Triple Oxygen Isotope Paleoaltimetry of Crystalline Rocks

Triple oxygen isotopes of hydrothermally altered minerals from crystalline rocks can be used to determine past elevations of mountain ranges. This method uses all three isotopes of oxygen (O-16, O-17, and O-18) to create arrays that can be extrapolated back to the meteoric water line. One advantage of this technique is that it relies only on oxygen isotopes in contrast to previous studies that use oxygen and hydrogen isotopes to determine the isotopic composition of meteoric waters. Our analysis suggests that hydrogen isotopes may exchange with ambient fluids. Triple oxygen isotopes provide an independent check on the reliability of hydrogen isotope studies.

Automated summary

Triple oxygen isotopes of hydrothermally altered minerals from crystalline rocks can help determine past elevations of mountain ranges by creating arrays that can be traced back to the meteoric water line. This method offers an advantage by relying solely on oxygen isotopes, providing an independent check on the reliability of hydrogen isotope studies used in previous research.