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. 2017 Aug:126:9-12.
doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.12.037. Epub 2016 Dec 21.

Methods for using argon-39 to age-date groundwater using ultra-low-background proportional counting

Emily Mace  1 , Craig Aalseth  2 , Jill Brandenberger  2 , Anthony Day  2 , Eric Hoppe  2 , Paul Humble  2 , Martin Keillor  2 , Justin Kulongoski  3 , Cory Overman  2 , Mark Panisko  2 , Allen Seifert  2 , Signe White  2 , Eric Wilcox Freeburg  2 , Richard Williams  2
Affiliations

Methods for using argon-39 to age-date groundwater using ultra-low-background proportional counting

Emily Mace et al. Appl Radiat Isot. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Argon-39 can be used as a tracer for age-dating glaciers, oceans, and more recently, groundwater. With a half-life of 269 years, 39Ar fills an intermediate age range gap (50-1,000 years) not currently covered by other common groundwater tracers. Therefore, adding this tracer to the data suite for groundwater studies provides an important tool for improving our understanding of groundwater systems. We present the methods employed for arriving at an age-date for a given sample of argon degassed from groundwater.

Keywords: Age-dating; Argon-39; Groundwater; Proportional counting; Ultra-low-background.

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