Staff profile

2010 – present  — Professor of Geochemistry, Director of NCIET, Durham University

2007 – 2010  — Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences,

2006 – 2007  — Professor of Paleooceanography, Université Paul-Sabatier,

2000 – 2006  — Professor of Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, The Open University

1999 – 2000  — Professor of Geochemistry, Université Blaise-Pascal

1998 – 1999  — University Lecturer, Dept. de Sciences de la Terre, Université Blaise-Pascal

1997 – 1998  — Visiting scientist, Dept. of Geological Sciences, Univ. of Michigan.

1995 – 1997  — Physicien adjoint, IPG-Paris, Lab. de Géochimie et Cosmochimie.

1994 – 1995  — European Science Exchange Fellowship, IPG-Paris, Géochimie et Cosmochimie, Univ. Paris VII. Royal Society and CNRS-CIES funded fellowship.

1991 – 1994  — NERC Advanced Research Fellowship, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge

1988 – 1991  — University Research Associate, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge

1986 – 1988  — NERC Ad hominem Research Fellowship, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge

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Career Research Highlights

Isotope geochemistry is a broad field that has made some remarkable contributions to our understanding of the history, surface process and inner workings of the Earth and other solar system objects. Personal research interests have sought to bring together a number of interrelated disciplines within the Earth and environmental sciences, linked by the use of a range of mass spectrometric techniques to provide key information on:

 

• The timing of events, from the age of the solar system to the timing of climatic or tectonic events recorded in ocean sediments
• Tracing the sources of components, from ocean circulation to identifying the types of stars that contributed to our solar system.
• Past conditions of the Earth system, from the redox state of the mantle to past temperatures of the Oceans.

 

In parallel, my research has been driven by the measurement of both conventional long-lived radiogenic isotopes and non-traditional stable isotopes, with an emphasis on measuring isotope compositions to a very high precision with enhanced spatial resolution (i.e. on smaller samples).

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Committee and Society Service

Expert evaluator for EU 6^th and 7^th Framework

2002 – 2006 — Member of the NERC - Ion microprobe steering committee

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Fellowships

1991 – 1994 — NERC Advanced Research Fellowship

1986 – 1988 — NERC Ad hominem Research Fellowship

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Invited Speaker (selected)

2005, 2010; EGU General Assembly[KAM1] 

2007, 2009: AGU Fall meeting

2004; 2006: Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference,

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Invited lectures at Paris, Zurich, Berne (Switzerland) Royal Holloway and Imperial College (London), Oxford, Bristol, Durham, Southampton and British Antarctic Survey.

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Membership of Organisations and Societies

Member: American Geophysical Union

Member: Geochemical Society

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Chapter in book

• Gannoun, A., Burton, K., Day, J., Harvey, J., Schiano, P., & Parkinson, I. (2016). Highly Siderophile Element and Os Isotope Systematics of Volcanic Rocks at Divergent and Convergent Plate Boundaries and in Intraplate Settings. In J. Harvey, & J. M. Day (Eds.), Highly Siderophile and Strongly Chalcophile Elements in High-Temperature Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry (651-724). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501502095-013
• Burton, K., & Vigier, N. (2011). Chapter 4: Lithium isotopes in Marine and Terrestrial environments. In Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry (41-59). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10637-8_4

