Home Page
Official Journal of the International Union of Speleology Go to UIS Home Page
English Italian French German Spanish
Users Area
Home Page   |   IJS History   |   Editorial Staff   |   Note to Contributors
Subscription
E-Mail Editor
Photo Gallery
Web Links
Guestbook
IJS Archive >
IJS Authors
Search in IJS

This is the
web site of the
International
Journal of
Speleology

Since 1964

ISSN NUMBERS
print 0392 6672
cd-rom 1827-7713
pdf 1827-806X



The International Journal of Speleology has been included in the following ISI Thomson Reuters products beginning with volume 36(1) 2007: Science Citation Index-Expanded including the Web of Science, ISI Alerting Service, Current Contents/Physical, Chemical & Earth Sciences


Special cooperation and joint publications with Speleogenesis

International Journals of Cave and Karst Science

Geoscience e-Journals

Previous

Next

Random

List

Locations of visitors to this page

<< Volume 39 (1) - Year 2010 View PDF Now  
Download [4350 Kb] 

Uranium-series dating of gypsum speleothems: methodology and examples
Laura Sanna  -  Francisco Saez  -  Siri Simonsen  -  Silviu Constantin  -  José Maria Calaforra  -  Paolo Forti  -  Stein-Erik Lauritzen.
Pages: from 35 to 46
The analytical problems of dating gypsum speleothems with the U-series technique are reviewed. Gypsum speleothems are, in general, very low in U content, challenging the limits of detection methods. Various approaches to dissolving gypsum and isolation of actinides from the matrix include ion-pairing dissolution with magnesium salts and using nitric acid. The most precise dating technique is Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), combined with Fe(OH)3 scavenging and anionic exchange chromatography. Less satisfactory, but much quicker, is direct retention of actinides from HNO3 by means of TRU resin and MC-ICP-MS detection. We have tested these methods on gypsum speleothems from the Sorbas karst in Spain and from the Naica caves in Mexico.

Webmaster Isacco Curreli - isacco@getidea.it