Wasserburg, G. J. and MacDonald, Gordon J. F. and Hoyle, F. and Fowler, William A. (1964) Relative Contributions of Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium to Heat Production in the Earth. Science, 143 (3605). pp. 465-467. ISSN 0036-8075. doi:10.1126/science.143.3605.465. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20151209-100330788
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Abstract
Data from a wide variety of igneous rock types show that the ratio of potassium to uranium is approximately 1 X 10^4. This suggests that the value of K/U ≈1 X 10^4 is characteristic of terrestrial materials and is distinct from the value of 8 X 10^4 found in chondrites. In a model earth with K/U ≈ 10^4, uranium and thorium are the dominant sources of radioactive heat at the present time. This will permit the average terrestrial concentrations of uranium and thorium to be 2 to 4.7 times higher than that observed in chondrites. The resulting models of the terrestrial heat production will be considerably different from those for chondritic heat production because of the longer half-life of U^(238) and Th^(238) compared with K^(40).
Item Type: | Article | ||||||||||
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Additional Information: | © 1964 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Received 18 December 1963. Supported by grants from the Atomic Energy Commission, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, and the Office of Naval Research. | ||||||||||
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Issue or Number: | 3605 | ||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1126/science.143.3605.465 | ||||||||||
Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:20151209-100330788 | ||||||||||
Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20151209-100330788 | ||||||||||
Official Citation: | Relative Contributions of Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium to Heat Production in the Earth G. J. Wasserburg, Gordon J. F. MacDonald, F. Hoyle, and William A. Fowler Science 31 January 1964: 143 (3605), 465-467. [DOI:10.1126/science.143.3605.465] | ||||||||||
Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | ||||||||||
ID Code: | 62734 | ||||||||||
Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | ||||||||||
Deposited By: | Tony Diaz | ||||||||||
Deposited On: | 09 Dec 2015 20:02 | ||||||||||
Last Modified: | 16 Mar 2022 18:45 |
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