Radiogenic Isotopes In Geologic Processes

Do we actually understand geologic processes? New technology brings new inf- mation and perceptions, which sometimes overturn imaginations based on simple observation and estimation, in conjunction with common sense inference. In 1902– 1904,PierreCurieandErnestRutherford?rstformulatedtheideaofusingradioactive transformation of nuclides as a geologic chronometer. After a century of working with such tools, geology has advanced from a descriptive science to an analytic s- encethatformulatesconclusionsbasedonexactvalues.Thetechnologyofradiogenic isotope geology has created a branch of science that considers the Earth as a planet generated within a Solar system and studies the subsequent evolution of geologic processes that has resulted in the present formation of our planet’s continents and oceans. The physicist Vitaly Ginsburg, Nobel Prize laureate, wrote recently: “If Kepler had been given information on orbital parameters of planets with modern precision, he would not have been able to formulate his laws”. Indeed, after development of laws of celestial mechanics, methods of measurements became so advanced and such numerous secondary distortion effects were found that to describe an orbit of a cosmic body by a curve of the second order would appear impossible. But it does not mean that Kepler’s laws are “cancelled”; they still occupy an honorable place in courses on celestial mechanics. A reasonable division into basic and secondary phenomena is accepted and the latter are entered as variations in the basic equations.

Volume 16 of Reviews in Mineralogy inroduces to high-temperature stable isotope geochemistry and should provide an entry into the pertinent literature, as well as some understanding of the basic concepts and potential applications. The first three chapters focus on the theory and experimental data base for equilibrium, disequilibrium, and kinetics of stable isotope exchange reactions among geologically important minerals and fluids. The fourth chapter discusses the primordial oxygen isotope variations in the solar system prior to formation of the Earth, along with a discussion of isotopic anomalies in meteorites. The fifth chapter discusses isotopic variations in the Earth's mantle and the sixth chapter reviews the variations in the isotopic compositions of natural waters on our planet. In Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10, these isotopic constraints and concepts are applied to various facets of the origin and evolution of igneous rocks, bringing in much material on radiogenic isotopes as well, because these problems require a multi-dimensional attack for their solution. In Chapters 11 and 12, the problems of hydrothermal alteration by meteoric waters and ocean water are considered, together with discussions of the physics and chemistry of hydrothermal systems and the 18O/16O history of ocean water. Finally, in Chapters 13 and 14, these concepts are applied to problems of metamorphic petrology and ore deposits, particularly with respect to the origins of the fluids involved in those processes.

New and updated edition of a popular textbook on the geological applications of radiogenic isotopes.

An accessible overview of radiogenic isotopes, dataset evaluation and real-world applications for advanced undergraduate students and industry professionals.

The third edition of Radiogenic Isotope Geology examines revolutionary changes in geochemical thinking that have occurred over the past fifteen years. Extinct-nuclide studies on meteorites have called into question fundamental geochemical models of the Earth, while new dating methods have challenged conventional views of Earth history. At the same time, the problem of global warming has raised new questions about the causes of past and present climate change. In the new edition, these and other recent issues are evaluated in their scholarly and historical context, so readers can understand the development of current ideas. Controversial theories, new analytical techniques, classic papers, and illustrative case studies all come under scrutiny in this book, providing an accessible introduction for students and critical commentary for researchers.

How best to interpret and apply geochemical data to understand geological processes, for graduate students, researchers, and professionals.