Matthieu Roy-Barman received his Doctorate in Fundamental Geochemistry in 1993 at the Institut de Physique du Globe in Paris, France. After 2 years of post-doc at the California Institute of Technology, USA, he joined the oceanography laboratory of Toulouse University (LEGOS), France, in 1995 as an assistant professor. In 2002, he moved to the "Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement" and the Versailles University, France, where he is professor since 2005. His research fields the role of marine particles in the ocean biogeochemical cycles and the fate of contaminant in the urban environment together with methodological developments for the analysis of natural radioactive isotopes.Catherine Jeandel obtained a PhD in marine geochemistry at Paris VII University, France, and later a research position at CNRS. She moved in 1985 to the University of Toulouse, France, where she is working in the "Toulouse Isotopie Marine" research group of the Laboratoire d'Etudes en Geophysique et Océanographie Spatiale (LEGOS). Her research is focused on quantifying the fluxes and processes that govern the chemical state of the ocean. She stands among the pioneers in developing trace element and their isotope analyses for seawater and marine particles. With other marine geochemists, she advocates multi-tracer approaches to resolve oceanic processes, yielding the ongoing international GEOTRACES program.

Material is presented at an advanced level, with excellent figures and separate boxes for mathematical derivations. The book is appropriate as an advanced graduate text and as a resource for researchers... Recommended.

• 1: A few bases of descriptive and physical oceanograph 2: Sea water is more than salt water 3: Stable isotopes 4: Radioactive isotopes and radiogenic isotopes 5: Box models 6: Advection-diffusion models 7: Development and limitations of biological activity in surface waters 8: CO2 exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere 9: The little world marine particles 10: Thermohaline circulation 11: Ocean history and climate change

Matthieu Roy-Barman received his Doctorate in Fundamental Geochemistry in 1993 at the Institut de Physique du Globe in Paris, France. After 2 years of post-doc at the California Institute of Technology, USA, he joined the oceanography laboratory of Toulouse University (LEGOS), France, in 1995 as an assistant professor. In 2002, he moved to the "Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement" and the Versailles University, France, where he is professor since 2005. His research fields the role of marine particles in the ocean biogeochemical cycles and the fate of contaminant in the urban environment together with methodological developments for the analysis of natural radioactive isotopes.Catherine Jeandel obtained a PhD in marine geochemistry at Paris VII University, France, and later a research position at CNRS. She moved in 1985 to the University of Toulouse, France, where she is working in the "Toulouse Isotopie Marine" research group of the Laboratoire d'Etudes en Geophysique et Océanographie Spatiale (LEGOS). Her research is focused on quantifying the fluxes and processes that govern the chemical state of the ocean. She stands among the pioneers in developing trace element and their isotope analyses for seawater and marine particles. With other marine geochemists, she advocates multi-tracer approaches to resolve oceanic processes, yielding the ongoing international GEOTRACES program.

Material is presented at an advanced level, with excellent figures and separate boxes for mathematical derivations. The book is appropriate as an advanced graduate text and as a resource for researchers... Recommended.

• 1: A few bases of descriptive and physical oceanograph 2: Sea water is more than salt water 3: Stable isotopes 4: Radioactive isotopes and radiogenic isotopes 5: Box models 6: Advection-diffusion models 7: Development and limitations of biological activity in surface waters 8: CO2 exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere 9: The little world marine particles 10: Thermohaline circulation 11: Ocean history and climate change

Matthieu Roy-Barman received his Doctorate in Fundamental Geochemistry in 1993 at the Institut de Physique du Globe in Paris, France. After 2 years of post-doc at the California Institute of Technology, USA, he joined the oceanography laboratory of Toulouse University (LEGOS), France, in 1995 as an assistant professor. In 2002, he moved to the "Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement" and the Versailles University, France, where he is professor since 2005. His research fields the role of marine particles in the ocean biogeochemical cycles and the fate of contaminant in the urban environment together with methodological developments for the analysis of natural radioactive isotopes.Catherine Jeandel obtained a PhD in marine geochemistry at Paris VII University, France, and later a research position at CNRS. She moved in 1985 to the University of Toulouse, France, where she is working in the "Toulouse Isotopie Marine" research group of the Laboratoire d'Etudes en Geophysique et Océanographie Spatiale (LEGOS). Her research is focused on quantifying the fluxes and processes that govern the chemical state of the ocean. She stands among the pioneers in developing trace element and their isotope analyses for seawater and marine particles. With other marine geochemists, she advocates multi-tracer approaches to resolve oceanic processes, yielding the ongoing international GEOTRACES program.

Material is presented at an advanced level, with excellent figures and separate boxes for mathematical derivations. The book is appropriate as an advanced graduate text and as a resource for researchers... Recommended.

• 1: A few bases of descriptive and physical oceanograph 2: Sea water is more than salt water 3: Stable isotopes 4: Radioactive isotopes and radiogenic isotopes 5: Box models 6: Advection-diffusion models 7: Development and limitations of biological activity in surface waters 8: CO2 exchanges between the ocean and the atmosphere 9: The little world marine particles 10: Thermohaline circulation 11: Ocean history and climate change