Overview

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.

Full Product Details

9780511809323

Table of Contents

Reviews

'I can rave about many ... aspects of this book. The most striking is Allegre's amazing ability to articulate concepts through simple and elegant figures and prose ... Allegre's book represents a long-awaited contribution, which complements those by Faure and Dickin... This book is accessible to all, not just geochemists, but also geophysicists.' Elements '... written by one of the most recognized and appreciated scientists in the field of geochemistry ... Allegre always stays in close connection with geological or cosmic processes, thus making a reader immediately aware of the relevance and significance of isotopes in earth and planetary sciences.' Robert Anczkiewicz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland 'A prospective buyer of Allegre's new book on Isotope Geology will immediately want to know if it might supplant the classic and long-time favorite of the similar title by Gunter Faure. While similar in coverage, many recent advances are only to be found in Allegre's more recent book. Importantly, Allegre's book utilizes a novel and very effective use of worked problems ... an extremely useful pedagogical approach. This textbook will be useful for a wide audience, from undergraduate generalists, to graduate students learning the nitty gritty tools of the trade, to senior practitioners such as myself who need a refresher in some forgotten arenas.' - Stanley R. Hart, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ' ... written by one of the leading geochemists for over four decades. No stone has been left unturned, whether it comes from the interior of the Earth, from the oceans, or from other planets. It is written in Allegre's unmistakable style, inordinately clear and sharp. Difficult concepts are presented without concession but are made accessible to a broad readership. A bridge between foundations and the cutting edge. A must-have for any classroom and personal library.' - Francis Albarede, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon 'This book, written by a most prominent geochemist, is an excellent book for anyone (from serious researchers to the upper-level undergraduate students) who wishes to learn the history, principles and applications of isotope geochemistry to geological problems.' - Hiroshi Ohmoto, Director of the Astrobiology Research Center, Penn State University 'This exceptionally detailed, comprehensive work translated from the original 2005 French edition will be an asset to many readers, given the ever-increasing use of isotopes in the geosciences. ... Geochemist Allegre (Institut de Physicque du Globe de Paris, who has designed the book based on years of thoughtful teaching of the subject, offers and enthusiastically written text ... Allegre provides numerous vignettes on the history of isotope geology, illustrates important concepts through landmark case studies, and provides useful worked problems for students. ...the perfect all-in-one resource on the subject. Highly recommended. - CHOICE 'I can rave about many ... aspects of this book. The most striking is Allegre's amazing ability to articulate concepts through simple and elegant figures and prose ... Allegre's book represents a long-awaited contribution, which complements those by Faure and Dickin... This book is accessible to all, not just geochemists, but also geophysicists. last, I much prefer the purple-laced Kadinsky cover of the original French edition, as it looks much prettier on my bookshelf.' - Elements '... written by one of the most recognized and appreciated scientists in the field of geochemistry ... Allegre always stays in close connection with geological or cosmic processes, thus making a reader immediately aware of the relevance and significance of isotopes in earth and planetary sciences.' Robert Anczkiewicz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland This is one of those all-too-rare books where a prominent scientist captures both the broad historical context of a particular field, along with many facets of current research in the field. ...it is very readable considering the specialized technical subject. It will undoubtedly become a standard text in the field. The Leading Edge

'I can rave about many ... aspects of this book. The most striking is Allegre's amazing ability to articulate concepts through simple and elegant figures and prose ... Allegre's book represents a long-awaited contribution, which complements those by Faure and Dickin... This book is accessible to all, not just geochemists, but also geophysicists.' Elements '... written by one of the most recognized and appreciated scientists in the field of geochemistry ... Allegre always stays in close connection with geological or cosmic processes, thus making a reader immediately aware of the relevance and significance of isotopes in earth and planetary sciences.' Robert Anczkiewicz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland

