Articles | Volume 4, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-65-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-65-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Jan 2022
Research article |
| 25 Jan 2022
| 25 Jan 2022
In situ-produced cosmogenic krypton in zircon and its potential for Earth surface applications
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne,
Zülpicher Str. 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Steven Andrew Binnie
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne,
Zülpicher Str. 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Axel Gerdes
Institute for Geosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt,
Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Related authors
Volker Wennrich, Julia Diederich-Leicher, Bárbara Nataly Blanco-Arrué, Christoph Büttner, Stefan Buske, Eduardo Campos Sepulveda, Tibor Dunai, Jacob Feller, Emma Galego, Ascelina Hasberg, Niklas Leicher, Damián Alejandro López, Jorge Maldonado, Alicia Medialdea, Lukas Ninnemann, Russell Perryman, Juan Cristóbal Ríos-Contesse, Benedikt Ritter, Stephanie Scheidt, Barbara Vargas-Machuca, Pritam Yogeshwar, and Martin Melles
Sci. Dril., 34, 1–20, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-34-1-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-34-1-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present the results of comprehensive pre-site surveys and deep drillings in two clay pans in the central Atacama Desert of northern Chile, one of the driest deserts on Earth. The results of the site surveys as well as lithological and downhole-logging data of the deep-drilling operations highlight the potential of the sediment records from the PAG (Playa Adamito Grande) and Paranal clay pans to provide unprecedented information on the Neogene precipitation history of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert.
Aline Zinelabedin, Joel Mohren, Maria Wierzbicka-Wieczorek, Tibor Janos Dunai, Stefan Heinze, and Benedikt Ritter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 257–276, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-257-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-257-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In order to interpret the formation processes of subsurface salt wedges and polygonal patterned grounds from the northern Atacama Desert, we present a multi-methodological approach. Due to the high salt content of the wedges, we suggest that their formation is dominated by subsurface salt dynamics requiring moisture. We assume that the climatic conditions during the wedge growth were slightly wetter than today, offering the potential to use the wedges as palaeoclimate archives.
Joel Mohren, Hendrik Wiesel, Wulf Amelung, L. Keith Fifield, Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann, Erik Strub, Steven A. Binnie, Stefan Heinze, Elmarie Kotze, Chris Du Preez, Stephen G. Tims, and Tibor J. Dunai
Biogeosciences, 22, 1077–1094, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1077-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1077-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We measured concentrations of nuclear fallout in soil samples taken from arable land in South Africa. We find that during the second half of the 20th century, the data strongly correlate with the organic matter content of the soils. The finding implies that wind erosion strongly influenced the loss of organic matter in the soils we investigated. Furthermore, the exponential decline of fallout concentrations and organic matter content over time peaks shortly after native grassland is ploughed.
Benedikt Ritter, Richard Albert, Aleksandr Rakipov, Frederik M. Van der Wateren, Tibor J. Dunai, and Axel Gerdes
Geochronology, 5, 433–450, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-433-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-433-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Chronological information on the evolution of the Namib Desert is scarce. We used U–Pb dating of silcretes formed by pressure solution during calcrete formation to track paleoclimate variability since the Late Miocene. Calcrete formation took place during the Pliocene with an abrupt cessation at 2.9 Ma. The end took place due to deep canyon incision which we dated using TCN exposure dating. With our data we correct and contribute to the Neogene history of the Namib Desert and its evolution.
Benedikt Ritter, Andreas Vogt, and Tibor J. Dunai
Geochronology, 3, 421–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We describe the design and performance of a new noble gas mass laboratory dedicated to the development of and application to cosmogenic nuclides at the University of Cologne (Germany). At the core of the laboratory are a state-of-the-art high-mass-resolution multicollector Helix MCPlus (Thermo-Fisher) noble gas mass spectrometer and a novel custom-designed automated extraction line, including a laser-powered extraction furnace. Performance was tested with intercomparison (CREU-1) material.
Joel Mohren, Steven A. Binnie, Gregor M. Rink, Katharina Knödgen, Carlos Miranda, Nora Tilly, and Tibor J. Dunai
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 995–1020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-995-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-995-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we comprehensively test a method to derive soil densities under fieldwork conditions. The method is mainly based on images taken from consumer-grade cameras. The obtained soil/sediment densities reflect
truevalues by generally > 95 %, even if a smartphone is used for imaging. All computing steps can be conducted using freeware programs. Soil density is an important variable in the analysis of terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides, for example to infer long-term soil production rates.
Jesse B. Walters, Joshua M. Garber, Aratz Beranoaguirre, Leo J. Millonig, Axel Gerdes, Tobias Grützner, and Horst R. Marschall
Geochronology, 7, 309–333, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-309-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-309-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Garnet U–Pb dating is useful for dating geologic events. However, contamination by U-rich minerals included in garnet is a risk. Inclusions are often spotted by high-U spikes or large errors in the age. We dated garnets in metamorphic rocks and calculated ages 10–15 Myr older than expected, reflecting contamination by the mineral zircon. We provide recommendations for identifying contamination and suggest that the bulk dating of zircon inclusions in garnet may also provide valuable information.
Volker Wennrich, Julia Diederich-Leicher, Bárbara Nataly Blanco-Arrué, Christoph Büttner, Stefan Buske, Eduardo Campos Sepulveda, Tibor Dunai, Jacob Feller, Emma Galego, Ascelina Hasberg, Niklas Leicher, Damián Alejandro López, Jorge Maldonado, Alicia Medialdea, Lukas Ninnemann, Russell Perryman, Juan Cristóbal Ríos-Contesse, Benedikt Ritter, Stephanie Scheidt, Barbara Vargas-Machuca, Pritam Yogeshwar, and Martin Melles
Sci. Dril., 34, 1–20, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-34-1-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-34-1-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present the results of comprehensive pre-site surveys and deep drillings in two clay pans in the central Atacama Desert of northern Chile, one of the driest deserts on Earth. The results of the site surveys as well as lithological and downhole-logging data of the deep-drilling operations highlight the potential of the sediment records from the PAG (Playa Adamito Grande) and Paranal clay pans to provide unprecedented information on the Neogene precipitation history of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert.
Aline Zinelabedin, Joel Mohren, Maria Wierzbicka-Wieczorek, Tibor Janos Dunai, Stefan Heinze, and Benedikt Ritter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 257–276, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-257-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-257-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In order to interpret the formation processes of subsurface salt wedges and polygonal patterned grounds from the northern Atacama Desert, we present a multi-methodological approach. Due to the high salt content of the wedges, we suggest that their formation is dominated by subsurface salt dynamics requiring moisture. We assume that the climatic conditions during the wedge growth were slightly wetter than today, offering the potential to use the wedges as palaeoclimate archives.
Joel Mohren, Hendrik Wiesel, Wulf Amelung, L. Keith Fifield, Alexandra Sandhage-Hofmann, Erik Strub, Steven A. Binnie, Stefan Heinze, Elmarie Kotze, Chris Du Preez, Stephen G. Tims, and Tibor J. Dunai
Biogeosciences, 22, 1077–1094, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1077-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1077-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We measured concentrations of nuclear fallout in soil samples taken from arable land in South Africa. We find that during the second half of the 20th century, the data strongly correlate with the organic matter content of the soils. The finding implies that wind erosion strongly influenced the loss of organic matter in the soils we investigated. Furthermore, the exponential decline of fallout concentrations and organic matter content over time peaks shortly after native grassland is ploughed.
