cosmogenic isotope

chemistry

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June 24, 2026

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Cosmogenic isotopes are radioactive elements produced by cosmic-ray bombardment of Earth's atmosphere and surface. These isotopes, such as carbon-14, beryllium-10, and chlorine-36, are valuable tools in dating various materials.123

Carbon-14 dating, for instance, is used for organic materials up to about 60,000 years old. Other cosmogenic isotopes like beryllium-10 and chlorine-36 help date marine sediments, glacial ice, and even the exposure age of meteorites. The concentration of these isotopes can reveal information about past cosmic-ray intensity and geological processes.132

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mass spectrometry
Development
…has found application in measuring cosmogenic isotopes, the radioisotopes produced by cosmic rays incident on the Earth or planetary objects. These isotopes are exceedingly rare, having abundances on the order of one million millionth of the corresponding terrestrial element, which is an isotopic ratio far beyond the capabilities of normal…
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…has found application in measuring cosmogenic isotopes, the radioisotopes produced by cosmic rays incident on the Earth or planetary objects. These isotopes are exceedingly rare, having abundances on the order of one million millionth of the corresponding terrestrial element, which is an isotopic ratio far beyond the capabilities of normal…
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global warming
Variations in solar output
…by measuring levels of cosmogenic isotopes such as carbon-14 and beryllium-10. Cosmogenic isotopes are isotopes that are formed by interactions of cosmic rays with atomic nuclei in the atmosphere and that subsequently fall to Earth, where they can be measured in the annual layers found in ice cores. Since their…
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…by measuring levels of cosmogenic isotopes such as carbon-14 and beryllium-10. Cosmogenic isotopes are isotopes that are formed by interactions of cosmic rays with atomic nuclei in the atmosphere and that subsequently fall to Earth, where they can be measured in the annual layers found in ice cores. Since their…
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dating
Origin of radioactive elements used
The most widely used radioactive cosmogenic isotope is carbon of mass 14 (¹⁴C), which provides a method of dating events that have occurred over roughly the past 60,000 years. This time spans the historic record and a significant part of the prehistoric record of humans.
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The most widely used radioactive cosmogenic isotope is carbon of mass 14 (¹⁴C), which provides a method of dating events that have occurred over roughly the past 60,000 years. This time spans the historic record and a significant part of the prehistoric record of humans.
Read More