Water: Dating & Isotopic Analyses
Water’s continuous movement and flow of water across landscapes contribute
to and provide important clues into the intricacies of biogeochemical cycles
at various spatial and temporal scales.
Limestone: Dating & Isotopic Analyses
Limestone is a granular sedimentary rock predominantly composed of
calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which commonly forms along shallow ocean
water beds from fossilized shells and exoskeletons of marine organisms.
Gypsum: Isotopes & Dating
Gypsum is a relatively soft and common mineral made up of hydrous
calcium sulfate (CaSO4-2H2O). Whilst pure gypsum crystals are transparent
(often with a pearly or vitreous luster), they can appear opaque and colored
due to the inclusion of other materials (e.g. sand).
Provenancing Dust in Ice Core records using Isotopes
Ice core records are an important foundational archive for paleoclimatology. Through them scientists have reconstructed high resolution atmospheric CO2 and temperature records covering hundreds of thousands of years.
Free Webinar on Strontium + Boron in Hydrochemistry
Isobar’s webinar will focus on boron and strontium to identify isotopic variability in the hydrosphere, including identification of pollution sources.
Free Webinar on Marine Environments
Isobar Science and Beta Analytic invite researchers interested in isotopes and dating to view this FREE webinar: Isotopes & Dating in Marine Enviornments
Boron Isotopes as a Tracer for Oceanic CO2 and Ocean Acidification
Boron isotopes are predominately made up of two naturally occurring stable isotopes – 10B and 11B. In the biosphere, boron represents a trace element integrated into organisms, allowing one to reconstruct variability in δ11B over time.
Corals: A marine recorder of climate variability
Before a time series of climate variability can be developed, the coral growth bands must first be dated. Corals can be dated using radiocarbon dating, U-Th dating and/or Sr-Sr dating.
Geochemistry: Stable and Radioactive Isotopes
In geochemical research, stable and unstable isotopes are used to understand the chemistry behind natural processes. Isotopes are different forms of a single element, with differing numbers of neutrons within their nucleus, resulting in different atomic masses.
Analysing Water Samples
Stable and radioactive isotopes can be analysed in groundwater and surface water samples in order to assess the magnitude and origin of pollution, rate of pollution infiltration into the environment, and timing of water interactions with the atmosphere.