FLIIMP - a community software for the processing, calibration, and reporting of liquid water isotope measurements on cavity-ring down spectrometers

Abstract

Precise and accurate measurements of the stable isotope composition from precipitation, land ice, runoff, and oceans provide critical information on Earth's water cycle. The analysis, post-processing, and calibration of raw analytical signals from laser spectrometers during sample analysis involves a number of critical procedures to counteract instrumental drift, inter-sample memory effects, and the quantification of total uncertainty. We present a new software tool for the post-processing and calibration named FLIIMP (FARLAB Liquid Water Isotope Measurement Processor). FLIIMP facilitates sample processing by (1) a graphical user interface that guides the user along the processing steps from corrections for memory effects, drift, and mixing ratio to calibration, and (2) allows to monitor long-term measurement system behaviour, currently for Picarro-brand water isotope analysers. Final data files are accompanied by a detailed calibration report. Being an open-source software for the major operating systems, users can adapt FLIIMP to their laboratory environment, and the community can contribute the software development.

• FLIIMP facilitates post-processing, calibration and reporting for stable water isotope liquid sample analysis.

• The stepwise, interactive graphical user interface reduces possibility of errors and shortens processing time.

• Open source software enables future development of FLIIMP by the user community.