Comparability of radiocarbon measurements in dissolved inorganic carbon of seawater produced at ETH-Zurich
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Radiocarbon observations (Δ14C) in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of seawater provide useful information about ocean carbon cycling and ocean circulation. To deliver high-quality observations, the Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics (LIP) at ETH-Zurich developed a new simplified method allowing the rapid analysis of radiocarbon in DIC of small seawater samples, which is continually assessed by following internal quality controls. However, a comparison with externally produced 14C measurements to better establish an equivalency between methods was still missing. Here, we make the first intercomparison with the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (NOSAMS) facility based on 14 duplicate seawater samples collected in 2020. We also compare with prior deep-water observations from the 1970s to 1990s. The results show a very good agreement in both comparisons. The mean Δ14C of 12 duplicate samples measured by LIP and NOSAMS were statistically identical within one sigma uncertainty while two other duplicate samples agreed within two sigma. Based on this small number of duplicate samples, LIP values appear to be slightly lower than the NOSAMS values, but more measurements will be needed for confirmation. We also comment on storage and preservation techniques used in this study, including the freezing of samples collected in foil bags.
Date Issued
2024-10-01
Date Acceptance
2023-03-01
Citation
Radiocarbon: an international journal of cosmogenic isotope research, 2024, 66 (5), pp.1054-1063
ISSN
0033-8222
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Start Page
1054
End Page
1063
Journal / Book Title
Radiocarbon: an international journal of cosmogenic isotope research
Volume
66
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press for the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000948663400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
C-14
comparison
DIC
dissolved inorganic carbon
Geochemistry & Geophysics
NORTH
Physical Sciences
radiocarbon
Science & Technology
seawater
SURFACE
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2023-03-13