beryllium-10

isotope

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

Beryllium-10 is a synthetic isotope of beryllium, a light, alkaline-earth metal. Unlike the stable isotope beryllium-9, beryllium-10 is radioactive and undergoes beta decay with a half-life of 1.5 million years.12

Beryllium-10 is produced in the Earth's atmosphere by cosmic rays striking oxygen and nitrogen atoms. It is then deposited on Earth's surface through rain and snow, allowing scientists to track its migration. This isotope has been used in various scientific applications, including dating geological samples and studying the Earth's climate history by analyzing ice cores and ocean sediments. It has also provided insights into volcanic activity and the intensity of cosmic rays over long periods.3

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

mass spectrometry
Applications
…are a strong source of beryllium-10, carbon-14, and chlorine-36, which are deposited in rain and snow, whence their migration may be followed. A question concerning the origin of the lavas of island-arc volcanoes, which had been disputed since the general acceptance of the plate tectonic theory of the Earth’s structure,…
Read More
…are a strong source of beryllium-10, carbon-14, and chlorine-36, which are deposited in rain and snow, whence their migration may be followed. A question concerning the origin of the lavas of island-arc volcanoes, which had been disputed since the general acceptance of the plate tectonic theory of the Earth’s structure,…
Read More