Measuring stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in ice by means of laser spectrometry:The Bolling transition in the Dye-3 (south Greenland) ice core

• Published in: Annals of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Trigt, R. van, Meijer, H.A.J., Sveinbjornsdottir, A.E., Johnsen, S.J., Kerstel, E.R.Th.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: DEUTERIUM EXCESS; CLIMATE; OCEAN; WATER; TEMPERATURE; Greenland; Annals of Glaciology; Dye 3; Dye-3; Greenland ice core; ice core
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11370/9dc681f0-83b7-4dd3-bcfb-dda3af03f681; https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/9dc681f0-83b7-4dd3-bcfb-dda3af03f681; https://doi.org/10.3189/172756402781816906; https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/61440625/Measuring_stable_isotopes_of_hydrogen_and_oxygen_in_ice_by_means_of_laser_spectrometry.pdf

We report on the first application of a new technique in ice-core research, based on direct absorption infrared laser spectrometry (LS), for measuring H-2 O-17 and O-18 isotope ratios. The data are used to calculate the deuterium excess d (defined as delta(2)H - 8delta(18)O) for a section of the Dye-3 (south Greenland) deep ice core around the Bolling transition (14 500 BP). The precision of LS is slightly better than that of most traditional methods for deuterium, but not for the oxygen isotopes. The ability to measure delta(17)O is new and is used here to improve the precision of the delta(18)O determination. Still, the final precision for delta(18)O remains inferior to traditional isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Therefore, deuterium excess was calculated from a combination of the LS and IRMS isotope determinations.