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Beryllium Isotopes

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Geochemistry

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Definition

Beryllium (atomic number 4) has twelve isotopes, but only three are routinely measured: 7Be, 9Be, and 10Be. 9Be is a stable isotope that is found naturally in geological materials typically at μg g−1 levels and is considered in the Beryllium chapter. 7Be is a short-lived radionuclide (t1/2 = 53 days) and 10Be is a long-lived radionuclide (t1/2 = 1.38 Myr) produced both in the atmosphere and in earth materials by cosmic-ray interactions. 10Be produced in the atmosphere is termed “meteoric” (10Bem), whereas in situ 10Be (10Bei) is produced within geological materials primarily within the uppermost few meters of Earth’s surface (Lal 1988). Although both 7Be and 10Be have been used in geological, geomorphological, and geographical studies, we focus here on 10Be. We consider both 10Bei and 10Bem; 10Bei has been used to solve many more problems in Earth Science than 10Bem, and our review reflects this.

7Be Production, Delivery, and Analysis

7Be is produced in the atmosphere by...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA

    Paul R. Bierman

  2. Department of Geography & Geology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA

    Eric W. Portenga

Authors
  1. Paul R. Bierman
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  2. Eric W. Portenga
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Correspondence to Paul R. Bierman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Cornell University Department of Earth, Ithaca, New York, USA

    William M. White

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Bierman, P.R., Portenga, E.W. (2018). Beryllium Isotopes. In: White, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_81-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_81-1

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