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Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C
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Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 February 2022) | Viewed by 23139

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Richard Spikings

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth Sciences, Université de Genève, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Interests: thermochronology; 40Ar/39Ar method; U–Pb method; plate tectonics; inert gas diffusion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cécile Gautheron

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Géosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400 Orsay, France
Interests: (U–Th)/He method; thermocronology; geochronology; accessory minerals; rare gases diffusion
Dr. David Chew

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Interests: LA-ICP-MS; U–Pb dating; thermochronology; accessory minerals; orogenic belts; sedimentary provenance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the Special Issue “Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher Than 150 °C”, focused on applications of thermochronological tools and technique development.

Thermochronology uses radiometric methods to generate continuous thermal history paths for commonly occurring and accessory mineral groups, and thus it is a powerful method for investigating processes that modify mineral temperatures. Applications include tectonic studies, orogenesis, basin analysis, estimation of the exposure level of mineralized regions, and quantification of the timescales of landscape evolution. The majority of current thermochronological techniques are sensitive to temperatures lower than 150 °C, and these have been widely applied by geoscientists from a broad spectrum of disciplines. This Special Issue of Minerals invites contributions on the development and application of techniques that constrain thermal histories at T > 150 °C. These include the isotopic analyses of inert gases, as well as U–Pb and Sm–Nd analyses of various mineral phases. The purpose of this issue is to demonstrate the versatility of thermochronological methods in the Earth sciences by reviewing existing knowledge and collecting original research and data that advance analytical techniques.

Dr. Richard Spikings
Dr. Cécile Gautheron
Dr. David Chew
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • thermochronology at T > 150 °C
  • isotope geochemistry
  • mass spectrometry
  • plate tectonics
  • exhumation
  • basin analysis

