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Natural production of tritium in permeable rocks

Nature volume 298, pages 361–363 (1982)Cite this article

Abstract

Natural tritium production by the reaction, 63Li(n, α)31H, may in some circumstances lead to 3H contents in the fracture fluids of a granite, which are significantly above the present natural 3H content (0.5 tritium units, TU) of pre-bomb precipitation. We show here that the principal factors which determine the 3H content of the fracture fluids are the U, Th, Li and B contents of the rock and its matrix porosity. Granites with high U, Th and Li contents; low B content and a low matrix porosity may have a naturally maintained 3H content of up to about 2.5 TU in water within the matrix. This has important implications for the interpretation of groundwater flow patterns from their 3H contents. Whereas it has generally been assumed that ground-waters with 3H contents greater than 0.5 TU have a proportion of post-1954 recharge present, this may not always be a valid conclusion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    J. N. Andrews

  2. Institute of Geological Sciences, Environmental Protection Unit, Building 151, Harwell Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0RA, UK

    R. L. F. Kay

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  1. J. N. Andrews
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Andrews, J., Kay, R. Natural production of tritium in permeable rocks. Nature 298, 361–363 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/298361a0

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