US EPA

1283479 

Book/Book Chapter 

The theory of cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating and its applications in geoscience 

Xu, L; Zhou, S 

2006 

Science Press 

China (CHN) 

28 

4 (August 2006) 

577-585 

Cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating is a newly developed isotopic dating technique. Cosmogenic nuclides are primarily generated by the reaction of target nuclei exposed near the Earth's surface and galactic cosmic radiation. The reactions that producing cosmogenic nuclides mainly involve spallation, the capture of neutrons, and muon reactions. The reacting cosmic particles producing nuclides primarily include secondary fast neutrons, thermal neutrons and slow negative muons. Due to the differential special distribution of these reacting particles, the rates of the production of cosmogenic nuclides at different latitudes, altitudes and depth are different. The concentration of cosmogenic nuclides is not only constrained by production rates and exposure time, but also closely related to surface erosion. The concentration is affected by geomagnetic intensity, shielding, chemical weathering, and sample geometry as well. These factors affecting cosmogenic nuclide concentration should be calibrated when surface exposure age is calculated. With progress in the theory and methodology of cosmogenic surface exposure dating, the technique has been widely used in studies of Quaternary glaciations, impact craters, volcanic surfaces, and fault faces. 

chlorine; geochronology; Be-10; metals; Al-26; aluminum; halogens; Cl-36; isotopes; exposure age; relative age; methods; applications; theoretical studies; alkaline earth metals; cosmochronology; radioactive isotopes; spallation; beryllium; cosmogenic elements