Benedikt Ritter, Richard Albert, Aleksandr Rakipov, Frederik M. Van der Wateren, Tibor J. Dunai, and Axel Gerdes
Geochronology, 5, 433–450, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-433-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-433-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Chronological information on the evolution of the Namib Desert is scarce. We used U–Pb dating of silcretes formed by pressure solution during calcrete formation to track paleoclimate variability since the Late Miocene. Calcrete formation took place during the Pliocene with an abrupt cessation at 2.9 Ma. The end took place due to deep canyon incision which we dated using TCN exposure dating. With our data we correct and contribute to the Neogene history of the Namib Desert and its evolution.
W. Marijn van der Meij, Arnaud J. A. M. Temme, Steven A. Binnie, and Tony Reimann
Geochronology, 5, 241–261, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-241-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-241-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We present our model ChronoLorica. We coupled the original Lorica model, which simulates soil and landscape evolution, with a geochronological module that traces cosmogenic nuclide inventories and particle ages through simulations. These properties are often measured in the field to determine rates of landscape change. The coupling enables calibration of the model and the study of how soil, landscapes and geochronometers change under complex boundary conditions such as intensive land management.
Benedikt Ritter, Andreas Vogt, and Tibor J. Dunai
Geochronology, 3, 421–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We describe the design and performance of a new noble gas mass laboratory dedicated to the development of and application to cosmogenic nuclides at the University of Cologne (Germany). At the core of the laboratory are a state-of-the-art high-mass-resolution multicollector Helix MCPlus (Thermo-Fisher) noble gas mass spectrometer and a novel custom-designed automated extraction line, including a laser-powered extraction furnace. Performance was tested with intercomparison (CREU-1) material.
Juan-Luis García, Christopher Lüthgens, Rodrigo M. Vega, Ángel Rodés, Andrew S. Hein, and Steven A. Binnie
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 105–128, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-105-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-105-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) about 21 kyr ago is known to have been global in extent. Nonetheless, we have limited knowledge during the pre-LGM time in the southern middle latitudes. If we want to understand the causes of the ice ages, the complete glacial period must be addressed. In this paper, we show that the Patagonian Ice Sheet in southern South America reached its full glacial extent also by 57 kyr ago and defies a climate explanation.
Joel Mohren, Steven A. Binnie, Gregor M. Rink, Katharina Knödgen, Carlos Miranda, Nora Tilly, and Tibor J. Dunai
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 995–1020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-995-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-995-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we comprehensively test a method to derive soil densities under fieldwork conditions. The method is mainly based on images taken from consumer-grade cameras. The obtained soil/sediment densities reflect
truevalues by generally > 95 %, even if a smartphone is used for imaging. All computing steps can be conducted using freeware programs. Soil density is an important variable in the analysis of terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides, for example to infer long-term soil production rates.
Eric Salomon, Atle Rotevatn, Thomas Berg Kristensen, Sten-Andreas Grundvåg, Gijs Allard Henstra, Anna Nele Meckler, Richard Albert, and Axel Gerdes
Solid Earth, 11, 1987–2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1987-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-1987-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study focuses on the impact of major rift border faults on fluid circulation and hanging wall sediment diagenesis by investigating a well-exposed example in NE Greenland using field observations, U–Pb calcite dating, clumped isotope, and minor element analyses. We show that fault-proximal sediments became calcite cemented quickly after deposition to form a near-impermeable barrier along the fault, which has important implications for border fault zone evolution and reservoir assessments.
Philipp Marr, Stefan Winkler, Steven A. Binnie, and Jörg Löffler
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 165–176, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-165-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-165-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This paper is about deglaciation history in two areas of southern Norway. By dating rock surfaces we can estimate a minimum ice sheet thickness of 1476 m a.s.l. and a timing of deglaciation around 13 000 years ago in the western study area. In the eastern study area the deglaciation history is complex as the bedrock age most likely has inheritance from earlier ice-free periods. Comparing both study areas demonstrates the complex dynamics of the deglaciation in different areas in southern Norway.
Related subject area
Cosmogenic nuclide dating
Cosmogenic 3He dating of olivine with tightly retained mantle 3He, Volcano Mountain, Yukon
Technical note: 21Ne in the CoQtz-N quartz standard material
Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide bedrock depth profiles used to infer changes in Holocene glacier cover, Vintage Peak, southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia
Short communication: Updated CRN Denudation collections in OCTOPUS v2.3
Cosmogenic 21Ne exposure ages on late Pleistocene moraines in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA
Technical note: Altitude scaling of 36Cl production from Fe
Production rate calibration for cosmogenic 10Be in pyroxene by applying a rapid fusion method to 10Be-saturated samples from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica
Technical note: Optimizing the in situ cosmogenic 36Cl extraction and measurement workflow for geologic applications
Cosmogenic 3He chronology of postglacial lava flows at Mt Ruapehu, Aotearoa / New Zealand
Last ice sheet recession and landscape emergence above sea level in east-central Sweden, evaluated using in situ cosmogenic 14C from quartz
Regional beryllium-10 production rate for the mid-elevation mountainous regions in central Europe, deduced from a multi-method study of moraines and lake sediments in the Black Forest
Short communication: Cosmogenic noble gas depletion in soils by wildfire heating
Early Holocene ice retreat from Isle Royale in the Laurentian Great Lakes constrained with 10Be exposure-age dating
Technical note: Studying lithium metaborate fluxes and extraction protocols with a new, fully automated in situ cosmogenic 14C processing system at PRIME Lab
Cosmogenic 10Be in pyroxene: laboratory progress, production rate systematics, and application of the 10Be–3He nuclide pair in the Antarctic Dry Valleys
Technical note: A software framework for calculating compositionally dependent in situ 14C production rates
10Be age control of glaciation in the Beartooth Mountains, USA, from the latest Pleistocene through the Holocene
Constraining the aggradation mode of Pleistocene river deposits based on cosmogenic radionuclide depth profiling and numerical modelling
Technical note: Evaluating a geographical information system (GIS)-based approach for determining topographic shielding factors in cosmic-ray exposure dating
Combined linear-regression and Monte Carlo approach to modeling exposure age depth profiles
Cosmogenic nuclide weathering biases: corrections and potential for denudation and weathering rate measurements
Cosmogenic nuclide and solute flux data from central Cuban rivers emphasize the importance of both physical and chemical mass loss from tropical landscapes
Technical note: Accelerator mass spectrometry of 10Be and 26Al at low nuclide concentrations
Reconciling the apparent absence of a Last Glacial Maximum alpine glacial advance, Yukon Territory, Canada, through cosmogenic beryllium-10 and carbon-14 measurements
Cosmogenic ages indicate no MIS 2 refugia in the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska
Cosmogenic nuclide exposure age scatter records glacial history and processes in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Technical Note: Noble gas extraction procedure and performance of the Cologne Helix MC Plus multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer for cosmogenic neon isotope analysis
Exposure dating of detrital magnetite using 3He enabled by microCT and calibration of the cosmogenic 3He production rate in magnetite
Calibrating a long-term meteoric 10Be delivery rate into eroding western US glacial deposits by comparing meteoric and in situ produced 10Be depth profiles
Delayed and rapid deglaciation of alpine valleys in the Sawatch Range, southern Rocky Mountains, USA
Technical note: A prototype transparent-middle-layer data management and analysis infrastructure for cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating
Isolation of quartz for cosmogenic in situ 14C analysis
Chlorine-36∕beryllium-10 burial dating of alluvial fan sediments associated with the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas Fault system, California, USA
Jessica M. Mueller, Jeffrey D. Bond, Kenneth A. Farley, and Brent C. Ward
Geochronology, 7, 255–263, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-255-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-255-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We used step heating to separate cosmogenic 3He from mantle 3He in olivine xenocrysts in which the mantle helium component is in high concentration after sample powdering. By isolating the matrix-sited cosmogenic 3He at low temperature, we were able to date four different lava flows on Volcano Mountain, the youngest eruptive center in the Fort Selkirk volcanic province in Yukon, Canada. The four flows, including the stratigraphically youngest on the mountain, erupted coevally, at 10.5 ± 1.7 ka.
