Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water
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The official international reference water used for isotope and temperature calibration.
Why it's here
Placed in Assess: 1 article(s) of evidence from 1 source(s), led by research-stage coverage, with 1 in the last 30 days. Confidence 24%. Low accumulated evidence, so it defaults conservatively pending more signal.
Evidence (1)
- 3Hacker News·7/31/2026researchThe official water standard costs $120,000 a gallon
The article explains how subtle differences in hydrogen and oxygen isotopes affect water's physical properties, including freezing and triple-point temperatures. It highlights Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) as the official international reference water used in metrology and notes that its limited supply makes it extremely expensive.