Publisher Description

The twelve chapters of this volume aim to provide a complete manual for using noble gases in terrestrial geochemistry, covering applications which range from high temperature processes deep in the Earth’s interior to tracing climatic variations using noble gases trapped in ice cores, groundwaters and modern sediments. Other chapters cover noble gases in crustal (aqueous, CO2 and hydrocarbon) fluids and laboratory techniques for determining noble gas solubilities and diffusivities under geologically relevant conditions. Each chapter deals with the fundamentals of the analysis and interpretation of the data, detailing sampling and sampling strategies, techniques for analysis, sources of error and their estimation, including data treatment and data interpretation using recent case studies.

Volume 47 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry introduces to Noble Gases. Although the mass spectrometry principles are not complex, the tricks involved in getting better data are often self taught or passed on by working with individuals who themselves are pushing the boundaries further. Furthermore, much of the exciting new science is linked with technical developments that allow us to move beyond the current measurement capabilities. Be they better crushing devices, laser resonance time of flight, multiple collection or compressor sources - the technical issues are central to progress. Contents: Noble Gases – Noble Science An Overview of Noble Gas Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry Noble Gases in the Solar System Noble Gases in the Moon and Meteorites: Radiogenic Components and Early Volatile Chronologies Cosmic-Ray-Produced Noble Gases in Meteorites Martian Noble Gases Origin of Noble Gases in the Terrestrial Planets Noble Gas Isotope Geochemistry of Mid-Ocean Ridge and Ocean Island Basalts: Characterization of Mantle Source Reservoirs Noble Gases and Volatile Recycling at Subduction Zones The Storage and Transport of Noble Gases in the Subcontinental Lithosphere Models for the Distribution of Terrestrial Noble Gases and the Evolution of the Atmosphere Production, Release and Transport of Noble Gases in the Continental Crust Tracing Fluid Origin, Transport and Interaction in the Crust Noble Gases in Lakes and Ground Waters Noble Gases in Ocean Waters and Sediments Cosmic-Ray-Produced Noble Gases in Terrestrial Rocks: Dating Tools for Surface Processes K-Ar and Ar-Ar Dating (U-Th)/He Dating: Techniques, Calibrations, and Applications

Gas geochemistry is a branch of geosciences which has developed considerably during the last decades. This book is a summary of the major results obtained by the authors during the past twenty years from their studies in combining geochemistry of natural gases with that of noble gases. This book focuses on the gas consitution of the noble gases helium and argon, their isotopic composition in oil/gas reservoirs in the major oil--gas-bearing basins in China, and their geochemical implications as well as the geochemical characteristics of noble gases and natural gases as the high-quality energy resources in China's oil--gas-bearing regions.

Developments in Geochemistry, Volume 3: Helium Isotopes in Nature presents the isotopic investigations of noble gases. This book describes the origin, the history, and the contemporary distribution of isotopes of helium. Organized into 11 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of mass-spectrometric methods and measurements of the helium isotope abundance. This text then discusses the methods of collecting various terrestrial samples as well as the apparatus for helium extraction, volumetric measurements, and purification. Other chapters consider the isotope composition of primordial, radiogenic, and spallogenic light noble gases. This book discusses as well the origin and distribution of helium isotopes in meteorites, in the Earth's mantle, the crust and ocean, and in the atmosphere. The final chapter deals with the scientific and applied problems that can be resolved to the progress in helium isotope geochemistry. This book is a valuable resource for scientists. Research workers and students interested in the geochemistry of helium will also find this book useful.