Origin, sites and mobility of helium and argon isotopes in meliphanite

Abstract

The similarity of U-Th-4He age of meliphanite and the age of regional metamorphism (1800 Ma) seems to indicate a good retention of radiogenic 4He in the mineral, but contradicts with the experience of U-Th-4He dating. To analyze this result 3He concentration was measured, which appeared to be very low, about 2 % of the totally produced 3He. Radiogenic 3,4He isotopes occupier radiation tracks. Intersections of these tracks with cleavage planes provide migration of He atoms from the mineral and 4He, produced due to U and Th decay, should be almost completely lost. Instead, meliphanite contains trapped He occurring in specific cavities of the crystalline structure. Extraction of He isotopes from meliphanite by its step-wise heating in vacuum confirmed this conclusion. Using U-Th-4He system for dating (as it is often done in thermochronology) can lead to incorrect results. Both isotopes, 3He and 4He, should be used to identify the origin of helium in minerals.