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Respiration, photosynthesis, and oxygen isotope fractionation in oceanic surface water 1
Author(s) -
Kroopnick Peter M.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1975.20.6.0988
Subject(s) - oxygen , fractionation , respiration , atmosphere (unit) , photosynthesis , environmental chemistry , surface water , isotopes of oxygen , chemistry , equilibrium fractionation , stable isotope ratio , oxygen 18 , isotope fractionation , environmental science , botany , biology , chromatography , nuclear chemistry , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , environmental engineering , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
Atmospheric oxygen is about 23 ‰ higher in 18 O than ocean surface water, whereas oxygen in isotopic equilibrium with ocean water would be only 6 ‰ higher in 18 O. The fractionation of 18 O during respiration has been measured on natural populations in unfiltered marine surface water samples. The decrease of dissolved oxygen concentration and the increase in δ 18 O due to respiration was measured as a function of time. An average enrichment factor of 21 ‰ was calculated for the removal of oxygen in a closed system. The results indicate that the enrichment of 18 O in the atmosphere, and possibly the present oxygen concentration, may be controlled by biogenic processes.