Dr. Netta Shalev
General information
We study the chemical composition of major Earth-surface reservoirs and the interactions between them, as well as their variations throughout Earth’s history. Such reservoirs include, for example, the ocean, oceanic crust, continental crust, the critical zone (rivers, soils, etc.), the atmosphere, and the biosphere.
We specialize in metal geochemistry and metal stable and radiogenic isotopes (e.g., Mg, Sr – radiogenic and stable, Pb, Nd, Fe). Metals are important rock-forming elements; they react with atmospheric gases (such as O2 and CO2) and serve as essential nutrients in biological systems. Their stable isotope compositions have been used in the past two decades to trace sources and reactions at (or near) the Earth’s surface.
Research projects
- Using Evaporites and Dolomites as Archives for Past Seawater Composition:
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Kirichenko Y.*, Rickli J.D., Bontognali T.R.R., and Shalev N. (2024). Insights into stable strontium isotope fractionation in marine gypsum and its geochemical implications. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 378, 270-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.06.006.
Shalev N., Lazar B., Halicz L., and Gavrieli I. (2021). The Mg isotope signature of marine Mg-evaporites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 301, 30-47, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.032.
Shalev N., Bontognali T.R.R., and Vance D. (2021). Sabkha Dolomite as an Archive for the Magnesium Isotope Composition of Seawater. Geology, 49 (3), 253–257, https://doi.org/10.1130/G47973.1.
Shalev N., Lazar B., Köbberich M., Halicz L., and Gavrieli I. (2018). The chemical evolution of brine and Mg-K-salts along the course of extreme evaporation of seawater - An experimental study. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 241, 164-179, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.09.003.
- The Effect of Off-Axis Hydrothermal Systems on the Oceanic Mg Budget:
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Shalev N. and Santiago Ramos D. (2025). Chapter 10: The Effect of Off-Axis Hydrothermal Systems on the Oceanic Mg Budget as Revealed by Mg Isotopes: A Review. In: Hydrothermal Circulation and Seawater Chemistry: Links and Feedbacks, Geophysical Monograph (eds L.A. Coogan, S. Turchyn, A.G. Dunlea and W. Bach), 292, First Edition. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394229185.ch10
Shalev N., Bontognali T.R.R., and Vance D. (2021). Sabkha Dolomite as an Archive for the Magnesium Isotope Composition of Seawater. Geology, 49 (3), 253–257, https://doi.org/10.1130/G47973.1.
- Tracing Weathering Processes with Metal Stable Isotopes:
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Kirichenko Y.*, Charbonnier Q., Bouchez J., Gaillardet J., Du J., Leitner C., and Shalev N. (2025), Tracing Riverine Sulfate Sources Using Stable Strontium Isotopes. In: Goldschmidt-2025 conference, Prague. Invited (Link).
Cohen A.*, Shalev N., and Kiro Y. (2025), Stable strontium and magnesium isotopes behavior in coastal aquifers during long-term seawater circulation. In: Goldschmidt-2025 conference, Prague (Link).Shukla A.*, and Shalev N. (2025), Stable Strontium Isotope fractionation during Pedogenic processes. In: Goldschmidt-2025 conference, Prague (Link).
Shalev N., Gavrieli I., Halicz L., Sandler A., Stein M., and Lazar B. (2017). Enrichment of 88Sr in continental waters due to calcium carbonate precipitation. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 459, 381–393, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.11.042
- Group Members
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Lab manger
Post-doctoral fellow
My postdoctoral project focuses on understanding different continental weathering processes using stable and radiogenic strontium isotopes. Currently, I am attempting to comprehend the stable Sr isotope fractionation mechanism in soils and dust collected from various parts of Israel, with the broader objective of understanding how soil processes influence the δ88/86Sr composition of rivers and, ultimately, the oceanic Sr budget. I hold a PhD in Marine Science (Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology) from CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa University, India, where I extensively worked on the topic “Tracing Sediment Provenances and Paleo-circulation in the Northern and the Equatorial Indian Ocean” under the supervision of Prof Sunil Kumar Singh. I primarily work with MC-ICP-MS, QQQ-ICP-MS, HR-ICP-MS, and ICP-OES.
My broader research interests include weathering and erosion, land-ocean biogeochemical coupling, paleoceanography and paleoclimatology, past ocean circulation, and dust-climate interactions across different time scales.
Anael Cohen-Peretz
PhD student (at Weizmann Institute)
Daniel Friedberg
MSc student
Yana Kirichenko
Former PhD student.
Currently a postdoctoral fellow at EAWAG, Switzerland (Link).
Yining Li
Former visiting PhD student.
Currently a postdoctoral fellow at Adelaide University, Australia.
Duncan Dale
Former MSc student.
Currently a PhD student at ETH Zurich (Link).
Adi Ticher
Senior lab assistant (PhD student at Volcani Center)
Mika Kave
Lab assistant (BSc student, IES, HUJI)
Dana Mizrotsky
Lab assistant (BSc student, IES, HUJI)
Michal Spaer
Lab assistant (BSc student, IES, HUJI)
- Facilities and Instrumentation
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Ultra-clean lab for trace metal concentration and metal stable and radiogenic isotopes (Mg, stable Sr, radiogenic Sr, Nd, Pb, Fe, and others).
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Sample leaching and digestion for trace metal chemistry.
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Column chemistry for metal stable isotope measurements.
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS; Agilent 7500cx) for analysis of trace metals.
Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES; Analytic Jena PlasmaQuant PQ9000 Elite) for analysis of major and minor elements.
Direct mercury analyzer for solid, liquid, and gas samples (Milestone DMA-80).
X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer (XRF; Bruker Tracer III–V handheld XRF) equipped with a SiPIN Detector and excitation source of X-ray-tube Rh target live time count.
Micro-balance (Mettler Toledo MX5) an ultra-sensitive analytical balance (±1μg).
Auto-siever (GA-6 Gilsonic) for size separation equipped with 10 μm, 20 μm, 63 μm, 75 μm, 125 μm, 250 μm sieves.
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- Contact Details
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Netta Shalev | netta.shalev@mail.huji.ac.il
Open Positions
