Abstract
IT is now well known that, granted certain conditions of suitability, the age of a primary radioactive mineral is given to a first approximation in millions of years by the formula Pb . C / (U + k . Th), where k is the amount of uranium which is equivalent in lead-producing capacity to 1 gm. of thorium, and 1/C is the amount of lead produced by 1 gm. of uranium in a million years. Unfortunately, there has been a serious divergence in the values adopted for these constants by different authors, as a consequence of which the calculated ages are not always directly comparable. It is greatly to be desired that uniformity should be attained in this respect, and we feel that the time is now ripe for the adoption of agreed values of k and C by the various workers in this field of research, at least until unequivocably better data are available.
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HOLMES, A., LAWSON, R. Calculation of the Ages of Radioactive Minerals. Nature 118, 478 (1926). https://doi.org/10.1038/118478a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/118478a0
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