Exchange of Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotopes Between Water and Water Vapor: Experimental Results
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UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-1993 Exchange of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes between water and water vapor: Experimental results Michael Willem Slattery University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Slattery, Michael Willem, "Exchange of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes between water and water vapor: Experimental results" (1993). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 295. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/z6nr-dvzi This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. 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Ann Arbor, MI 48106 EXCHANGE OF OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN ISOTOPES BETWEEN WATER AND WATER VAPOR: EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS by Michael Willem Slattery A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geoscience Department of Geoscience University of Nevada, Las Vegas M ay 1993 The thesis of Michael Willem Slattery for the degree of Master of Science in Geoscience is approved. L . X Chairperson, Neil L. Ingraham, Ph.D. ining Committee Member, John W. Hess, Ph.D. ’Examining Committee Member, David Kreamer, Ph.D. 1/ m LAZZ G radual Faculty Representative* Spencer St4i*fe/erg, Ph.D Graduate Dean, Ronald W. Smith, Ph.D. University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 1993 i i A b stra ct The exchange of 818 0 , S D , and tritium between water and water vapor was investigated with two experimental methods. The first was quiescent equili bration of water samples having widely contrasting isotopic compositions, surface areas, volumes, and temperatures, but similar salinities. The transfer of water was quantified with an exchange coefficient k , as identified by [Criss, Gregory and Taylor, 1987] for water and minerals in a closed heterogeneous system. Rates of exchange depended on surface area and vapor pressure, while the end-point equilibrium was controlled by volume and isotopic composition of the exchanging waters. Over a 76 day period, shifts as large as 12.8 °/0o <518 0 and 60 %o <*> D were observed for two exchanging waters with initial volumes of 475 ml, identical sur face areas, and initial isotopic differences of 13.4 %o oxygen and 71 °/0o deuterium. One water, with initial tritium activity of 95,077 TU, underwent a reduction of 60,000 TU. Values of k ranged from 0.09 to 0.19 cm/day at 22 °C and from 0.86 to 0.92 cm/day at 52 °C . The second method involved sparging 30 1 of tritiated water (5,000 and 630,000 TU) with a constant 15 1/min flux of water-saturated air (TU <10). Half of the tri tium was exchanged into the vapor effluent over 40 days; itranged from 0.025/day to 0.030/day. Equilibration with 630,000 TU was observed over a bubble path of 20 cm, suggesting an alternative method of tritium remediation. The value of k for 180 / 160, D/H, and 3H was found to be the same for each trial using both experimental methods. The process of isotopic exchange with the atmosphere is argued to occur in the hydrologic cycle, and as an example a 40 °/00 discrepancy in 6 D between the observed isotope composition of Pyramid Lake, Nevada (-35 %o $ D ) and the value calculated assuming a perfectly terminal lake (+5 %o S D ) is suggested to be caused by isotopic exchange. Table of Contents A B S T R A C T ........................................................................................................................ iii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... ix ACKOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ x INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 Isotopes in H ydrology .......................................................................................... 9 Stable Isotopes .................................................................................... 10 T r itiu m .................................................................................................... 12 Fractionation ................................................................................ 13 Theory of Isotope Exchange .................................................................. 15 Bubble-mediated isotope exchange ...................................................... 22 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 31 Box Experiments .......................................................................................... 31 Equipm ent .................................................................................................... 32 Sam pling ........................................................................................................ 33 Procedures .................................................................................................... 35 Bubble-Mediated Exchange .................................................................... 39 Equipm ent .................................................................................................... 40 Sam pling ........................................................................................................ 43 Procedures .................................................................................................... 45 Bubble parameters ...................................................................... 46 R E S U L T S .......................................................................................................................... 48 Box Experiments .......................................................................................... 48 Experiment 1 ................................................................................................ 48 Experim ent 2 ................................................................................................ 52 Experiment 3 ................................................................................................ 61 Experim ent 4 ................................................................................................ 63 Experiment 5 ................................................................................................ 65 Bubble Mediated Exchange .................................................................... 68 Isotopic Results .......................................................................................... 69 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................. 76 Box Experiments .......................................................................................... 76 Rate Constant Summary .............................................................................87 Bubble-Mediated Exchange .......................................................................94 APPLICATION TO HYDROLOGY AND FUTURE RESEARCH .................................................................................. 99 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................................................................