Journal Article

• Pogge von Strandmann, P. A., Cosford, L. R., Liu, C., Liu, X., Krause, A. J., Wilson, D. J., …Burton, K. W. (2023). Assessing hydrological controls on the lithium isotope weathering tracer. Chemical Geology, 642, Article 121801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121801
• Bouilhol, P., Debret, B., Inglis, E., Warembourg, M., Grocolas, T., Rigaudier, T., …Burton, K. (2022). Decoupling of inorganic and organic carbon during slab mantle devolatilisation. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 308. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-27970-0
• Pogge von Strandmann, P. A., Burton, K. W., Opfergelt, S., Genson, B., Guicharnaud, R. A., & Gislason, S. R. (2021). The lithium isotope response to the variable weathering of soils in Iceland. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 313, 55-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.08.020
• Bekaert, D. V., Auro, M., Shollenberger, Q. R., Liu, M., Marschall, H., Burton, K. W., …Nielsen, S. G. (2021). Fossil records of early solar irradiation and cosmolocation of the CAI factory: A reappraisal. Science Advances, 7(40), Article eabg8329. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg8329
• Baronas, J. J., West, A. J., Burton, K. W., Hammond, D. E., Opfergelt, S., Pogge von Strandmann, P. A., …Rouxel, O. J. (2020). Ge and Si isotope behavior during intense tropical weathering and ecosystem cycling. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 34(8), Article e2019GB006522. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gb006522
• Pogge von Strandmann, P. A., Burton, K. W., Opfergelt, S., Eiríksdóttir, E. S., Murphy, M. J., Einarsson, A., & Gislason, S. R. (2020). Hydrothermal and Cold Spring Water and Primary Productivity Effects on Magnesium Isotopes: Lake Myvatn, Iceland. Frontiers in Earth Science, 8, Article 109. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00109
• McCoy-West, A. J., Millet, M., & Burton, K. W. (2020). The neodymium stable isotope composition of the oceanic crust: Reconciling the mismatch between erupted mid-ocean ridge basalts and lower crustal gabbros. Frontiers in Earth Science, 8, Article 25. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00025
• McCoy-West, A. J., Chowdhury, P., Burton, K. W., Sossi, P., Nowell, G. M., Fitton, J. G., …Williams, H. M. (2019). Extensive crustal extraction in Earth’s early history inferred from molybdenum isotopes. Nature Geoscience, 12, 946-951. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0451-2
• Li, Y., McCoy-West, A. J., Zhang, S., Selby, D., Burton, K. W., & Horan, K. (2019). Controlling Mechanisms for Molybdenum Isotope Fractionation in Porphyry Deposits: The Qulong Example. Economic geology and the bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists, 114(5), 981-992. https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.4653
• Pogge von Strandmann, P. A., Burton, K. W., Snæbjörnsdóttir, S. O., Sigfússon, B., Aradóttir, E. S., Gunnarsson, I., …Gislason, S. R. (2019). Rapid CO2 mineralisation into calcite at the CarbFix storage site quantified using calcium isotopes. Nature Communications, 10(1), Article 1983. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10003-8
• Pogge von Strandmann, P. A., Olsson, J., Luu, T., Gislason, S. R., & Burton, K. W. (2019). Using Mg Isotopes to Estimate Natural Calcite Compositions and Precipitation Rates During the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull Eruption. Frontiers in Earth Science, 7, Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00006
• Gerrits, A. R., Inglis, E., Dragovic, B., Starr, P. G., Baxter, E. F., & Burton, K. (2019). Release of oxidizing fluids in subduction zones recorded by iron isotope zonation in garnet. Nature Geoscience, 12, 1029-1033. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0471-y
• Roth, A., Liebske, C., Maden, C., Burton, K., Schönbächler, M., & Busemann, H. (2019). The primordial He budget of the Earth set by percolative core formation in planetesimals. Geochemical perspectives letters, 9, 26-31. https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.1901
• Sproson, A. D., Selby, D., Gannoun, A., Burton, K. W., Dellinger, M., & Lloyd, J. M. (2018). Tracing the impact of coastal water geochemistry on the Re-Os systematics of macroalgae: Insights from the basaltic terrain of Iceland. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123(9), 2791-2806. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jg004492
• Rickli, J., Hindshaw, R. S., Leuthold, J., Wadham, J. L., Burton, K. W., & Vance, D. (2017). Impact of glacial activity on the weathering of Hf isotopes – Observations from Southwest Greenland. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 215, 295-316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.08.005