Greg Balco
Geochronology, 7, 247–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-247-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-247-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes measurements of cosmogenic neon-21 concentrations in a widely distributed mineral standard material that is routinely used for quality control and interlaboratory comparison for measurements of other cosmic-ray-produced nuclides useful for various geochronology applications. Broadly, this facilitates improvement of precision and accuracy of these measurements and their applications in geochronology.
Adam C. Hawkins, Brent M. Goehring, and Brian Menounos
Geochronology, 7, 157–172, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-157-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-157-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We use a method called cosmogenic nuclide dating on bedrock surfaces and moraine boulders to determine the relative length of time an alpine glacier was larger or smaller than its current extent over the past 15 000 years. We also discuss several important limitations to this method. This method gives information on the duration of past ice advances and is useful in areas without other materials that can be dated.
Alexandru T. Codilean and Henry Munack
Geochronology, 7, 113–122, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-113-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-113-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
OCTOPUS v2.3 updates CRN Denudation, adding 1311 new river basins to the CRN Global and CRN Australia collections, totalling 5611 basins with recalculated beryllium-10 denudation rates and 561 with aluminium-26 rates. New fields include basin centroid latitude, effective atmospheric pressure, glacier extent, and quartz-bearing lithology percentages, improving data quality and interoperability with online erosion calculators.
Joseph P. Tulenko, Greg Balco, Michael A. Clynne, and L. J. Patrick Muffler
Geochronology, 6, 639–652, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating is an exceptional tool for reconstructing glacier histories, but reconstructions based on common target nuclides (e.g., 10Be) can be costly and time-consuming to generate. Here, we present a cost-effective proof-of-concept 21Ne exposure age chronology from Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, USA, that broadly agrees with nearby 10Be chronologies but at lower precision.
Angus K. Moore and Darryl E. Granger
Geochronology, 6, 541–552, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-541-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-541-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclide geochronology requires accurately scaling production rates with altitude. The energy spectrum of cosmic radiation changes with altitude, and reactions that are sensitive to different energies may have different scaling behavior. Here, we model the altitude scaling of 36Cl production from Fe and evaluate this model against calibration data. The data are broadly consistent with the prediction of larger-altitude scaling factors for 36Cl from Fe than for other reactions.
Marie Bergelin, Greg Balco, Lee B. Corbett, and Paul R. Bierman
Geochronology, 6, 491–502, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides, such as 10Be, are rare isotopes produced in rocks when exposed at Earth's surface and are valuable for understanding surface processes and landscape evolution. However, 10Be is usually measured in quartz minerals. Here we present advances in efficiently extracting and measuring 10Be in the pyroxene mineral. These measurements expand the use of 10Be as a dating tool for new rock types and provide opportunities to understand landscape processes in areas that lack quartz.
Alia J. Lesnek, Joseph M. Licciardi, Alan J. Hidy, and Tyler S. Anderson
Geochronology, 6, 475–489, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-475-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-475-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present an improved workflow for extracting and measuring chlorine isotopes in rocks and minerals. Experiments on seven geologic samples demonstrate that our workflow provides reliable results while offering several distinct advantages over traditional methods. Most notably, our workflow reduces the amount of isotopically enriched chlorine spike used per rock sample by up to 95 %, which will allow researchers to analyze more samples using their existing laboratory supplies.
Pedro Doll, Shaun Robert Eaves, Ben Matthew Kennedy, Pierre-Henri Blard, Alexander Robert Lee Nichols, Graham Sloan Leonard, Dougal Bruce Townsend, Jim William Cole, Chris Edward Conway, Sacha Baldwin, Gabriel Fénisse, Laurent Zimmermann, and Bouchaïb Tibari
Geochronology, 6, 365–395, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-365-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-365-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we use cosmogenic-sourced 3He to determine the eruption ages of 23 lava flows at Mt Ruapehu, Aotearoa New Zealand, and we show how this method can help overcome challenges associated with traditional dating methods in young lavas. Comparison with other methods demonstrates the accuracy of our data and the method's reliability. The new eruption ages allowed us to identify periods of quasi-simultaneous activity from different volcanic vents during the last 20 000 years.
Bradley W. Goodfellow, Arjen P. Stroeven, Nathaniel A. Lifton, Jakob Heyman, Alexander Lewerentz, Kristina Hippe, Jens-Ove Näslund, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 6, 291–302, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-291-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-291-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon-14 produced in quartz (half-life of 5700 ± 30 years) provides a new tool to date exposure of bedrock surfaces. Samples from 10 exposed bedrock surfaces in east-central Sweden give dates consistent with the timing of both landscape emergence above sea level through postglacial rebound and retreat of the last ice sheet shown in previous reconstructions. Carbon-14 in quartz can therefore be used for dating in landscapes where isotopes with longer half-lives give complex exposure results.
Felix Martin Hofmann, Claire Rambeau, Lukas Gegg, Melanie Schulz, Martin Steiner, Alexander Fülling, Laëtitia Léanni, Frank Preusser, and ASTER Team
Geochronology, 6, 147–174, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-147-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-147-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We determined 10Be concentrations in moraine boulder surfaces in the southern Black Forest, SW Germany. We applied three independent dating methods to younger lake sediments. With the aid of independent age datasets, we calculated the growth of 10Be concentrations in moraine boulder surfaces.
Greg Balco, Alan J. Hidy, William T. Struble, and Joshua J. Roering
Geochronology, 6, 71–76, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-71-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-71-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new method of reconstructing the long-term, pre-observational frequency and/or intensity of wildfires in forested landscapes using trace concentrations of the noble gases helium and neon that are formed in soil mineral grains by cosmic-ray bombardment of the Earth's surface.
Eric W. Portenga, David J. Ullman, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 5, 413–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-413-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-413-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
New exposure ages of glacial erratics on moraines on Isle Royale – the largest island in North America's Lake Superior – show that the Laurentide Ice Sheet did not retreat from the island nor the south shores of Lake Superior until the early Holocene, which is later than previously thought. These new ages unify regional ice retreat histories from the mainland, the Lake Superior lake-bottom stratigraphy, underwater moraines, and meltwater drainage pathways through the Laurentian Great Lakes.
Nathaniel Lifton, Jim Wilson, and Allie Koester
Geochronology, 5, 361–375, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-361-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-361-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new, fully automated extraction system for in situ 14C at PRIME Lab that incorporates more reliable components and designs than our original systems. We use a LiBO2 flux to dissolve a quartz sample in oxygen after removing contaminant 14C with a lower-temperature combustion step. Experiments with new Pt/Rh sample boats demonstrated reduced procedural blanks, and analyses of well-characterized intercomparison materials tested the effects of process variables on 14C yields.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M. Schaefer, Roseanne Schwartz, Jennifer L. Lamp, Laura Penrose, Jennifer Middleton, Jean Hanley, Bouchaïb Tibari, Pierre-Henri Blard, Gisela Winckler, Alan J. Hidy, and Greg Balco
Geochronology, 5, 301–321, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides like 10Be are rare isotopes created in rocks exposed at the Earth’s surface and can be used to understand glacier histories and landscape evolution. 10Be is usually measured in the mineral quartz. Here, we show that 10Be can be reliably measured in the mineral pyroxene. We use the measurements to determine exposure ages and understand landscape processes in rocks from Antarctica that do not have quartz, expanding the use of this method to new rock types.
