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Thermochronology on Sand and Sandstones for Stratigraphic and Provenance Studies

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Fission-Track Thermochronology and its Application to Geology

Abstract

Clastic detritus preserved within a sedimentary basin represents a natural reservoir of geological information that can be used to constrain sediment deposition age and develop a picture of the sediment routing system and source terrain(s) in terms of location, age, composition and tectonic and climate stability. This chapter charts the development and applications of fission-track (FT) analysis to solve stratigraphic and provenance problems. Many of the interpretative tools and strategies developed for FT data are also applicable to detrital (U–Th)/He and other geochronological data. Provenance interpretations based on double and triple-dating strategies may be further improved by combining with mineral trace element data.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Dave Chew, Alberto Resentini (Fig. 14.4) and Marco G. Malusà for their timely and constructive reviews.

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Carter, A. (2019). Thermochronology on Sand and Sandstones for Stratigraphic and Provenance Studies. In: Malusà, M., Fitzgerald, P. (eds) Fission-Track Thermochronology and its Application to Geology. Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89421-8_14

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