Low Temperature Thermochronology Facility

> Introduction & Techniques coming soon.

LA-ICPMS and Resochron

The LA-ICPMS comprises a Resonetics S-155-LR 193nm excimer laser ablation system coupled to an Agilent 7700x quadrupole ICPMS. The Excimer laser is also coupled to a RESOchron helium analysis line for in situ (U-Th-Sm)/He, U-Pb and trace element analysis of single crystals.

Alphachron

We also have a separate Alphachron helium line with a diode laser and furnace in order to facilitate conventional (U-Th)/He dating on single mineral crystals and larger samples.

NU PLASMA II MULTI-COLLECTOR ICPMS

Information coming soon.

Applications

Thermochronology

Thermochronology can be used to determine: thermal histories for tectonic and landscape evolution studies, the age of young volcanic rocks, the thermal evolution of hydrocarbon source rocks in sedimentary basins, orogenic uplift/denudation rates in metallogenic regions (landscape evolution), palaeoclimate conditions at the time of channel iron deposit genesis, relative fault displacement (i.e., to find offset ore deposits), the parameters required for inverse modeling of the thermal history of hydrothermal ore deposits, the prospectivity of a potential geothermal reservoirs, the thermal fluid flow history of prospective nuclear repository sites and as a new tool for diamond explorers.