Open Access(U‐Th)/He chronometry experiences a renaissance
Author(s) -
Reiners Peter W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2002eo000012
Subject(s) - earth science , cosmogenic nuclide , nuclide , geology , astrobiology , astrophysics , physics , nuclear physics , cosmic ray
Radioactive decay of naturally occurring nuclides provides the basis for nearly all of the quantitative temporal constraints on geophysical phenomena, from climate dynamics on scales of 10 2 –10 3 years, to planetary differentiation over 10 8 –10 9 years. In general, there are few geologic problems that cannot be resolved by radioisotopic chronometers, partly because of the wide range of radioactive parent nuclides and decay rates, contrasting chemical behaviors of parent and daughter atoms during common geologic processes, and ever‐advancing geoanalytical techniques. Despite broad success, however, radioisotopic techniques are still difficult to apply to many important geologic phenomena requiring temporal constraints, such as the timing and rates of shallow crustal processes that are critical aspects of geomorphology and neotectonics.