The oxygen isotope composition of San Carlos olivine on the VSMOW2-SLAP2 scale

Abstract

RATIONALE: The precise determination of Delta'O-17 values in terrestrial material is becoming increasingly important to understand the mass-dependent fractionation processes that cause variations in oxygen isotope ratios. San Carlos olivine is widely used as the reference material for oxygen isotope measurements of terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials. We report new Delta'O-17 values for San Carlos olivine that were independently determined in two different laboratories (Geoscience Center [GZG], University of Gottingen) and Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior [ISEI], Okayama University, Misasa) in direct comparison with VSMOW2 and SLAP2 water standards. METHODS: The delta O-17 and delta O-18 values of VSMOW2, SLAP2, GISP, and San Carlos olivine were determined relative to reference gas. In both laboratories, water and San Carlos olivine samples were prepared by BrF5 fluorination. In both laboratories, the O-2 released from water and olivine samples was passed through the same purification system and measured using the same mass spectrometer relative to the same reference gas. RESULTS: In both laboratories, the delta O-17(VSMOW2) and delta O-18 (VSMOW2) scales were slightly compressed with respect to the recommended composition of VSMOW2 and SLAP2. The new Delta'O-17(0.528) value (calculated from the VSMOW2-SLAP2 scaled 6 values) of San Carlos olivine from GZG was -36 +/- 9 ppm and, from ISEI, a value of -40 +/- 7 ppm (1(7 standard deviation) was determined. These values are similar to 50 ppm higher than previously reported from the same laboratories. Possible causes for the observed discrepancies are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study in comparison with previous data from the same laboratories demonstrated that for high accuracy determination of Delta'O-17 values: (i) calibration of the reference gas relative to O-2 released from primary standards (VSMOW2, SLAP2) in the same laboratory is highly recommended, (ii) non-linearity of the mass spectrometer may not only affect delta O-17 and delta O-18 values but also Delta'O-17 values, and (iii) the VSMOW2-SLAP2 scaling should also be applied to analyses of rocks and minerals. Studies that are concerned with small differences in Delta'O-17 at similar delta O-18 values, however, are not affected by non-linearity of the mass spectrometer. Copyright (C) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.