Uranium series dating of Allan Hills ice

• Main Author: Fireman, E. L.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1986
• Subjects: 46; Antarctic; Allan Hills; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19860049995

Uranium-238 decay series nuclides dissolved in Antarctic ice samples were measured in areas of both high and low concentrations of volcanic glass shards. Ice from the Allan Hills site (high shard content) had high Ra-226, Th-230 and U-234 activities but similarly low U-238 activities in comparison with Antarctic ice samples without shards. The Ra-226, Th-230 and U-234 excesses were found to be proportional to the shard content, while the U-238 decay series results were consistent with the assumption that alpha decay products recoiled into the ice from the shards. Through this method of uranium series dating, it was learned that the Allen Hills Cul de Sac ice is approximately 325,000 years old.