sup 13 C and sup 18 O isotopic disequilibrium in biological carbonates: I. Patterns

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(89)90282-2· OSTI ID:7144454

McConnaughey, T ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle (USA)

Biological carbonates frequently precipitate out of {sup 18}O and {sup 13}C equilibrium with ambient waters. Two patterns of isotopic disequilibrium are particularly common. Kinetic disequilibria, so designated because they apparently result from kinetic isotope effects during CO{sub 2} hydration and hydroxylation, involve simultaneous depletions of {sup 18}O and {sup 13}C as large as 4{per thousand} and 10 to 15{per thousand}, respectively. Rapid skeletogenesis favors strong kinetic effects, and approximately linear correlations between skeletal {delta}{sup 18}O and {delta}{sup 13}C are common in carbonates showing mainly the kinetic pattern. Metabolic effects involve additional positive or negative modulation of skeletal {delta}{sup 13}C, reflecting changes in the {delta}{sup 13}C of dissolved inorganic carbon, caused mainly by photosynthesis and respiration. Kinetic isotope disequilibria tend to be fairly consistent in rapidly growing parts of photosynthetic corals, and time dependent isotopic variations therefore reflect changes in environmental conditions. {delta}{sup 18}O variations from Galapagos corals yields meaningful clues regarding seawater temperature, while {delta}{sup 13}C variations reflect changes in photosynthesis, modulated by cloudiness.

• OSTI ID: 7144454
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Vol. 53:1; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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