Kinetic fractionation of the carbon isotopes13C and12C during transfer of CO2from air to seawater

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Abstract
Laboratory experiments have been performed to determine the kinetic fractionation between 13CO2 and 12CO2 as CO2 invades seawater. Knowledge of this fractionation, which is regulated by physical and chemical processes in the ocean boundary layer, is important for ocean-atmosphere models which use 13CO2 as a tracer. Until now, only theoretical calculations have been performed to determine this fractionation. The experimental results give a fractionation of -2.4 .+-. 2.0.permill. while the calculated value for invasion is -2.1 .+-. 0.3.permill. (i.e. 13CO2 invading slower). The results show that the fractionation of CO2 during invasion into a hydroxide solution (-14.permill.) is clearly too high as a value for invasion into seawater and should no longer be used as an upper limit in CO2 models.