Stable Isotope Studies of the Water Cycle and Terrestrial Environments
© Geological Society of London
Stable isotope studies have become an invaluable tool in Earth science. They offer unique insights into the element composition and chemical mechanisms that influence the nature of water. In turn, analysis of isotopes in water or dissolved constituents allows for tracking of the reactions that modify water chemistry and the ability of an ecosystem to generate or attenuate chemicals.
In this volume, the editors have brought together a series of papers that are focused on the use of stable isotopes to understand major controls on the water cycle and the interaction of gases and solids with water. The papers range from empirical studies through to the application of isotope ratios in the natural environment. A range of case studies aid comprehension of these changes in the context of mining, climate, geological processes and interaction with biologically mediated materials. The broad range of interdisciplinary applications from geochemistry, geology, pedology and climate studies are unlikely to have been achieved in a single journal, so this alone underscores the value of the publication.
The book is divided into two sections, both using clumped and stable isotopes (including deuterium, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and sulphur) in various situations. The first part is devoted to water studies focusing on the distribution of isotopes in precipitation, groundwater, lakes, rivers, springs, tap water and mine water, alongside their relationship with terrestrial environments at regional to continental scale.
By contrast, the second part presents case studies from a vast array of global environmental settings, from cave deposits (stalagmites and bat guano) and animal skeletons (dinosaurs, alligators, turtles and bivalves), to palaeosols and present-day soils, as well as the formation of sedimentary carbonates. The use of isotopes in these studies is focused on understanding the interaction between the surficial water cycle and underground water storage, with deposits acting as a geological archive of processes from the Early Cretaceous through to modern times, preserving the impact of climatic and environmental changes. Given the wide-ranging application of stable isotopes, this is an essential book for all researchers and students wishing to apply such techniques, and a useful resource for academic libraries.
Reviewed by Rob Bowell
DETAILS
By: A.-V. Bojar et al. (Eds., 2021), Geological Society of London, 351 pp. (hbk)
ISBN: 9781786204974
Price: £100 www.lyellcollection.org
