Helium transfer from water into quartz crystals: A new approach for porewater dating

The helium inventory in the rock-porewater assemblage shows that helium abundance in pore waters is indeed important. In shale samples (with ∼15% porosity) porewaters contain more helium than the host minerals altogether. Porewater helium-concentration profiles, available from the mineral record, along with helium production rates are input parameters allowing model(s) of helium migration through a hydrological structure to be developed. Quite high helium concentrations in PCF porewaters imply slow removal mechanisms, which will be discussed elsewhere.