Isotope fractionation

A change in the proportions of isotopes of the same element during a physical, chemical or biological process. Light isotopes react slightly faster and partition differently between phases: this is the fingerprint the atlas uses to trace sources and processes.

Composition

Expressed in delta notation (δ), in per mil (‰) relative to a standard; the difference between two phases is written Δ or ε.

Sources

In the atlas

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