Natural Variability in Iron Stable Isotopes

Kump提出：1)测试一种新的方法(中子激活)来区分铁的许多稳定同位素，以及2)找出自然界中是否发生了足够的分馏，从而允许使用铁同位素来描述自然系统的历史。铁的同位素质量范围很广(54至58)，再加上它参与了微生物介导的反应、其他氧化还原反应、扩散、迁移和沉淀，这有力地表明同位素效应是可能的，它们的解释将有助于更好地理解在研究和环境评估中都很重要的自然过程。

Kump proposes: 1) to test a new approach (neutron activation) for distinguishing among the many stable isotopes of iron, and, 2) to find out whether enough fractionation occurs in nature to permit the use of iron isotopes to characterize the history of natural systems. The wide range of isotopic masses for iron (54 to 58), together with its involvement in microbially-mediated reactions, other redox reactions, diffusion, transport and precipitation, strongly suggest that isotopic effects are likely, and that their interpretation will lead to a better understanding of natural processes that are important both in research and in environmental assessment.