• Horan, K., Hilton, R., Selby, D., Ottley, C., Gröcke, D., Hicks, M., & Burton, K. (2017). Mountain glaciation drives rapid oxidation of rock-bound organic carbon. Science Advances, 3(10), Article e1701107. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1701107
• Charlier, B., Parkinson, I., Burton, K., Grady, M., Wilson, C., & Smith, E. (2017). Stable strontium isotopic heterogeneity in the solar system from double-spike data. Geochemical perspectives letters, 4, 35-40. https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.1733
• Opfergelt, S., Williams, H., Cornelis, J., Guicharnaud, R., Georg, R., Siebert, C., …Burton, K. (2017). Iron and silicon isotope behaviour accompanying weathering in Icelandic soils, and the implications for iron export from peatlands. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 217, 273-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.08.033
• Opfergelt, S., Cornélis, J., Houben, D., Givron, C., Burton, K., & Mattielli, N. (2017). The influence of weathering and soil organic matter on Zn isotopes in soils. Chemical Geology, 466, 140-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.06.002
• Liang, Y., Halliday, A. N., Siebert, C., Fitton, J. G., Burton, K. W., Wang, K., & Harvey, J. (2017). Molybdenum isotope fractionation in the mantle. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 199, 91-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.11.023
• Pogge von Strandmann, P., Burton, K., Opfergelt, S., Eiríksdóttir, E., Murphy, M., Einarsson, A., & Gislason, S. (2016). The effect of hydrothermal spring weathering processes and primary productivity on lithium isotopes: Lake Myvatn, Iceland. Chemical Geology, 445, 4-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.02.026
• Racionero-Gómez, B., Sproson, A., Selby, D., Gannoun, A., Gröcke, D., Greenwell, H., & Burton, K. (2016). Osmium uptake, distribution, and 187Os/188Os and 187Re/188Os compositions in Phaeophyceae macroalgae, Fucus vesiculosus: Implications for determining the 187Os/188Os composition of seawater. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 199, 48-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2016.11.033
• Millet, M., Dauphas, N., Greberb, N., Burton, K., Dale, C., Debret, B., …Williams, H. (2016). Titanium stable isotope investigation of magmatic processes on the Earth and Moon. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 449, 197-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.05.039
• Stevenson, E., Aciego, S., Chutcharavan, P., Parkinson, I., Burton, K., Blakowski, M., & Arendt, C. (2016). Insights into combined radiogenic and stable strontium isotopes as tracers for weathering processes in subglacial environments. Chemical Geology, 429, 33-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.03.008
• Siebert, C., Pett-Ridge, J., Opfergelt, S., Guicharnaud, R., Halliday, A., & Burton, K. (2015). Molybdenum isotope fractionation in soils: Influence of redox conditions, organic matter, and atmospheric inputs. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 162, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.04.007
• Pearce, C. R., Parkinson, I. J., Gaillardet, J., Charlier, B. L., Mokadem, F., & Burton, K. W. (2015). Reassessing the stable (δ88/86Sr) and radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr) strontium isotopic composition of marine inputs. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 157, 125-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.02.029
• Mokadem, F., Parkinson, I. J., Hathorne, E. C., Anand, P., Allen, J. T., & Burton, K. W. (2015). High-precision radiogenic strontium isotope measurements of the modern and glacial ocean: Limits on glacial–interglacial variations in continental weathering. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 415, 111-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2015.01.036
• Pearce, C. R., Parkinson, I. J., Gaillardet, J., Chetelat, B., & Burton, K. W. (2015). Characterising the stable (δ88/86Sr) and radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr) isotopic composition of strontium in rainwater. Chemical Geology, 409, 54-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.05.010
• Gannoun, A., Burton, K., Barfod, D., Schiano, P., Vlastélic, I., & Halliday, A. (2015). Resolving mantle and magmatic processes in basalts from the Cameroon volcanic line using the Re–Os isotope system. Lithos, 224-225, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2015.02.017
• Strandmann, P. A. P. V., Porcelli, D., James, R. H., Calsteren, P. V., Schaefer, B., Cartwright, I., …Burton, K. W. (2014). Chemical weathering processes in the Great Artesian Basin: Evidence from lithium and silicon isotopes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 406, 24-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.09.014
