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The Petrological Society of Korea (한국암석학회)
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(U-Th)/He Dating: Principles and Applications

(U-Th)/He 연령측정법의 원리와 응용

  • Min, Kyoung-Won (Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida)
  • Received : 2014.06.27
  • Accepted : 2014.07.14
  • Published : 2014.09.30
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Abstract

The (U-Th)/He dating utilizes the production of alpha particles ($^4He$ atoms) during natural radioactive decays of $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$ and $^{232}Th$. (U-Th)/He age can be determined from the abundances of the parent nuclides $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$ and $^{232}Th$ and the radiogenic $^4He$. Because helium is one of the noble gases (non-reactive) with a relatively small radius, it diffuses rapidly in many geological materials, even at low temperatures. Therefore, ingrowth of $^4He$ during radioactive decay competes with diffusive loss at elevated temperatures during the geologic time scale, determining the amount of $^4He$ existing today in natural samples. For example, He diffusion in apatite is known to be very rapid compared to that in most other minerals, causing a significant diffusive loss at ${\sim}80^{\circ}C$ or higher. At ${\sim}40^{\circ}C$, He diffusion in apatite becomes slow enough to preserve most $^4He$ in the sample. Thus, an apatite's (U-Th)/He age represents the timing when the sample passed through the temperature range of $80-40^{\circ}C$. The crustal depth corresponding to this temperature range is called a "partial retention zone." Normal closure temperatures for a typical grain size and cooling rate are ${\sim}60-70^{\circ}C$ for apatite and ${\sim}200^{\circ}C$ for zircon and titanite. Because the apatite He closure temperature is lower than that of most other thermochronometers, it can provide critical constraints on relatively recent or shallow-crustal exhumation histories.

(U-Th)/He 연령측정법은 자연상에 존재하는 $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$ 및 $^{232}Th$이 붕괴할 때 알파 입자($^4He$ 원자)가 형성되는 현상을 이용한 연령측정법이다. 모 동위원소인 $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$ 및 $^{232}Th$과 붕괴산물인 $^4He$의 양을 측정하여 (U-Th)/He 연령을 구할 수 있다. 이렇게 형성된 $^4He$ 원자는 대부분의 지질학적 시료내에서 비교적 저온에서도 빠르게 확산되는데, 이는 $^4He$가 불활성 기체이고 다른 원소에 비해 작기 때문이다. 따라서 방사성 붕괴에 의한 $^4He$의 형성(ingrowth)과 확산에 의한 $^4He$의 방출(diffusive loss)이 지질학적 시간동안 어떻게 진행 되었느냐에 따라 현재 남아있는 $^4He$의 양이 결정된다. 예를 들어, 인회석내에서의 He 확산은 다른 광물에 비해 빨라서, 비교적 저온인 $80^{\circ}C$에서도 He이 빠르게 인회석 밖으로 방출되는 것으로 알려져 있다. 자연상의 온도조건이 약 $40^{\circ}C$ 이하로 떨어졌을 때 비로소 인회석내 He 확산이 충분히 느려져서 대부분의 He이 인회석내에 보존된다. 따라서 (U-Th)/He 연령은 시료가 $80-40^{\circ}C$를 통과한 시기를 지시한다. 자연상에서 이러한 온도범위에 해당하는 깊이를 "부분 보존대"(partial retention zone)의라 한다. 전통적으로 흔히 쓰이는 폐쇄온도(closure temperature)는 보통의 입자크기와 냉각속도에서, 인회석 경우 약 $60-70^{\circ}C$, 저어콘 및 티탄석의 경우 약 $200^{\circ}C$로 알려져 있다. 특히 인회석의 He 폐쇄온도는 다른 열역사 측정법에 비해 다소 낮기 때문에 비교적 최근의 열역사 또는 천부에서의 지각융기 현상을 기술하는데 매우 유용하게 쓰일 수 있다.

Keywords

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