Routine high‐precision analysis of triple water‐isotope ratios using cavity ring‐down spectroscopy

Schauer, Andrew J.; Schoenemann, Spruce W.; Steig, Eric J.

doi:10.1002/rcm.7682

Cited by 36 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…High-precision triple water-isotope ratios were measured at the University of Washington's Isolab with a Picarro L2140-i, a cavity ring-down spectroscopy analyzer with laser-current-tuned cavity resonance (Steig et al, 2014). Data were normalized to the VSMOW-SLAP scale (Schoenemann et al, 2013) Schauer et al (2016) and values presented are an average of these. Measurement precision for…”

Section: Water Sampling and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Deuterium excess and <sup>17</sup>O-excess variability in meteoric water across the Pacific Northwest, USA

Bershaw¹,

Hansen²,

Schauer

2020

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

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High-precision triple oxygen isotope analysis of water has given rise to a novel second-order parameter, 17 O-excess (often denoted as D 17 O), which describes the deviation from a reference relationship between d 18 O and d 17 O. This tracer, like deuterium excess (d-excess), is affected by kinetic fractionation (diffusion) during phase changes within the hydrologic cycle. However, unlike d-excess, 17 O-excess is present in paleowater proxy minerals and is not thought to vary significantly with temperature. This makes it a promising tool in paleoclimate research, particularly in relatively arid continental regions where traditional approaches have produced equivocal results. We present new d 18 O, d 17 O, and d 2 H data from stream waters along two east-west transects in the Pacific Northwest to explore the sensitivity of 17 O-excess to topography, climate, and moisture source. We find that discrepancies in d-excess and 17 O-excess between the Olympic Mountains and Coast Range are consistent with distinct moisture source meteorology, inferred from air-mass back trajectory analysis. We suggest that vapor d-excess is affected by relative humidity and temperature at its oceanic source, whereas 17 O-excess vapor is controlled by relative humidity at its oceanic source. Like dexcess, 17 O-excess is significantly affected by evaporation in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, supporting its utility as an aridity indicator in paleoclimate studies where d 2 H data are unavailable. We use a raindrop evaporation model and local meteorology to investigate the effects of subcloud evaporation on dexcess and 17 O-excess along altitudinal transects. We find that subcloud evaporation explains much, but not all of observed increases in d-excess with elevation and a minor amount of 17 O-excess variation in the Olympic Mountains and Coast Range of Oregon. KEY POINTS 1. 17 O-excess correlates spatially with relative humidity across the Pacific Northwest, supporting its use as an aridity indicator in paleoclimate studies. 2. Discrepancies in d-excess and 17 O-excess between the Olympic Mountains and Oregon Coast Range suggest that their moisture source is different. 3. Subcloud evaporation explains most of observed increases in d-excess with elevation, and a minor amount of 17 O-excess variation in the Olympic Mountains and Oregon Coast Range.

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Section: Water Sampling and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…17 O, and 17 O-excess is 0.07&, 0.42&, 0.46&, 0.04&, and 8 ppm respectively, where precision is the root mean square error (Schauer et al, 2016).…”

Section: Water Sampling and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Deuterium excess and <sup>17</sup>O-excess variability in meteoric water across the Pacific Northwest, USA

Bershaw¹,

Hansen²,

Schauer

2020

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

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“…Until the past couple of years, analytical methods with sufficient precision to resolve the 17 O‐excess of H 2 O were mass spectrometer‐based, required a specialized front end and the generation of hazardous chemicals, and did not permit the simultaneous measurement of δ 17 O and δ 2 H (Luz & Barkan, ). The recent development of commercially available laser‐based sensors that simultaneously measure the 17 O‐excess and δ 2 H of H 2 O directly, without complicated sample processing (Berman et al, ; Steig et al, ), will greatly increase the number of laboratories making this measurement and reduce analytical costs (Schauer et al, ).…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revising Estimates of Aquatic Gross Oxygen Production by the Triple Oxygen Isotope Method to Incorporate the Local Isotopic Composition of Water

Manning

Howard

Nicholson

et al. 2017

Geophysical Research Letters

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Measurement of the triple oxygen isotope (TOI) composition of O2 is an established method for quantifying gross oxygen production (GOP) in natural waters. A standard assumption to this method is that the isotopic composition of H2O, the substrate for photosynthetic O2, is equivalent to Vienna standard mean ocean water (VSMOW). We present and validate a method for estimating the TOI composition of H2O based on mixing of local meteoric water and seawater H2O end‐members, and incorporating the TOI composition of H2O into GOP estimates. In the ocean, GOP estimates based on assuming the H2O is equivalent to VSMOW can have systematic errors of up to 48% and in low‐salinity systems, errors can be a factor of 2 or greater. In future TOI‐based GOP studies, TOI measurements of O2 and H2O should be paired when the H2O isotopic composition is expected to differ from VSMOW.

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“…The instrumentation used for measuring the H and O stable isotopic compositions of water has evolved over six decades, and is classified into three types: (i) dual‐inlet isotope‐ratio mass spectrometry (DI‐IRMS; 1950s‐present), (ii) continuous‐flow isotope‐ratio mass spectrometry (CF‐IRMS; 1990s‐present), and (ii) laser‐absorption spectrometry (LAS; 2010s‐present). Increasingly, scientists are using laser spectrometers due to lower capital cost and consumable demands, ease of use, and ongoing improvements in analytical precision …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unlike the IRMS systems, new lower cost technology laser spectrometers measure all the key isotopologue species ( 1 H 2 16 O, 1 H 2 H 16 O, 1 H 2 18 O, 1 H 2 17 O) concentrations directly on injections of (vaporized) H 2 O sample gas using infrared laser absorption spectrometry, conducted either in static mode (Off‐Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy) or in flowing mode (Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy) . Laser spectrometers produce accurate and precise results provided that the water samples do not contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrocarbons, or chemicals that can cause detrimental spectral interferences .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking excellence: An evaluation of 235 international laboratories conducting water isotope analyses by isotope‐ratio and laser‐absorption spectrometry

Wassenaar

Terzer‐Wassmuth

Douence

et al. 2018

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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Analysis of the laboratory results and their metadata suggested inaccurate or imprecise performance stemmed mainly from skill- and knowledge-based errors including: calculation mistakes, inappropriate or compromised laboratory calibration standards, poorly performing instrumentation, lack of vigilance to contamination, or inattention to unreasonable isotopic outcomes. To counteract common errors, we recommend that laboratories include 1-2 'known' control standards in all autoruns; laser laboratories should screen each autorun for spectral contamination; and all laboratories should evaluate whether derived d-excess values are realistic when both isotope ratios are measured. Combined, these data evaluation strategies should immediately inform the laboratory about fundamental mistakes or compromised samples.

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Routine high‐precision analysis of triple water‐isotope ratios using cavity ring‐down spectroscopy

Cited by 36 publications

References 38 publications

Deuterium excess and <sup>17</sup>O-excess variability in meteoric water across the Pacific Northwest, USA

Deuterium excess and <sup>17</sup>O-excess variability in meteoric water across the Pacific Northwest, USA

Revising Estimates of Aquatic Gross Oxygen Production by the Triple Oxygen Isotope Method to Incorporate the Local Isotopic Composition of Water

Seeking excellence: An evaluation of 235 international laboratories conducting water isotope analyses by isotope‐ratio and laser‐absorption spectrometry

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