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3086 KiB  
Article
Role of Defects and Radiation Damage on He Diffusion in Magnetite: Implication for (U-Th)/He Thermochronology
by Fadel Bassal, Jérôme Roques, Marianna Corre, Fabrice Brunet, Richard Ketcham, Stéphane Schwartz, Laurent Tassan-Got and Cécile Gautheron
Minerals 2022, 12(5), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050590 - 6 May 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2604
Abstract
The discovery of He retentivity in magnetite has opened up the use of the magnetite (U-Th)/He method as a thermochronometer to date the exhumation of mafic and ultramafic rocks, and also as a chronometer to date magnetite crystallization during serpentinization. However, published He [...] Read more.
The discovery of He retentivity in magnetite has opened up the use of the magnetite (U-Th)/He method as a thermochronometer to date the exhumation of mafic and ultramafic rocks, and also as a chronometer to date magnetite crystallization during serpentinization. However, published He diffusion data reveal more complex behavior than expected. To resolve this issue and generalize the understanding of He retention in magnetite, we conducted a multiscale theoretical study. We investigated the impact of natural point-defects (i.e., vacancies unrelated to radiation damage) and defects associated with radiation damage (i.e., vacancies and recoil damage that form amorphous zones) on He diffusion in magnetite. The theoretical results show that He diffusion is purely isotropic, and that defect-free magnetite is more He diffusive than indicated by experimental data on natural specimen. Interestingly, the obtained theoretical trapping energy of vacancies and recoil damage are very similar to those obtained from experimental diffusion data. These results suggest that He diffusion in magnetite is strongly controlled by the presence of vacancies and radiation damage, even at very low damage dose. We propose that, when using magnetite (U-Th)/He thermochronometry, the impact of vacancies and radiation damage on He retention behavior should be integrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C)
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14 pages, 4419 KiB  
Article
Zircon (U-Th)/He Closure Temperature Lower Than Apatite Thermochronometric Systems: Reconciliation of a Paradox
by Benjamin Gérard, Xavier Robert, Djordje Grujic, Cécile Gautheron, Laurence Audin, Matthias Bernet and Mélanie Balvay
Minerals 2022, 12(2), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12020145 - 25 Jan 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4212
Abstract
Here, we present seven new zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) ages and three new zircon fission track (ZFT) ages analyzed from an age-elevation profile (Machu Picchu, Peru). ZFT data present ages older than those obtained with other thermochronological data, whereas the ZHe data interestingly present [...] Read more.
Here, we present seven new zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) ages and three new zircon fission track (ZFT) ages analyzed from an age-elevation profile (Machu Picchu, Peru). ZFT data present ages older than those obtained with other thermochronological data, whereas the ZHe data interestingly present ages similar to those obtained with apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe). It has been proposed that He retention in zircon is linked to the damage dose, with an evolution of the closure temperature from low values associated with a low α-dose (<1016 α/g), subsequently increasing before decreasing again at a very high α-dose (>1018 α/g). Studies have focused on He diffusion behavior at high α-dose, but little is known at low doses. We propose that the ZHe closure temperature at α-dose ranging from 6 × 1015 to 4 × 1016 α/g is in the range of ~60–80 °C. This value is lower than that proposed in the current damage model ZRDAAM and demonstrates that the ZHe and AHe methods could have similar closure temperatures at low α-dose (i.e., similar ages). These new data strengthen our previous geological conclusions and even highlight a cooling rate approximately twice as important as that deduced from AHe and apatite fission track data alone at Machu Picchu. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C)
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18 pages, 5369 KiB  
Article
Numerical Modelling of Radiogenic Ingrowth and Diffusion of Pb in Apatite Inclusions with Variable Shape and U-Th Zonation
by Daniil V. Popov and Richard A. Spikings
Minerals 2021, 11(4), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11040364 - 31 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2938
Abstract
The fundamental premise of apatite U-Th-Pb thermochronology is that radiogenic Pb is redistributed by volume diffusion. In practice, it is often additionally assumed that crystals (1) lose radiogenic Pb to an infinite reservoir, (2) have a simple geometry and (3) are chemically homogeneous. [...] Read more.
The fundamental premise of apatite U-Th-Pb thermochronology is that radiogenic Pb is redistributed by volume diffusion. In practice, it is often additionally assumed that crystals (1) lose radiogenic Pb to an infinite reservoir, (2) have a simple geometry and (3) are chemically homogeneous. Here we explore the significance of the latter three assumptions by numerical modelling of Pb radiogenic ingrowth and diffusion in apatite inclusions within other minerals. Our results indicate that the host minerals are likely to hamper diffusive Pb loss from the apatite inclusions by limiting the Pb flux across their boundaries, and thus the thermal histories that are reconstructed assuming a fully open boundary may be significantly inaccurate, precluding a meaningful interpretation. We also find that when apatite boundaries are flux-limited, heterogeneities in U and Th concertation within apatite have subordinate effect on bulk-grain U-Th-Pb dates and can cause intra-grain U-Th-Pb dates to increase towards the boundaries. Finally, we show that it is important to correctly account for crystal geometry when modelling intra-grain U-Th-Pb dates. We suggest that the effect of surrounding minerals on diffusive Pb loss from apatite (and loss of other radiogenic isotopes from other minerals) should be examined more closely in future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C)
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Review

