Where is the Earth's Radiogenic Helium?
@article{Cook1957WhereIT, title={Where is the Earth's Radiogenic Helium?}, author={Melvin A. Cook}, journal={Nature}, year={1957}, volume={179}, pages={213-213} }
AT the estimated 2 × 1020 gm. uranium and 5 × 1020 gm. thorium in the lithosphere, helium should be generated radiogenically at a rate of about 3 × 109 gm./year. Moreover, the (secondary) cosmic-ray source of helium has been estimated to be of comparable magnitude. Apparently nearly all the helium from sedimentary rocks and, according to Keevil1 and Hurley2, about 0.8 of the radiogenic helium from igneous rocks, have been released into the atmosphere during geological times (currently taken to…
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