ONLINE 13C AND 14C GAS MEASUREMENTS BY EA-IRMS-AMS AT ETH ZURICH

Studies using carbon isotopes to understand the global carbon cycle are critical to identify and quantify sources, sinks, and processes and how humans may impact them. C-13 and C-14 are routinely measured individually; however, there is a need to develop instrumentation that can perform concurrent online analyses that can generate rich data sets conveniently and efficiently. To satisfy these requirements, we coupled an elemental analyzer to a stable isotope mass spectrometer and an accelerator mass spectrometer system fitted with a gas ion source. We first tested the system with standard materials and then reanalyzed a sediment core from the Bay of Bengal that had been analyzed for C-14 by conventional methods. The system was able to produce %C, C-13, and C-14 data that were accurate and precise, and suitable for the purposes of our biogeochemistry group. The system was compact and convenient and is appropriate for use in a range of fields of research.