Recent Developments in Ar/Ar and U-Th-Pb Geochronology and Its Applications
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 September 2023) | Viewed by 1831
Special Issue Editors
Interests: radiometric isotope geochronology; thermochronology; tectonothermal histories of metamorphic terranes; diffusion; microstructural geochronology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
U-Th/Pb dating and 40Ar/39Ar (Ar/Ar) dating are often the geochronological techniques of choice in many geological studies. U-Th/Pb dating can produce ages with extreme precision and has the added benefit of providing "two clocks in one", resulting from the different decay constants for 238U and 235U. Moreover, because U and Th are commonly found in highly refractory accessory minerals such as zircon and monazite, U-Th/Pb crystallization ages can often be retained even through subsequent periods of reheating, deformation, and metamorphism. Ar/Ar dating finds its main strength in the thermochronological applications. Many common rock-forming minerals contain potassium and are therefore datable using the Ar/Ar method. However, because Ar is a noble gas, it is much more sensitive to geological events in which host rock temperatures are elevated, either during or after crystallization. Consequently, Ar isotopes in different minerals can often record the thermal history and evolution of rocks.
Over the last 40–50 years, significant advances have been made in the measurement, analysis, and applications of U-Th/Pb and Ar isotopes through improvements in imaging, data analysis, mass-spectrometer technology, and the micro/nanoanalysis of minerals. This Special Issue invites submissions in the fields of U-Th/Pb and Ar/Ar geochronology which highlight any of these improvements and advances. Studies may be conducted in any field of geology (e.g. petrology, economic geology, structural geology, tectonics) and may be multidisciplinary in scope. Studies that feature novel applications or new methodologies are also particularly encouraged.
Prof. Dr. Jim Lee
Prof. Dr. Ching-Hua Lo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- 40Ar/39Ar (Ar/Ar) geochronology
- U-Th/Pb geochronology
- age dating
- analytical techniques
- recent advances
- nano- and microanalysis
