Articles | Volume 5, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-197-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-197-2023
Research article
 | 
02 May 2023
Research article |  | 02 May 2023

A practical method for assigning uncertainty and improving the accuracy of alpha-ejection corrections and eU concentrations in apatite (U–Th) ∕ He chronology

Spencer D. Zeigler, James R. Metcalf, and Rebecca M. Flowers

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Cited articles

Abbey, A. L., Niemi, N. A., Geissman, J. W., Winkelstern, I. Z., and Heizler, M.: Early Cenozoic exhumation and paleotopography in the Arkansas River valley, southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Lithosphere, 10, 239–266, https://doi.org/10.1130/L673.1, 2017. 
Abbott, L. D., Flowers, R. M., Metcalf, J., Falkowski, S., and Niazy, F.: Post-Laramide, Eocene epeirogeny in central Colorado – The result of a mantle drip?, Geosphere, 18, 1223–1246, https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02434.1, 2022. 
Baker, M., Zeigler, S. D., Metcalf, J. R., and Flowers, R. M.: Estimating Uncertainties for Alpha-Ejection Corrections and eu Values for the Zircon U-Th Method, in: Fall Meeting 2020, American Geophysical Union, 2020, abstract no. V031-0004, 2020AGUFMV031.0004B, 2020. 
Baughman, J. S., Flowers, R. M., Metcalf, J. R., and Dhansay, T.: Influence of radiation damage on titanite He diffusion kinetics, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 205, 50–64, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.01.049, 2017. 
Brown, R. W., Beucher, R., Roper, S., Persano, C., Stuart, F., and Fitzgerald, P.: Natural age dispersion arising from the analysis of broken crystals, Part I: Theoretical basis and implications for the apatite (U–Th) / He thermochronometer, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 122, 478–497, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2013.05.041, 2013. 
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Short summary
(U–Th) / He dating relies on proper characterization of apatite crystal dimensions so that eU concentrations and dates can be calculated accurately and precisely, but there is systematic error and uncertainty in geometric measurements. By comparing 2D microscopy to true 3D measurements, we present a simple solution to correcting the error and quantifying the geometric uncertainty in eU and dates. Including this geometric correction and uncertainty matters for data evaluation and interpretation.