Resolving mid- to upper-crustal exhumation through apatite petrochronology and thermochronology

Double-dating using the apatite U-Pb and fission-track systems is becoming an increasingly popular method for resolving mid- to upper- crustal cooling. However, these thermochronometers constrain dates that are often difficult to link through geological time due to the large difference in temperature window between the two systems (typically >250 degrees C). In this study, we apply apatite U-Pb, fission-track, and apatite and whole rock geochemistry to fourteen samples from four tectonic domains common in Cordilleran orogenic systems: (1) basement-cored uplifts, (2) plutons intruded through a thick crustal column, (3) metamorphic core complexes and associated detachment faults, and (4) rapid, extrusive volcanic cooling, in order to provide a link between in situ geochemical signatures and cooling mechanisms. Comparisons of trace element partitioning between apatite and whole rock provide insights into initial apatite-forming processes and/or subsequent modification. Apatite trace element geochemistry and the Th/U and La/LuN ratios provide tools to determine if an apatite is primary and representative of its parent melt or if it has undergone geochemical perturbation(s) after crystallization. Further, we demonstrate that by using a combined apatite U-Pb, FT, trace element, and whole rock geochemistry approach it is possible to determine if a rock has undergone monotonic cooling since crystallization, protracted residence in the middle crust, and provide unique structural information such as the history of detachment faulting. Insights provided herein offer new applications for apatite thermochronology.

Automated summary

The study explores the use of various dating methods and geochemical analyses in different tectonic domains to understand the cooling history and structural information of rocks in the Cordilleran orogenic systems. The comparisons of geochemical data provide insights into the formation and alteration history of apatite, as well as the cooling processes and structural evolution of the rocks. The findings demonstrate the potential of combined dating and geochemical approaches for new applications in thermochronology.