA were active in these soils. Importantly, these estimates were not significantly different among water treatments, suggesting

  19. Laurentide Ice-Sheet Meltwater Sources to the Gulf of Mexico During the Last Deglaciation: Assessing Data Reconstructions Using Water Isotope Enabled Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vetter, L.; LeGrande, A. N.; Ullman, D. J.; Carlson, A. E.

    2017-12-01

    Sediment cores from the Gulf of Mexico show evidence of meltwater derived from the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the last deglaciation. Recent studies using geochemical measurements of individual foraminifera suggest changes in the oxygen isotopic composition of the meltwater as deglaciation proceeded. Here we use the water isotope enabled climate model simulations (NASA GISS ModelE-R) to investigate potential sources of meltwater within the ice sheet. We find that initial melting of the ice sheet from the southern margin contributed an oxygen isotope value reflecting a low-elevation, local precipitation source. As deglacial melting proceeded, meltwater delivered to the Gulf of Mexico had a more negative oxygen isotopic value, which the climate model simulates as being sourced from the high-elevation, high-latitude interior of the ice sheet. This study demonstrates the utility of combining stable isotope analyses with climate model simulations to investigate past changes in the hydrologic cycle.

  20. Isotopic tracing of perchlorate in the environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturchio, Neil C.; Böhlke, John Karl; Gu, Baohua; Hatzinger, Paul B.; Jackson, W. Andrew; Baskaran, Mark

    2012-01-01

    Isotopic measurements can be used for tracing the sources and behavior of environmental contaminants. Perchlorate (ClO 4 − ) has been detected widely in groundwater, soils, fertilizers, plants, milk, and human urine since 1997, when improved analytical methods for analyzing ClO 4 −concentration became available for routine use. Perchlorate ingestion poses a risk to human health because of its interference with thyroidal hormone production. Consequently, methods for isotopic analysis of ClO 4 − have been developed and applied to assist evaluation of the origin and migration of this common contaminant. Isotopic data are now available for stable isotopes of oxygen and chlorine, as well as 36Cl isotopic abundances, in ClO 4 − samples from a variety of natural and synthetic sources. These isotopic data provide a basis for distinguishing sources of ClO 4 − found in the environment, and for understanding the origin of natural ClO 4 − . In addition, the isotope effects of microbial ClO 4 − reduction have been measured in laboratory and field experiments, providing a tool for assessing ClO 4 − attenuation in the environment. Isotopic data have been used successfully in some areas for identifying major sources of ClO 4 − contamination in drinking water supplies. Questions about the origin and global biogeochemical cycle of natural ClO 4 − remain to be addressed; such work would benefit from the development of methods for preparation and isotopic analysis of ClO 4 − in samples with low concentrations and complex matrices.

  1. Trans-Atlantic slavery: isotopic evidence for forced migration to Barbados.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schroeder, Hannes; O'Connell, Tamsin C; Evans, Jane A; Shuler, Kristrina A; Hedges, Robert E M

    2009-08-01

    The question of the ultimate origin of African slaves is one of the most perplexing in the history of trans-Atlantic slavery. Here we present the results of a small, preliminary isotopic study that was conducted in order to determine the geographical origin of 25 enslaved Africans who were buried at the Newton plantation, Barbados, sometime between the late 17th and early 19th century. In order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the slaves' origin, we used a combination of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium isotope analyses. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were determined in bone and dentinal collagen; oxygen and strontium isotopes were measured in tooth enamel. Results suggest that the majority of individuals were born on the island, if not the estate itself. Seven individuals, however, yielded enamel oxygen and strontium ratios that are inconsistent with a Barbadian origin, which strongly suggests that we are dealing with first-generation captives who were brought to the island with the slave trade. This idea is also supported by the fact that their carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values differ markedly between their teeth and bones. These intra-skeletal shifts reflect major dietary changes that probably coincided with their enslavement and forced migration to Barbados. While it is impossible to determine their exact origins, the results clearly demonstrate that the slaves did not all grow up in the same part of Africa. Instead, the data seem to suggest that they originated from at least three different areas, possibly including the Gold Coast and the Senegambia.

  2. Nuclear charge radius measurements of radioactive beryllium isotopes

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    We propose to measure the nuclear charge radii of the beryllium isotopes $^{7,9,10}$Be and the one-neutron halo isotope $^{11}$Be using laser spectroscopy of trapped ions. Ions produced at ISOLDE and ionized with the laser ion source will be cooled and bunched in the radio-frequency buncher of the ISOLTRAP experiment and then transferred into a specially designed Paul trap. Here, they will be cooled to temperatures in the mK range employing sympathetic and direct laser cooling. Precision laser spectroscopy of the isotope shift on the cooled ensemble in combination with accurate atomic structure calculations will provide nuclear charge radii with a precision of better than 3%. This will be the first model-independent determination of a one-neutron halo nuclear charge radius.

  3. The influence of room temperature on Mg isotope measurements by MC-ICP-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xing-Chao; Zhang, An-Yu; Zhang, Zhao-Feng; Huang, Fang; Yu, Hui-Min

    2018-03-24

    We observed that the accuracy and precision of magnesium (Mg) isotope analyses could be affected if the room temperature oscillated during measurements. To achieve high quality Mg isotopic data, it is critical to evaluate how the unstable room temperature affects Mg isotope measurements by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). We measured the Mg isotopes for the reference material DSM-3 using MC-ICP-MS under oscillating room temperatures in spring. For a comparison, we also measured the Mg isotopes under stable room temperatures, which was achieved by the installation of an improved temperature control system in the laboratory. The δ 26 Mg values measured under oscillating room temperatures have a larger deviation (δ 26 Mg from -0.09 to 0.08‰, with average δ 26 Mg = 0.00 ± 0.08 ‰) than those measured under a stable room temperature (δ 26 Mg from -0.03 to 0.03‰, with average δ 26 Mg = 0.00 ± 0.02 ‰) using the same MC-ICP-MS system. The room temperature variation can influence the stability of MC-ICP-MS. Therefore, it is critical to keep the room temperature stable to acquire high precise and accurate isotopic data when using MC-ICP-MS, especially when using the sample-standard bracketing (SSB) correction method. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  4. Chemical and isotopic composition of precipitations in Syria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abou Zakhem, B.; Hafez, R.

