Abstract
A mathematical formalism is presented that, based on the relative proportions of the 18O/ 16O-distinctive CO 2 species C 16O 2, C 16O 18O, and C 18O 2 in a given CO 2 pool, allows the calculation of 18O/ 16O ratios for the two different oxygen positions in the CO 2 molecules of this particular pool. The quantities of the isotopically distinctive CO 2 species can be determined as mass peak intensities 44 I (for C 16O 2), 46 I (for C 16O 18O), and 48 I (for C 18O 2) by suitable adaptations of conventional mass spectrometric techniques. The δ 18 O ( 1,2) values obtained for each of the above positions furnish information as to either a probabilistic (“homogeneous”; with δ 18 O ( 1) = δ 18 O ( 2) ) or a nonprobabilistic (“nonhomogeneous”) 18O/ 16O distribution (with δ 18 O ( 1) ≠ δ 18 O ( 2) ) in the respective CO 2 pool. Using δ 18 O ( 1,2) , we may consequently obtain information pertaining to the oxygen sources of the CO 2 molecules in the pool as well as to reservoir changes reflected by differential diffusion rates of the isotopically distinctive CO 2 species that have left and entered the reservoir. This approach may become potentially important for an assessment of the sources and the reservoir dynamics of the atmospheric CO 2 pool. Keywords: Carbon dioxide; oxygen isotopes; isotope variation measurements; mathematical modeling
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