Structural parameters of the Sr 2+ and, for the first time, of the Eu 2+ ions in aqueous solution were determined by the XAFS method. For the Sr 2+ , the use of an improved theoretical approach led to a first shell coordination number of 8.0 (3), a Sr-O distance of 2.600 (3) Å and a Debye-Waller factor of σ 2 ) 0.0126 (5)