    2007-05-01

    The objective of this study is to determine isotopic characteristics of precipitation, the climatic and geographical conditions affecting isotopic composition in order to obtain the input function of groundwater to evaluate the water resources.13 meteoric stations were selected in Syria for cumulative monthly rainfall sampling during two hydrological cycles; 1991-1992 and 1992-1993. The chemical and isotopic compositions of monthly precipitation were studied. The winter and spring rainfall isotopic characteristics were determined, in addition to the Syrian meteoric line (SMWL) was estimated with a slope of 6.62 and that of both Syria and Jordan of 6.73. The effect of climatic factors as temperature and relative air humidity on oxygen-18, deuterium and d-excess were studied and it was found that the relationship between temperature and oxygen-18 and deuterium is a positive linear correlation; however, it is a negative correlation with d-excess. The mean seasonal variation amplitude of 18 O was about 6%, and the amount effect on isotopic content of precipitation was studied. The geographic factors and its affect on isotopic contents of precipitation such as altitude were considered, furthermore, the isotopic gradient with altitude was determined for both oxygen-18 and deuterium (-0.14 % and -0.84% /100m respectively). The spatial distribution of oxygen-18, deuterium, tritium and d-excess indicted the effect of mountain chains and gaps between mountains on the isotopic content, the continental effect on tritium build-up by about 33% per 100 Km from the coast. The increase of d-excess values towards the south west proves the eastern Mediterranean climate type over this region.(author)

  5. Coordinated Oxygen Isotopic and Petrologic Studies of CAIS Record Varying Composition of Protosolar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Justin I.; Matzel, J. E. P.; Simon, S. B.; Weber, P. K.; Grossman, L.; Ross, D. K.; Hutcheon, I. D.

    2012-01-01

    Ca-, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) record the O-isotope composition of Solar nebular gas from which they grew [1]. High spatial resolution O-isotope measurements afforded by ion microprobe analysis across the rims and margin of CAIs reveal systematic variations in (Delta)O-17 and suggest formation from a diversity of nebular environments [2-4]. This heterogeneity has been explained by isotopic mixing between the O-16-rich Solar reservoir [6] and a second O-16-poor reservoir (probably nebular gas) with a "planetary-like" isotopic composition [e.g., 1, 6-7], but the mechanism and location(s) where these events occur within the protoplanetary disk remain uncertain. The orientation of large and systematic variations in (Delta)O-17 reported by [3] for a compact Type A CAI from the Efremovka reduced CV3 chondrite differs dramatically from reports by [4] of a similar CAI, A37 from the Allende oxidized CV3 chondrite. Both studies conclude that CAIs were exposed to distinct, nebular O-isotope reservoirs, implying the transfer of CAIs among different settings within the protoplanetary disk [4]. To test this hypothesis further and the extent of intra-CAI O-isotopic variation, a pristine compact Type A CAI, Ef-1 from Efremovka, and a Type B2 CAI, TS4 from Allende were studied. Our new results are equally intriguing because, collectively, O-isotopic zoning patterns in the CAIs indicate a progressive and cyclic record. The results imply that CAIs were commonly exposed to multiple environments of distinct gas during their formation. Numerical models help constrain conditions and duration of these events.

  6. Isotopic investigations of mineral waters from Someseni - Cluj, Romania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuna, Stela; Berdea, Petre; Baciu, Calin

    2001-01-01

    The Someseni mineral water spring area is located in the eastern part of Cluj-Napoca city, Romania, at the base of the first alluvial terrace of the Somesul Mic River. The presence of waters with therapeutical qualities in this area is known since the early 1920's. Only five springs are active at this moment. From a geological point of view, the mineral aquifer is located on the western border of the Neogene Transylvanian Basin. The Someseni spring area is situated in the axial zone of an anticline with salt core. Marls, with frequent intercalations of sandstones and volcanic tuffs dominate the lithology of these deposits. We have studied the flows of these waters by means of the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. The method for determining the oxygen isotope composition was by equilibration with CO 2 and measurement of the isotopic ratio of CO 2 . Hydrogen isotope analysis of these waters was carried out on the hydrogen gas obtained by quantitative reduction of water directly in the inlet system of the mass spectrometer. In the interpretation of other authors, there are two distinct circuits of the waters from Someseni: a deep one, which determines a higher mineralisation, the water being in contact for a longer time with the salt massif, and a shallow one, located in alluvial deposits, which have a slight contact with the salt, reflected by its lower mineralisation. In our opinion, there is a single circuit for these mineral waters. The infiltration occurs through previous layers (volcanic tuffs, sandstones) in an unidentified recharging zone, generating a confined aquifer. This assumption can be sustained by the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes uptake of these waters. (authors)

  7. Liquid volumes measurements by isotopic dilution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrera M, J.M.

    1981-01-01

    By the nuclear technique, isotopic dilution industrial liquid volumes may be measured in large size recipients of irregular shapes using radiotracers. In the present work laboratory and pilot test are made with 2 radiotracers for optimizing the technique and later done on an industrial scale, obtaining a maximum deviation of +-2%, some recommendations are given to improve the performance of the technique. (author)

  8. MEASUREMENTS OF COSMIC-RAY HYDROGEN AND HELIUM ISOTOPES WITH THE PAMELA EXPERIMENT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adriani, O.; Bongi, M.; Barbarino, G. C.; Bazilevskaya, G. A.; Bellotti, R.; Bruno, A.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Formato, V.; Bogomolov, E. A.; Bottai, S.; Cafagna, F.; Campana, D.; Carlson, P.; Casolino, M.; Santis, C. De; Castellini, G.; Donato, C. De; Simone, N. De; Felice, V. Di

    2016-01-01

    The cosmic-ray hydrogen and helium ( 1 H, 2 H, 3 He, 4 He) isotopic composition has been measured with the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA, which was launched into low-Earth orbit on board the Resurs-DK1 satellite on 2006 June 15. The rare isotopes 2 H and 3 He in cosmic rays are believed to originate mainly from the interaction of high-energy protons and helium with the galactic interstellar medium. The isotopic composition was measured between 100 and 1100 MeV/n for hydrogen and between 100 and 1400 MeV/n for helium isotopes using two different detector systems over the 23rd solar minimum from 2006 July to 2007 December

  9. Understanding the circulation of geothermal waters in the Tibetan Plateau using oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan, Hongbing; Zhang, Yanfei; Zhang, Wenjie; Kong, Na; Zhang, Qing; Huang, Jingzhong

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Unique geothermal resources in Tibetan Plateau were discussed. • Isotopes were used to trace circulation of geothermal water. • Magmatic water mixing dominates geothermal water evolution. - Abstract: With the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, many of the world’s rarest and most unique geothermal fields have been developed. This study aims to systematically analyze the characteristics of the hydrogen and oxygen isotopic data of geothermal, river, and lake waters to understand the circulation of groundwater and to uncover the mechanism of geothermal formation in the Tibetan Plateau. Field observations and isotopic data show that geothermal water has higher temperatures and hydraulic pressures, as well as more depleted D and 18 O isotopic compositions than river and lake waters. Thus, neither lakes nor those larger river waters are the recharge source of geothermal water. Snow-melt water in high mountains can vertically infiltrate and deeply circulate along some stretching tensile active tectonic belts or sutures and recharge geothermal water. After deep circulation, cold surface water evolves into high-temperature thermal water and is then discharged as springs at the surface again in a low area, under high water-head difference and cold–hot water density difference. Therefore, the large-scale, high-temperature, high-hydraulic-pressure geothermal systems in the Tibetan Plateau are developed and maintained by rapid groundwater circulation and the heat source of upwelled residual magmatic water. Inevitably, the amount of geothermal water will increase if global warming accelerates the melting of glaciers in high mountains

  10. Isotopic labeling study of oxygen diffusion in amorphous LaScO3 high-κ films on Si(100) and its effects on the electrical characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopes, J.M.J.; Littmark, U.; Roeckerath, M.; Durgun Oezben, E.; Lenk, S.; Schubert, J.; Mantl, S.; Breuer, U.; Besmehn, A.; Staerk, A.; Grande, P.L.; Sortica, M.A.; Radtke, C.

