Articles | Volume 5, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-91-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-91-2023
Research article
 | 
07 Feb 2023
Research article |  | 07 Feb 2023

Calculation of uncertainty in the (U–Th) ∕ He system

Peter E. Martin, James R. Metcalf, and Rebecca M. Flowers

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

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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
There is currently no standardized method of performing uncertainty propagation in the (U–Th) / He system, causing data interpretation difficulties. We present two methods of uncertainty propagation and describe free, open-source software (HeCalc) to apply them. Compilation of real data using only analytical uncertainty as well as 2 % and 5 % uncertainties in FT yields respective median relative date uncertainties of 2.9 %, 3.3 %, and 5.0 % for apatites and 1.7 %, 3.3 %, and 5.0 % for zircons.
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