Fission tracks in basin analysis

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:7269784

Naeser, N D ^[1]

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1. U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)

Over the last 12 years, fission-track analysis has emerged as a widely used method for tracing the depositional and thermal history of sedimentary basins. The fission tracks found in minerals are zones of intense damage formed by the spontaneous fission of {sup 238}U. Because spontaneous fission takes place at a constant rate, fission tracks can be used to date these minerals. In many studies, fission tracks have established geochronology and correlation in basins, particularly by dating volcanic ash beds in sedimentary sequences. However, major interest in fission tracks in basin analysis centers on their ability to provide information about thermal history. Fission tracks remain relatively stable in most minerals at ambient surface temperatures, but when a mineral is heated the tracks become progressively shorter and ultimately disappear. The temperature range over which this 'annealing' takes place depends on the mineral being analyzed and the duration of heating. Apatite is by far the most commonly used mineral in thermal history studies. One reason for its popularity is that more experimental and empirical data on annealing temperatures are available for apatite than for any other mineral, but what is more important for basin analysis is that apatite annealing temperatures coincide with the temperature range of hydrocarbon generation and a number of other low- to moderate-temperature processes in basins. The reduction in mean track length, change in track-length distribution, and reduction in fission-track age that results from annealing can be used to trace, within this critical temperature range, the timing and magnitude of heating and cooling of sedimentary sequences.

• OSTI ID: 7269784
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
152004* -- Geothermal Data & Theory-- Isotope & Trace Element Studies
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AGE ESTIMATION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANNEALING
APATITES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FISSION TRACKS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOTHERMOMETERS
GEOTHERMOMETRY
HEAT TREATMENTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINERALS
NUCLEI
PARTICLE TRACKS
PHOSPHATE MINERALS
RADIOISOTOPES
RECRYSTALLIZATION
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMOMETERS
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES