THE RADIOACTIVITY, SITES OF ALPHA EMITTERS, AND RADIOACTIVE DISEQUILIBRIUM IN THE CONWAY GRANITE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. Thesis

Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4012114

Richardson, K A

The radioactivity of the Conway granite of New Hampshire was studied by gamma -ray spectrometry, autoradiography, and alpha -particle pulse-height analysis, as part of an investigation of the possibility of recovering Th from common rocks. It was concluded that the Conway granite is homogeneous with respect to Th, and the mean Th concentration in the Conway granite of the White Mountain batholith is 56 plus or minus 6 ppm. On this basis, the Conway granite in the White Mountain batholith is considered a low-grade Th resource containing 3 million tons of Th per hundred feet of depth. Comparison of Th and U concentrations in drill-core samples and in samples taken from outcrops indicates an average U loss of 35% from surface samples of Conway granite. Autoradiographic results show that approximates 2/3 of the alpha emitters in the Conway granite are concentrated in accessory mineral grains identified as thorite, huttonite, allanite, and zircon. The wide ranges of alpha activity and the estimated Th concentrations in zircon, thorite, and huttonite suggest that extensive isomorphism exists between zircon and thorite, and that the mineral identified as huttonite is isomorphous between monazite and huttonite. Radioactive disequilibrium in the U-238 series was found in extremely weathered rock, with a U-234 deficiency of about 50%. Other samples taken from deeper in the drill core and from other outcrops showed an equilibrium ratio between U-238 and U-234. (Dissertation Abstr., 24: No. 8, Feb.(1964))

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-18-020222
• OSTI ID: 4012114
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALLANITE
ALPHA PARTICLES
ALUMINUM SILICATES
CALCIUM SILICATES
CERIUM COMPOUNDS
EPIDOTE
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY
GRANITES
HUTTONITE
MINERALS
MONAZITES
PULSE ANALYZERS
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOAUTOGRAPHY
ROCKS
STABILITY
THORITE
THORIUM
THORIUM SILICATES
URANIUM
URANIUM 234
URANIUM 238
WELL LOGGING
ZIRCONIUM SILICATES