Hungry for some Geology?!I am currently in the process of setting up the Thermochronology Analysis for Structure and Tectonics laboratory here at CSULB (TASTe lab). We focus on regional tectonics questions by reconstructing structural relationships and documenting surface processes on both space and time using low-temperature thermochronometry as well as geochronology, and geochemistry tools.
What is Thermochronology?Thermochronology is a method used to date the cooling age of a rock. You may be familiar with geochronology used to date the formation age of rocks. Thermochronology is similar but instead of dating when the rock formed we are dating when a rock was cooled (or reheated and cooled) after it has already formed. To do this we measure the amount of elements in a mineral that undergo natural radioactive decay. When these elements decay they produce different products (for example atoms like He or crystal damage like fission tracks) which accumulate in a crystal over time. So, after a long time a mineral might have a lot of extra helium or fission tracks. However, these decay products are temperature sensitive! This means that if the temperature is relatively high those decay products might disappear (for example the He can diffuse out of the crystal or the fission tracks can heal themselves). Different minerals are sensitive to different temperatures so by analyzing different systems we can obtain information about when rocks cooled below certain temperatures and how long it took to cool from one temperature range to another!
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Sometimes when you've been out in the field too long rocks start to look like food
Photo credit Dr. Devon Orme: Tibet. Rock very reminiscent of a slice of white bread.... |
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What can effect the temperature of a rocks?
Rocks can cool by getting closer to the surface of the Earth's driven by
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Facilities & EquipmentStay tuned:
We are in the process of setting up three spaces: (1) The "dirty lab" for crushing rocks, (2) the "separation lab" for separating different minerals with sieves, water, heavy liquids, and big ol' magnets (i.e. Frantz), and (3) and the "picking lab" which will sport a lovely microscope and camera system for selecting apatite and zircon minerals for Thermo- & Geo-chronology. |
People
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Alyssa Abbey
Ph.D., 2018 Earth and Environmental Sciences | University of Michigan B.S., 2012 Geosciences | University of Arizona B.A., 2012 French | University of Arizona Hometown: Tucson, AZ Research Interests: Thermochronology, Tectonics, fault growth processes, continental rifting Other Interests: Hiking and camping, bike-packing, musical theater, reading, gardening, singing & playing the violin |
Current Students
Spencer Cooper. CSULB Undergraduate student. Projects: Stewart Valley Mapping, NV & Setting up and testing new TASTe lab instruments in the "separation lab"
Yueyi Chi. University of California, Berkeley Undergraduate student. Project: Glacial retreat and glacier geometry in Lyell Canyon during the Last Glacial Maximum, Yosemite NP, CA
Kyla de Villa. University of California, Berkeley Undergraduate student. Project: Modelling isotope exchange in apatites that experienced hydrothermal interactions
Yueyi Chi. University of California, Berkeley Undergraduate student. Project: Glacial retreat and glacier geometry in Lyell Canyon during the Last Glacial Maximum, Yosemite NP, CA
Kyla de Villa. University of California, Berkeley Undergraduate student. Project: Modelling isotope exchange in apatites that experienced hydrothermal interactions
Former Students Supervised
Holli Swarner. University of California, Berkeley Undergraduate student B.S. 2020. (Now applying to graduate school) Project: Constraining age dispersion from hydrothermally altered apatites
Megan Hendrick. University of Michigan Undergraduate student B.S. 2017. (Now M.S. Student at the University of Colorado) Projects: Modelling Monazite thermochronometry data & Paleo-altimetry in the southern Rocky Mountains (CO)
Forest Gilfoy. University of Michigan Undergraduate student B.S. 2015. (M.S. University of Michigan, 2016) (Now Geologist at North Jackson Company, WI) Project participant: Thermochronology in the northern Rio Grande Rift
Jesse Fenno. University of Michigan Undergraduate student B.S. 2015. Project participant: Thermochronology in the southern Rocky Mountains (CO)
Megan Hendrick. University of Michigan Undergraduate student B.S. 2017. (Now M.S. Student at the University of Colorado) Projects: Modelling Monazite thermochronometry data & Paleo-altimetry in the southern Rocky Mountains (CO)
Forest Gilfoy. University of Michigan Undergraduate student B.S. 2015. (M.S. University of Michigan, 2016) (Now Geologist at North Jackson Company, WI) Project participant: Thermochronology in the northern Rio Grande Rift
Jesse Fenno. University of Michigan Undergraduate student B.S. 2015. Project participant: Thermochronology in the southern Rocky Mountains (CO)