Abstract
THE construction of models for the isotopic evolution of terrestial argon (unlike those for strontium and lead1–2), has been severely hampered by the fact that there are to our knowledge, no reported studies of the initial argon isotopic ratios in rocks of various ages. It has been estimated3 that the cosmic abundances of the stable argon isotopes are 40Ar, 0.4%; 38Ar, 14.1%; and 36Ar, 85.6%. This gives a cosmic 40Ar/36Ar ratio of 0.005, which may reasonably be assumed to approximate closely the initial 40Ar/36Ar ratio in the solid Earth at the time of formation.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armstrong, R. L., Rev. Geophys., 6, 175 (1968).
Sinha, A. K., and Tilton, G. R., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 37, 1823 (1973).
Suess, H. E., J. Geol., 57, 600 (1949).
Neir, A. O., Phys. Rev., 77, 789 (1950).
Mussett, A. E., and Dalrymple, G. B., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 4, 422 (1968).
Dalrymple, G. B., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 6, 47 (1969).
Hayatsu, A., and Carmichael, C. M., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 8, 71 (1970).
Krumenacher, D., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 8, 109 (1970).
O'Nions, R. K., and Gronvold, K., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 19, 397 (1973).
Rankama, K., Progress in Isotope Geology, (Interscience, New York, 1963).
Rankama, K., Isotope Geology (Pergamon, Oxford, 1954).
Shillibeer, H. A., Russell, R. D., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 8, 16 (1955).
Nicolet, M., Bull. Acad. r. Belg. Cl. Sci., 482 (1956).
Damon, P. E., and Kulp, J. L., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 13, 280 (1958).
Turekian, K. T., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 17, 37 (1959).
Turekian, K. T., in The origin and evolution of atmospheres and oceans (edit. by Cameron and Brancazio), (Wiley, New York, 1964).
Schwartzman, D. W., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 37, 2479 (1973).
Brewer, M. S., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 6, 321 (1969).
Wanless, R. K., Stevens, R. D., and Loveridge, W. D., Eclog. geol. Helv., 63, 345 (1970).
Giletti, B. J., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 10, 157 (1971).
Harper, C. T., and Schamel, S., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 12, 129 (1971).
Hurley, P. M., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 32, 273 (1968).
Hurley, P. M., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 32, 1025 (1968).
Mason, B., Principles of Geochemistry, third ed. (Wiley, New York, 1966).
Ringwood, A. E., J. geophys. Res., 67, 857 and 4473 (1962).
Baksi, A. K., thesis, Univ. Toronto (1970).
McDougall, I., Polach, H. A., and Stipp, J. J., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 33, 1485 (1969).
Moorbath, S., Sigurdsson, H., and Goodwin, R., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 4, 197 (1968).
Tarling, D. H., and Gale, N. H., Nature, 218, 1043 (1968).
Brown, J. Flett, thesis, Univ. Oxford (1973).
Westoll, N. D. S., and Miller, J. A., Scott. J. Geol., 5, 11 (1969).
Baadsgaard, H., and Mueller, P. A., Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 84 (1973).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BROWN, J., HARPER, C. & ODOM, A. Petrogenetic implications of argon isotopic evolution in the upper mantle. Nature 250, 130–133 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/250130a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/250130a0
This article is cited by
-
Constraints on evolution of Earth's mantle from rare gas systematics
Nature (1983)
-
Quantitative retention of magmatic argon in a glassy basalt
Nature (1981)
-
Preferential formation of the atmosphere–sialic crust system from the upper mantle
Nature (1979)
-
Argon isotopic evolution of upper mantle
Nature (1976)
-
Argon isotopic evolution of upper mantle (reply)
Nature (1976)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.