Recent trends in strontium isotope stratigraphy

An introduction to Sr-isotope stratigraphy can be obtained from several recent reviews (Elderfield, 1986; Veizer, 1989; McArthur, 1991, 1992a). The purpose of this article is not to repeat these reviews but to give to those not expert in the field, but who may be prospective users, a summary of aspects of the method not covered elsewhere, and some examples of recent applications of the technique and the problems that affect it. Highlighting problems inevitably means highlighting the publications in which they occur; I hope the authors will forgive me for spotlighting their work. Neither is this article intended to be a review of all that has been written on the use of Sr isotopes in low-temperature geochemistry; it concentrates on their use in stratigraphy and dating, rather than how they may be used to elucidate geochemical processes. Many excellent papers are thereby excluded from consideration. Implicit in this article is the view that the successful application of strontium isotope stratigraphy requires an application of good methodology in both geochemistry and stratigraphy.