In our laboratory are being measured the stable isotopes of the light elements Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O) and Hydrogen (H) in different terrestrial climate archives such as lake sediments and speleothems as well as in precipitation and surface water.
Stable isotopes are nonradioactive nuclides of one element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons and with this different atomic mass. This results in different physical properties. The stable isotope ratios of these elements in water, organic and carbonates may reflect environmental conditions like changes in precipitation and temperature.
The shift in mass ratios is very low. These changes can be measured with high sensitive Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) or Cavity-Ring-Down-Spektroskopie (CRDS).
Reference: "Vom Monitoring zum Klimaarchiv" | doi:10.2312/GFZ.syserde.07.01.2