The atomic weight and isotopic composition of oxygen and their variation in nature

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5920809

Holden, N E

There is a problem with the absolute abundance measurements of oxygen. One of these calibrated measurements is in error, either oxygen in air, or oxygen in (V-SMOW), Vienna's standard mean ocean water reference material. Nier's measurement in air is probably wrong by three times his quoted error and his ratio for /sup 18/O//sup 16/O should be 0.002053 and not 0.002044. Fortunately, this has only a minor effect on the atomic weight. However, this error raises doubts on all /sup 17/O)//sup 16/O values. Each /sup 17/O//sup 16/O is determined using an enrichment factor, relative to the value of /sup 17/O//sup 16/O in the standard, which is the square root of the enrichment factor for /sup 18/O//sup 16/O relative to the standard. All standards, including V-SMOW, have /sup 17/O//sup 16/O values which have been derived originally from Nier's measurement of oxygen in air. In addition, a review of the literature provides isotopic abundance variations in various sources of oxygen. 115 refs., 12 tabs.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5920809
• Report Number(s): BNL-NCS-39950; CONF-8708105-4; ON: DE87014397
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400000* -- Chemistry
500000 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ICE
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
MASS NUMBER
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
STANDARDS
WATER