Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry
A Guide for Industry Professionals

An accessible overview of radiogenic isotopes, dataset evaluation and real-world applications for advanced undergraduate students and industry professionals.

Bruce F. Schaefer (Author)

9781107039582, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 June 2016

210 pages, 59 b/w illus. 13 tables
25.2 x 17.9 x 1.3 cm, 0.58 kg

'… plain-talk for the industry.' Holly Stein, AIRIE Program, Colorado State University, and Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo

Isotopes provide important information on many geological processes, with key relevance to the mining and petroleum industries, yet the techniques to obtain, process and interpret the data can be complex to master. This accessible book provides broad coverage of radiogenic isotopes in geochronology and geochemistry, explaining the basic principles and state-of-the-art techniques used to study them, with an emphasis on industry applications. The major isotopic systems are fully summarised with relation to real-world applications, enabling readers to decide which technique is most relevant for the problem they want to solve, and then to rigorously evaluate existing data, or recalculate and reassess datasets to avoid duplication of effort. A comprehensive glossary clarifies the numerous acronyms used in the field. Written at a level appropriate for advanced undergraduate students, the book also includes detail which allows more experienced practitioners to maximise the potential value of isotopic datasets.

Dedication
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations and symbols
Part I. 'How': Isotopes and How They Are Measured: 1. Isotopes and geochemistry
2. Processes
3. Mass spectrometry
4. Stable isotopes
5. Radioactivity, radioactive decay and isotope systems applied in the geosciences
Part II. 'When': Geological Time, Ages and Rates of Geological Phenomena: 6. Underpinnings of geochronology: background and principles
7. Isochron geochronology
8. U-Pb and Pb-Pb geochronology
9. Argon geochronology
Part III. 'Where': Tracking the Course of Material through the Earth: 10. Isotopes as tracers: general principles
11. Applications of radiogenic tracers
12. New developments in radiogenic isotopes
Appendix 1. Conversion between weight % oxide and ppm
Appendix 2. Isotopic abundances
Glossary
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Mining technology & engineering [TTU], Petroleum technology [THFP], Geochemistry [RBGK], Geology & the lithosphere [RBG]