Production of radionuclides in the earth and their hydrogeologic significance, with emphasis on chlorine-36 and iodine-129
Equilibrium radionuclide concentrations are calculated as a function of depth for a variety of rock types. Production mechanisms include fissioning of heavy radionuclides; spallation by cosmic-ray nucleons; capture of neutrons, {alpha}-particles, muons and protons; and photonuclear reactions. Calculations indicate that deep subsurface production of {sup 3}H, {sup 14}C, {sup 85}Kr and {sup 99}Tc is generally below detection but that deep production of {sup 36}Cl, {sup 39}Ar, {sup 81}Kr and {sup 129}I establishes limits to age-dating of water in most rocks. Parameters for estimating production of {sup 10}Be, {sup 22}Na, {sup 26}Al, {sup 32}Si, {sup 41}C and {sup 79}Se are included in appendices. Concentrations of {sup 36}Cl and {sup 129}I in ground water from the Stripa granite, Sweden, were determined by accelerator mass spectrometry. {sup 129}I values range from 1000 to 200,000 atoms/ml, compared to an estimated background concentration in pre-1945 water of 20 atoms/ml. The high levels are attributed to production by spontaneous fission of {sup 238}U in the granite (44 ppm U). The validity of using {sup 36}Cl/Cl ratios as a monitor of deep lithospheric neutron fluxes was tested by measuring the ratios in Cl extracted from Stripa granite. The average ratio agrees with ratios calculated based on rock chemistry and on the measured neutron flux. {sup 129}I and {sup 36}Cl were also measured in uranium ores from the Koongarra and Ranger deposits, N.T., Australia. Samples from the oxidized ore zone contain only 6-23% of the {sup 129}I contents predicted for equilibrium, suggesting preferential loss of {sup 129}I relative to U during weathering. {sup 36}Cl is produced as a result of high neutron fluxes in the ore.
- Research Organization:
- Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5542108
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Multiple stages of fluid trapping in the Stripa granite indicated by laser microprobe analysis of Cl, Br, I, K, U, and nucleogenic plus radiogenic Ar, Kr, and Xe in fluid inclusions
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Related Subjects
CHLORINE 36
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
GROUND WATER
AGE ESTIMATION
IODINE 129
ALUMINIUM 26
ARGON 37
ARGON 39
AUSTRALIA
BERYLLIUM 10
CALCIUM 41
DEPTH
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GRANITES
ISOTOPE RATIO
KRYPTON 81
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NEUTRON FLUX
SELENIUM 79
SILICON 32
SODIUM 22
SPONTANEOUS FISSION
SWEDEN
SYNTHESIS
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ORES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALUMINIUM ISOTOPES
ARGON ISOTOPES
AUSTRALASIA
BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CALCIUM ISOTOPES
CHLORINE ISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECAY
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EUROPE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISSION
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
KRYPTON ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEAR DECAY
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIC ROCKS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIOISOTOPES
ROCKS
SCANDINAVIA
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SELENIUM ISOTOPES
SILICON ISOTOPES
SODIUM ISOTOPES
SPECTROSCOPY
URANIUM ISOTOPES
WATER
WESTERN EUROPE
YEARS LIVING RADIOI
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
580100* - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)