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Minerals
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Thermal History Modeling of Low-Temperature Thermochronological Data
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Thermal History Modeling of Low-Temperature Thermochronological Data

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 6651

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ruxin Ding

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
Interests: low-temperature chronology methods and their applications in structural geology, geomorphological evolution, and mineral exploration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Honghua Lv

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Interests: low temperature thermochronology and its application on neotectonics and tectonic geomorphology
Dr. Rong Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Interests: low temperature thermochronology and its application on Geomorphology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The thermal history modeling of low-temperature thermochronology has been more and more widely applied in geological research such as cooling history, exhumation history, and landscape evolution. However, there are still many problems in thermal history modeling, including theory, methods, and application. Therefore, analysis of the principle of thermal history modeling and acknowledgement of the traps in thermal history modeling processes are urgently needed. This Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in the field of thermal history modeling and their applications in diverse areas. This Special Issue aims to provide selected contributions on advances in the theory, methods, and applications with regard to the thermal history modeling of low-temperature thermochronology.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Algorithms for thermal history modeling; introduction of thermal history modeling programs; traps in thermal history modeling processes; experience in modeling thermal history; application of thermal history modeling; future perspectives for thermal history modeling.

Dr. Ruxin Ding
Prof. Dr. Honghua Lv
Dr. Rong Yang
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

  • thermal history modeling
  • low-temperature thermochronology
  • cooling history
  • exhumation
  • landscape evolution