    2009-01-01

    The influence of post-deposition oxygen anneals on the properties of amorphous LaScO 3 films on Si(100) is reported. The use of an isotopically ( 18 O 2 ) enriched atmosphere allowed to investigate the 16 O- 18 O exchange and the oxygen diffusion across the dielectric layer. Such effects are connected to the formation of an interfacial layer. Oxygen annealing leads to nearly ideal capacitance-voltage curves, lower leakage currents and interface trap densities, as well as to κ-values up to 33 for the LaScO 3 films. These results are attributed to the suppression of oxygen-related trap centers and the achievement of a stoichiometric oxygen content. (orig.)

  11. Isotopes as tracers in a contaminated fractured chalk aquitard

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nativ, R.; Adar, E.

    2003-04-01

    Clusters of industrial plants often generate contaminant plumes with several potential sources. Prevention of further pollution and designing suitable remedial measures require identification of the contributing source among all potential ones and the sorting of currently active sources from historical ones. In the study area, an industrial complex in the Negev desert, Israel, the lateral spread of groundwater contamination combined with water level patterns and the location of wastewater storage lagoons and treatment facilities posed a serious monitoring problem. Because (1) wastewater from all plants was mixed through a central wastewater pipeline and spread in various ways and means throughout the site, and (2) a groundwater mounding area was formed upgradient of the site, the contribution of potentially contaminating individual downgradient facilities could not be inferred using site-specific contaminants and/or the increased hydraulic head. Stable isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur, as well as tritium, proved to be an efficient monitoring tool. Isotopic characterization of the two end members, namely, the natural, uncontaminated groundwater in off-site wells, and the industrial wastewater, provided the criteria for constraining a contaminating source when several alternative sources appeared viable. The isotopic fractionation of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes could be tied to the various disposal phases of the industrial wastewater. The presented case studies illustrate the important role of isotopes as tracers at contaminated sites.

  12. IR laser enrichment of light elements isotopes - challenges and prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parthasarathy, V.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Infra-red multiple photon dissociation (IR MPD) of poly-atomic molecules has made considerable progress since its discovery in the early seventies. Since the process was found to be isotopically selective; the possibility of laser isotope separation (LIS) created a lot of initial excitement. While the early investigations were concerned with the fundamental dynamics and potential applications of the phenomenon, serious efforts for the isotope enrichment process have been made only during the last decade. These efforts focussed on aspects to improve both the enrichment factor and throughput in various systems. Many research groups have achieved a good measure of success for scaling up the process for various light elements like carbon, oxygen, silicon and sulphur whose isotopes are quite important in medicine and technology. Significant results have been reported especially for the separation of carbon isotopes wherein macroscopic operating scales have been already realised. This talk will give-a summary of our work carried out at BARC and highlight the current efforts for scaling up the process for carbon isotopes enrichment. This would include the design aspects of a large photochemical reactor with multi-pass, refocusing optics for efficient photon utilization. It will also cover the development of a cryogenic distillation set up and a preparative gas chromatograph for a large scale separation and collection of the isotopically enriched photoproduct in the post irradiation stage. Based on the experience gained and infra structure developed, plans are afoot to separate oxygen and sulphur isotopes using a similar approach

  13. Spectroscopic metrology for isotope composition measurements and transfer standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anyangwe Nwaboh, Javis; Balslev-Harder, David; Kääriäinen, Teemu; Richmond, Craig; Manninen, Albert; Mohn, Joachim; Kiseleva, Maria; Petersen, Jan C.; Werhahn, Olav; Ebert, Volker

    2017-04-01

    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has identified greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4 and N2O as critical for global climate monitoring. Other molecules such as CO that has an indirect effect of enhancing global warming are also monitored. WMO has stated compatibility goals for atmospheric concentration and isotope ratio measurements of these gases, e.g. 0.1 ppm for CO2 concentration measurements in the northern hemisphere and 0.01 ‰ for δ13C-CO2. For measurements of the concentration of greenhouse gases, gas analysers are typically calibrated with static gas standards e.g. traceable to the WMO scale or to the International System of Units (SI) through a national metrology institute. However, concentrations of target components, e.g. CO, in static gas standards have been observed to drift, and typically the gas matrix as well as the isotopic composition of the target component does not always reflect field gas composition, leading to deviations of the analyser response, even after calibration. The deviations are dependent on the measurement technique. To address this issue, part of the HIGHGAS (Metrology for high-impact greenhouse gases) project [1] focused on the development of optical transfer standards (OTSs) for greenhouse gases, e.g. CO2 and CO, potentially complementing gas standards. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) [2] is currently used to provide state-of-the-art high precision (in the 0.01 ‰ range) measurements for the isotopic composition of greenhouse gases. However, there is a need for field-deployable techniques such as optical isotope ratio spectroscopy (OIRS) that can be combined with metrological measurement methods. Within the HIGHGAS project, OIRS methods and procedures based on e.g. cavity enhanced spectroscopy (CES) and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS), matched to metrological principles have been established for the measurement of 13C/12C and 18O/16O ratios in CO2, 15N/14N ratios in N2O, and 13C/12C and 2H

  14. LabData database sub-systems for post-processing and quality control of stable isotope and gas chromatography measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suckow, A. O.

    2013-12-01

    laboratories to date. Attribute data storage (unique ID for each subsample, origin, project context etc.) and laboratory management features are included. Export routines to Excel (depth profiles, time series, all possible tracer-versus tracer plots...) and modelling capabilities are add-ons. The source code is public domain and available under the GNU general public licence agreement (GNU-GPL). References Coplen, T.B., 1998. A manual for a laboratory information management system (LIMS) for light stable isotopes. Version 7.0. USGS open file report 98-284. Geldern, R.v., Barth, J.A.C., 2012. Optimization of instrument setup and post-run corrections for oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope measurements of water by isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS). Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 10, 1024-1036. Gröning, M., 2011. Improved water δ2H and δ18O calibration and calculation of measurement uncertainty using a simple software tool. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 25, 2711-2720. Suckow, A., Dumke, I., 2001. A database system for geochemical, isotope hydrological and geochronological laboratories. Radiocarbon 43, 325-337.