Alexandria J. Koester and Nathaniel A. Lifton
Geochronology, 5, 21–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-21-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-21-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In situ 14C’s short half-life (5.7 kyr) is unique among cosmogenic nuclides, making it sensitive to complex exposure and burial histories since 25 ka. Current extraction methods focus on quartz, but the ability to extract it from other minerals would expand applications. We developed MATLAB® scripts to calculate in situ 14C production rates from a broad range of mineral compositions. Results confirm O, Si, Al, and Mg as key targets but also find significant production from Na for the first time.
Aaron M. Barth, Elizabeth G. Ceperley, Claire Vavrus, Shaun A. Marcott, Jeremy D. Shakun, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 4, 731–743, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-731-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-731-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Deposits left behind by past glacial activity provide insight into the previous size and behavior of glaciers and act as another line of evidence for past climate. Here we present new age control for glacial deposits in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming, United States. While some deposits indicate glacial activity within the last 2000 years, others are shown to be older than previously thought, thus redefining the extent of regional Holocene glaciation.
Nathan Vandermaelen, Koen Beerten, François Clapuyt, Marcus Christl, and Veerle Vanacker
Geochronology, 4, 713–730, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-713-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-713-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We constrained deposition phases of fluvial sediments (NE Belgium) over the last 1 Myr with analysis and modelling of rare isotopes accumulation within sediments, occurring as a function of time and inverse function of depth. They allowed the determination of three superposed deposition phases and intercalated non-deposition periods of ~ 40 kyr each. These phases correspond to 20 % of the sediment age, which highlights the importance of considering deposition phase when dating fluvial sediments.
Felix Martin Hofmann
Geochronology, 4, 691–712, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-691-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-691-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
If topographical obstructions are present in the surroundings of sampling sites, exposure ages of rock surfaces need to be corrected. A toolbox for the ESRI ArcGIS software allows for quantifying topographic shielding with a digital elevation model, but it has only been validated with few field data. In this study, the output of the toolbox is evaluated with a more extensive dataset. If suitable elevation data are chosen, the toolbox provides a sound approach to determine topographic shielding.
Yiran Wang and Michael E. Oskin
Geochronology, 4, 533–549, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-533-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-533-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
When first introduced together with the depth profile technique to determine the surface exposure age, the linear inversion approach has suffered with the drawbacks of not incorporating erosion and muons into calculation. In this paper, we increase the accuracy and applicability of the linear inversion approach by fully considering surface erosion, muogenic production, and radioactive decay, while maintaining its advantage of being straightforward to determine an exposure age.
Richard F. Ott, Sean F. Gallen, and Darryl E. Granger
Geochronology, 4, 455–470, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-455-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-455-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides are a tool to quantify denudation – the total removal of mass from near the Earth's surface. Chemical weathering can introduce biases to cosmogenic-nuclide-based denudation rates measurements. Here, we investigate the effects of weathering on cosmogenic nuclides and develop tools to correct for this influence. Our results highlight which additional measurements are required to determine accurate denudation rates in regions where weathering is not negligible.
Mae Kate Campbell, Paul R. Bierman, Amanda H. Schmidt, Rita Sibello Hernández, Alejandro García-Moya, Lee B. Corbett, Alan J. Hidy, Héctor Cartas Águila, Aniel Guillén Arruebarrena, Greg Balco, David Dethier, and Marc Caffee
Geochronology, 4, 435–453, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-435-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-435-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We used cosmogenic radionuclides in detrital river sediment to measure erosion rates of watersheds in central Cuba; erosion rates are lower than rock dissolution rates in lowland watersheds. Data from two different cosmogenic nuclides suggest that some basins may have a mixed layer deeper than is typically modeled and could have experienced significant burial after or during exposure. We conclude that significant mass loss may occur at depth through chemical weathering processes.
Klaus M. Wilcken, Alexandru T. Codilean, Réka-H. Fülöp, Steven Kotevski, Anna H. Rood, Dylan H. Rood, Alexander J. Seal, and Krista Simon
Geochronology, 4, 339–352, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-339-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-339-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides are now widely applied in the Earth sciences; however, more recent applications often push the analytical limits of the technique. Our study presents a comprehensive method for analysis of cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al samples down to isotope concentrations of a few thousand atoms per gram of sample, which opens the door to new and more varied applications of cosmogenic nuclide analysis.
Brent M. Goehring, Brian Menounos, Gerald Osborn, Adam Hawkins, and Brent Ward
Geochronology, 4, 311–322, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-311-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-311-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We explored surface exposure dating with two nuclides to date two sets of moraines from the Yukon Territory and explain the reasoning for the observed ages. Results suggest multiple processes, including preservation of nuclides from a prior exposure period, and later erosion of the moraines is required to explain the data. Our results only allow for the older moraines to date to Marine Isotope Stage 3 or 4 and the younger moraines to date to the very earliest Holocene.
Caleb K. Walcott, Jason P. Briner, James F. Baichtal, Alia J. Lesnek, and Joseph M. Licciardi
Geochronology, 4, 191–211, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-191-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-191-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present a record of ice retreat from the northern Alexander Archipelago, Alaska. During the last ice age (~ 26 000–19 000 years ago), these islands were covered by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. We tested whether islands were ice-free during the last ice age for human migrants moving from Asia to the Americas. We found that these islands became ice-free between ~ 15 100 years ago and ~ 16 000 years ago, and thus these islands were not suitable for human habitation during the last ice age.
Andrew J. Christ, Paul R. Bierman, Jennifer L. Lamp, Joerg M. Schaefer, and Gisela Winckler
Geochronology, 3, 505–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-505-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-505-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating is commonly used to constrain the timing of past glacier extents. However, Antarctic exposure age datasets are often scattered and difficult to interpret. We compile new and existing exposure ages of a glacial deposit with independently known age constraints and identify surface processes that increase or reduce the likelihood of exposure age scatter. Then we present new data for a previously unmapped and undated older deposit from the same region.
Benedikt Ritter, Andreas Vogt, and Tibor J. Dunai
Geochronology, 3, 421–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We describe the design and performance of a new noble gas mass laboratory dedicated to the development of and application to cosmogenic nuclides at the University of Cologne (Germany). At the core of the laboratory are a state-of-the-art high-mass-resolution multicollector Helix MCPlus (Thermo-Fisher) noble gas mass spectrometer and a novel custom-designed automated extraction line, including a laser-powered extraction furnace. Performance was tested with intercomparison (CREU-1) material.
Florian Hofmann, Emily H. G. Cooperdock, A. Joshua West, Dominic Hildebrandt, Kathrin Strößner, and Kenneth A. Farley
Geochronology, 3, 395–414, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-395-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-395-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use microCT scanning to improve the quality of 3He exposure ages measured in detrital magnetite. We show that the presence of inclusions can significantly increase the measured amount of 3He and thereby the exposure age. By prescreening magnetite with microCT and analyzing only inclusion-free grains, this problem can be avoided. We also calibrate the cosmogenic 3He production rate in magnetite relative to 10Be in quartz, which can be used for similar studies in the future.
Travis Clow, Jane K. Willenbring, Mirjam Schaller, Joel D. Blum, Marcus Christl, Peter W. Kubik, and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Geochronology, 2, 411–423, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-411-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-411-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Meteoric beryllium-10 concentrations in soil profiles have great capacity to quantify Earth surface processes, such as erosion rates and landform ages. However, determining these requires an accurate estimate of the delivery rate of this isotope to local sites. Here, we present a new method to constrain the long-term delivery rate to an eroding western US site, compare it against existing delivery rate estimates (revealing considerable disagreement between methods), and suggest best practices.
