Use of Natural Variations in Silicon Isotopes to Study the Cycling of Biogenic Silica

现有的少量数据表明，硅同位素在海洋硅藻生产蛋白石的过程中被分馏。硅同位素比率的变化将用于研究海洋中的硅藻生产和硅循环。将使用基于激光的系统来确定无机和生物成因含硅相中的硅同位素比率，通过确定利用南极和温度硅藻种培养物的硅生物矿化和溶解的分馏因素来评估该方法的实用性。

The few available data suggest that silicon isotopes are fractionated during the production of opal by marine diatoms. Variations in silicon isotope ratios will be used to study diatom production and silica cycling in the ocean. A laser-based system will be used for determining silicon isotope ratios in inorganic and biogenic silicon-bearing phases to evaluate the utility of this approach by determining the fractionation factors for silica biomineralization and dissolution using cultures of Antarctic and temperature diatom species.