Long-Term Performance and Bulk-Isotope Effects in Methane Clumped-Isotope Measurements Using a 253 Ultra HR-IRMS.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- 2Laboratory for Air Pollution/Environmental Technology, Empa, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- 3Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- 4Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- 5Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
- 6Earth-Life Science Institute, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract
Rationale
Changes in instrument condition over time may affect methane clumped-isotope measurements, requiring long-term monitoring of calibration performance. Whether the 253 Ultra calibration framework remains valid over multiyear operation and applicable across natural bulk-isotope compositions, particularly to low-δD methane with weak ¹²CH₂D₂ signals, has not been systematically evaluated.Methods
Long-term performance of the Science Tokyo 253 Ultra was evaluated from 2019 to 2026 using reference-gas zero tests, repeated working-gas measurements, and independently prepared equilibrated methane gases. Equilibrated gases with different δ¹³C and δD compositions were used to test for possible bulk-isotope dependence in Δ¹³CH₃D and Δ¹²CH₂D₂ measurements. External consistency was assessed using nine shared methane gases measured across seven laboratories with 253 Ultra HR-IRMS, Panorama HR-IRMS, and mid-infrared laser spectroscopy.Results
Reference and working gases showed no temporal drift, and equilibrated gases measured from 2021 to 2026 remained consistent with the calibration framework established in 2020. No systematic dependence of Δ¹³CH₃D or Δ¹²CH₂D₂ on either δ¹³C or δD was resolved, including for equilibrium gases with δD values as low as -335‰. Science Tokyo measurements were generally consistent with results from other laboratories across a wide range of bulk-isotope compositions and nonequilibrium clumped-isotope signatures.Conclusions
The calibration framework established for methane clumped-isotope measurements with the Science Tokyo 253 Ultra HR-IRMS remained stable and applicable over multiple analytical campaigns. Validation measurements and interlaboratory comparisons demonstrated consistent results across a broad range of methane bulk-isotope compositions, without the need for campaign-specific or additional bulk-isotope-dependent corrections, with δD values extending down to -335‰.
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BibTeX
@article{zhang2026longterm,
title = {{Long-Term Performance and Bulk-Isotope Effects in Methane Clumped-Isotope Measurements Using a 253 Ultra HR-IRMS.}},
author = {Naizhong Zhang and Alexis Gilbert and Mayuko Nakagawa and Jakub Surma and Jan G C Meissner and Joachim Mohn and Stefano M Bernasconi and Yuichiro Ueno and Naohiro Yoshida},
journal = {Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/rcm.70198},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42925022},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Long-Term Performance and Bulk-Isotope Effects in Methane Clumped-Isotope Measurements Using a 253 Ultra HR-IRMS.
AU - Naizhong Zhang
AU - Alexis Gilbert
AU - Mayuko Nakagawa
AU - Jakub Surma
AU - Jan G C Meissner
AU - Joachim Mohn
AU - Stefano M Bernasconi
AU - Yuichiro Ueno
AU - Naohiro Yoshida
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
DO - 10.1002/rcm.70198
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42925022
AB - Rationale Changes in instrument condition over time may affect methane clumped-isotope measurements, requiring long-term monitoring of calibration performance. Whether the 253 Ultra calibration framework remains valid over multiyear operation and applicable across natural bulk-isotope compositions, particularly to low-δD methane with weak ¹²CH₂D₂ signals, has not been systematically evaluated.Methods Long-term performance of the Science Tokyo 253 Ultra was evaluated from 2019 to 2026 using reference-gas zero tests, repeated working-gas measurements, and independently prepared equilibrated methane gases. Equilibrated gases with different δ¹³C and δD compositions were used to test for possible bulk-isotope dependence in Δ¹³CH₃D and Δ¹²CH₂D₂ measurements. External consistency was assessed using nine shared methane gases measured across seven laboratories with 253 Ultra HR-IRMS, Panorama HR-IRMS, and mid-infrared laser spectroscopy.Results Reference and working gases showed no temporal drift, and equilibrated gases measured from 2021 to 2026 remained consistent with the calibration framework established in 2020. No systematic dependence of Δ¹³CH₃D or Δ¹²CH₂D₂ on either δ¹³C or δD was resolved, including for equilibrium gases with δD values as low as -335‰. Science Tokyo measurements were generally consistent with results from other laboratories across a wide range of bulk-isotope compositions and nonequilibrium clumped-isotope signatures.Conclusions The calibration framework established for methane clumped-isotope measurements with the Science Tokyo 253 Ultra HR-IRMS remained stable and applicable over multiple analytical campaigns. Validation measurements and interlaboratory comparisons demonstrated consistent results across a broad range of methane bulk-isotope compositions, without the need for campaign-specific or additional bulk-isotope-dependent corrections, with δD values extending down to -335‰.
SN - 0951-4198
SN - 1097-0231
ER -