  15. ISOMAX: a balloon-borne instrument to measure cosmic ray isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hof, M.; Bremerich, M.; Goebel, H.; Hams, T.; Menn, W.; Simon, M.; Barbier, L.M.; Christian, E.R.; Geier, S.; Gupta, S.K.; Krizmanic, J.F.; Mitchell, J.W.; Ormes, J.F.; Streitmatter, R.E.; Davis, A.J.; Nolfo, G.A. de; Mewaldt, R.A.; Schindler, S.M.

    2000-01-01

    The Isotope Magnet Experiment (ISOMAX) is a new balloon-borne instrument developed to measure the isotopic composition of the light elements in the cosmic radiation, in particular to obtain the ratio of the radioactive 10 Be to stable 9 Be. ISOMAX was first flown in August 4-5, 1998, from Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada. ISOMAX has a geometry factor of 450 cm 2 sr and was configured for this flight with a large, Helmholtz-like, superconducting magnet in combination with a drift-chamber tracking system, a state-of-the-art time-of-flight system and two aerogel Cherenkov detectors to measure light isotopes with a mass resolution of better than 0.25 amu. In the 1998 flight the obtained maximum detectable rigidity of the magnetic spectrometer was 970 GeV/c for helium at 60% of the full magnetic field. ISOMAX took data for more than 16 h at float altitudes above 36 km. We here present the performance of the individual detectors and initial isotopic results of the instrument

  16. Absolute isotopic abundances of Ti in meteorites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niederer, F.R.; Papanastassiou, D.A.; Wasserburg, G.J.

    1985-01-01

    The absolute isotope abundance of Ti has been determined in Ca-Al-rich inclusions from the Allende and Leoville meteorites and in samples of whole meteorites. The absolute Ti isotope abundances differ by a significant mass dependent isotope fractionation transformation from the previously reported abundances, which were normalized for fractionation using 46 Ti/ 48 Ti. Therefore, the absolute compositions define distinct nucleosynthetic components from those previously identified or reflect the existence of significant mass dependent isotope fractionation in nature. We provide a general formalism for determining the possible isotope compositions of the exotic Ti from the measured composition, for different values of isotope fractionation in nature and for different mixing ratios of the exotic and normal components. The absolute Ti and Ca isotopic compositions still support the correlation of 50 Ti and 48 Ca effects in the FUN inclusions and imply contributions from neutron-rich equilibrium or quasi-equilibrium nucleosynthesis. The present identification of endemic effects at 46 Ti, for the absolute composition, implies a shortfall of an explosive-oxygen component or reflects significant isotope fractionation. Additional nucleosynthetic components are required by 47 Ti and 49 Ti effects. Components are also defined in which 48 Ti is enhanced. Results are given and discussed. (author)

  17. Chemical and isotopic composition of precipitations in Syria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abou Zakhem, B.; Hafez, R.

    2008-01-01

    13 meteoric stations were selected in syria for cumulative monthly rainfall sampling during two hydrological cycles; 1991-1992 and 1992-1993. The chemical and isotopic compositions of monthly precipitation were studied. The winter and spring rainfall isotopic characteristics were determined, in addition to the syrian or local meteoric line (SMWL) was estimated with a slope of 6.63 and that of both syria and Jordan of 6.73. The effect of climatic factors as temperature and relative air humidity on oxygen-18, deuterium and d-excess were studied and it was found that the relationship between temperature and oxygen-18 and deuterium is a positive linear correlation; however, it is a negative correlation with d-excess. The mean seasonal variation amplitude was determined by 6%, and the amount effect on isotopic content of precipitation was studied. The geographic factors and its affect on isotopic contents of precipitation such as altitude were considered, furthermore, the isotopic gradient with altitude was determined for both oxygen-18 and deuterium (-0.14% and - 0.84%/100 m elevation respectively). The spatial variability of oxygen-18, deuterium, tritium and d-excess indicted the effect of mountain chains and gaps between mountains on the isotopic content of precipitation, the continental effect on tritium build-up by about 33% per 100 Km from the coast. The increase of d-excess values towards the south west proves the eastern mediterranean climate type over this region. (author)

  18. Meridional distribution and seasonal variation of stable oxygen isotope ratio of precipitation in the Southern Ocean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kayo Nakamura

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The stable oxygen isotope ratio(δ^O in precipitation is known to have important meridional and seasonal variations, but there are almost no measurements of δ^O in precipitation over polar oceans. The present research took advantage of 4 opportunities for in situ observations in summer and winter at high latitudes in the Southern Ocean. In addition, we analyzed samples of precipitation at Syowa Station in 2008 to obtain year-round data. Based on these data, we consider the meridional and seasonal variations of δ^O in precipitation over the Southern Ocean. In general, δ^O decreases with increasing latitude, and is lower in winter than in summer. The latitude gradient is stronger in winter. At 60°S, δ^O is -5.4‰ and -11.3‰ in summer and winter, respectively, while the corresponding figures at 66°S are -10.5‰ and -20.8‰. These results will help us understand the mechanisms of the salinity distribution and its variation in the Antarctic Ocean.

  19. Isotope composition and volume of Earth´s early oceans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pope, Emily Catherine; Bird, Dennis K.; Rosing, Minik Thorleif

    2012-01-01

    Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of Earth´s seawater are controlled by volatile fluxes among mantle, lithospheric (oceanic and continental crust), and atmospheric reservoirs. Throughout geologic time the oxygen mass budget was likely conserved within these Earth system reservoirs, but hyd...... in Earth´s oceans. Our calculations predict that the oceans of early Earth were up to 26% more voluminous, and atmospheric CH4 and CO2 concentrations determined from limits on hydrogen escape to space are consistent with clement conditions on Archaean Earth.......Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of Earth´s seawater are controlled by volatile fluxes among mantle, lithospheric (oceanic and continental crust), and atmospheric reservoirs. Throughout geologic time the oxygen mass budget was likely conserved within these Earth system reservoirs......, but hydrogen´s was not, as it can escape to space. Isotopic properties of serpentine from the approximately 3.8 Ga Isua Supracrustal Belt in West Greenland are used to characterize hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of ancient seawater. Archaean oceans were depleted in deuterium [expressed as Î...

