Helium Isotopes

Helium gas is a trace constituent of groundwater and thermal fluids, and the ratio of 3He to 4He can be measured with a high-precision mass spectrometer to determine whether it is derived from air, from the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium in the crust, or from the mantle. The latter is a characteristic feature of volcanic and geothermal gases.

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Word of the Week – Gneiss

Word of the Week – Gneiss

Gneiss Metamorphic rock that forms under intense pressure and high temperature and that is made of quartz, feldspar, amphibole and mica. Gneiss represents the highest grade of metamorphic...

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Word of the Week – Granite

Word of the Week – Granite

Granite Light colored, coarse grained, intrusive rock with a felsic (silica-rich) composition that is mostly made of quartz, sodium and potassium-bearing feldspar, and plagioclase. Minor...

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