Stein B. Jacobsen

Professor of Geochemistry

Prof. Jacobsen runs an isotope geochemistry research group, studying a wide array of topics in Earth and Planetary Sciences. Before coming to Harvard in 1981, Prof. Jacobsen obtained his Ph.D. (1980) at the California Institute of Technology. Before that, he attended the University of Oslo in his native Norway, where he received both his Bachelor (1974) and Master (1975) degrees.

Isotope Geochemistry

Isotope geochemistry is the study of isotopic variations of various elements in geochemical reservoirs. By studying the minute variations in the isotopic makeup of different samples -- variations caused by i) the decay of naturally occurring radioactive elements, ii) isotope fractionation, iii) mixing of isotopic components of different origins -- it is possible to discover much about the age, origin, and history of geochemical reservoirs.

Research Areas

· Accretion and Early Differentiation of the Earth - Cosmochemistry - Meteorites

· Crust-Mantle Evolution

· Isotopic Evolution of Seawater and Earth Systems Evolution

· Geochronology

· Sea Water Studies

· River and Ground Water Studies

Related Sites

Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory Facilities
The GERM web site
The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR) web site
NASA Planetary Science Research Discoveries | PSRD
Harvard University's Home page.
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University.

Teaching

Planetary Materials and Geochemistry

Geochemical and Cosmochemical Thermodynamics

Isotope and Trace Element Geochemistry

Geochemical Kinetics

Contact Information

Stein B. Jacobsen
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Harvard University
20 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Tel.: (617) 495-5233
Fax: (617) 495-8839
E-mail: jacobsen@neodymium.harvard.edu

Publications

Accretion and Early Differentiation of the Earth - Cosmochemistry - Meteorites

Jacobsen, S.B. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1980a: Sm-Nd isotopic evolution of chondrites. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 50, 139-155.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1984: Sm-Nd isotopic evolution of chondrites and achondrites, II. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 67, 137-150.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Dymek, R.F., 1988: Nd and Sr isotope systematics of clastic metasediments from Isua, West Greenland: Identification of pre-3.8 Ga differentiated crustal components. J. Geophys. Res. 93, 338-354.

Harper, C.L., Jr. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1992: Evidence from coupled 147Sm-143Nd and 146Sm-142Nd systematics fro very early (4.5-Gyr) differentiation of the Earth's mantle. Nature 360, 728-732.

Jacobsen, S. B., and Harper, C. L. Jr. 1996: Accretion and Early Differentiation of the Earth based on Extinct Radionuclides. In: Earth Processes: Reading the Isotopic Code. (eds. A. Basu & S. Hart), Geophysical Monograph 95, Am. Geophys. Union, pp. 47-74.

Harper, C. L. Jr. and Jacobsen, S. B. 1996: Evidence for 182Hf in the early solar system and constraints on the timescale of terrestrial accretion and core formation. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta , 60, 1131-1153.

Jacobsen, S. B. and Harper, C. L., Jr., 1996: Comment on "The issue of the terrestrial record of 146Sm" by M. Sharma, D. A. Papanastassiou, G. J. Wasserburg, and R. F. Dymek, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta , 60, 3747-3749.

Harper, C. L. Jr. and Jacobsen, S. B. 1996: Noble gases and Earth’s accretion, Science, 273, 1814-1818.

Yin, Q.Z. and Jacobsen, S.B. 1998: The ⁹⁷Tc-⁹⁷Mo chronometer and its implications for timing of terrestrial accretion and core formation, In Lunar and Planetary Science, XXIX, Abstract #1802, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston (CD-ROM).

Jacobsen, S.B. and Yin, Q.-Z. 1998: W isotope variations and the time of formation of asteroidal cores and the Earth’s core, In Lunar and Planetary Science, XXIX, Abstract #1852, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston (CD-ROM).

Halliday, A.N., Lee D-C., Jacobsen S.B., 2000: Tungsten isotopes, the timing of metal-silicate fractionation and the origin of the Earth and Moon, in Origin of the Earth and Moon (R.M. Canup and K. Righter, eds.), pp. 45-62.

Yin, Q.Z., Jacobsen, S.B., McDonough, W.F., Petaev, M.I., and Zipfel, J., 2000: Supernova Sources and the ⁹²Nb-⁹²Zr p-process chronometer, Astrophys. J. Letters, 536, L49-L53.

Yin Q.-Z., Jacobsen S.B., Yamashita, K., 2002: Diverse supernova sources of pre-solar material inferred from molybdenum isotopes in meteorites. Nature, 415, 881-883.