• Stevensona, E. I., Hermoso, M., Rickaby, R. E., Tyler, J. J., Minoletti, F., Parkinson, I. J., …Burton, K. W. (2014). Controls on stable strontium isotope fractionation in coccolithophores with implications for the marine Sr cycle. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 128, 225-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.11.043
• Gannoun, A., & Burton, K. W. (2014). High precision osmium elemental and isotope measurements of North Atlantic seawater. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 29(12), 2343-2348. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4ja00265b
• Jones, M. T., Gislason, S. R., Burton, K. W., Pearce, C. R., Mavromatis, V., Strandmann, P. A. P. V., & Oelkers, E. H. (2014). Quantifying the impact of riverine particulate dissolution in seawater on ocean chemistry. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 395, 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.03.039
• Opfergelt, S., Burton, K., Georg, R., West, A., Guicharnaud, R., Sigfusson, B., …Halliday, A. (2014). Magnesium retention on the soil exchange complex controlling Mg isotope variations in soils, soil solutions and vegetation in volcanic soils, Iceland. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 125, 110-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.09.036
• Opfergelt, S., Burton, K., Pogge von Strandmann, P., Gislason, S., & Halliday, A. (2013). Riverine silicon isotope variations in glaciated basaltic terrains: Implications for the Si delivery to the ocean over glacial–interglacial intervals. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 369-370, 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.03.025
• Vye-Browna, C., Gannoun, A., Barry, T., Self, S., & Burton, K. (2013). Osmium isotope variations accompanying the eruption of a single lava flow field in the Columbia River Flood Basalt Province. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 368, 183-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.02.003
• Burton, K., Cenki-Tok, B., Mokadem, F., Harvey, J., Gannoun, A., Alard, O., & Parkinson, I. (2012). Unradiogenic lead in Earth’s upper mantle. Nature Geoscience, 5(8), 570-573. https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1531
• Dale, C., Burton, K., Greenwood, R., Gannoun, A., Wade, J., Wood, B., & Pearson, D. (2012). Late accretion on the earliest planetesimals revealed by the highly siderophile elements. Science, 336(6077), 72-75. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1214967
• Opfergelt, S., Georg, R., Delvaux, B., -M. Cabidoche, Y., Burton, K., & Halliday, A. (2012). Silicon isotopes and the tracing of desilication in volcanic soil weathering sequences, Guadeloupe. Chemical Geology, 326-327, 113-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.07.032
• Opfergelta, S., Georg, R., Delvaux, B., -M. Cabidoche, Y., Burton, K., & Halliday, A. (2012). Mechanisms of magnesium isotope fractionation in volcanic soil weathering sequences, Guadeloupe. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 341-344, 176-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.06.010
• Strandmann, P. A. P. V., Opfergelt, S., Lai, Y., Sigfusson, B., Gislason, S. R., & Burton, K. W. (2012). Lithium, magnesium and silicon isotope behaviour accompanying weathering in a basaltic soil and pore water profile in Iceland. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 339-340, 11-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.05.035
• Charlier, B., Nowell, G., Parkinson, I., Kelley, S., Pearson, D., & Burton, K. (2012). High temperature strontium stable isotope behaviour in the early solar system and planetary bodies. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 329-330, 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.02.008
• Opfergelt, S., Eiriksdottir, E., Burton, K., Einarsson, A., Siebert, C., Gislason, S., & Halliday, A. (2011). Quantifying the impact of freshwater diatom productivity on silicon isotopes and silicon fluxes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 305(1-2), 73-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.02.043
• Pogge von Strandmann, P., Burton, K., Porcelli, D., James, R., van Caslteren, P., & Gisalson, S. (2011). Transport and exchange of U-series nuclides between suspended material, dissolved load and colloids in rivers draining basaltic terrains. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 301(1-2), 125-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.10.029
• Nielsen, S., Gannoun, A., Marnham, C., Burton, K., Halliday, A., & Hein, J. (2011). New age for ferromanganese crust 109D-C and implications for isotopic records of lead, neodymium, hafnium, and thallium in the Pliocene Indian Ocean. Paleoceanography, 26(2), https://doi.org/10.1029/2010pa002003