Joseph P. Tulenko, William Caffee, Avriel D. Schweinsberg, Jason P. Briner, and Eric M. Leonard
Geochronology, 2, 245–255, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-245-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-245-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the timing and rate of retreat for three alpine glaciers in the southern Rocky Mountains to test whether they followed the pattern of global climate change or were majorly influenced by regional forcing mechanisms. We find that the latter is most likely for these glaciers. Our conclusions are based on a new 10Be chronology of alpine glacier retreat. We quantify retreat rates for each valley using the BACON program in R, which may be of interest for the audience of Geochronology.
Greg Balco
Geochronology, 2, 169–175, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-169-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-169-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Geologic dating methods generally do not directly measure ages. Instead, interpreting a geochemical measurement as an age requires a middle layer of calculations and supporting data, and the fact that this layer continually improves is an obstacle to synoptic analysis of geochronological data. This paper describes a prototype data management and analysis system that addresses this obstacle by making the middle-layer calculations transparent and dynamic to the user.
Keir A. Nichols and Brent M. Goehring
Geochronology, 1, 43–52, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-43-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-43-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We describe observations of anomalously high measurements of C-14 made from geologic material. We undertake a systematic investigation to identify the source of contamination, which we hypothesise is sourced from a commonly used method that is used prior to sample analysis. We find that the method does introduce modern carbon to samples and elevates C-14 measurements. We describe a standard procedure that effectively removes contamination from the aforementioned method.
Greg Balco, Kimberly Blisniuk, and Alan Hidy
Geochronology, 1, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-1-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-1-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This article applies a new geochemical dating method to determine the age of sedimentary deposits useful in reconstructing slip rates on a major fault system.
Cited articles
Arblaster, J. W.: Thermodynamic Properties of Tantalum, J. Phase
Equilib. Diff., 39, 255–272, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11669-018-0627-2, 2018.
Aregbe, Y., Valkiers, S., Mayer, K., and DeBievre, P.: Comparative isotopic
measurements on xenon and krypton, Int. J. Mass
Spectrom., 153, L1–L5, https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1176(96)04368-6,
1996.
Australian Vermiculite Industries: Mine
Closure Plan Mud Tank Operation MIN 165, available at: https://geoscience.nt.gov.au/gemis/ntgsjspui/bitstream/1/80230/3/MLS165_2014_AS_03_APPENDIX2_MCP.pdf (last access: 16 January 2022), 2013.
Baglin, C. M.: Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 81, Nucl. Data Sheets, 109,
2257–2437, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nds.2008.09.001, 2008.
Balco, G.: Glacier Change and Paleoclimate Applications of
Cosmogenic-Nuclide Exposure Dating, Annu. Rev. Earth Pl.
Sc., 48, 21–48, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-081619-052609, 2020.
Balco, G., Stone, J. O., Lifton, N. A., and Dunai, T. J.: A complete and
easily accessible means of calculating surface exposure ages or erosion
rates from 10Be and 26Al measurements, Quat. Geochronol., 3,
174–195, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2007.12.001, 2008.
Belousova, E. A., Griffin, W. L., O'Reilly, S. Y., and Fisher, N. I.:
Igneous zircon: trace element composition as an indicator of source rock
type, Contrib. Mineral. Petr., 143, 602–622,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-002-0364-7, 2002.
Binnie, S. A., Dunai, T. J., Voronina, E., Goral, T., Heinze, S., and
Dewald, A.: Separation of Be and Al for AMS using single-step column
chromatography, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 361, 397–401, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2015.03.069, 2015.
Binnie, S. A., Dewald, A., Heinze, S., Voronina, E., Hein, A., Wittmann, H.,
von Blanckenburg, F., Hetzel, R., Christl, M., Schaller, M., Leanni, L.,
Hippe, K., Vockenhuber, C., Ivy-Ochs, S., Maden, C., Fulop, R. H., Fink, D.,
Wilcken, K. M., Fujioka, T., Fabel, D., Freeman, S., Xu, S., Fifield, L. K.,
Akcar, N., Spiegel, C., Dunai, T. J., Aumaitre, G., Bourles, D. L.,
Keddadouche, K., and Team, A.: Preliminary results of CoQtz-N: A quartz
reference material for terrestrial in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al
measurements, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 456, 203–212,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2019.04.073, 2019.
Bohn, U. and Gollub, G.: The use and application of the map of the natural
vegetation of Europe with particular refernce to Germany, Biol.
Environ., 106B, 199–213, 2006.
Broadley, M. W., Barry, P. H., Bekaert, D. V., Byrne, D. J., Caracausi, A.,
Ballentine, C. J., and Marty, B.: Identification of chondritic krypton and
xenon in Yellowstone gases and the timing of terrestrial volatile accretion,
P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 117, 13997–14004, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003907117, 2020.
Buizert, C., Baggenstos, D., Jiang, W., Purtschert, R., Petrenko, V. V., Lu,
Z. T., Muller, P., Kuhl, T., Lee, J., Severinghaus, J. P., and Brook, E. J.:
Radiometric 81Kr dating identifies 120,000-year-old ice at Taylor Glacier,
Antarctica, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 111, 6876–6881, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320329111, 2014.
Burgess, R., Cartigny, P., Harrison, D., Hobson, E., and Harris, J.:
Volatile composition of microinclusions in diamonds from the Panda
kimberlite, Canada: Implications for chemical and isotopic heterogeneity in
the mantle, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 73, 1779–1794,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2008.12.025, 2009.
Burke, K., and Gunnell, Y.: The African Erosion
Surface: A Continental-Scale Synthesis of Geomorphology, Tectonics, and
Environmental Change over the Past 180 Million Years, in: The African
Erosion Surface: A Continental-Scale Synthesis of Geomorphology, Tectonics,
and Environmental Change over the Past 180 Million Years, Geological Society
of America, vol. 201, 1–66, ISBN 9780813712017, https://doi.org/10.1130/2008.1201, 2008.
Burnard, P., Zimmermann, L., and Sano, Y.: The Noble Gases as Geochemical
Tracers: History and Background, in: The Noble Gases as Geochemical Tracers,
edited by: Burnard, P., Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg,
1–15, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28836-4_1, 2013.
Chorowicz, J.: The East African rift system, J. Afr. Earth
Sci., 43, 379–410, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.07.019,
2005.
Clark, P. U., Archer, D., Pollard, D., Blum, J. D., Rial, J. A., Brovkin,
V., Mix, A. C., Pisias, N. G., and Roy, M.: The middle Pleistocene
transition: characteristics, mechanisms, and implications for long-term
changes in atmospheric pCO2, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 25, 3150–3184,
2006.
Crohn, P. W. and Moore, D. H.: The Mud Tank carbonatite, Strangways Range,
Central Australia, BMR J. Aust. Geol. Geop., 9,
13–18, 1984.
Currie, K. L., Knutson, J., and Temby, P. A.: The Mud Tank carbonatite
complex, Central Australia – An example of metasomatism at midcrustal
levels, Contrib. Mineral. Petr., 109, 326–339,
https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00283322, 1992.
Delattre, S., Utsunomiya, S., Ewing, R. C., Boeglin, J. L., Braun, J. J.,
Balan, E., and Calas, G.: Dissolution of radiation-damaged zircon in
lateritic soils, Am. Mineral., 92, 1978–1989, https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2007.2514,
2007.
Dessert, C., Dupré, B., Gaillardet, J., François, L. M., and
Allègre, C. J.: Basalt weathering laws and the impact of basalt
weathering on the global carbon cycle, Chem. Geol., 202, 257–273,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2002.10.001, 2003.
