Isotope Geology

Isotope Geology is the offspring of geology on one hand and of the concepts and methods of nuclear physics on the other. Initially referred to as “nuclear geology,” then “isotope geochemistry,” and finally embraced the name “isotope geology.” This preference arises from its foundation in measuring and interpreting isotopic compositions within natural systems.  Variations in these isotope compositions yield useful information for the geological sciences (in the broad sense).

The first breakthrough for isotope geology was the age determination of rocks and minerals, which at a stroke transformed geology into a quantitative science .Next came the measurement of past temperatures and the birth of paleoclimatology. Then horizons broadened with the emergence of the concept of isotopic tracers to encompass not only questions of the Earth’s structures and internal dynamics, of erosion, and of the transport of material, but also problems of Cosmo chemistry, including those relating to the origins of the chemical elements. And so isotope geology has not only extended across the entire domain of the earth sciences but has also expanded that domain, opening up many new areas, from astrophysics to environmental studies.

Isotope Geology BooK

Is designed to provide an introduction to the methods, techniques, and main findings of isotope geology. The general character of the subject defies its potential readership: final-year undergraduates and postgraduates in the earth sciences (or environmental sciences), geologists, geophysicists, or climatologists wanting an overview of the field. This is an educational textbook. To my mind, an educational textbook must set out its subject matter and explain it, but it must also involve readers in the various stages in the reasoning. One cannot understand the development and the spirit of a science passively. The reader must be active. This book therefore makes constant use of questions, exercises, and problems. I have sought to write a book on isotope geology in the vein of Turcotte and Schubert’s Geodynamics (Cambridge University Press) or Arthur Beiser’s Concepts of Modern Physics (McGraw-Hill), which to my mind are exemplary.

Radiogenic and stable isotopes are used widely in the earth sciences to determine the ages of rocks, meteorites and archeological objects, and as tracers to understand geological and environmental processes. Isotope methods determine the age of the Earth, help reconstruct the climate of the past, and explain the formation of the chemical elements in the Universe. This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to both radiogenic and stable isotope techniques. An understanding of the basic principles of isotope geology is important in a wide range of the sciences: geology, astronomy, paleontology, geophysics, climatology, archeology, and others. Written by one of the world’s most respected and best-known geochemists, this full color textbook will be invaluable for all undergraduate and graduate courses on the topic, and is an excellent reference text for scientists. There are problems at the end of each chapter, with password-protected solutions available to instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521862288.