• Wimpenny, J., Burton, K., James, R., Gannoun, A., Mokadem, F., & Gislason, S. (2011). The behaviour of magnesium and its isotopes during glacial weathering in an ancient shield terrain in West Greenland. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 304(1-2), 260-269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2011.02.008
• Savage, P., Georg, R., Williams, H., Burton, K., & Halliday, A. (2011). Silicon isotope fractionation during magmatic differentition. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 75(20), 6124-6139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.07.043
• Pearce, C., Burton, K., Pogge von Strandmann, P., James, R., & Gislason, S. (2010). Molybdenum isotope behaviour accompanying weathering and riverine transport in a basaltic terrain. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 295(1-2), 104-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.03.032
• Wimpenny, J., Gislason, S., James, R., Gannoun, A., Pogge von strandmann, P., & Burton, K. (2010). The behaviour of Li and Mg isotopes during primary phase dissolution and secondary mineral formation in basalt. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 74(18), 5259-5279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2010.06.028
• Wimpenny, J., James, R., Burton, K., Gannoun, A., mokadem, F., & Gislason, S. (2010). Glacial effects on weathering processes: New insights from the elemental and lithium isotope composition of West Greenland rivers. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 290(3-4), 427-437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.12.042
• Pogge von Strandmann, P., Burton, K., James, R., van calsteren, P., & Gislason, S. (2010). Assessing the role of climate on uranium and lithium isotope behaviour in rivers draining a basaltic terrain. Chemical Geology, 270(1-4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.12.002
• Burton, K., Gannoun, A., & Parkinson, I. (2010). Climate driven glacial-interglacial variations in the osmium isotope composition of seawater recorded by planktic foraminifera. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 295(1-2), 58-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.03.026
• Harvey, J., Gannoun, A., Burton, K., Schiano, P., Rogers, N., & Alard, O. (2010). Unravelling the effects of melt depletion and secondary infiltration on mantle Re-Os isotopes beneath the French Massif central. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 74(1), 293-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2009.09.031
• Dale, C., Burton, K., Pearson, D., Gannoun, A., Alard, O., Argles, T., & Parkinson, I. (2009). Highly siderophile element behaviour accompanying subduction of oceanic crust: Whole rock and mineral-scale insights from a high-pressure terrain. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73(5), 1394-1416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.11.036
• Vigier, N., Gislason, S., Burton, K., Millot, R., & Mokadem, F. (2009). The relationship between riveting lithium isotope composition and silicate weathering rates in Iceland. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 287(3-4), 434-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.08.026
• Nielsen, S., Mar-Gerrison, A., Gannoun, A., LaRowe, D., Klemm, V., Halliday, A., …Hein, J. (2009). Thallium isotope evidence for a permanent increase in marine carbon export in the early Eocene. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 278(3-4), 297-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.010
• Bayon, G., Burton, K., Soulet, G., Vigier, N., Dennielou, J., Etoubleau, E., …Nesbitt, R. (2009). Hf and Nd isotopes in marine sediments: Constraints on global silicate weathering. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 277(3-4), 318-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.10.028
• Pogge von Strandmann, P., Burton, K., James, R., van Calsteren, P., Gislason, S., & Sigfusson, B. (2008). The influence of weathering processes on riverine magnesium isotopes in a basaltic terrain. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 276(1-2), 187-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.09.020
• Pearce, C., Cohen, A., Coe, A., & Burton, K. (2008). Molybdenum isotope evidence for global ocean anoxia coupled with perturbations to the carbon cycle during the Early Jurassic. Geology, 36(3), 231-234. https://doi.org/10.1130/g24446a.1
• Pogge von Strandmann, P., James, R., van Caslteren, P., Gislason, S., & Burton, K. (2008). Lithium, magnesium and uranium isotope behaviour in the estuarine environment of basaltic islands. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 274(3-4), 462-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.07.041