  20. Stable isotope analysis of Dacryoconarid carbonate microfossils: a new tool for Devonian oxygen and carbon isotope stratigraphy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frappier, Amy Benoit; Lindemann, Richard H; Frappier, Brian R

    2015-04-30

    Dacryoconarids are extinct marine zooplankton known from abundant, globally distributed calcite microfossils in the Devonian, but their shell stable isotope composition has not been previously explored. Devonian stable isotope stratigraphy is currently limited to less common invertebrates or bulk rock analyses of uncertain provenance. As with Cenozoic planktonic foraminifera, isotopic analysis of dacryoconarid shells could facilitate higher-resolution, geographically widespread stable isotope records of paleoenvironmental change, including marine hypoxia events, climate changes, and biocrises. We explored the use of Dacryoconarid isotope stratigraphy as a viable method in interpreting paleoenvironments. We applied an established method for determining stable isotope ratios (δ(13) C, δ(18) O values) of small carbonate microfossils to very well-preserved dacryoconarid shells. We analyzed individual calcite shells representing five common genera using a Kiel carbonate device coupled to a MAT 253 isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Calcite shell δ(13) C and δ(18) O values were compared by taxonomic group, rock unit, and locality. Single dacryoconarid calcite shells are suitable for stable isotope analysis using a Kiel-IRMS setup. The dacryoconarid shell δ(13) C values (-4.7 to 2.3‰) and δ(18) O values (-10.3 to -4.8‰) were consistent across taxa, independent of shell size or part, but varied systematically through time. Lower fossil δ(18) O values were associated with warmer water temperature and more variable δ(13) C values were associated with major bioevents. Dacryoconarid δ(13) C and δ(18) O values differed from bulk rock carbonate values. Dacryoconarid individual microfossil δ(13) C and δ(18) O values are highly sensitive to paleoenvironmental changes, thus providing a promising avenue for stable isotope chemostratigraphy to better resolve regional to global paleoceanographic changes throughout the upper Silurian to the upper Devonian. Our results

  1. Hydrogen Isotope Measurements of Organic Acids and Alcohols by Pyrolysis-GC-MS-TC-IRMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Socki, Richard A.; Fu, Qi; Niles, Paul B.

    2011-01-01

    One possible process responsible for methane generation on Mars is abiotic formation by Fischer-Tropsch-type (FTT) synthesis during serpentinization reactions. Measurement of carbon and hydrogen isotopes of intermediary organic compounds can help constrain the origin of this methane by tracing the geochemical pathway during formation. Of particular interest within the context of this work is the isotopic composition of organic intermediaries produced on the surfaces of mineral catalysts (i.e. magnetite) during hydrothermal experiments, and the ability to make meaningful and reproducible hydrogen isotope measurements. Reported here are results of experiments to characterize the hydrogen isotope composition of low molecular weight organic acids and alcohols. The presence of these organic compounds has been suggested by others as intermeadiary products made during mineral surface catalyzed reactions. This work compliments our previous study characterizing the carbon isotope composition of similar low molecular weight intermediary organic compounds (Socki, et al, American Geophysical Union Fall meeting, Abstr. #V51B-2189, Dec., 2010). Our hydrogen isotope measurements utilize a unique analytical technique combining Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometry-High Temperature Conversion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS-TC-IRMS). Our technique is unique in that it carries a split of the pyrolyzed GC-separated product to a Thermo DSQ-II? quadrupole mass spectrometer as a means of making qualitative and semi-quantitative compositional measurements of separated organic compounds, therefore both chemical and isotopic measurements can be carried out simultaneously on the same sample.

  2. Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotopes of Precipitation in a Rocky Mountainous Area of Beijing to Distinguish and Estimate Spring Recharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ziqiang Liu

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen were used to estimate seasonal contributions of precipitation to natural spring recharge in Beijing’s mountainous area. Isotopic compositions were shown to be more positive in the dry season and more negative in the wet season, due to the seasonal patterns in the amount of precipitation. The local meteoric water line (LMWL was δ2H = 7.0 δ18O − 2.3 for the dry season and δ2H = 5.9 δ18O − 10.4 for the wet season. LMWL in the two seasons had a lower slope and intercept than the Global Meteoric Water Line (p < 0.01. The slope and intercept of the LMWL in the wet season were lower than that in the dry season because of the effect of precipitation amount during the wet season (p < 0.01. The mean precipitation effects of −15‰ and −2‰ per 100 mm change in the amount of precipitation for δ2H and δ18O, respectively, were obtained from the monthly total precipitation and its average isotopic value. The isotopic composition of precipitation decreased when precipitation duration increased. Little changes in the isotopic composition of the natural spring were found. By employing isotope conservation of mass, it could be derived that, on average, approximately 7.2% of the natural spring came from the dry season precipitation and the rest of 92.8% came from the wet season precipitation.

  3. Neutron capture cross section measurements: case of lutetium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roig, O.; Meot, V.; Belier, G.

    2011-01-01

    The neutron radiative capture is a nuclear reaction that occurs in the presence of neutrons on all isotopes and on a wide energy range. The neutron capture range on Lutetium isotopes, presented here, illustrates the variety of measurements leading to the determination of cross sections. These measurements provide valuable fundamental data needed for the stockpile stewardship program, as well as for nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure. Measurements, made in France or in United-States, involving complex detectors associated with very rare targets have significantly improved the international databases and validated models of nuclear reactions. We present results concerning the measurement of neutron radiative capture on Lu 173 , Lu 175 , Lu 176 and Lu 177m , the measurement of the probability of gamma emission in the substitution reaction Yb 174 (He 3 ,pγ)Lu 176 . The measurement of neutron cross sections on Lu 177m have permitted to highlight the process of super-elastic scattering

  4. Pressure measurements of TO-phonon anharmonicity in isotopic ZnS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tallman, R.E.; Weinstein, B.A. [SUNY at Buffalo, Department of Physics, Buffalo, NY 14260 (United States); Ritter, T.M. [Dept. of Chemistry and Physics, UNC Pembroke, NC 28372 (United States); Cantarero, A. [Dept. of Physics and Institute of Materials Science, University of Valencia (Spain); Serrano, J.; Lauck, R.; Cardona, M. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

    2004-03-01

    We have measured the dependence on pressure of the line-widths of the TO and LO Raman phonons of {beta}-ZnS. In order to enhance the phenomena observed, and to eliminate possible effects of isotopic disorder, we have measured a nearly isotopically pure crystal, {sup 68}Zn{sup 32}S. The strongly structured pressure effects observed are interpreted on the basis of anharmonic decay and the corresponding two-phonon density of states. (copyright 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  5. Oxygen Isotope Compositions of Meteoric Water Across an Elevation Gradient in Southern Peru

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, D. R.; White, E.; Cassel, E. J.; Lynch, B.; Yanites, B.; Breecker, D.

    2017-12-01

    The Central Andes is a prime example of elevated topography generated by oceanic plate subduction. Whereas previous stable isotope studies have investigated the paleoelevation of the Andean Eastern Cordillera, little is known about the paleoelevation of the Western Cordillera, where arc volcanism now occurs. As a first step towards studying the paleoelevation of this region, we investigated the change in δ18O values of modern soil waters across an elevation gradient from sea level to about 4725 meters in southern Peru. We sampled soil profiles from 5 to 80 cm in 15-20cm increments, and we sampled water from flowing natural streams at various elevations. We used cryogenic vacuum extraction to quantitatively remove non-structural water from soil samples. The δ18O values of water extracted from soil samples varies with the depth in the soil due to the diminishing effect of seasonality and evaporation. Every high elevation (>3500m) soil profile we measured had nearly constant δ18O values below 5cm and a total range of δ18O values between -12.8‰ and -17.1‰, apart from the Cusco profile. In the Cusco profile, the δ18O values ranged from -7.2 ‰ at 5 cm to -21.8 ‰ at 60 cm, defining a strong monotonic decrease not seen in other soil profiles. The δ18O trend in the Cusco profile may be different due to the impact of evaporation, soil hydrology, and/or seasonality in the δ18O values of precipitation. Further spatial analysis must be conducted to pinpoint a specific cause. Considering only the samples collected below 40cm, which are likely the best estimate of mean annual precipitation, the δ18O values decrease with increasing elevation at a rate higher than the global mean, suggesting that oxygen isotope paleoaltimetry can work in this study region.

