Dr Claudine Israel

I am interested in the use of mass spectrometry to characterise the trace element and isotopic composition of geological and extraterrestrial samples.

Wet chemistry specialist: from the acid digestion of a wide variety of rock samples (ultramafic to felsic igneous rocks, terrigenous sediments, meteorites) to the isolation of elements of interest using column separation protocols.

TIMS specialist (Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry): for routine (Sr, Nd) to ultra-high precision isotopic measurements (Ce, 142Nd, 182W...), in positive or negative mode.  

But also MC-ICP-MS and ICP-MS for precise isotopic and trace element analysis in solution mode.

Research background: During the past few years, I have mainly worked on the coupling of 138La-138Ce, 146,147Sm-142,143Nd isotope systematics in terrestrial and extraterrestrial rocks to trace the silicate differentiation of the Earth. I am also interested in mantle geochemistry, silicate differentiation processes, early Earth events, the Great Oxydation Event and cosmochemistry.

Recent analytical developments: 

• Chemical separation of cerium and precise isotope analysis by TIMS as CeO+
• Ultra-high precision Nd isotope measurement by TIMS for 142Nd studies as Nd+
• Chemical separation of tungsten and precise isotope analysis by TIMS as [WO3]2- (negative mode)
• Chemical separation of Nd and Hf from silicate sediment matrices using the automated column chromatography system PrepFAST (ESI)

01/2025-present: Research Facility Manager in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge.

11/2021-12/2024: Research engineer – TIMS – at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), Paris, France, where I was responsible for a Nu TIMS laboratory. I worked in close collaboration with Dr Catherine Chauvel for her ERC grant (SHRED) to develop new chemical and analytical techniques (Israel et al., 2025, Chem. geol.) to precisely measure minute Nd and W isotope variations in Ocean Island Basalts (Israel et al., in prep.)

03–08/2021: Postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratoire Biogeosciences de Dijon, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France, where I was responsible for an automated column chromatography system PrepFAST. I worked in close collaboration with Dr Emmanuelle Pucéat for her ANR grant (RISE) to develop automated chemical procedures for the isolation of Nd and Hf from oceanic sediments (Gaitan et al., 2023, Marine Geol).

10/2017–02/2021: PhD in Earth Sciences at the Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, Université Clermont-Auvergne, Aubière, France, under the supervision of Dr Maud Boyet and Dr Régis Doucelance. My PhD thesis was entitled Tracing the evolution of the silicate Earth through the coupling of lanthanum-cerium and samarium-neodymium systems (original: Retracer l’évolution de la Terre silicatée par le couplage des  systèmes lanthane-cérium et samarium-néodyme, available on HAL). I was particularly interested in the present-day distribution of the isotopic composition of mantle-derived and crustal rocks, in order to trace the link between the mass balance of silicate reservoirs and the history of mantle-crust interaction (Israel et al., 2020, EPSL; Israel et al., 2023, Lithos).

09/2015-06/2017: MSc in Earth Sciences, specialty magmas and Volcanoes at the University Clermont-Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France. I worked with Dr Maud Boyet and Dr Régis Doucelance on the coupling of the La-Ce and Sm-Nd isotope systematics to trace the evolution of the silicate reservoirs.

09/2012-06/2015: BSc in Earth and environmental sciences at the Université Jean Monnet, Saint-Etienne, France. I worked with Adelie Delacours-Froger on the quantification of the carbon content in oceanic plateau basalt and with Jean-Luc Froger on the computation and analysis of radar interferograms for the Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion.