Scientific Data

Global compilation of bioavailable strontium isotope data

2026-01-24

Bioavailable strontium isotope ratios ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) have broad applications for geolocation and movement reconstructions in ecology, paleontology, archaeology, forensics, and environmental and food sciences. These applications require a comprehensive 87 Sr/ 86 Sr reference dataset to identify isotopically distinct areas. Bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr reference datasets have been created for many regions world-wide and are based on a large range of different sample materials including soil, water, flora, and fauna. Here we compiled and harmonized 28,347 published bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data from over 150 countries representing decades of work by hundreds of researchers to provide a global dataset as a basis for reference and isoscape development. These data provide researchers across many different disciplines with a common reference dataset to use as a foundation for their research projects. Metadata and method details are provided to allow for the individual assessment of the data. The dataset is available at two community data repositories dedicated to stable isotope data, IsoArcH and IsoBank.

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DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-06643-3