New constraints on the Eastern Mediterranean δ 18 O: δ D relationship

Previous work on oxygen and hydrogen isotope data from Eastern Mediterranean water samples has defined a mixing relationship in this region that is different from the world surface ocean. This prompted speculations about the hydrological processes in the Mediterranean region. We present new δ 18 O and δ D data from the Eastern Mediterranean region and the East Greenland Current system, spanning a wide salinity range. These data define δ 18 O: δ D relationships for both regions that are consistent with the world surface ocean δ 18 O: δ D relationship, despite the highly evaporative conditions that prevail in the Mediterranean region. These new geochemical data have suggested that the world surface ocean &delta 18 O: δ D relationship holds throughout almost the entire global salinity range.

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