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Radiogenic Isotopes in Dating of Natural Waters and Sediments

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Nuclear Geophysics

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Abstract

The production and distribution of radiogenic (natural) radioisotopes and the distribution and separation of uranium, thorium and radium isotopes (238U, 235U, 234U, 232Th, 230Th, 238Th, 224Ra, and 226Ra) in natural waters are discussed in this chapter. Methods of dating surface waters, groundwaters, closed reservoirs and bottom sediments are analysed. The values of the radiogenic isotopes in waters are practically independent of chemical factors. It is mainly determined by the uranium distribution in rocks of a water-bearing complex. Therefore, the uranium isotope ratio serves as some kind of natural indicator of water of a certain water-bearing complex. This fact makes it possible to determine patterns of natural water filtration; to distinguish the rock of the water-bearing complex, to construct models of groundwater circulation, to establish the mixing proportions of waters of different complexes and to examine the interrelations between waters of different complexes.

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  1. Water Problems Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    V. I. Ferronsky

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Ferronsky, V. (2015). Radiogenic Isotopes in Dating of Natural Waters and Sediments. In: Nuclear Geophysics. Springer Geophysics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12451-3_11

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