Production systematics of cosmogenic nuclides in the earth

The high-energy particles in the galactic cosmic rays, (GCR) can produce nuclides deep in any object exposed to them. These cosmic-ray-produced (cosmogenic) nuclides have been extensively studied during the last four decades, mainly in meteorites and lunar samples (e.g., 1,2). In extraterrestrial matter, several approaches have been used to determine the production systematics of these cosmogenic nuclides. Production rates of most cosmogenic nuclides in the Earth axe much lower, especially those nuclides made ``in situ`` in the Earth`s surface. Many of these @trial cosmogenic nuclides are only now being measured because of improved techniques, such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). There have been very few determinations of the production rates of nuclides made in the Earth by cosmic rays. The work being done for terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides is following the approaches used for, studying the production of extraterrestrial nuclides.