Close
The Battarbee Lecture 2025: Recent Advances in the Use of Stable Isotopes in Environmental Science
20 May 2025
This year’s Battarbee Lecture was delivered by Professor Melanie Leng, Science Director of the NERC Stable Isotope Facility at the British Geological Survey, Keyworth.
A long-standing collaborator with UCL Geography, Professor Leng explored five key areas of recent innovation in the use of stable isotopes for environmental research.
Her first example highlighted advances in measuring oxygen isotopes in diatom silica—a technique developed from conversations between Melanie and Professor Rick Battarbee over two decades ago. While early analyses required large samples and posed health and safety challenges, new methods now allow for safer, higher-throughput analysis of much smaller samples, broadening their application to both marine and continental Quaternary records.
The second focus was on carbon and nitrogen isotopes in lake sediments, which offer insights into human impact on aquatic environments and help inform mitigation strategies.
These tools have proven particularly valuable in the context of collaborative UCL-NERC research on the functioning of shallow-lake ecosystems.
Melanie then turned to carbonate isotope analysis, a staple of palaeoenvironmental studies.
While calcite is the usual material of choice, she discussed the potential of siderite (iron carbonate), using data from Lake Ohrid (North Macedonia/Albania) to demonstrate how these less-commonly-analysed minerals can enrich reconstructions of past hydroclimate.
Her fourth example addressed sulphur isotopes. Though notoriously difficult to analyse, recent improvements in methodology have enhanced data quality and reduced the required sample size. Sulphur isotope analysis now has growing applications, including in archaeological studies of human migration via fossil collagen.
Finally, Melanie showcased progress in analysing oxygen isotopes in insect remains—particularly chironomid (non-biting midge) larvae. These remains are valuable sources of material for isotope analysis where carbonate or diatom silica is absent. New techniques now enable the analysis of single head capsules, unlocking seasonal detail in lake sediment records.
Over more than 20 years, Professor Leng has worked closely with UCL Geography academics, researchers, and PhD students. With new projects underway, this productive partnership is set to continue.