New thermoluminescence techniques for mineral exploration

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7221651

Levy, P W; Holmes, R J; Ypma, P J; Chen, C C; Swiderski, H S

The thermoluminescence of carbonate host rock in the vicinity of known lead-zinc and lead-zinc-fluorite mineralization was reexamined for possible development as an exploration technique. The measurements were made with equipment for determining the thermoluminescence spectrum at closely spaced temperature intervals. Radiation-induced thermoluminescence was also measured. Samples were studied from five localities in Mexico, Southwest Africa, and the United States. Four thermoluminescence properties were found to vary with ''distance-from-ore'' in a systematic manner. These include the glow peak intensity and temperature and the emission spectrum peak energy and full width at half-maximum. For example, in both limestone and dolomite, the high-temperature glow peak intensities are low or negligible within the ore and as the distance from the contact increases the intensity rises rapidly to a maximum, or maxima, and then decreases irregularly to constant value slightly above that in the ore. Depending on the thickness of the ore, the thermoluminescence characteristics associated with the mineralization extended from ten to a hundred or so meters from the ore host rock contact. 5 figures. (DLC)

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA); Columbia Univ., New York (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-0016
• OSTI ID: 7221651
• Report Number(s): BNL-22432; CONF-770316-1; IAEA-SM-216/51
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580300* -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM FLUORIDES
CALCIUM HALIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE ROCKS
CARBONATES
DOLOMITE
EXPLORATION
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FLUORITE
GLOW CURVE
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LEAD MINERALS
LIMESTONE
LUMINESCENCE
MAGNESIUM CARBONATES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MINERALIZATION
MINERALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOLUMINESCENCE
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
THERMOLUMINESCENCE
ZINC COMPOUNDS