The objective of this book is to review the field of radiogenic isotope geology in a concise manner, in order to give readers an overview of the subject and to allow them to critically assess the past and future literature.

The approach is historical for three reasons: firstly, to give an impression of the development of thought in the field so that the reader can understand the origin of present ideas; secondly, to explain why past theories have had to be modified; and thirdly, to present ‘fall back’ positions lest current models be refuted at some future date. The need for this type of approach has been illustrated by several recent papers that have attempted to ‘resurrect’ old theories that had been discarded in the face of apparently strong evidence against them. Hence, we see that a knowledge of the ‘classic work’ in the field is an important starting point for current research.

The text is focussed on three types of literature. Firstly, it attempts to give accurate attribution of new ideas or methods; secondly, it reviews classic papers, although these may not have historical precedence; and thirdly, it presents case studies that have evoked controversy in the literature, as examples of alternative interpretations of data.

The radiogenic isotopic systems described in this book offer an analytical ‘tool-box’ of methods. The varied physical and chemical properties of different parent–daughter pairs suit them to a range of different dating and tracing tasks.