The stable isotopes of oxygen (O), carbon (C), strontium (Sr), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (N) have all been utilised for great effect in palaeoclimate, palaeoecological and palaeobiological studies. Of these, O and C have been by far the most important and, in many types of study, their use has become routine in universities and research institutions around the world. Stable isotopes provide quantitative data about palaeotemperatures, metabolic rates, food webs, palaeosalinity, palaeoprecipitation and evaporation rates as well as glacial ice volumes, production and burial of organic carbon, and other processes related to palaeoclimatic/biological/ecological change. Except for Sr, all the previously mentioned isotopes (O, C, H, and N) directly record paleoclimatic, biological and palaeoecological processes. Conversely, Sr reflects the composition of rocks at the Earth's surface, and its values reflect on the climate indirectly as it is a proxy for global weathering rates and seafloor spreading. This review will only be focusing on three isotopes commonly deployed by palaeo-researchers: carbon, oxygen, and strontium.
Introduction to the Principles of δ18O, δ13C, and 87Sr/86Sr in the Palaeosciences.