Isotopes of Berylium

Although beryllium has many isotopes, only ⁹Be is stable, classifying it as a monoisotopic element. ¹⁰Be is produced in the atmosphere when cosmic ray spallation of oxygen and nitrogen occurs. ¹⁰Be resides on top of soil, and has a long half-life which allows it to survive a long time before turning into ¹⁰B. This makes ¹⁰Be useful for examining soil and solar activity because solar activity is inversely correlated with ¹⁰Be production. Besides ¹⁰Be, many of beryllium's isotopes, especially ¹³Be, have very short half-lives.