Oxygen isotope systematics in the aragonite–CO2–H2O–NaCl system up to 0.7mol/kg ionic strength at 25°C

To investigate the oxygen isotope systematics in the aragonite–CO2–H2O–NaCl system, witherite (BaCO3) was precipitated quasi-instantaneously and quantitatively from Na–Cl–Ba–CO2 solutions of seawater-like ionic strength (I=0.7mol/kg) at two pH values (∼7.9 and ∼10.6) at 25°C. The oxygen isotope composition of the witherite and the dissolved inorganic carbon speciation in the starting solution were used to estimate the oxygen isotope fractionations between HCO3− and H2O as well as between CO32− and H2O. Given the analytical error on the oxygen isotope composition of the witherite and uncertainties of the parent solution pH and speciation, oxygen isotope fractionation between NaHCO3° and HCO3−, as well as between NaCO3− and CO32−, is negligible under the experimental conditions investigated.The influence of dissolved NaCl concentration on the oxygen isotope fractionation in the aragonite–CO2–H2O–NaCl system was also investigated at 25°C. Aragonite was precipitated from Na–Cl–Ca–Mg–(B)–CO2 solutions of seawater-like ionic strength using passive CO2 degassing or constant addition methods. Based upon our new experimental observations and published experimental data from lower ionic strength solutions by Kim et al. (2007b), the equilibrium aragonite–water oxygen isotope fractionation factor is independent of the ionic strength of the parent solution up to 0.7mol/kg. Hence, our study also suggests that the aragonite precipitation mechanism is not affected by the presence of sodium and chloride ions in the parent solution over the range of concentrations investigated.