Dewald, A., Heinze, S., Jolie, J., Zilges, A., Dunai, T., Rethemeyer, J.,
Melles, M., Staubwasser, M., Kuczewski, B., Richter, J., Radtke, U., von
Blanckenburg, F., and Klein, M.: CologneAMS, a dedicated center for
accelerator mass spectrometry in Germany, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B,
294, 18–23, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.04.030, 2013.
Dunai, T. J.: Cosmogenic Nuclides: Principles, concepts and applications in
the Earth surface sciences, 1st edn., Cambridge University Press, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511804519, 2010.
Dunai, T. J., Stuart, F. M., Pik, R., Burnard, P., and Gayer, E.: Production
of 3He in crustal rocks by cosmogenic thermal neutrons, Earth Planet.
Sc. Lett., 258, 228–236, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2007.03.031, 2007.
Ehlers, J. and Gibbard, P. L.: The extent and chronology of Cenozoic Global
Glaciation, Quatern. Int., 164–165, 6–20,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2006.10.008, 2007.
Eikenberg, J., Signer, P., and Wieler, R.: U-Xe, U-Kr, and U-Pb systematics
for uranium minerals and investigations of the production of nucleogenic
neon and argon, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 57, 1053–1069, 1993.
Eissmann, L.: Quaternary geology of eastern Germany (Saxony, Saxon–Anhalt,
South Brandenburg, Thüringia), type area of the Elsterian and Saalian
Stages in Europe, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 21, 1275–1346,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-3791(01)00075-0, 2002.
Ewing, R. C., Meldrum, A., Wang, L. M., Weber, W. J., and Corrales, L. R.:
Radiation effects in zircon, in: Zircon, edited by: Hanchar, J. M. and
Hoskin, P. W. O., Rev. Mineral. Geochem., 53, 387–425,
https://doi.org/10.2113/0530387, 2003.
Ewing, R. C., Haaker, R. F., and Lutze, W.: Leachability of Zircon as a
Function of Alpha Dose, MRS Online Proceedings Library, 11, 389,
https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-11-389, 2011.
Farley, K. A.: He diffusion systematics in minerals: Evidence from synthetic
monazite and zircon structure phosphates, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 71,
4015–4052, 2007.
Gain, S. E. M., Greau, Y., Henry, H., Belousova, E., Dainis, I., Griffin, W.
L., and O'Reilly, S. Y.: Mud Tank Zircon: Long-Term Evaluation of a
Reference Material for U-Pb Dating, Hf-Isotope Analysis and Trace Element
Analysis, Geostand. Geoanal. Res., 43, 339–354,
https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12265, 2019.
Gautheron, C. E., Tassan-Got, L., and Farley, K. A.: (U–Th)
Gerdes, A. and Zeh, A.: Zircon formation versus zircon alteration – New
insights from combined U–Pb and Lu–Hf in-situ LA-ICP-MS analyses, and
consequences for the interpretation of Archean zircon from the Central Zone
of the Limpopo Belt, Chem. Geol., 261, 230–243,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2008.03.005, 2009.
Gibbard, P. L. and Lewin, J.: River incision and terrace formation in the
Late Cenozoic of Europe, Tectonophysics, 474, 41–55,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2008.11.017, 2009.
Gilabert, E., Lavielle, B., Michel, R., Leya, I., Neumann, S., and Herpers,
U.: Production of krypton and xenon isotopes in thick stony and iron targets
isotropically irradiated with 1600 MeV protons, Meteorit. Planet.
Sci., 37, 951–976, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb00869.x, 2002.
Goodfellow, B. and Boelhouwers, J.: Hillslope Processes in Cold Environments: An illustration of High Latitude Hillslope Processes and Forms, in:
Treatise of Geomorphology, edited by: John, F. S., Elsevier, 320–336, ISBN 9780123747396, 2013.
Gosse, J. C. and Phillips, F. M.: Terrestrial in situ cosmogenic nuclides:
theory and application, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 20, 1475–1560, 2001.
Granger, D. E. and Riebe, C. S.: 7.12 – Cosmogenic Nuclides in Weathering
and Erosion, in: Treatise on Geochemistry, second edn., edited by:
Holland, H. D. and Turekian, K. K., Elsevier, Oxford, 401–436,
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.00514-3, 2014.
Grimes, C. B., John, B. E., Kelemen, P. B., Mazdab, F. K., Wooden, J. L.,
Cheadle, M. J., Hanghoj, K., and Schwartz, J. J.: Trace element chemistry of
zircons from oceanic crust: A method for distinguishing detrital zircon
provenance, Geology, 35, 643–646, https://doi.org/10.1130/g23603a.1, 2007.
Guenthner, W. R., Reiners, P. W., Ketcham, R. A., Nasdala, L., and Giester,
G.: Helium diffusion in natural zircon: radiation damage, anisotropy, and
the interpretation of zircon (U-Th)
Haeuselmann, P., Granger, D. E., Jeannin, P. Y., and Lauritzen, S. E.:
Abrupt glacial valley incision at 0.8 Ma dated from cave deposits in
Switzerland, Geology, 35, 143–146, 2007.
Harrison, T., Msuya, C. P., Murray, A. M., Jacobs, B. F., Báez, A. M.,
Mundil, R., and Ludwig, K. R.: Paleontological Investigations at the Eocene
Locality of Mahenge in North-Central Tanzania, East Africa, in: Eocene
Biodiversity: Unusual Occurrences and Rarely Sampled Habitats, edited by:
Gunnell, G. F., Springer US, Boston, MA, 39-74,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1271-4_2, 2001.
Head, M. J. and Gibbard, P. L.: Early-middle Pleistocene transitions: the
land-ocean evidence, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 247, 1–18, 2005.
Head, M. J. and Gibbard, P. L.: Early–Middle Pleistocene transitions:
Linking terrestrial and marine realms, Quatern. Int., 389, 7–46,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.09.042, 2015.
Hettmann, K., Siebel, W., Spiegel, C., and Reinecker, J.: Granite genesis
and migmatization in the western Aar Massif, Switzerland, Neues Jb.
Miner. Abh., 186, 309–320, https://doi.org/10.1127/0077-7757/2009/0150, 2009.
Hoch, M., Nakata, M., and Johnson, H. L.: Vapor pressure of inorganic
substances. XII. Zirconium Dioxide, J. Am. Soc., 76, 2651–2652, https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01639a014, 1954.
Honda, M., Nutman, A. P., Bennett, V. C., and Yatsevich, I.: Radiogenic,
nucleogenic and fissiogenic noble gas compositions in early Archaean
magmatic zircons from Greenland, Geochem. J., 38, 265–269,
https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.38.265, 2004.
Hoskin, P. W. O. and Schaltegger, U.: The composition of zircon and igneous
and metamorphic petrogenesis, in: Zircon, edited by: Hanchar, J. M. and
Hoskin, P. W. O., Rev. Mineral. Geochem., 53, 27–62,
https://doi.org/10.2113/0530027, 2003.
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA): JENDL FP Fission Yields Data File 2011, JAEA [dataset], available at: https://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/cgi-bin/FPYfig (last acess: 16 January 2022), 2011.
Jenner, F. E. and O'Neill, H. S.: Analysis of 60 elements in 616 ocean floor
basaltic glasses, Geochem. Geophy. Geosy., 13, Q02005,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gc004009, 2012.
Kabete, J. M., Groves, D. I., McNaughton, N. J., and Mruma, A. H.: A new
tectonic and temporal framework for the Tanzanian Shield: Implications for
gold metallogeny and undiscovered endowment, Ore Geol. Rev., 48,
88–124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2012.02.009, 2012.
Kaiser, A., Lobert, M., and Telle, R.: Thermal stability of zircon (ZrSiO4),
J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 28, 2199–2211,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2007.12.040, 2008.
