fission-track thermochronology: methodology and applications to geology

Low-temperature thermochronology has become an essential tool when studying near-surface geological processes. Time-temperature constraints are vital to quantify and describe a large variety of geological processes, such as relief building, erosion and sedimentation or the maturation of organic matter in sedimentary basins.

After a brief history covering the discovery of fission tracks to their first applications in geochronology, Fission-track Thermochronology presents a complete description of not only the fission-track, but also the (U Th Sm)/He thermochronology approaches, both on basement rocks and on sediments. Firstly, the physical and chemical processes that underlie these techniques are addressed, and the analytical methods are described in detail. A particular focus is placed on the latest developments, such as the use of laser-ablation ICP-MS, and a whole chapter is dedicated to statistical modeling of the data.

Finally, numerous examples of applications to geological questions will provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the possibilities of low temperature thermochronology in solving geological and geomorphological questions.

Marc Jolivet is a researcher at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France, and is a geomorphologist interested in the long-term evolution of continental landscapes. He uses fissiontrack thermochronology to quantify vertical movements and erosion rates with a special interest in flat intracontinental surfaces.