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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16 pages, 6453 KiB  
Article
Sampling Confined Fission Tracks for Constraining Geological Thermal Histories
by Raymond Jonckheere, Carolin Aslanian, Hongyang Fu and Florian Trilsch
Minerals 2024, 14(10), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14101016 - 8 Oct 2024
Viewed by 658
Abstract
Fission-track modeling rests on etching, counting and measuring the lattice damage trails from uranium fission. The tools for interpreting fission-track data are advanced but the results are never better than the data. Confined-track samples must be an adequate size for statistical analysis, representative [...] Read more.
Fission-track modeling rests on etching, counting and measuring the lattice damage trails from uranium fission. The tools for interpreting fission-track data are advanced but the results are never better than the data. Confined-track samples must be an adequate size for statistical analysis, representative of the track population and consistent with the model assumptions and with the calibration data. Geometrical and measurement biases are understood and can be dealt with up to a point. However, the interrelated issues of etching protocol and track selection are more difficult to untangle. Our investigation favors a two-step protocol. The duration of the first step is inversely proportional to the apatite etch rate so that different apatites etch to the same Dpar. A long immersion reveals many more confined tracks, terminated by basal and prism faces. This allows consistent length measurements and permits orienting each track relative to the c-axis. Long immersion times combined with deep ion irradiation reveal confined tracks deep inside the grains. Provided it is long enough, the precise immersion time is not important if the effective etch times of the selected tracks are calculated from their measured widths. Then, whether the sample is mono- or multi-compositional, we can, post hoc, select tracks with the desired properties. The second part of the protocol has to do with the fact that fossil tracks in geological samples appear to be under-etched compared to induced tracks etched under the same conditions. This should be assumed if the semi-axes of a fitted ellipse plot above the induced-track line. In that case, an additional etch can increase the track lengths to a point where they are consistent with the model based on lab-annealing of induced tracks, a condition for valid thermal histories. Here too, it is possible to select a subset of tracks with effective etch times consistent with the model if the widths of confined tracks are measured along with their lengths and orientations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal History Modeling of Low-Temperature Thermochronological Data)
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20 pages, 7369 KiB  
Article
Low-Temperature Thermochronology Records the Convergence between the Anatolide–Tauride Block and the Arabian Platform along the Southeast Anatolian Orogenic Belt
by Semih Gildir, Fatih Karaoğlan and Erhan Gülyüz
Minerals 2024, 14(6), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060614 - 15 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1117
Abstract
SE Anatolia is witnessing the final stage of the Wilson Cycle, where a continental collision between the Tauride–Anatolide block and Arabian platform occurred, and a 1.5 km Eastern Tauride mountain chain formed. We present new low-temperature thermochronology (LTT) ages, including eight apatite fission [...] Read more.
SE Anatolia is witnessing the final stage of the Wilson Cycle, where a continental collision between the Tauride–Anatolide block and Arabian platform occurred, and a 1.5 km Eastern Tauride mountain chain formed. We present new low-temperature thermochronology (LTT) ages, including eight apatite fission track (AFT) and seven apatite and zircon U-Th-Sm/He (AHe, ZHe) ages, for the metamorphic rocks from the Nappe Zone of the Southeast Anatolian Orogenic Belt. The ZHe ages vary from 51.2 ± 0.7 Ma to 30.4 ± 0.6 Ma, the AFT ages range from 33.1 ± 1.6 Ma to 18.1 ± 0.9 Ma, and the AHe ages range from 23.6 ± 2.5 Ma to 6 ± 1.9 Ma. The LTT data show a continuous slow uplift of the region. However, the thermal modeling results suggest an Eocene and middle–late Miocene fast uplift of the region. Similar to our results, the LTT studies along the SAOB show that the vertical movements initiated during the Eocene period have continued in a steady-state regime to recent times. The Eocene epoch is identified by arc–back-arc setting in the region, whereas the Miocene epoch is marked by the continental collision. Within this tectonic framework, vertical movements on the overriding plate are controlled by both extensional and compressional tectonics. The LTT data obtained along the SAOB show fingerprints of thrust propagation from north to south. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal History Modeling of Low-Temperature Thermochronological Data)
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27 pages, 21480 KiB  
Article
The Long-Term Tectonism of the Longshou Shan in the Southwest Alxa Block—Constrained by (U-Th)/He Thermochronometric Data
by Changhuan Feng, Wenjun Zheng, Jiabao Jia, Shiqi Wei and Weitao Wang
Minerals 2024, 14(2), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020143 - 28 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1169
Abstract
The Longshou Shan, located in western China, plays a crucial role in connecting the Tarim Continent with the North China Craton. It provides valuable insights into the Cenozoic intracontinental deformation, the complex dynamics of Eurasian tectonics, and the relationship between the pre-Cenozoic Tethys [...] Read more.
The Longshou Shan, located in western China, plays a crucial role in connecting the Tarim Continent with the North China Craton. It provides valuable insights into the Cenozoic intracontinental deformation, the complex dynamics of Eurasian tectonics, and the relationship between the pre-Cenozoic Tethys and Central Asian orogenic systems. Consequently, comprehending the evolution of the Phanerozoic era in this region holds immense significance. Zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) dating was conducted on three granite samples (n = 18) collected from the Longshou Shan. The ZHe dates of these granite rocks range from 7.2 to 517.7 Ma, showing a negative correlation with eU values. Furthermore, a limestone sample from the Longshou Shan yielded ZHe (n = 4) ages of 172.0–277.1 Ma and AHe (n = 4) ages of 17–111.9 Ma. The area has undergone complex tectonic processes involving multiple phases of uplift and burial. Using both forward and inverse modeling methods, we aim to establish plausible thermal histories. Our models reveal: (1) Late Paleozoic unroofing; (2) Early Mesozoic cooling and Late Mesozoic regional stabilization; and (3) Cenozoic reheating and subsequent cooling. By investigating the intricate thermal history of the Longshou Shan through multi-method modeling, we compare different approaches and assess the capabilities of single ZHe dating for understanding a thermal history. This research contributes to unraveling the region’s geological complexities and aids in evaluating various modeling methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal History Modeling of Low-Temperature Thermochronological Data)
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23 pages, 13131 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Activity of Eastern Himalayan Extensional Structures: Evidence from Low-Temperature Thermochronology of Granitic Rocks from Yadong
by Tiankun Xu, Yalin Li, Finlay M. Stuart, Zining Ma, Wenjun Bi, Yongyong Jia and Bo Yang
Minerals 2024, 14(1), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010066 - 5 Jan 2024
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Abstract
The east–west-trending South Tibetan Detachment System (STDS) and north–south-trending rifts (NSTRs) are the two main types of extensional structures that have developed within the Tibetan Plateau during continent–continent collision since the early Cenozoic. They have played significant roles in the evolution of the [...] Read more.
The east–west-trending South Tibetan Detachment System (STDS) and north–south-trending rifts (NSTRs) are the two main types of extensional structures that have developed within the Tibetan Plateau during continent–continent collision since the early Cenozoic. They have played significant roles in the evolution of the plateau, but it is unclear how they are related genetically. In the Yadong area of the eastern Himalaya, the NSTRs cross-cut the STDS. Apatite and zircon fission track ages of a leucogranite pluton in the footwall of the two extensional faults can be used to reconstruct the cooling and exhumation history and thereby constrain the activity of extensional structures. The new AFT ages range from 10.96 ± 0.70 to 5.68 ± 0.37 Ma, and the ZFT age is 13.57 ± 0.61 Ma. Track length distributions are unimodal, albeit negatively skewed, with standard deviations between 1.4 and 2.1 µm and mean track lengths between 11.6 and 13.4 µm. In conjunction with previously published datasets, the thermal history of the region is best explained by three distinct pulses of exhumation in the last 16 Ma. The first pulse (16–12 Ma) records a brittle slip on the STDS. The two subsequent pulses are attributed to the movement on the Yadong normal fault. The normal fault initiated at ~12 Ma and experienced a pulse of accelerated exhumation between 6.2 and 4.7 Ma, probably reflecting the occurrence of two distinct phases of fault activity within the NSTRs, which were primarily instigated by slab tear of the subducting Indian plate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal History Modeling of Low-Temperature Thermochronological Data)
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8 pages, 4777 KiB  
Opinion
Several Problems in Low-Temperature Thermal History Modeling
by Ruxin Ding
Minerals 2023, 13(7), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13070891 - 30 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1111
Abstract
Thermal history modeling based on low-temperature thermochronological data is widely used in the study of geology. Despite its common applications, several problems remain easy to ignore yet should not be overlooked in the execution of such models. This paper describes four key problems [...] Read more.
Thermal history modeling based on low-temperature thermochronological data is widely used in the study of geology. Despite its common applications, several problems remain easy to ignore yet should not be overlooked in the execution of such models. This paper describes four key problems of thermal history modeling, namely, (1) is the best-fit thermal history the best? (2) Is the date constraint box a suitable constraint? (3) Does the bimodal distribution of the apatite fission track confined track length absolutely correspond to the cooling reheating model? (4) Is the whole thermal history path credible? Counterexamples are then provided to stress the importance of accounting for these problems in the application of thermal history modeling. Acknowledging the uncertainty and considering the geological constraints are recommended to improve the accuracy of thermal history models. Moreover, thermal historical intervals with high credibility and strong constraint ability are recommended to interpret the selected geological phenomenon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal History Modeling of Low-Temperature Thermochronological Data)
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