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M. Altmaier, W. Klas, U. Herpers

Surface exposure dating by in-situ produced cosmogenic nuclides: chemical mineral separation of purified quartz

The interaction of cosmic radiation with terrestrial matter leads to the in-situ production of cosmogenic nuclides in the exposed surface material. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) enables us to quantitatively measure trace concentrations of in-situ produced radionuclides like ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al. ²¹Ne can be determined by conventional noble gas mass spectrometry. This ultimately allows the determination of surface exposure ages, erosion rates and other processes of landscape evolution. The availability of a pure and well defined mineral sample is an important prerequisite for surface exposure dating. As the samples taken in the field usually do consist of many different mineral components, a quartz separation technique has to be employed. We present a chemical mineral separation that allows the isolation of a pure quartz fraction, which is quantitatively decontaminated from the atmospheric ¹⁰Be contamination lying on the sample.

Radiochimica Acta, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag

Print ISSN: 0033-8230
Volume: 89, 11/2001
Pages: 779

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