>Andrea:
>
>>I am a geologist who just moved to the US from Switzerland 2 months ago.
>>I've spent the last 5 years in the Stable Isotope Laboratory of the
>>Geological Institute at the ETH-Zurich (Judy McKenzie and Stefano
>>Bernasconi) where I've been working predominantly with C & O isotopes in
>>Mesozoic pelagic carbonates. Scope of these studies, performed under the
>>supervision of Helmut Weissert, was to establish an Early Cretaceous
>>carbonate carbon isotope stratigraphy and contribute to the understanding
>>of the paleoenvironmental significance of the major long-term fluctuations
>>which characterize the Cretaceous carbon isotope record. More recently, I
>>started working with C and H isotopes in organic materials and O & H in
>>surface waters.
>
>
>SMALL WORLD! I HAVE KNOWN HELMY WEISSERT A LONG TIME THROUGH OUR MUTUAL
>INTERESTS IN CRETACEROUS CARBONATES WHICH I'M USUALLY WORKING ON WITH MIKE
>ARTHUR AND/OR LISA PRATT. WEARING MY OTHER ISOTOPE HAT, HOLOCENE
>LACUSTRINE CARBONATES, I HAVE KNOWN JUDY FOR MANY YEARS AND I WAS A GOOD
>FRIEND (STILL AM) WITH KERRY KELTS SINCE HIS DSDP DAYS. I AM PRESENTLY
>RUNNING ISOTOPES ON OSTRACODS FROM MINNESOTA LAKES PICKED BY ANTJE SCHWALB,
>WHOM YOU PROBABLY KNEW AT ETH. WE JUST SENT A REVISED PAPER OFF THE JOUR.
>OF PALEOLIMNOL. THE WORKHORSE OF USGS LIGHT STABLE ISOTOPE LAB HERE IN
>DENVER IS A NEW FINNIGAN 251 WITH A KIEL DEVICE. WE'VE BEEN RUNNING SINGLE
>OSTRACODES FOR ANTJE'S WORK AND 2-3 FORAMS FOR OUR MARINE CORES. THE MAIN
>ISOTOPE LAB IS RUN BY BOB RYE, BUT THE 251 AND KIEL DEVICE IS BEING RUN BY
>JIM BURDETT WHO WAS A STUDENT OF MIKE ARTHUR'S AT RHODE ISLAND, THEN WENT
>TO MICHIGAN TO RUN K.C. LOHMANN'S LAB, AND CAME HERE ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO.
>I'LL SEND YOU A CARE PACKAGE.
>
>Walter E. Dean
>USGS Branch of Sedimentary Processes (but all that's about to change)
>MS 939 Federal Center
>Denver, CO 80225
>Phone: 303-236-5760
>Phax: 303-2360459
Hi all!
In addition to Andrea, many of you who are getting this GOOD THING going
have a Swiss connection. I also have this connection having spent most of
1994 at the University of Lausanne (Sharp-Hunziker). I am reading the
initial blurbs with interest, and note the accent on low-temperature
phenomena. I will do my best to inform our colleagues who work in the
realm of high-temperature studies to jump into the fray.
Zach Sharp and I are writing a textbook entitled "Principles of Stable
Isotope Geochemistry" which we like to call "Isotopes Lite." I shall spend
the summer of 1995 in Lausanne with Zach putting the (hopefully) finishing
touches on our book. When I get a chance (next week?), I shall distribute
to you a table we have prepared for this tome that points out cases of
common misuse of terminology in stable isotope geochemistry. We call
attention to such abominations (among many) that are beginning to permeate
the literature:
"isotopically depleted water"
"del values"
"heavy delta values"
"delta 13C compositions"
Please do not worry that I am an anal and condescending old #@@))**. I
have at heart the best interests of everyone in our discipline. There are
many of us who think it important to communicate our scientific findings in
clear, correct, and understandable language. I propose that we put an
end to lazy and incorrect usage that is becoming more and more prevalent
each year.
We have a large and active stable isotope group at the University of
Michigan. The Stable Isotope Laboratory here is co-directed by K.C.
Lohmann and myself, ably "assisted" by Torsten Vennemann. Unhappily for
us, Torsten has accepted a position at Tubingen and will join the ranks of
that University in mid-June, 1995. There are more than 3O postgraduate
students and postdoctoral fellows here whose main geochemical tool is
stable isotope analysis. Research interests range from LOTS of
low-temperature stuff involving paleoclimatology and paleoceanography
(carbonates, phosphates, silica), carbonate and silicate diagenesis, fluid
inclusions in halite and biogenic carbonate, archaeology, and hominid
evolution, to mechanisms of ore deposition and origin of hydrothermal
fluids, new experimental methods of determining stable isotope
fractionation factors (including enzyme-mediated exchange reactions and
non-aqueous exchange media), to high temperature phenomena including
granite genesis, mantle processes and stable isotope effects at high T and
P (natural and laboratory systems).
Let us all applaud Andrea for opening up this avenue of communication.
Best wishes,
Jim O'Neil
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