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Reference.org
Oxygen isotope ratio cycle
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<p>Oxygen isotope ratio cycles are cyclical variations in the ratio of the abundance of oxygen with an <a href="/facts/Atomic_mass/J1FJY9MV">atomic mass</a> of 18 to the abundance of oxygen with an atomic mass of 16 present in some substances, such as polar ice or <a href="/facts/Calcite/gKMHYQJo">calcite</a> in ocean <a href="/facts/Core_sample/rdmY2cMw">core samples</a>, measured with the <a href="/facts/Isotope_fractionation/QUJoofKt">isotope fractionation</a>. The ratio is linked to ancient <a href="/facts/Ocean_temperature/D9bNcRxX">ocean temperature</a> which in turn reflects ancient climate. Cycles in the ratio mirror <a href="/facts/Climate_variability_and_change/D3X6Ulbu">climate changes</a> in the <a href="/facts/Geological_history_of_Earth/Jx7ClmF4">geological history of Earth</a>. </p>