SIL Stable Isotope Laboratory for Earth and Planetary Systems Academia Sinica

Scientific program 03

Earth system processes

Applying isotope constraints to carbon cycling, biosphere productivity, hydrology, geochemistry, paleoclimate, and interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.

Program overview

Scientific rationale

A central laboratory direction uses atmospheric CO₂ isotopologues—especially triple oxygen isotopes—to obtain an independent constraint on the strengths and timescales of carbon-cycle processes.

Additional work addresses modern water-vapor and precipitation isotope monitoring, environmental nitrate, water–rock interaction, geological materials, and the long-term oxygen-isotope budget of Earth's hydrosphere.

Research questions

Questions guiding the program

  1. What can atmospheric CO₂ Δ¹⁷O reveal about global gross primary production and recycling timescales?
  2. How do hydrological microphysics and vapor–rain interaction shape water-isotope signals?
  3. How are hydrosphere–lithosphere interactions recorded in geological materials?
  4. How can modern process studies improve interpretation of paleoclimate archives?

Selected publications

Starting points in the literature

Browse publications by theme →
SelectedScientific Reports · 2017

Oxygen isotope anomaly in tropospheric CO2 and implications for CO2 residence time in the atmosphere and gross primary productivity

PI-led study linking atmospheric isotope anomalies to carbon cycling.

Find in publication directory →
SelectedScientific Reports · 2023

New constraints of terrestrial and oceanic global gross primary productions from the triple oxygen isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 and O2

PI-led global GPP analysis.

Find in publication directory →
SelectedJournal of Hydrology · 2014

Stable isotopic composition of near surface atmospheric water vapor and rain–vapor interaction in Taipei, Taiwan

Selected collaborative work on modern hydrological cycling.

Find in publication directory →
SelectedChemical Geology · 2023

Triple oxygen isotopes in intertrappean fossil woods: Evidence of higher tropical rainfall during Deccan volcanism

Selected application to geological and paleoclimate questions.

Find in publication directory →

Resources

Data and methods will be linked as they are prepared for public release.

Data roadmapMethods roadmap