ESR studies on calcite encrustation on Fili neotectonic fault, Greece

Abstract

Electron spin resonance (ESR) study was done on calcite encrustation on Fili neotectonic fault surface, Greece. Normally such calcite encrustations on fault surfaces are not observed. Significantly, the ESR study has detected the presence of nitrate NO32− radical in this calcite encrustation, havingg⊥=2.0063±0.0001 and hyperfine coupling constantA⊥=3.44 mT, the second such detection of nitrate NO32− radical following a sample from Scott Glacier, Antarctica. From isochronal thermal annealing measurement the NO32− radical was found to be quite stable, only fully annealed at 475°C. This study also shows that the ESR, as a tool, can be suitably applied to date the age of formation of the calcite encrustation with SO3− as an ESR dating signal by additive γ-ray irradiation. A preliminary estimation indicates the age of formation of calcite precipitation at Fili fault, Greece to be about 5600 years.