Kamenetsky, V. S., Golovin, A. V., Maas, R., Giuliani, A., Kamenetsky, M.
B., and Weiss, Y.: Towards a new model for kimberlite petrogenesis: Evidence
from unaltered kimberlites and mantle minerals, Earth-Sci. Rev., 139,
145–167, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.09.004, 2014.
Kaneoka, I.: Rare gas isotopes and mass fractionation: an indicator of gas
transport into or from a magma, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 48,
284–292, 1980.
Keller, C. B., Boehnke, P., and Schoene, B.: Temporal variation in relative
zircon abundance throughout Earth history, Geochemical Perspectives Letters,
3, 179–189, https://doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.1721, 2017.
Kendrick, M. A.: High precision Cl, Br and I determinations in mineral
standards using the noble gas method, Chem. Geol., 292, 116–126,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2011.11.021, 2012.
King, L.: The geomorphology of central and southern Africa, in: Biogeography
and Ecology of Southern Africa, edited by: Werger, M. J. A., Springer
Netherlands, Dordrecht, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9951-0_1,
1978.
Kober, F., Ivy-Ochs, S., Zeilinger, G., Schlunegger, F., Kubik, P. W., Baur,
H., and Wieler, R.: Complex multiple cosmogenic nuclide concentration and
histories in the arid Rio Lluta catchment, northern Chile, Earth Surf.
Proc. Land., 34, 398–412, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1748, 2009.
Kohl, C. and Nishiizumi, K.: Chemical isolation of quartz for measurement of
in-situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 56,
3583–3587, 1992.
Kreklow, J., Tetzlaff, B., Kuhnt, G., and Burkhard, B.: A Rainfall
Data Intercomparison Dataset of RADKLIM, RADOLAN,
and Rain Gauge Data for Germany, Data, 4, 118, https://doi.org/10.3390/data4030118, 2019.
Lal, D.: Cosmic ray labeling of erosion surfaces: in situ nuclide production
rates and erosion models, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 104, 424–439, 1991.
Larsen, I. J., Farley, K. A., and Lamb, M. P.: Cosmogenic 3He production
rate in ilmenite and the redistribution of spallation 3He in fine-grained
minerals, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 265, 19–31,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.08.025, 2019.
Lerner, J.: Half-life of 85Kr, J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem.,
25, 749–757, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(63)80357-7, 1963.
Leya, I., Gilabert, E., Lavielle, B., Wiechert, U., and Wieler, R.:
Production rates for cosmogenic krypton and argon isotopes in H-Chondrites
with known 36Cl-36Ar ages, Antarct. Meteorite Res., 17, 185–199,
2004.
Leya, I., Dalcher, N., Vogel, N., Wieler, R., Caffee, M. W., Welten, K. C.,
and Nishiizumi, K.: Calibration of cosmogenic noble gas production based on
36Cl-36Ar ages. Part 2. The 81Kr-Kr dating technique, Meteorit.
Planet. Sci., 50, 1863–1879, https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12515, 2015.
Lifshitz, M. and Singer, P.: Nuclear excitation function and particle
emission from complex nuclei following muon capture, Phys. Rev. C, 22,
2135–2150, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.22.2135, 1980.
Lifton, N., Sato, T., and Dunai, T. J.: Scaling in situ cosmogenic nuclide
production rates using analytical approximations to atmospheric cosmic-ray
fluxes, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 386, 149–160,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.10.052, 2014.
Lisiecki, L. E. and Raymo, M. E.: A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57
globally distributed benthic δ18O records, Paleoceanography, 20, PA10003, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004PA001071,
2005.
Ludwig, K. R.: User's manual for Isoplot 3.75, 77 pp., available at: https://www.geocalculate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Isoplot3_75-4_15manual.pdf (last access: 16 January 2022), 2012.
Mannard, G. W.: The Geology of the Singida Kimberlite Pipes, Tanganyika,
Geological Sciences, PhD thesis, McGill University, Montreal, 377 pp., available at: https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/sq87bv51d (last access: 16 January 2022), 1962.
Marti, K.: Mass-spectrometric detection of cosmic-ray-produced 81Kr in
meteorites and possiblity of Kr-Kr dating, Phys. Rev. Lett., 18,
264, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.18.264, 1967.
Marti, K., Eberhardt, P., and Geiss, J.: Spallation, fission and neutron
capture anomalies in meteoritic Krypton and Xenon, Z.
Naturforsch. Pt. A, 21,
398–413, 1966.
Martin, L. C. P., Blard, P. H., Balco, G., Lave, J., Delunel, R., Lifton,
N., and Laurent, V.: The CREp program and the ICE-D production rate
calibration database: A fully parameterizable and updated online tool to
compute cosmic ray exposure ages, Quat. Geochronol., 38, 25–49,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2016.11.006, 2017.
Mason, B., Nelon, J. A., Muir, P., and Taylor, S. R.: The compostion of the
Chassigny meteorite, Meteoritics, 11, 21–27,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1976.tb00311.x, 1976.
McClymont, E. L., Sosdian, S. M., Rosell-Melé, A., and Rosenthal, Y.:
Pleistocene sea-surface temperature evolution: Early cooling, delayed
glacial intensification, and implications for the mid-Pleistocene climate
transition, Earth-Sci. Rev., 123, 173–193,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2013.04.006, 2013.
Measday, D. F.: The nuclear physics of muon capture, Phys. Rep., 354, 243–409, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0370-1573(01)00012-6,
2001.
Modalek, W., Seifert, G., and Weiß, S.: Edle Zirkone aus dem
Sächsischen Vogtland, Lapis, 34, 13–26, 2009.
Muttoni, G., Carcano, C., Garzanti, E., Ghielmi, M., Piccin, A., Pini, R.,
Rogledi, S., and Sciunnach, D.: Onset of major Pleistocene glaciations in
the Alps, Geology, 31, 989–992, https://doi.org/10.1130/g19445.1, 2003.
Niedermann, S.: Cosmic-ray-produced noble gases in terrestrial rocks: dating
tools for surface processes, Rev. Mineral. Geochem., 47,
731–784, 2002.
Niedermann, S., Schaefer, J. M., Wieler, R., and Naumann, R.: The production
of cosmogenic 38Ar from calcium in terrestrial pyroxene, Earth Planet.
Sc. Lett., 257, 596–608, 2007.
Nishiizumi, K.: Preparation of 26Al AMS standards, Nucl. Instrum.
Meth. B, 223, 388–392, 2004.
Nishiizumi, K., Imamura, M., Caffee, M. W., Southon, J. R., Finkel, R. C.,
and McAninch, J.: Absolute calibration of 10Be AMS standards, Nucl. Instrum.
Meth. B, 258, 403–413, 2007.
Oostingh, K. F., Jourdan, F., Danisik, M., and Evans, N. J.: Advancements in
cosmogenic 38Ar exposure dating of terrestrial rocks, Geochim.
Cosmochim. Ac., 217, 193–218, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.07.043, 2017.
Owen, M. R.: Hafnium content of detrital zircons, a new tool for provenance
study, J. Sediment. Petrol., 57, 824–830, 1987.
Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A.: Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1633–1644, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007, 2007.
Pena, L. D. and Goldstein, S. L.: Thermohaline circulation crisis and
impacts during the mid-Pleistocene transition, Science, 345, 318–322,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1249770, 2014.
Ragettli, R. A., Hebeda, E. H., Signer, P., and Wieler, R.: Uranium-xenon
chronology: precise determination of
Reiners, P. W.: Zircon (U-Th)
Renne, P. R., Farley, K. A., Becker, T. A., and Sharp, W. D.: Terrestrial
cosmogenic argon, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 188, 435–440, 2001.
