Precise and accurate δ13C analysis of rock samples using Flash Combustion–Cavity Ring Down Laser Spectroscopy

David Morten Balslev-Clausen; Tais W. Dahl; Nabil Saad; Minik Thorleif Rosing

doi:10.1039/C2JA30240C

Precise and accurate δ¹³C analysis of rock samples using Flash Combustion–Cavity Ring Down Laser Spectroscopy

David Morten Balslev-Clausen, Tais W. Dahl, Nabil Saad, Minik Thorleif Rosing

Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The ratio of ¹³C to ¹²C in marine sedimentary rocks holds important clues to the evolution of the carbon cycle through Earth history. Isotopic analyses are traditionally carried out using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), but this technique is labor-intensive, expensive and requires expert know-how. Here, we measure ¹³C/¹²C in natural sedimentary samples using Combustion Module-Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CM-CRDS) with an average precision and a standard reproducibility of 0.05% and 0.2% (1 sd, n = 17), respectively. The accuracy of the technique was determined from certified reference compounds to be <0.3%. This is comparable to the performance using routine laboratory mass spectrometry <0.11% (1σ). We report data from a Cambrian succession of organic-rich shales straddling a positive δ¹³C_org excursion of 2%. We conclude that the optical determination of bulk organic δ¹³C provides a high performance alternative to routine laboratory mass spectrometry and is applicable for geochemical analyses.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry
Volume	28
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	516-523
Number of pages	8
ISSN	0267-9477
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/C2JA30240C
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2013

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10.1039/C2JA30240C

Cite this

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title = "Precise and accurate δ13C analysis of rock samples using Flash Combustion–Cavity Ring Down Laser Spectroscopy",

abstract = "The ratio of 13C to 12C in marine sedimentary rocks holds important clues to the evolution of the carbon cycle through Earth history. Isotopic analyses are traditionally carried out using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), but this technique is labor-intensive, expensive and requires expert know-how. Here, we measure 13C/12C in natural sedimentary samples using Combustion Module-Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CM-CRDS) with an average precision and a standard reproducibility of 0.05% and 0.2% (1 sd, n = 17), respectively. The accuracy of the technique was determined from certified reference compounds to be <0.3%. This is comparable to the performance using routine laboratory mass spectrometry <0.11% (1σ). We report data from a Cambrian succession of organic-rich shales straddling a positive δ13Corg excursion of 2%. We conclude that the optical determination of bulk organic δ13C provides a high performance alternative to routine laboratory mass spectrometry and is applicable for geochemical analyses.",

author = "Balslev-Clausen, {David Morten} and Dahl, {Tais W.} and Nabil Saad and Rosing, {Minik Thorleif}",

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doi = "10.1039/C2JA30240C",

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T1 - Precise and accurate δ13C analysis of rock samples using Flash Combustion–Cavity Ring Down Laser Spectroscopy

AU - Balslev-Clausen, David Morten

AU - Dahl, Tais W.

AU - Saad, Nabil

AU - Rosing, Minik Thorleif

PY - 2013/4/1

Y1 - 2013/4/1

N2 - The ratio of 13C to 12C in marine sedimentary rocks holds important clues to the evolution of the carbon cycle through Earth history. Isotopic analyses are traditionally carried out using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), but this technique is labor-intensive, expensive and requires expert know-how. Here, we measure 13C/12C in natural sedimentary samples using Combustion Module-Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CM-CRDS) with an average precision and a standard reproducibility of 0.05% and 0.2% (1 sd, n = 17), respectively. The accuracy of the technique was determined from certified reference compounds to be <0.3%. This is comparable to the performance using routine laboratory mass spectrometry <0.11% (1σ). We report data from a Cambrian succession of organic-rich shales straddling a positive δ13Corg excursion of 2%. We conclude that the optical determination of bulk organic δ13C provides a high performance alternative to routine laboratory mass spectrometry and is applicable for geochemical analyses.

AB - The ratio of 13C to 12C in marine sedimentary rocks holds important clues to the evolution of the carbon cycle through Earth history. Isotopic analyses are traditionally carried out using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), but this technique is labor-intensive, expensive and requires expert know-how. Here, we measure 13C/12C in natural sedimentary samples using Combustion Module-Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CM-CRDS) with an average precision and a standard reproducibility of 0.05% and 0.2% (1 sd, n = 17), respectively. The accuracy of the technique was determined from certified reference compounds to be <0.3%. This is comparable to the performance using routine laboratory mass spectrometry <0.11% (1σ). We report data from a Cambrian succession of organic-rich shales straddling a positive δ13Corg excursion of 2%. We conclude that the optical determination of bulk organic δ13C provides a high performance alternative to routine laboratory mass spectrometry and is applicable for geochemical analyses.

U2 - 10.1039/C2JA30240C

DO - 10.1039/C2JA30240C

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VL - 28

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JO - Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry

JF - Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry

IS - 4