Fossil cosmogenic 3He record from K–Ar dated basaltic flows of Mount Etna volcano (Sicily, 388N): Evaluation of a new paleoaltimeter

P.-H. Blard; J. Lavé; R. Pik; Xavier Quidelleur; D. Bourles; B. Kieffer

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.05.028

Journal articles

Fossil cosmogenic 3He record from K–Ar dated basaltic flows of Mount Etna volcano (Sicily, 388N): Evaluation of a new paleoaltimeter

P.-H. Blard ^{1, 2} J. Lavé ³ R. Pik ¹ Xavier Quidelleur ⁴ D. Bourles ² B. Kieffer ⁵

1 CRPG - Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques

2 CEREGE - Centre européen de recherche et d'enseignement des géosciences de l'environnement

3 LGCA - Laboratoire de Géodynamique des Chaines Alpines

4 IDES - Interactions et dynamique des environnements de surface

5 GEOLAB - Laboratoire de Géographie Physique et Environnementale

Abstract : This study investigates the reliability of a paleoaltimeter based on the elevation dependency of the cosmogenic nuclides production rate. The proposed method relies on bfossilQ cosmogenic record. Indeed, measuring the cosmogenic nuclide concentration in an exposed and then buried lava flow combined with an independent estimate (by K–Ar or 40Ar/ 39Ar dating) of the past exposure duration theoretically allows recording bfossilQ cosmogenic production rates, which can thus be converted in paleoelevations. This approach was tested by measuring cosmogenic 3He (3Hec) in olivines and clinopyroxenes of Quaternary K–Ar dated basaltic flows of Mount Etna volcano (Sicily, 388N). The agreement within uncertainties (1r V500 m) between current and cosmogenic-derived elevations demonstrates the paleoaltimeter reliability. However, dating imprecision, Earth's paleomagnetic fluctuations and erosion contemporary to the flow exposure are parameters that may affect the accuracy and the precision of the method on older geological scales. Their respective influences were thus carefully evaluated and discussed to conclude that the paleoaltimeter can potentially reach resolutions better than ~1000 m, even for Cenozoic records.

Keywords : paleoaltitude cosmogenic nuclides 3He fossil exposure superimposed flows K–Ar dating 40Ar/ 39Ar dating basalts Mount Etna volcano

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Fossil cosmogenic 3He record from K–Ar dated basaltic flows of Mount Etna volcano (Sicily, 388N): Evaluation of a new paleoaltimeter

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Fossil cosmogenic 3He record from K–Ar dated basaltic flows of Mount Etna volcano (Sicily, 388N): Evaluation of a new paleoaltimeter

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