  6. Oxygen isotope records of Globigerina bulloides across a north-south transect in the south-western Indian Ocean

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Khare, N.; Chaturvedi, S.K.; Saraswat, R

    , Washington, D.C). Lutjeharms, J.R.E., N.M. Walters and B.R. Allanson. 1985. Oceanic frontal systems and biologicalenhancement. p.11-21. In: Antarctic Nutrient Cycles and Food Webs. ed. by W.R. Siegfried et al., Springer-Verlag, NewYork. Matsumoto, K., J...: Ocean Sci. J.: 44(2); 2009; 117-123 OXYGEN ISOTOPE RECORDS OF GLOBIGERINA BULLOIDES ACROSS A NORTH-SOUTH TRANSECT IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN N. Khare 1* , S. K. Chaturvedi 2 and R. Saraswat 3 1. Ministry of Earth Sciences, Block...

  7. Isotopic Studies of O-O Bond Formation During Water Oxidation (SISGR)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roth, Justine P. [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2015-03-03

    Isotopic Studies of O-O Bond Formation During Water Oxidation (SISGR) Research during the project period focused primarily on mechanisms of water oxidation by structurally defined transition metal complexes. Competitive oxygen isotope fractionation of water, mediated by oxidized precursors or reduced catalysts together with ceric, Ce(IV), ammonium nitrate in aqueous media, afforded oxygen-18 kinetic isotope effects (O-18 KIEs). Measurement, calculation, and interpretation of O-18 KIEs, described in the accompanying report has important ramifications for the production of electricity and solar hydrogen (as fuel). The catalysis division of BES has acknowledged that understanding mechanisms of transition metal catalyzed water oxidation has major ramifications, potentially leading to transformation of the global economy and natural environment in years to come. Yet, because of program restructuring and decreased availability of funds, it was recommended that the Solar Photochemistry sub-division of BES would be a more appropriate parent program for support of continued research.

  8. Single-cell measurement of red blood cell oxygen affinity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Caprio, Giuseppe; Stokes, Chris; Higgins, John M; Schonbrun, Ethan

    2015-08-11

    Oxygen is transported throughout the body by hemoglobin (Hb) in red blood cells (RBCs). Although the oxygen affinity of blood is well-understood and routinely assessed in patients by pulse oximetry, variability at the single-cell level has not been previously measured. In contrast, single-cell measurements of RBC volume and Hb concentration are taken millions of times per day by clinical hematology analyzers, and they are important factors in determining the health of the hematologic system. To better understand the variability and determinants of oxygen affinity on a cellular level, we have developed a system that quantifies the oxygen saturation, cell volume, and Hb concentration for individual RBCs in high throughput. We find that the variability in single-cell saturation peaks at an oxygen partial pressure of 2.9%, which corresponds to the maximum slope of the oxygen-Hb dissociation curve. In addition, single-cell oxygen affinity is positively correlated with Hb concentration but independent of osmolarity, which suggests variation in the Hb to 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2-3 DPG) ratio on a cellular level. By quantifying the functional behavior of a cellular population, our system adds a dimension to blood cell analysis and other measurements of single-cell variability.

  9. Greek marbles: determination of provenance by isotopic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, H; Craig, V

    1972-04-28

    A study has been made of carbon-13 and oxygen-18 variations in Greek marbles from the ancient quarry localities of Naxos, Paros, Mount Hymettus, and Mount Pentelikon. Parian, Hymettian, and Pentelic marbles can be clearly distinguished by the isotopic relationships; Naxian marbles fall into two groups characterized by different oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratios. Ten archeological samples were also analyzed; the isotopic data indicate that the "Theseion" is made of Pentelic marble and a block in the Treasury of Siphnos at Delphi is probably Parian marble.

  10. MEASUREMENTS OF COSMIC-RAY HYDROGEN AND HELIUM ISOTOPES WITH THE PAMELA EXPERIMENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adriani, O.; Bongi, M. [University of Florence, Department of Physics, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Barbarino, G. C. [University of Naples “Federico II,” Department of Physics, I-80126 Naples (Italy); Bazilevskaya, G. A. [Lebedev Physical Institute, RU-119991, Moscow (Russian Federation); Bellotti, R.; Bruno, A. [University of Bari, Department of Physics, I-70126 Bari (Italy); Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Formato, V. [INFN, Sezione di Trieste, I-34149 Trieste (Italy); Bogomolov, E. A. [Ioffe Physical Technical Institute, RU-194021 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Bottai, S. [INFN, Sezione di Florence, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Cafagna, F. [INFN, Sezione di Bari, I-70126 Bari (Italy); Campana, D. [INFN, Sezione di Naples, I-80126 Naples (Italy); Carlson, P. [KTH, Department of Physics, and the Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, AlbaNova University Centre, SE-10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Casolino, M.; Santis, C. De [University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” Department of Physics, I-00133 Rome (Italy); Castellini, G. [IFAC, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Donato, C. De; Simone, N. De; Felice, V. Di [INFN, Sezione di Rome “Tor Vergata,” I-00133 Rome (Italy); and others

    2016-02-10

    The cosmic-ray hydrogen and helium ({sup 1}H, {sup 2}H, {sup 3}He, {sup 4}He) isotopic composition has been measured with the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA, which was launched into low-Earth orbit on board the Resurs-DK1 satellite on 2006 June 15. The rare isotopes {sup 2}H and {sup 3}He in cosmic rays are believed to originate mainly from the interaction of high-energy protons and helium with the galactic interstellar medium. The isotopic composition was measured between 100 and 1100 MeV/n for hydrogen and between 100 and 1400 MeV/n for helium isotopes using two different detector systems over the 23rd solar minimum from 2006 July to 2007 December.

