Radium and Geology

Abstract

THE Hon. R. J. Strutt has advanced weighty reasons in favour of supposing radium to be confined to a certain shallow layer over the surface of the earth. To assume, however, that a heavy element is thus restricted in distribution appears to me to present difficulties. It would appear that an a priori probable reason why uranium should disintegrate more rapidly near the surface than at greater depths would bridge over the difficulty, and, if for that reason only, would deserve attention.