Calibration of the dual clumped isotope thermometer for carbonates

The Δ47 (paleo)thermometer has opened a new avenue to determine carbonate formation temperatures independent of the oxygen isotopic composition of the fluid from which the carbonate crystallized. A major limitation of this thermometer is related to kinetic effects if homogeneous isotopic equilibrium is not attained during carbonate precipitation. Dual clumped isotope thermometry – the high-precision analysis of Δ48 along with Δ47 in CO2 evolved from phosphoric acid digestion of carbonates – makes it possible to resolve temperature from the kinetic information recorded in an individual carbonate phase. Therefore, it provides a new opportunity to identify (bio)mineralization pathways and to determine carbonate formation temperatures devoid of a kinetic bias, based solely on isotopic analysis of a single carbonate phase.