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Environmental geochemistry of calcium isotopes: Applications of a new stable isotope approach

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Abstract

This paper summarizes isotope fractionation mechanism, analytical method and applications in environmental geochemistry of calcium isotopes. Calcium isotopic composition can be used to constrain material sources and study geological and environmental processes as the isotopic composition of calcium (δ44Ca) and fractionation processes depend on geochemical circumstances in nature. Recently, thanks to current advances in analytical technology of calcium isotopes, calcium isotopes are broadly used in biological and geochemical studies, such as the mechanism of plants imbibing nutrients through their roots, calcium transport in the environmental ecosystem, calcium cycle in oceans and paleo-oceans and paleo-climate. The elementary data show that δ44Ca values vary from −2.88‰ to 0.92‰ in natural samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550002, Guiyang, China

    Liu Zhanmin, Liu Congqiang, Han Guilin, Wang Zhongliang, Xue Zichen, Song Zhaoliang & Yang Cheng

  2. Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100039, Beijing, China

    Liu Zhanmin, Xue Zichen, Song Zhaoliang & Yang Cheng

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  1. Liu Zhanmin
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This paper was supported financially by the Important Research Orientation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX3-SW-140).

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Liu, Z., Liu, C., Han, G. et al. Environmental geochemistry of calcium isotopes: Applications of a new stable isotope approach. Chin. J. Geochem. 25, 184–194 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02872181

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