  11. Titanium Isotopes Provide Clues to Lunar Origin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, G. J.

    2012-05-01

    The idea that the Moon formed as the result of the giant impact of a Mars-sized impactor with the still-growing Earth explains two central facts about the Earth-Moon system: its total angular momentum (Earth's spin and the Moon's orbital motion), and the sizes of the metallic cores of the Earth (large) and Moon (tiny). This gives cosmochemists some confidence in the hypothesis, but they would greatly appreciate additional compositional tests. One undisputed point is the identical abundance of the three oxygen isotopes in Earth and Moon. Junjun Zhang and colleagues at the University of Chicago (USA) and the University of Bern (Switzerland) have added another isotopic system to the cosmochemical testing tool kit, titanium isotopes. They find that the ratio of titanium-50 to titanium-47 is identical in Earth and Moon to within four parts per million. In contrast, other solar system materials, such as carbonaceous chondrites, vary by considerably more than this-- up to 150 times as much. The identical oxygen and titanium isotopic compositions in Earth and Moon are surprising in light of what we think we know about planet formation and formation of the Moon after a giant impact. The variations in oxygen and titanium isotopes among meteorite types suggest that it is unlikely that the Moon-forming giant impactor would have had the same isotopic composition as the Earth. Simulations show that the Moon ends up constructed mostly (40-75%) from the impactor materials. Thus, the Moon ought to have different isotopic composition than does Earth. The isotopes might have exchanged in the complicated, messy proto-lunar disk (as has been suggested for oxygen isotopes), making them the same. However, Zhang and colleagues suggest that this exchange is unlikely for a refractory element like titanium. Could the impact simulations be greatly overestimating the contributions from the impactor? Was the mixing of building-block materials throughout the inner solar system much less than

  12. Mechanisms of Bond Cleavage during Manganese Oxide and UV Degradation of Glyphosate: Results from Phosphate Oxygen Isotopes and Molecular Simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaisi, Deb P; Li, Hui; Wallace, Adam F; Paudel, Prajwal; Sun, Mingjing; Balakrishna, Avula; Lerch, Robert N

    2016-11-16

    Degradation of glyphosate in the presence of manganese oxide and UV light was analyzed using phosphate oxygen isotope ratios and density function theory (DFT). The preference of C-P or C-N bond cleavage was found to vary with changing glyphosate/manganese oxide ratios, indicating the potential role of sorption-induced conformational changes on the composition of intermediate degradation products. Isotope data confirmed that one oxygen atom derived solely from water was incorporated into the released phosphate during glyphosate degradation, and this might suggest similar nucleophilic substitution at P centers and C-P bond cleavage both in manganese oxide- and UV light-mediated degradation. The DFT results reveal that the C-P bond could be cleaved by water, OH - or • OH, with the energy barrier opposing bond dissociation being lowest in the presence of the radical species, and that C-N bond cleavage is favored by the formation of both nitrogen- and carbon-centered radicals. Overall, these results highlight the factors controlling the dominance of C-P or C-N bond cleavage that determines the composition of intermediate/final products and ultimately the degradation pathway.

  13. Biological Apatite Formed from Polyphosphate and Alkaline Phosphatase May Exchange Oxygen Isotopes from Water through Carbonate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omelon, S. J.; Stanley, S. Y.; Gorelikov, I.; Matsuura, N.

    2011-12-01

    The oxygen isotopic composition in bone mineral phosphate is known to reflect the local water composition, environmental humidity, and diet1. Once ingested, biochemical processes presumably equilibrate PO43- with "body water" by the many biochemical reactions involving PO43- 2. Blake et al. demonstrated that enzymatic release of PO43- from organophosphorus compounds, and microbial metabolism of dissolved orthophosphate, significantly exchange the oxygen in precipitated apatite within environmental water3,4, which otherwise does not exchange with water at low temperatures. One of the enzymes that can cleave phosphates from organic substrates is alkaline phosphastase5, the enzyme also associated with bone mineralization. The literature often states that the mineral in bone in hydroxylapatite, however the mineral in bone is carbonated apatite that also contains some fluoride6. Deprotonation of HPO32- occurs at pH 12, which is impossibly high for biological system, and the predominate carbonate species in solution at neutral pH is HCO3-. To produce an apatite mineral without a significant hydroxyl content, it is possible that apatite biomineralization occurs through a polyphosphate pathway, where the oxygen atom required to transform polyphosphate into individual phosphate ions is from carbonate: [PO3-]n + CO32- -> [PO3-]n-1 + PO43- + CO2. Alkaline phosphatase can depolymerise polyphosphate into orthophosphate5. If alkaline phosphatase cleaves an oxygen atom from a calcium-carbonate complex, then there is no requirement for removing a hydrogen atom from the HCO3- or HPO43- ions of body water to form bioapatite. A mix of 1 mL of 1 M calcium polyphosphate hydogel, or nano-particles of calcium polyphosphate, and amorphous calcium carbonate were reacted with alkaline phosphatase, and maintained at neutral to basic pH. After two weeks, carbonated apatite and other calcium phosphate minerals were identified by powder x-ray diffraction. Orthophosphate and unreacted

  14. Oxygen isotope fractionation effects in soil water via interaction with cations (Mg, Ca, K, Na) adsorbed to phyllosilicate clay minerals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oerter, Erik; Finstad, Kari; Schaefer, Justin; Goldsmith, Gregory R.; Dawson, Todd; Amundson, Ronald

    2014-07-01

    In isotope-enabled hydrology, soil and vadose zone sediments have been generally considered to be isotopically inert with respect to the water they host. This is inconsistent with knowledge that clay particles possessing an electronegative surface charge and resulting cation exchange capacity (CEC) interact with a wide range of solutes which, in the absence of clays, have been shown to exhibit δ18O isotope effects that vary in relation to the ionic strength of the solutions. To investigate the isotope effects caused by high CEC clays in mineral-water systems, we created a series of monominerallic-water mixtures at gravimetric water contents ranging from 5% to 32%, consisting of pure deionized water of known isotopic composition with homoionic (Mg, Ca, Na, K) montmorillonite. Similar mixtures were also created with quartz to determine the isotope effect of non-, or very minimally-, charged mineral surfaces. The δ18O value of the water in these monominerallic soil analogs was then measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) after direct headspace CO2 equilibration. Mg- and Ca-exchanged homoionic montmorillonite depleted measured δ18O values up to 1.55‰ relative to pure water at 5% water content, declining to 0.49‰ depletion at 30% water content. K-montmorillonite enriched measured δ18O values up to 0.86‰ at 5% water content, declining to 0.11‰ enrichment at 30% water. Na-montmorillonite produces no measureable isotope effect. The isotope effects observed in these experiments may be present in natural, high-clay soils and sediments. These findings have relevance to the interpretation of results of direct CO2-water equilibration approaches to the measurement of the δ18O value of soil water. The adsorbed cation isotope effect may bear consideration in studies of pedogenic carbonate, plant-soil water use and soil-atmosphere interaction. Finally, the observed isotope effects may prove useful as molecular scale probes of the nature of mineral

  15. High-precision dual-inlet IRMS measurements of the stable isotopes of CO2 and the N2O / CO2 ratio from polar ice core samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. K. Bauska

