Geogenic Helium Release from Rock Fracture

In this project 38 uniaxial compaction tests were conducted at Sandia National Laboratories with 7 different rock types. During these tests, we created a vacuum system and evacuated and measured all the helium that was released by the samples during crushing. The experimental files are included below in "Helium Release Data", in .xlsx format. All data was processed when submitted. The grain properties from several thin-sections of each lithology were recorded to show how surface area in the samples was related to helium released. These parameters are recorded in .xlsx format in "Measured Grain Properties". Finally, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements were conducted to measure the elemental composition of 1 sample of each lithology. The primary values of interest were the U and Th content as these are directly related to the helium released during the deformation tests.

All data was collected at Sandia National Laboratories between 8/2023 and 12/2023. All data was labeled, though the units may require conversion depending upon the reader's interested conditions (e.g., Newton vs lb.f; second vs minute, etc.).