MINERALOGY BASIC CONCEPTS (ISOTOPES) Flashcards
Technique used to determine Isotope Ratios
Mass Spectrometry
Application of Isotope Studies
1) Source of Rock Studies
2) Origin of Water
3) Source Rocks for PetGeol
4) Changes in Ocean water Temp, Biological productivity and circulation
5) History of ice age glacial expansions and Contractions
6) Timing of Orogenies involving intrusions and metamorphisms
Contain nuclei that do not tend to change spontaneously and their nuclear configurations remain constant over time
Stable Isotopes
What are the stable isotopes of Oxygen?
Oxygen-18, Oxygen-17, Oxygen-16
What is the atomic number of Oxygen?
8
Relative proportion of Oxygen Isotopes on Earth
O16 99.7%
O18 0.2%
O17 Rare
What oxygen isotope ratio gives info on earth’s history
O18/O16
What is the isotopic signature of the atmosphere during evaporation
enriched with O16 (low O18/O16 ratio)
What is the isotopic signature of seawater during evaporation
enriched with O18 (High O18/O16 ratio)
Why?
MAS PREFERENTIALLY NAGEEVAPORATE SI O16 since it is lighter
What is the implication of GLACIAL EXPANSION in O18 and O16?
O16 which has more affinity to the atmosphere will be trapped in Glacial Ice and thus making Sea water saturated with O18
Whats the working principle on Glaciation and Oxygen Isotope?
MAXIMUM GLACIAL PERIOD = PEAKS of O18 in Marine Sediments
Unit of O18/O16 ratio
part per thousands (mils)
A period where there was an unusually warm period and unusually high evaporation leading to high O18/O16 ratio on marine seds
Cretaceous
The standard in for Carbon Isotope study
Cretaceous Pee Dee Belemnite
Naturally Occuring Isotopes of Carbon
Carbon-12, Carbon-13, Carbon-14 (Radioactive)
Atomic Number of Carbon
6
Relative abundance of Carbon Isotopes on Earth
Carbon-12 98.9%
Carbon-13 1.1%
What carbon isotoped is preferentially utilized by orgamism to synthesize organic molecules?
C12 (low C13/C12)
What carbon isotope is preferentially concentrated in the water column
C13 (High C13/C12)
When sediments have enriched with C13/C12 is implies that the water column is enriched with C13
Stagnant Circulation in the Oceans
Information or application of C13/C12
Global Ocean Circulation
Eveolution of New Group and Extinction of Old Groups
A period of warming that exist in the boundary of Paleocene and Eocene
Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
What happens during PETM
emergence and rapid radiation of mamals
extinciton of deep sea benthic forams
What may have caused PETM
Melting of clathrates - Frozen water which contain methane, methano and another trapped organic carbon molecule
Isotopes with unstable nuclei whose nuclear configuration tends to be spontaneously transformed
Radioactive Isotopes
Spontaneous transformation of Nuclear Configuration of an isotope
Radioactive Decay
The Isotope with unstable nucleus
Parent Isotope
Product of spontaneous transformation
Daugther Isotope