'I can rave about many ... aspects of this book. The most striking is Allegre's amazing ability to articulate concepts through simple and elegant figures and prose ... Allegre's book represents a long-awaited contribution, which complements those by Faure and Dickin... This book is accessible to all, not just geochemists, but also geophysicists.' Elements '... written by one of the most recognized and appreciated scientists in the field of geochemistry ... Allegre always stays in close connection with geological or cosmic processes, thus making a reader immediately aware of the relevance and significance of isotopes in earth and planetary sciences.' Robert Anczkiewicz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland 'A prospective buyer of Allegre's new book on Isotope Geology will immediately want to know if it might supplant the classic and long-time favorite of the similar title by Gunter Faure. While similar in coverage, many recent advances are only to be found in Allegre's more recent book. Importantly, Allegre's book utilizes a novel and very effective use of worked problems ... an extremely useful pedagogical approach. This textbook will be useful for a wide audience, from undergraduate generalists, to graduate students learning the nitty gritty tools of the trade, to senior practitioners such as myself who need a refresher in some forgotten arenas.' - Stanley R. Hart, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution ` ... written by one of the leading geochemists for over four decades. No stone has been left unturned, whether it comes from the interior of the Earth, from the oceans, or from other planets. It is written in Allegre's unmistakable style, inordinately clear and sharp. Difficult concepts are presented without concession but are made accessible to a broad readership. A bridge between foundations and the cutting edge. A must-have for any classroom and personal library.' - Francis Albarede, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon `This book, written by a most prominent geochemist, is an excellent book for anyone (from serious researchers to the upper-level undergraduate students) who wishes to learn the history, principles and applications of isotope geochemistry to geological problems.' - Hiroshi Ohmoto, Director of the Astrobiology Research Center, Penn State University 'This exceptionally detailed, comprehensive work translated from the original 2005 French edition will be an asset to many readers, given the ever-increasing use of isotopes in the geosciences. ... Geochemist Allegre (Institut de Physicque du Globe de Paris, who has designed the book based on years of thoughtful teaching of the subject, offers and enthusiastically written text ... Allegre provides numerous vignettes on the history of isotope geology, illustrates important concepts through landmark case studies, and provides useful worked problems for students. ...the perfect all-in-one resource on the subject. Highly recommended. - CHOICE 'I can rave about many ... aspects of this book. The most striking is Allegre's amazing ability to articulate concepts through simple and elegant figures and prose ... Allegre's book represents a long-awaited contribution, which complements those by Faure and Dickin... This book is accessible to all, not just geochemists, but also geophysicists. last, I much prefer the purple-laced Kadinsky cover of the original French edition, as it looks much prettier on my bookshelf.' - Elements '... written by one of the most recognized and appreciated scientists in the field of geochemistry ... Allegre always stays in close connection with geological or cosmic processes, thus making a reader immediately aware of the relevance and significance of isotopes in earth and planetary sciences.' Robert Anczkiewicz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland This is one of those all-too-rare books where a prominent scientist captures both the broad historical context of a particular field, along with many facets of current research in the field. ...it is very readable considering the specialized technical subject. It will undoubtedly become a standard text in the field. The Leading Edge

'I can rave about many ... aspects of this book. The most striking is Allegre's amazing ability to articulate concepts through simple and elegant figures and prose ... Allegre's book represents a long-awaited contribution, which complements those by Faure and Dickin... This book is accessible to all, not just geochemists, but also geophysicists.' Elements '... written by one of the most recognized and appreciated scientists in the field of geochemistry ... Allegre always stays in close connection with geological or cosmic processes, thus making a reader immediately aware of the relevance and significance of isotopes in earth and planetary sciences.' Robert Anczkiewicz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland

Author Information

Claude Allégreis extremely well known globally in the earth science research and teaching community. He is currently an Emeritus Professor at the Institut Universitaire de France, Université Denis Diderot and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, and has had a long and illustrious career in science. He is a former Director of the Department of Earth Sciences, Université Paris VII, former Director of the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, past President of the French Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), and former National Education Minister for Research and Technology for the French government. In his career he has won most of the available honors and awards in the geosciences, including the Crafoord Prize from the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, the Goldschmidt Medal from the Geochemical Society of America, the Wollaston Medal from the Geological Society of London, the Arthur Day Gold Medal from the Geological Society of America, the Médaille d'Or du CNRS, the Holmes Medal from the European Union Geosciences, and the Bowie Medal from the American Geophysical Union. He is also a Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur, a past President of the European Union of Geosciences, past President of the NATO Earth Sciences committee, and former editor of the journals Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors and Chemical Geology. He has written hundreds of research articles, and ten books in French.

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