Calibration of the calcite-water oxygen-isotope geothermometer at Devils Hole, Nevada, a natural laboratory

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
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Abstract

The ??18O of ground water (-13.54 ?? 0.05 ???) and inorganically precipitated Holocene vein calcite (+14.56 ?? 0.03 ???) from Devils Hole cave #2 in southcentral Nevada yield an oxygen isotopic fractionation factor between calcite and water at 33.7 ??C of 1.02849 ?? 0.00013 (1000 ln ??calcite-water = 28.09 ?? 0.13). Using the commonly accepted value of ???(??calcite-water)/???T of -0.00020 K-1, this corresponds to a 1000 ln ??calcite-water value at 25 ??C of 29.80, which differs substantially from the current accepted value of 28.3. Use of previously published oxygen isotopic fractionation factors would yield a calcite precipitation temperature in Devils Hole that is 8 ??C lower than the measured ground water temperature. Alternatively, previously published fractionation factors would yield a ??18O of water, from which the calcite precipitated, that is too negative by 1.5 ??? using a temperature of 33.7 ??C. Several lines of evidence indicate that the geochemical environment of Devils Hole has been remarkably constant for at least 10 ka. Accordingly, a re-evaluation of calcite-water oxygen isotopic fractionation factor may be in order. Assuming the Devils Hole oxygen isotopic value of ??calcite-water represents thermodynamic equilibrium, many marine carbonates are precipitated with a ??18O value that is too low, apparently due to a kinetic isotopic fractionation that preferentially enriches 16O in the solid carbonate over 18O, feigning oxygen isotopic equilibrium.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Calibration of the calcite-water oxygen-isotope geothermometer at Devils Hole, Nevada, a natural laboratory
Series title Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
DOI 10.1016/j.gca.2007.05.028
Volume 71
Issue 16
Year Published 2007
Language English
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
First page 3948
Last page 3957
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