Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks
In order to solve the fundamental problem as to whether the extinct radioactive isotope 244Pu was present in the early Earth, we have analysed xenon in magmatic zircons from three early Archaean meta-granitoids from Greenland. Two samples, a granite (sample G97/111) and a ferrogabbro/ferrodiorite (s...
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ftanucanberra:oai:digitalcollections.anu.edu.au:1885/88337 2023-05-15T13:21:42+02:00 Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks Honda, Masahiko Nutman, Allen Bennett, Victoria 2015-12-13T23:13:53Z http://hdl.handle.net/1885/88337 unknown Elsevier 0012-821X http://hdl.handle.net/1885/88337 Earth and Planetary Science Letters Keywords: Archean early Earth granitoid noble gas paleoatmosphere xenon zircon Greenland Atmospheric evolution Early Archaean Fission xenon Noble gases Pu-244 Journal article 2015 ftanucanberra 2015-12-21T23:56:51Z In order to solve the fundamental problem as to whether the extinct radioactive isotope 244Pu was present in the early Earth, we have analysed xenon in magmatic zircons from three early Archaean meta-granitoids from Greenland. Two samples, a granite (sample G97/111) and a ferrogabbro/ferrodiorite (sample G97/112), are from the same ca 3.64 Ga composite intrusion at the mouth of Ameralik fjord. The third sample (sample G97/018) is a ca 3.81 Ga tonalite from a locality south of the Isua supracrustal belt. The 3.81 Ga tonalite (sample G97/018) and possibly the 3.64 Ga granite (sample G97/111) magmatic zircons appear to have small excesses of fission xenon different from the 238U-derived spontaneous fission xenon. This excess fission xenon is consistent with that expected for 244Pu-derived spontaneous fission, and it may indicate that these zircons incorporated 244Pu when they crystallised. If this is true, it suggests the existence of 244Pu early in the Earth's history. Furthermore, our preliminary investigation supports views that the Earth's primitive material had a near-chondritic 244Pu/238U abundance ratio and that fissiogenic xenon in the atmosphere is of plutonic origin. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ameralik Ameralik fjord Greenland Australian National University: ANU Digital Collections Ameralik ENVELOPE(-51.000,-51.000,64.117,64.117) Greenland |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Australian National University: ANU Digital Collections |
op_collection_id |
ftanucanberra |
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unknown |
topic |
Keywords: Archean early Earth granitoid noble gas paleoatmosphere xenon zircon Greenland Atmospheric evolution Early Archaean Fission xenon Noble gases Pu-244 |
spellingShingle |
Keywords: Archean early Earth granitoid noble gas paleoatmosphere xenon zircon Greenland Atmospheric evolution Early Archaean Fission xenon Noble gases Pu-244 Honda, Masahiko Nutman, Allen Bennett, Victoria Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks |
topic_facet |
Keywords: Archean early Earth granitoid noble gas paleoatmosphere xenon zircon Greenland Atmospheric evolution Early Archaean Fission xenon Noble gases Pu-244 |
description |
In order to solve the fundamental problem as to whether the extinct radioactive isotope 244Pu was present in the early Earth, we have analysed xenon in magmatic zircons from three early Archaean meta-granitoids from Greenland. Two samples, a granite (sample G97/111) and a ferrogabbro/ferrodiorite (sample G97/112), are from the same ca 3.64 Ga composite intrusion at the mouth of Ameralik fjord. The third sample (sample G97/018) is a ca 3.81 Ga tonalite from a locality south of the Isua supracrustal belt. The 3.81 Ga tonalite (sample G97/018) and possibly the 3.64 Ga granite (sample G97/111) magmatic zircons appear to have small excesses of fission xenon different from the 238U-derived spontaneous fission xenon. This excess fission xenon is consistent with that expected for 244Pu-derived spontaneous fission, and it may indicate that these zircons incorporated 244Pu when they crystallised. If this is true, it suggests the existence of 244Pu early in the Earth's history. Furthermore, our preliminary investigation supports views that the Earth's primitive material had a near-chondritic 244Pu/238U abundance ratio and that fissiogenic xenon in the atmosphere is of plutonic origin. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Honda, Masahiko Nutman, Allen Bennett, Victoria |
author_facet |
Honda, Masahiko Nutman, Allen Bennett, Victoria |
author_sort |
Honda, Masahiko |
title |
Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks |
title_short |
Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks |
title_full |
Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks |
title_fullStr |
Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks |
title_full_unstemmed |
Xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 Ga meta-granitoids from Greenland - a search for extinct 244 Pu in ancient terrestrial rocks |
title_sort |
xenon compositions of magmatic zircons in 3.64 and 3.81 ga meta-granitoids from greenland - a search for extinct 244 pu in ancient terrestrial rocks |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1885/88337 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-51.000,-51.000,64.117,64.117) |
geographic |
Ameralik Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Ameralik Greenland |
genre |
Ameralik Ameralik fjord Greenland |
genre_facet |
Ameralik Ameralik fjord Greenland |
op_source |
Earth and Planetary Science Letters |
op_relation |
0012-821X http://hdl.handle.net/1885/88337 |
_version_ |
1766361001344630784 |