Calibration of the apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometer on an exhumed fault block, White Mountains, California

Abstract

Research Article| November 01, 2000 Calibration of the apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometer on an exhumed fault block, White Mountains, California Daniel F. Stockli; Daniel F. Stockli 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kenneth A. Farley; Kenneth A. Farley 2Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Trevor A. Dumitru Trevor A. Dumitru 1Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2000) 28 (11): 983–986. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<983:COTAHT>2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 23 Mar 2000 rev-recd: 24 Jul 2000 accepted: 31 Jul 2000 first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Daniel F. Stockli, Kenneth A. Farley, Trevor A. Dumitru; Calibration of the apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometer on an exhumed fault block, White Mountains, California. Geology 2000;; 28 (11): 983–986. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<983:COTAHT>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract This study provides an empirical calibration of the apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometer using the thermal structure derived from an extensive apatite fission-track study of an exhumed, normal-fault–bounded crustal block in the White Mountains in the western Basin and Range province. This fault block has been tilted ∼25° to the east during extension, exposing a continuous section of rocks previously buried to ∼7 km. Apatites yield (U-Th)/He apparent ages of ca. 50–55 Ma at shallow pre-extensional crustal levels that decrease systematically to ca. 12 Ma at >4.5 km paleodepth. The ages exhibit a well-defined exhumed apatite He partial retention zone over a pre-extensional temperature range of ∼40–80 °C and are completely reset above 80 °C, as calibrated from the apatite fission-track data. This pattern is in good agreement with He diffusion behavior predicted by laboratory experiments. The (U-Th)/He and fission-track methods yield concordant estimates for the timing of the onset of extensional faulting in the White Mountains ca. 12 Ma. Given the partially overlapping temperature-sensitivity windows, the (U-Th)/He and fission-track thermochronometers are highly complementary and may be used together to reconstruct thermal histories over the temperature window of ∼40–110 °C. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.