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Pre‐Quaternary landscape inheritance in Australia
Author(s) -
Pillans Brad
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of quaternary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.142
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-1417
pISSN - 0267-8179
DOI - 10.1002/jqs.1131
Subject(s) - thermochronology , denudation , quaternary , geology , cosmogenic nuclide , landform , cenozoic , fission track dating , paleontology , regolith , earth science , tectonics , physical geography , geography , astrobiology , biology , physics , structural basin , cosmic ray , astrophysics
Palaeogeographic reconstructions indicate that parts of the Australian continent have been subaerially exposed for hundreds of millions of years. Some landforms and regolith are demonstrated to be at least 300 million years old, but their persistence at or near the surface is inconsistent with long‐term denudation rate estimates based on cosmogenic nuclides and apatite fission track thermochronology. Burial and exhumation are suggested as significant preservation factors, in conjunction with prolonged tectonic stability and a shift to more arid climatic regimes in the Cenozoic. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.