Sulfur isotope ratios of coals and oils used in China and Japan

Abstract

Sulfur isotope ratio (δ 34S) was measured for coals and oils used in northern China, eastern Russia and Japan. The δ 34S values of northern Chinese coals and Russian coals are 7.7 ± 11.4% (about 5 % in median) and 4.5±4.8% in average, which are higher than those reported for coals in southern China. This suggests the difference of coal forming processes between northern China, eastern Russia and southern China. Oils (main fuel in Japan) show low δ 34S values that are very different from those of Chinese and Russian coals. These differences in sulfur isotope ratios are reflected to the seasonal variation of sulfur isotope ratios of rain and aerosol in the Japan Sea side of Japan.