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Ancient zircons contain evidence of plutonium-244 decay, offering insights into early Earth conditions. This discovery helps date metamorphic events and compare planetary plutonium-uranium ratios.

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Area of Science:

  • Geochemistry
  • Isotope Geochemistry
  • Planetary Science

Background:

  • Detrital zircons from Jack Hills, Western Australia, are ancient geological samples.
  • Plutonium-244 (Pu) has a short half-life (82 million years) and would have been extinct early in Earth's history.
  • Fissiogenic xenon isotopes can serve as evidence for the decay of extinct radionuclides.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To find evidence of in situ decay of plutonium-244 in ancient zircons.
  • To use these findings to date ancient metamorphic events.
  • To determine the terrestrial plutonium/uranium (Pu/U) ratio for comparison with solar system values.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of individual 4.1- to 4.2-billion-year-old zircons.
  • Detection of fissiogenic xenon isotopes as indicators of plutonium decay.

Main Results:

  • Evidence for in situ decay of plutonium-244 was found in ancient zircons.
  • The zircons analyzed are dated between 4.1 and 4.2 billion years old.
  • Plutonium-244 would have been extinct within 600 million years of Earth's formation.

Conclusions:

  • Ancient zircons are valuable archives for studying extinct radionuclides.
  • The presence of plutonium-244 decay products allows for dating of early Earth metamorphic events.
  • This research provides a method to determine the early terrestrial Pu/U ratio, enabling comparison with extraterrestrial values.