Unlocking the Single-Crystal Record of Heavy Stable Isotopes

Abstract

Stable isotopes provide deep insights into processes across a wide range of scales, from micron- to cosmic-size systems. Here, we review how continued advances in mass-spectrometry have enabled the analysis of ever-smaller samples and brought the field of heavy stable isotope geochemistry to its next frontier: the single-crystal scale. Accessing this record can be as enlightening as it is challenging. Drawing on novel systematics at different stages of development (from well-established to nascent), we discuss how the isotopes of heavy elements, such as magnesium, iron, zirconium, or uranium, can be used at the single-crystal and subcrystal scales to reconstruct magma thermal histories, crystal growth timescales, or, possibly, magma redox conditions.