oxygen-16
Common oxygen isotope
Oxygen-16 is the most common isotope of oxygen, containing eight protons and eight neutrons.
It makes up about 99.76% of naturally occurring oxygen.
The ratio of oxygen-16 to oxygen-18 in ice cores and sediments serves as a key indicator of past climate conditions.
geochemistry
Past geological climate conditions
- ice coresCylindrical glacier samples
- ocean temperatureThermal state of seawater
- glacial cyclesRepeating planetary cooling periods
- carbonateAdd dissolved gas
isotope
Protons and neutrons combined
- nucleonProton or neutron
- protonPositive nuclear particle
- neutronUncharged nuclear particle
- atomic massWeighted average of isotopes
nucleosynthesis
Exploding massive star
- nuclear reactionAtoms changing their cores
- red giantAged star with cooled, expanded envelope
- main sequenceStable stellar burning phase
paleoclimate
Past geological climate conditions
- ice coresCylindrical glacier samples
- ocean temperatureThermal state of seawater
- glacial cyclesRepeating planetary cooling periods
mass number
Protons and neutrons combined
supernova
Exploding massive star
- nuclear reactionAtoms changing their cores
- red giantAged star with cooled, expanded envelope
- main sequenceStable stellar burning phase
biosynthesis
Living production of molecules
- cellular respirationCell-level fuel burning
- Chalcogen Isotopes
- isotope hydrologytritium, deuterium, carbon-14, radioactive tracers, radiometric dating
- Isotopescarbon-12, carbon-13, carbon-14, hydrogen-1, helium-3