Ritter, B., Vogt, A., and Dunai, T. J.: Technical Note: Noble gas extraction procedure and performance of the Cologne Helix MC Plus multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer for cosmogenic neon isotope analysis, Geochronology, 3, 421–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, 2021.
Ruzie-Hamilton, L., Clay, P. L., Burgess, R., Joachim, B., Ballentine, C.
J., and Turner, G.: Determination of halogen abundances in terrestrial and
extraterrestrial samples by the analysis of noble gases produced by neutron
irradiation, Chem. Geol., 437, 77–87, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.003,
2016.
Saldanha, R., Back, H. O., Tsang, R. H. M., Alexander, T., Elliott, S. R.,
Ferrara, S., Mace, E., Overman, C., and Zalavadia, M.: Cosmogenic production
of 39Ar and 37Ar in argon, Phys. Rev. C, 100, 024608,
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.100.024608, 2019.
Samson, S. D., Moecher, D. P., and Satkoski, A. M.: Inherited, enriched,
heated, or recycled? Examining potential causes of Earth's most zircon
fertile magmatic episode, Lithos, 314, 350–359,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2018.06.015, 2018.
Schaller, M., von Blanckenburg, F., Hovius, N., and Kubik, P. W.:
Large-scale erosion rates from in situ produced cosmogenic nuclides in
European river sediments, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 188, 441–458, 2001.
Schaltegger, U. and Corfu, F.: The age and source of late Hercynian
magmatism in the Central Alps – Evidence from precise U-Pb ages and initial
Hf isotopes, Contrib. Mineral. Petr., 111, 329–344,
https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00311195, 1992.
Schick, H. L.: A Thermodynamic Analysis of the High-temperature Vaporization
Properties of Silica, Chem. Rev., 60, 331–362, https://doi.org/10.1021/cr60206a002,
1960.
Schmidt, A., Nowaczyk, N., Kampf, H., Schuller, I., Flechsig, C., and Jahr,
T.: Origin of magnetic anomalies in the large Ebersbrunn diatreme, W Saxony,
Germany, B. Volcanol., 75, 766, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-013-0766-6, 2013.
Soppera, N., Bossant, M., and Dupont, E.: Janis 4: An improved version of
the NEA Java-based Nuclear Date Information System, Nucl. Data Sheets,
120, 294–296, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nds.2014.07.071, 2014.
Stone, J. O., Evans, N. J., Fifield, L. K., Allan, G. L., and Cresswell, R.
G.: Cosmogenic chlorine-36 production in calcite by muons, Geochim.
Cosmochim. Ac., 62, 433–454, 1998.
Strashnov, I. and Gilmour, J. D.: 81Kr-Kr cosmic ray exposure ages of
individual chondrules from Allegan, Meteorit. Planet. Sci., 48,
2430–2440, https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12228, 2013.
Struck, M., Jansen, J. D., Fujioka, T., Codilean, A. T., Fink, D., Egholm,
D. L., Fülöp, R.-H., Wilcken, K. M., and Kotevski, S.: Soil
production and transport on postorogenic desert hillslopes quantified with
10Be and 26Al, GSA Bulletin, 130, 1017–1040, https://doi.org/10.1130/b31767.1, 2018a.
Struck, M., Jansen, J. D., Fujioka, T., Codilean, A. T., Fink, D., Fülöp, R.-H., Wilcken, K. M., Price, D. M., Kotevski, S., Fifield, L. K., and Chappell, J.: Tracking the 10Be–26Al source-area signal in sediment-routing systems of arid central Australia, Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 329–349, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-329-2018, 2018b.
Sturchio, N. C., Du, X., Purtschert, R., Lehmann, B. E., Sultan, M.,
Patterson, L. J., Lu, Z. T., Muller, P., Bigler, T., Bailey, K., O'Connor,
T. P., Young, L., Lorenzo, R., Becker, R., El Alfy, Z., El Kaliouby, B.,
Dawood, Y., and Abdallah, A. M. A.: One million year old groundwater in the
Sahara revealed by krypton-81 and chlorine-36, Geophys. Res. Lett.,
31, L05503, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003gl019234, 2004.
Taylor, S. R. and McLennan, S. M.: The continental crust: its composition
and evolution, Geoscience Texts, Blackwell, Oxford, ISBN 0632011483, 1985.
Teiber, H., Scharrer, M., Marks, M. A. W., Arzamastsev, A. A., Wenzel, T.,
and Markl, G.: Equilibrium partitioning and subsequent re-distribution of
halogens among apatite-biotite-amphibole assemblages from mantle-derived
plutonic rocks: Complexities revealed, Lithos, 220, 221–237,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2015.02.015, 2015.
Trieloff, M., Kunz, J., Clague, D. A., Harrison, D., and Allegre, C. J.: The
nature of pristine noble gases in mantle plumes, Science, 288, 1036–1038,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.288.5468.1036, 2000.
Uppala, S. M., Kållberg, P. W., Simmons, A. J., Andrae, U., Bechtold, V.
D. C., Fiorino, M., Gibson, J. K., Haseler, J., Hernandez, A., Kelly, G. A.,
Li, X., Onogi, K., Saarinen, S., Sokka, N., Allan, R. P., Andersson, E.,
Arpe, K., Balmaseda, M. A., Beljaars, A. C. M., Berg, L. V. D., Bidlot, J.,
Bormann, N., Caires, S., Chevallier, F., Dethof, A., Dragosavac, M., Fisher,
M., Fuentes, M., Hagemann, S., Hólm, E., Hoskins, B. J., Isaksen, L.,
Janssen, P. A. E. M., Jenne, R., Mcnally, A. P., Mahfouf, J.-F., Morcrette,
J.-J., Rayner, N. A., Saunders, R. W., Simon, P., Sterl, A., Trenberth, K.
E., Untch, A., Vasiljevic, D., Viterbo, P., and Woollen, J.: The ERA-40
re-analysis, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 131,
2961–3012, https://doi.org/10.1256/qj.04.176, 2005.
von Egidy, T. and Hartmann, F. J.: Average muonic coulomb capture
probabilities for 65 elements, Phys. Rev. A, 26, 2355–2360,
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.26.2355, 1982.
Wirsig, C., Zasadni, J., Ivy-Ochs, S., Christl, M., Kober, F., and
Schluchter, C.: A deglaciation model of the Oberhasli, Switzerland, J.
Quaternary Sci., 31, 46–59, https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.2831, 2016.
Woodhead, J. D. and Hergt, J. M.: A preliminary appraisal of seven natural
zircon reference materials for in situ Hf isotope determination,
Geostand. Geoanal. Res., 29, 183–195,
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-908X.2005.tb00891.x, 2005.
Wyttenbach, A., Baertschi, P., Bajo, S., Hadermann, J., Junker, K., Katcoff,
S., Hermes, E. A., and Pruys, H. S.: Probabilites of muon induced
nuclear-reactions involving charged-particle emission, Nucl. Phys. A,
294, 278–292, https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-9474(78)90218-x, 1978.
Zimmermann, L., Avice, G., Blard, P.-H., Marty, B., Füri, E., and
Burnard, P. G.: A new all-metal induction furnace for noble gas extraction,
Chem. Geol., 480, 86–92, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.09.018,
2018.
Short summary
We develop in situ-produced terrestrial cosmogenic krypton as a new tool to date and quantify Earth surface processes, the motivation being the availability of six stable isotopes and one radioactive isotope (81Kr, half-life 229 kyr) and of an extremely weathering-resistant target mineral (zircon). We provide proof of principle that terrestrial Krit can be quantified and used to unravel Earth surface processes.
We develop in situ-produced terrestrial cosmogenic krypton as a new tool to date and quantify...
