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Triple-isotope composition of atmospheric oxygen as a tracer of biosphere productivity
- Source :
- Nature. August 5, 1999, Vol. 400 Issue 6744, p547, 4 p.
- Publication Year :
- 1999
-
Abstract
- The naturally occurring isotopes of oxygen are of mass numbers 16,17 and 18, and their ratio in atmospheric O(sub2) relies mainly on the isotopic composition of O(sub2) produced from terrestrial and aquatic plants. An experiment based on estimates of the size of the (super17)O/(super16)O anomaly in tropospheric O(sub2) was undertaken. It is argued that it mainly reflects the influences of biospheric cycling and stratospheric photochemical processes. It is proposed that the magnitude of the tropospheric (super17)O anomaly is useful as a tracer of global biosphere production.
Details
- ISSN :
- 00280836
- Volume :
- 400
- Issue :
- 6744
- Database :
- Gale General OneFile
- Journal :
- Nature
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsgcl.55618578