Sharp released Principles of Stable Isotope Geochemistry in 2017 and is written as a textbook to accompany a one semester course in Stable Isotope Geochemistry. There are 13 chapters, each dealing with a specific subtopic of the field. Other than Chapters 1 and 2 – introduction and definitions – most of the remaining chapters can be read without reliance on the preceding ones. It is also hoped that the book will serve as a general reference volume for researchers in the field.
Principles of Stable Isotope Geochemistry has been organized in such a way that major concepts are explained and accompanied by numerous examples. In most cases, the first published examples are used for illustration, giving both a broad base of understanding and an appreciation for the historical development of the field.
Chapters are organized according to broad classifications. In some cases this is done by discipline such as Chapter 4 – Hydrology and in others by isotope, such as Chapter 10 – Sulfur. The new revised version is online. In this way, it can be modified as new advances are made in the field. Comments regarding errors, omissions or suggestions for improvements are welcome in order to keep the book up to date. This new online version is free of charge, available in PDF format. A hardcopy is also available.
The first edition of this book was written as a general introduction to stable isotope geochemistry. It was meant primarily as a guide and general resource for an upper division and graduate level stable isotope course. Since it was first published in 2007, the scope of stable isotopes has grown tremendously. New fields, not envisioned in the first edition, have developed and blossomed, and existing fields have grown considerably.
The motivation for the original book was to provide a useful, inexpensive textbook that could also be used as foundation for new practitioners to the field. However things are changing so fast that it is impossible to keep up with new developments using the traditional publishing format. Turn-around times are too long, and the cost to the end user are too high.
This new 'live' edition is meant to overcome these problems. The book is now (2017) online and freely available to all. Because it is electronic, it can be (and hopefully will be) modified easily and frequently, so that new developments can be incorporated as they become available. It is my hope that this 'live' version will remain up-to-date and be a valuable no-cost resource for stable isotope practitioners around the world.
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