Yin Q.-Z., Jacobsen S.B., Yamashita, K., Blichert-Toft J., Telouk P., and Albarede F., 2002: A short timescale of terrestrial planet formation determined by Hf-W chronometry. Nature (in press)

Crust-Mantle Evolution

Jacobsen, S.B. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1979a: Nd and Sr isotopic study of the Bay of Islands ophiolite complex and the evolution of the source of midocean ridge basalts. J. Geophys. Res. 84, 7429-7445.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1979b: The mean age of mantle and crustal reservoirs. J. Geophys. Res. 84, 7411-7427.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1980b: A two-reservoir recycling model for mantle-crust evolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 77, 6298-6302.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1981: Transport models for crust and mantle evolution. Tectonophysics 75, 163-179.

Jacobsen, S.B., Quick, J.E. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1984: A Nd and Sr isotopic study of Trinity Peridotite; implications for mantle evolution. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 68, 361-378.

Jacobsen, S.B., 1988a: Isotopic and chemical constraints on mantle-crust evolution. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 1341-1350.

Jacobsen, S.B., 1988b: Isotopic constraints on crustal growth and recycling. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 90, 315-329.

Asmerom, Y., Jacobsen, S.B. and Wernicke, B.P., 1994: Variation in magma source regions during large-scale continental extension, Death Valley region, Western U.S. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 125, 235-254.

Staudigel, H., Albarede, F., Blichert-Toft, J., Edmond, J., McDonough, W., Jacobsen, S.B., Keeling, R., Langmuir, C.H., Nielsen, R.L., Plank, T., Rudnick, R., Shaw, H.F., Shirey, S., Veizer, J., and White, W. 1998: Geochemical Earth Reference Model (GERM): description of the initiative, Chemical Geology, 145, 153-159.

Basu, A.R., Hannigan R.E. and Jacobsen, S.B. 1998: Melting of the Siberian mantle plume, Geophys. Res. Lett. 25, 2209-2212.

Lee C.-T., Yin Q.Z., Rudnick R.L., Chesley J.T., and Jacobsen S.B., 2000: Os isotopic evidence for Mesozoic removal of lithospheric mantle beneath the Sierra Nevada, Calif., Science 289, 1912-1916.

Lee C.-T., Yin Q.-Z., Rudnick R.L., and Jacobsen S.B., 2001: Preservation of ancient and fertile lithospheric mantle beneath the southwestern United States. Nature, 411, 69-73.

Kellogg, J.B., Jacobsen, S.B. and O’Connell, R.J., 2002: Modeling the distribution of isotopic ratios in geochemical reservoirs, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., (in review).

Isotopic Evolution of Seawater and Earth Systems Evolution

Keto, L.S. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1988: Nd isotopic variations of Phanerozoic paleoceans. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 90, 395-410.

Derry, L.A. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1990: The chemical evolution of Precambrian Seawater: Evidence from REE's in banded iron formations, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 54, 2966-2977.

Hildebrand, A.R., Penfield, G.T., Kring, D.A., Pilkington, M., Camargo, A.Z., Jacobsen, S.B. and Boynton, W.V., 1991: Chixulub crater: a possible Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary impact crater on the Yucutàn peninsula, Mexico. Geology 19, 867-871.

Keto, L.S. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1987: Nd and Sr isotopic variations of Early Paleozoic oceans. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 84, 27-41.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Pimentel-Klose, M.R., 1988a: A Nd isotopic study of the Hamersley and Michipicoten banded iron formation: The source of REE and Fe in Archean Oceans. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 87, 29-44.

Derry, L.A. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1988: The Nd and Sr isotopic evolution of Proterozoic seawater. Geophys. Res. Lett. 15, 397-400.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Pimentel-Klose, M.R., 1988b: Nd isotopic variations in Precambrian banded iron formation. Geophys. Res. Lett. 15, 393-396.

Derry, L.A., Keto, L.S., Jacobsen, S.B., Knoll, L. and Swett, K., 1989: Sr isotopic variations of Late Precambrian carbonates from Svalbard and East Greenland. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 53, 2331-2339.

Asmerom, Y., Jacobsen, S.B., Knoll, A.H., Butterfield, N.J. and Swett, K., 1991: Strontium isotopic variations of Neoproterozoic seawater: Implications for crustal evolution. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 55, 2883-2894.

Derry, L.A., Kaufman, A.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1992: Sedimentary cycling and environmental change in the Late Proterozoic: Evidence from stable and radiogenic isotopes, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 56, 1317-1329.

Kaufman, A.J., Jacobsen, S.B. and Knoll, A.H., 1993: The Vendian record of Sr and C isotopic variations in seawater: Implication for tectonics and paleoclimate. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 120, 409-430.

MacFarlane, A.W., Danielson, A., Holland, H.D. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1994: REE chemistry and Sm-Nd systematics of late Archean weathering profiles for the Fortescue Group, Western Australia 58, 1777-1794.

