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Devils Hole Calcite Was Precipitated at ±1°C Stable Aquifer Temperatures During the Last Half Million Years
Author(s) -
Bajnai David,
Coplen Tyler B.,
Methner Katharina,
Löffler Niklas,
Krsnik Emilija,
Fiebig Jens
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2021gl093257
Subject(s) - calcite , geology , speleothem , isotopes of oxygen , equilibrium fractionation , holocene , cave , paleoclimatology , groundwater , carbonate , stable isotope ratio , aquifer , stalagmite , pleistocene , mineralogy , isotope fractionation , paleontology , geochemistry , climate change , oceanography , archaeology , chemistry , physics , geotechnical engineering , quantum mechanics , organic chemistry , history
Subaqueous carbonates from the Devils Hole caves (southwestern USA) provide a continuous Holocene to Pleistocene North American paleoclimate record. The accuracy of this record relies on two assumptions: That carbonates precipitated close to isotope equilibrium and that groundwater temperature did not change significantly in the last 570 thousand years. Here, we investigate these assumptions using dual clumped isotope thermometry. This method relies on simultaneous analyses of carbonate ∆ 47 and ∆ 48 values and provides information on the existence and extent of kinetic isotope fractionation. Our results confirm the hypothesis that calcite precipitation occurred close to oxygen and clumped isotope equilibrium during the last half million years in Devils Hole. In addition, we provide evidence that aquifer temperatures varied by less than ±1°C during this interval. Thus, the Devils Hole calcite δ 18 O time series exclusively represents changes in groundwater δ 18 O values.