Oxygen isotope analysis is an analytical method that quantifies the relative abundances of oxygen isotopes, typically ¹⁸O/¹⁶O (reported as δ¹⁸O), in materials such as carbonates, silicates, phosphates, water, or organic matter to infer formation conditions and processes. Samples are prepared by chemical conversion (e.g., acid digestion of carbonates, fluorination of silicates, equilibration of water) to produce gas (CO₂, O₂) analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry or laser-based spectrometers. The measured isotopic ratios, calibrated against international standards, are used to reconstruct paleotemperatures, hydrological cycles, diagenetic histories, and other physico-chemical parameters governed by equilibrium or kinetic isotope fractionation.
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