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24 pages, 4097 KiB  
Review
Investigating the Shallow to Mid-Depth (>100–300 °C) Continental Crust Evolution with (U-Th)/He Thermochronology: A Review
by Cécile Gautheron, Mathias Hueck, Sébastien Ternois, Beatrix Heller, Stéphane Schwartz, Philippe Sarda and Laurent Tassan-Got
Minerals 2022, 12(5), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050563 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2554
Abstract
Quantifying geological processes has greatly benefited from the development and use of thermochronometric methods over the last fifty years. Among them is the (U-Th)/He dating method, which is based on the production and retention, within a crystal structure, of radiogenic 4He atoms [...] Read more.
Quantifying geological processes has greatly benefited from the development and use of thermochronometric methods over the last fifty years. Among them is the (U-Th)/He dating method, which is based on the production and retention, within a crystal structure, of radiogenic 4He atoms associated with the alpha decay of U, Th and Sm nuclei. While apatite has been the main target of (U-Th)/He studies focusing on exhumation and burial processes in the upper levels of the continental crust (~50–120 °C), the development of (U-Th)/He methods for typical phases of igneous and metamorphic rocks (e.g., zircon and titanite) or mafic and ultramafic rocks (e.g., magnetite) over the last two decades has opened up a myriad of geological applications at higher temperatures (>100–300 °C). Thanks to the understanding of the role of radiation damage in He diffusion and retention for U-Th-poor and rich mineral phases, the application of (U-Th)/He thermochronometry to exhumation processes and continental evolution through deep time is now mainstream. This contribution reviews the (U-Th)/He thermochronometer principle and the influence of radiation damage in modifying the diffusion behavior. It presents applications of (U-Th)/He dating to problems in tectonic and surface processes at shallow to middle crustal depths (>100–300 °C). New and promising applications using a combination of methods will stimulate a research avenue in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C)
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21 pages, 5149 KiB  
Review
Apatite U-Pb Thermochronology: A Review
by David M. Chew and Richard A. Spikings
Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1095; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101095 - 5 Oct 2021
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 6455
Abstract
The temperature sensitivity of the U-Pb apatite system (350–570 °C) makes it a powerful tool to study thermal histories in the deeper crust. Recent studies have exploited diffusive Pb loss from apatite crystals to generate t-T paths between ~350–570 °C, by comparing apatite [...] Read more.
The temperature sensitivity of the U-Pb apatite system (350–570 °C) makes it a powerful tool to study thermal histories in the deeper crust. Recent studies have exploited diffusive Pb loss from apatite crystals to generate t-T paths between ~350–570 °C, by comparing apatite U-Pb ID-TIMS (isotope dilution-thermal ionisation mass spectrometry) dates with grain size or by LA-MC-ICP-MS (laser ablation-multicollector-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) age depth profiling/traverses of apatite crystals, and assuming the effective diffusion domain is the entire crystal. The key assumptions of apatite U-Pb thermochronology are discussed including (i) that Pb has been lost by Fickian diffusion, (ii) can experimental apatite Pb diffusion parameters be extrapolated down temperature to geological settings and (iii) are apatite grain boundaries open (i.e., is Pb lost to an infinite reservoir). Particular emphasis is placed on detecting fluid-mediated remobilisation of Pb, which invalidates assumption (i). The highly diverse and rock-type specific nature of apatite trace-element chemistry is very useful in this regard—metasomatic and low-grade metamorphic apatite can be easily distinguished from sub-categories of igneous rocks and high-grade metamorphic apatite. This enables reprecipitated domains to be identified geochemically and linked with petrographic observations. Other challenges in apatite U-Pb thermochronology are also discussed. An appropriate choice of initial Pb composition is critical, while U zoning remains an issue for inverse modelling of single crystal ID-TIMS dates, and LA-ICP-MS age traverses need to be integrated with U zoning information. A recommended apatite U-Pb thermochronology protocol for LA-MC-ICP-MS age depth profiling/traverses of apatite crystals and linked to petrographic and trace element information is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C)
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25 pages, 8159 KiB  
Review
Thermochronology of Alkali Feldspar and Muscovite at T > 150 °C Using the 40Ar/39Ar Method: A Review
by Richard A. Spikings and Daniil V. Popov
Minerals 2021, 11(9), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11091025 - 21 Sep 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3035
Abstract
The 40Ar/39Ar method applied to K-feldspars and muscovite has been often used to construct continuous thermal history paths between ~150–600 °C, which are usually applied to structural and tectonic questions in many varied geological settings. However, other authors contest the [...] Read more.
The 40Ar/39Ar method applied to K-feldspars and muscovite has been often used to construct continuous thermal history paths between ~150–600 °C, which are usually applied to structural and tectonic questions in many varied geological settings. However, other authors contest the use of 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology because they argue that the assumptions are rarely valid. Here we review and evaluate the key assumptions, which are that (i) 40Ar is dominantly redistributed in K-feldspars and muscovite by thermally-driven volume diffusion, and (ii) laboratory experiments (high temperatures and short time scales) can accurately recover intrinsic diffusion parameters that apply to geological settings (lower temperatures over longer time scales). Studies do not entirely negate the application of diffusion theory to recover thermal histories, although they reveal the paramount importance of first accounting for fluid interaction and secondary reaction products via a detailed textural study of single crystals. Furthermore, an expanding database of experimental evidence shows that laboratory step-heating can induce structural and textural changes, and thus extreme caution must be made when extrapolating laboratory derived rate loss constants to the geological past. We conclude with a set of recommendations that include minimum sample characterisation prior to degassing, an assessment of mineralogical transformations during degassing and the use of in situ dating. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermochronology at Temperatures Higher than 150 °C)
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