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available An important constraint on mechanisms of past carbon cycle variability is provided by the stable isotopic composition of carbon in atmospheric carbon dioxide (δ13C-CO2 trapped in polar ice cores, but obtaining very precise measurements has proven to be a significant analytical challenge. Here we describe a new technique to determine the δ13C of CO2 at very high precision, as well as measuring the CO2 and N2O mixing ratios. In this method, ancient air is extracted from relatively large ice samples (~400 g with a dry-extraction "ice grater" device. The liberated air is cryogenically purified to a CO2 and N2O mixture and analyzed with a microvolume-equipped dual-inlet IRMS (Thermo MAT 253. The reproducibility of the method, based on replicate analysis of ice core samples, is 0.02‰ for δ13C-CO2 and 2 ppm and 4 ppb for the CO2 and N2O mixing ratios, respectively (1σ pooled standard deviation. Our experiments show that minimizing water vapor pressure in the extraction vessel by housing the grating apparatus in a ultralow-temperature freezer (−60 °C improves the precision and decreases the experimental blank of the method to −0.07 ± 0.04‰. We describe techniques for accurate calibration of small samples and the application of a mass-spectrometric method based on source fragmentation for reconstructing the N2O history of the atmosphere. The oxygen isotopic composition of CO2 is also investigated, confirming previous observations of oxygen exchange between gaseous CO2 and solid H2O within the ice archive. These data offer a possible constraint on oxygen isotopic fractionation during H2O and CO2 exchange below the H2O bulk melting temperature.

  16. Some measurements of H/D polarizability isotope effects using differential refractometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foster Smith, M; Van Hook, W A [Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA). Dept. of Chemistry

    1989-05-01

    Refractive index differences between the H and D isomers of some common molecules in the liquid phase were measured between 404.7 and 690.0 nm. The data are combined with information on molar volume isotope effects to yield values for H/D isotope effects on the static polarizability, the vibrational contribution to the static and frequency dependent parts of the polarizability, and the H/D isotope effect on the second moment of the electronic charge distribution. The present results suffice to demonstrate the practicability of this technique to measure the components of the polarizability listed above. However for accurate resolution of the vibrational and second moment contributions, refractive index data of still greater precision will be required. (orig.).

  17. Some measurements of H/D polarizability isotope effects using differential refractometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foster Smith, M.; Van Hook, W.A.

    1989-01-01

    Refractive index differences between the H and D isomers of some common molecules in the liquid phase were measured between 404.7 and 690.0 nm. The data are combined with information on molar volume isotope effects to yield values for H/D isotope effects on the static polarizability, the vibrational contribution to the static and frequency dependent parts of the polarizability, and the H/D isotope effect on the second moment of the electronic charge distribution. The present results suffice to demonstrate the practicability of this technique to measure the components of the polarizability listed above. However for accurate resolution of the vibrational and second moment contributions, refractive index data of still greater precision will be required. (orig.)

  18. Are leaf physiological traits related to leaf water isotopic enrichment in restinga woody species?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BRUNO H.P. ROSADO

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available During plant-transpiration, water molecules having the lighter stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen evaporate and diffuse at a faster rate through the stomata than molecules having the heavier isotopes, which cause isotopic enrichment of leaf water. Although previous models have assumed that leaf water is well-mixed and isotopically uniform, non-uniform stomatal closure, promoting different enrichments between cells, and different pools of water within leaves, due to morpho-physiological traits, might lead to inaccuracies in isotopic models predicting leaf water enrichment. We evaluate the role of leaf morpho-physiological traits on leaf water isotopic enrichment in woody species occurring in a coastal vegetation of Brazil known as restinga. Hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope values of soil, plant stem and leaf water and leaf traits were measured in six species from restinga vegetation during a drought and a wet period. Leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water was more homogeneous among species during the drought in contrast to the wet period suggesting convergent responses to deal to temporal heterogeneity in water availability. Average leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water during the drought period was highly correlated with relative apoplastic water content. We discuss this observation in the context of current models of leaf water isotopic enrichment as a function of the Péclet effect. We suggest that future studies should include relative apoplastic water content in isotopic models.

  19. Are leaf physiological traits related to leaf water isotopic enrichment in restinga woody species?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosado, Bruno H P; De Mattos, Eduardo A; Sternberg, Leonel Da S L

    2013-09-01

    During plant-transpiration, water molecules having the lighter stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen evaporate and diffuse at a faster rate through the stomata than molecules having the heavier isotopes, which cause isotopic enrichment of leaf water. Although previous models have assumed that leaf water is well-mixed and isotopically uniform, non-uniform stomatal closure, promoting different enrichments between cells, and different pools of water within leaves, due to morpho-physiological traits, might lead to inaccuracies in isotopic models predicting leaf water enrichment. We evaluate the role of leaf morpho-physiological traits on leaf water isotopic enrichment in woody species occurring in a coastal vegetation of Brazil known as restinga. Hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope values of soil, plant stem and leaf water and leaf traits were measured in six species from restinga vegetation during a drought and a wet period. Leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water was more homogeneous among species during the drought in contrast to the wet period suggesting convergent responses to deal to temporal heterogeneity in water availability. Average leaf water isotopic enrichment relative to stem water during the drought period was highly correlated with relative apoplastic water content. We discuss this observation in the context of current models of leaf water isotopic enrichment as a function of the Péclet effect. We suggest that future studies should include relative apoplastic water content in isotopic models.

  20. Cu and Zn Isotopes as New Tracers of Early Solar Nebula and Asteroidal processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    LUCK, J.; BEN OTHMAN, D.; ALBAREDE, F.

    2001-12-01

    Cu and Zn isotopic variations are now identified in extra-terrestrial samples, as has been the case for terrestrial samples (1). The main parameters which may cause these variations are : redox state, temperature, biological activity (Earth), and volatility (extra-terrestrial samples). We report data for meteorites from various groups and classes, including carbonaceous chondrites, ordinary and diffentiated chondrites (iron meteorites, SNC and HED). All analyses have been duplicated (from powder aliquot to final measurement). Values are expressed as relative deviations from NIST and JMC standards for 65Cu/63Cu and 66Zn64Zn, respectively (deltas in permil). Carefull chemistry and MC-ICP-MS measurements allow an overall precision of +/-0.04 permil. I- Carbonaceous Chondrites A very important feature is that each group seems to exhibit a specific isotopic signature : Cu gets isotopically lighter from CI to CM to CO to CV, spanning an overall range of 1.5 permil. Zn shows a reverse order, getting heavier from CI to CM to CO. Zn in CV chondrites (whole rock) seems more variable. This order is the same as that observed for trace elements. Cu and Zn isotopic compositions are generally correlated to trace element content from one group to another, particularly those of similar volatility (e.g. Mn for Cu; Ge for Zn). Cu and Zn isotopic signatures exhibit remarkable relationships with Oxygen isotopes. Each group is well identified. Cu is linearly correlated with Oxygen, whereas Zn-O data display strong curvature : the difference in shape can be related to the nearly constant Cu content in all groups, and by the decreasing Zn content from CI to CO. Since Oxygen variations (from CV to CI) are thought to reflect progressive interaction of liquid water with initial solid (asteroid), Cu isotopic variations may also reflect this progressive alteration process. It may be so for Zn too, although its more volatile character might play a role. II-Allende Progressive leaching