The behaviour of natural radiogenic isotope tracers in the Earth that have lithophile and atmophile geochemical affinity is reviewed. The isotope tracer signature of oceanic and continental crust may in favourable circumstances be sufficiently distinct from that of the mantle to render a contribution from these sources resolvable within the isotopic composition of the magma. Components derived from the sedimentary and altered basaltic portion of oceanic crust are recognized in some island arc magmas from their Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic signatures. The rare-gas isotope tracers (He, Ar, Xe in particular) are not readily recycled into the mantle and thus provide the basis of an approach that is complementary to that based on the lithophile tracers. In particular, a small mantle-derived helium component may be readily recognized in the presence of a predominant radiogenic component generated in the continents. The importance of assessing the mass balance of these interactions rather than merely a qualitative recognition is emphasized. The question of the relative contribution of continental-oceanic crust and mantle to magma sources is an essential part of the problem of generation and evolution of continental crust. An approach to this problem through consideration of the isotopic composition of sediments is briefly discussed.
