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Petrogenetic implications of argon isotopic evolution in the upper mantle

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Abstract

THE construction of models for the isotopic evolution of terrestial argon (unlike those for strontium and lead1–2), has been severely hampered by the fact that there are to our knowledge, no reported studies of the initial argon isotopic ratios in rocks of various ages. It has been estimated3 that the cosmic abundances of the stable argon isotopes are 40Ar, 0.4%; 38Ar, 14.1%; and 36Ar, 85.6%. This gives a cosmic 40Ar/36Ar ratio of 0.005, which may reasonably be assumed to approximate closely the initial 40Ar/36Ar ratio in the solid Earth at the time of formation.

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Author notes

  1. J. FLETT BROWN

    Present address: Department of Geology, The Florida State University,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Parks Road, Oxford, UK

    J. FLETT BROWN

  2. Department of Geology, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306

    C. T. HARPER & A. L. ODOM

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  1. J. FLETT BROWN
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  2. C. T. HARPER
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  3. A. L. ODOM
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BROWN, J., HARPER, C. & ODOM, A. Petrogenetic implications of argon isotopic evolution in the upper mantle. Nature 250, 130–133 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/250130a0

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