Calcium and Mg isotope geochemistry is currently becoming a more mature field than even a few years ago. In that regard, our new book will include fundamental advances in Ca and Mg isotope geochemistry including recent developments on biological fractionation and biochemical applications. It also offers a more intimate link between the method and applications chapters as it was possible in the above volume that includes very diverse "non-traditional stable isotope" systems. Furthermore, a thorough combined discussion of Mg and Ca isotope fractionation has not yet been presented, even though the applications of the two systems have much in common. In particular, the chapter on Mg isotope geochemistry and cosmochemistry in the above mentioned volume

Anne-Desir+¬e Schmitt obtained her PhD at the University of Strasbourg (F), went as a post-doctoral fellow to the MPI of Chemistry (Mainz, D) and is now a Ma+«tre de Conf+¬rences (Associate Prof.) at the University of Franche-Comt+¬ (F), where she studies Ca isotope fractionations in surface processes. .Dr. Alexander Heuser studied mineralogy at the University of G+¦ttingen. He obtained his doctorate at GEOMAR/University of Kiel for his work on the Ca isotope geochemistry of foraminifera. He is now working on Ca isotope geochemistry of (fossil) bones and biological Ca isotope fractionation at the University of Bonn.Nikolaus Gussone studied geology at the RWTH-Aachen and University of G+¦ttingen. He obtained his doctorate at the GEOMAR/University of Kiel, went as post-doctoral fellow to the Research Center Ocean Margins (Bremen) and is presently at the University of M++nster, researching different aspect of Ca isotope geochemistry.Dr. Frank Wombacher studied Geology in W++rzburg, Edinburgh and G+¦ttingen. He received his doctorate at the University of M++nster for the determination of Cd isotopes in rocks and meteorites. As a post-doc at the IFM-GEOMAR in Kiel he analysed modern biogenic carbonates for their Mg isotope compositions. Currently he is a researcher at the Freie Universit+ñt Berlin.Florian B+¦hm studied geology and palaeontology at the University of Erlangen, where he did his doctorate about microfacies and lithostratigraphy of alpine Jurassic limestones. He later moved to the IFM-GEOMAR in Kiel where he started studying Ca isotopes in a project about the variability of seawater calcium during the Phanerozoic.