Thorium-uranium disequilibrium dating of Late Quaternary ferruginous concretions and rinds

Abstract

Radioactive ferruginous nodules from the Alligator Rivers Uranium Province, Northern Territory, Australia, were systematically examined by optical microscopy, XRD, alpha- and fission-track autoradiography, and analysed for U, Th, Ra and major stable elements. Correlation of autoradiographs with microscopic structure and analyses of selective extractions confirmed that U and Th were strongly associated with Fe oxides. Fission-track autoradiography showed no concentration gradient evidence for postdepositional leaching of uranium. Strong acid leaching studies showed that irreversibly adsorbed U, and authigenic 234U and 230Th, but not 226Ra, are quantitatively retained by accumulated oxide/oxyhydroxide. Correlation of the groundwater activity ratio with oxidic 234U/ 238U activity ratios indicated the latter was radiogenically consistent with oxidic 230Th/ 234U activity ratios < 1. Dense, accumulated Fe/Mn oxide matrices are apparently capable of forming radiogenic closed systems in respect of the 230U → 234U → 230Th decay set. 234U/ 238U and 230Th/ 234U activity ratios were used to derive similar mean ages of rinds for four nodules in the same horizon. Th/U ages were also determined, using a Th-index detrital correction method previously used for impure carbonates, of pedogenic Fe/Mn accumulations having background concentrations of U and Th from other locations in Australia. These ages were compared with TL and 14C ages of the-host sediments. The comparisions suggest that Th/U dating could be used to age indurated layers of Fe/Mn oxides in soil horizons < 350 ka old.