Author name: François L. H. Tissot

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.

The isotopic variability of the elements in our planet and Solar System is the end result of a complex mixture of processes, including variable production of isotopes in stars, ingrowth of daughter nuclides due to decay of radioactive parents, and selective incorporation of isotopes into solids, liquids, or gases as a function of their mass and/or nuclear volume. Interpreting the isotopic imprints that planetary formation and evolution have left in the rock and mineral record requires not only precise and accurate measurements but also an understanding of the drivers behind isotopic variability. Here, we introduce fundamental concepts needed to “read” the isotopic code, with particular emphasis on heavy stable isotope systems.