Kaufman, A.J., Knoll, A.H., Semikhatov, M.A., Grotzinger, J.P., Jacobsen, S.B., and Adams, W., 1996: Integrated chronostratigraphy of Proterozoic-Cambrian boundary beds in the western Anabar region, northern Siberia, Geol. Mag., 133, 509-533.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Kaufman, A.J., 1999: The Sr, C and O isotopic evolution of Neoproterozoic seawater, Chemical Geology 161, 37-57.

Jacobsen S.B., 2001: Gas hydrates and deglaciations, Nature, 412, 691-693.

Bartley J.K., Semikhatov M.A., Kaufman A.J., Knoll A.H., Pope M.C., Jacobsen S.B., 2001: Global events across the Mesoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic boundary: C and Sr isotopic evidence from Siberia, Precambrian Research, 111, 165-202.

Wright C. A., Barnes C.R., and Jacobsen S.B., 2002: Neodymium isotopic composition of Ordovician conodonts as a seawater proxy: Testing paleogeography, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 3(2), 10.1029/2001GC000195.

Geochronology

Jacobsen, S.B. and Heier, K.S., 1978: Rb-Sr isotope systematics in metamorphic rocks, Kongsberg sector, south Norway. Lithos 11, 257-276.

Jacobsen, S.B. and Wasserburg, G.J., 1978: Interpretation of Nd, Sr and Pb isotope data from Archean migmatites in Lofoten-Vesteralen, Norway. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 41, 245-253.

Wasserburg, G.J., Jacobsen, S.B., DePaolo, D.J., McCulloch, M.T. and Wen, T., 1981: Precise determination of Sm/Nd ratios, Sm and Nd isotopic abundances in standard solutions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45, 2311-2323.

Asmerom, Y., Snow, J.K., Holm, D.K., Jacobsen, S.B., Wernicke, B.P. and Lux, D.R., 1989: Rapid uplift and crustal growth in extensional environments: An isotopic study from the Death Valley region, California. Geology 18, 223-226.

Ashwal, L.D., Jacobsen, S.B., Myers, J.S., Kalsbeek, F., and Goldstein, S.J., 1989: Sm-Nd age of the Fiskenaesset Anorthosite Complex, West Greenland. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 91, 261-270.

Getty, S.R., Selverstone, J., Wernicke, B.P., Jacobsen, S.B., Aliberti, E. and Lux, D.R., 1993: Sm-Nd dating of multiple garnet growth events in an arc-continent collision zone, Northwestern U.S. Cordillera. Contrib. Min. and Petrol. 115, 45-57.

Hughen, K.A., Schrag, D.P., Jacobsen, S.B. and Hantoro, W. 1999: El Ninõ during the last interglacial period recorded by fossil corals from Indonesia, Geophys. Res. Letts., 26, 3129-3132.

Yin Q.-Z., Jacobsen S.B., Lee C.-T., McDonough W.F., Rudnick R.L., and Horn I., 2001: A gravimetric K₂OsCl₆ standard: application to precise and accurate Os spike calibration. GCA, 65, 14, 2113-2127.

Sea Water Studies

Piepgras, D.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1988: The isotopic composition of neodymium in the North Pacific. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 1373-1381.

Sholkovitz, E., Piepgras, D.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1989: The pore water chemistry of Rare Earth Elements in Buzzards Bay sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 2847-2856.

Piepgras, D.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1992: The behavior of rare earth in seawater: precise determination of variations in the North Pacific water column. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 56, 1851-1862.

River and Ground Water Studies

Goldstein, S.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1987: The Nd and Sr isotopic systematics of river-water dissolved material: Implications for the sources of Nd and Sr in seawater. Chemical Geology (Isotope Geoscience Section) 66, 245-272.

Goldstein, S.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1988a: Nd and Sr isotopic systematics of river water suspended material: Implications for crustal evolution. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 87, 249-265.

Goldstein, S.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1988b: REE in the Great Whale River estuary, NW Quebec. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 88, 241-252.

Goldstein, S.J. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1988c: Rare earth elements in river waters. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 89, 35-47.

Asmerom, Y. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1993: The Pb isotopic evolution of the Earth: Inferences from river water suspended loads, Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett. 115, 245-256.

Asmerom, Y. and Jacobsen, S.B., 1995: Reply to the comment by Spencer and Mahoney on "The Pb isotopic evolution of the Earth: inferences from river water suspended loads", Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 132, 239-241.

Basu A.R., Jacobsen S.B., Poreda R.J., Dowling C.B., Aggarwal P.K., 2001: Large Groundwater Strontium Flux to the Oceans from the Bengal Basin and the Marine Strontium Isotope Record, Science, 293, 1470-1473.