FACTORS IMPACTING THE ACCURACY OF APATITE(U-TH)/HE DATING |
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| Authors: | ZHANG Wei-bin WU Lin WANG Fei |
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| Institution: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China;
2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China |
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| Abstract: | Apatite (U-Th)/He dating has gained popularity since its rejuvenation as geochronometry and thermochronometry applied in the deduction of the geological processes of the upper-three-km crust.However,this irreplaceable method,which has the lowest known closure temperature (~70℃),sometimes is suffering from large dispersion and deviation because of its dating theory,its analytical method,and its diffusion process.In this paper,we summarized ten factors impacting the accuracy of (U-Th)/He dating.They are grain size,fluid and mineral inclusions,α-particle ejection,α-particle implantation,U-Th zonation,radiation damage,chemical composition,samarium concentration,multiple thermal events,and U-series disequilibrium.We discussed how these ten factors would affect the (U-Th)/He ages and how to reduce and/or avoid the deviation caused by them.The factors of grain size (different size,different diffusion domain) and inclusions (parentless 4He) can be suppressed in the procedure of grain selection under binocular.It is the precise measurement of a homogenous crystal that endows the (U-Th)/He dating method credible due to the correction of α-particle ejection based on the dimension of crystals.The possible implantation of α-particles can be evaluated by the negative correlation of age and eU (eU=U]+0.235Th]).U-Th zonation,a heterogeneous distribution of parent nuclides,makes the correction of α-particle ejection inaccurate;besides,this factor also amplifies the side effects of radiation damage and grain size.LA-ICP-MS can detect this phenomenon.Radiation damage outstands when the samples experience reheating or long residence time in partial retention zone (40~70℃),indicated by the positive correlation between age and eU/4He].Apatite (U-Th)/He age can be entangled by higher Cl content,with which the crystal accumulates more radiation damage,leading to a larger age,meanwhile this factor needs more investigation.Having larger half-life than U-series nuclides,the 147Sm is not a big problem in the dating of a large timescale,while more precise event needs the data of 147Sm in the age calculation.The multiple thermal events should be evaluated to exclude thermal perturbation,when applying the (U-Th)/He geo/thermochronology to the deduction of a particular thermal event.U-series disequilibrium has an impact on the ages smaller than 1Ma,making the age results larger than the true one.U-series disequilibrium method and mineral couples can solve this problem.Inclusion,α-particle ejection and implantation,and U-Th zonation are at the mercy of analytical methods.The factors stemming from helium diffusion in the crystals are grain size,radiation damage,Cl content,multiple thermal events.The dating theory of (U-Th)/He method renders U-series disequilibrium and 147Sm outstand as side effects in some specific conditions.It would be our pleasure if this paper could provide some useful information for the works relevant to this dating method. |
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| Keywords: | apatite (U-Th)/He dating accuracy effects |
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