Fission track modelling and visualisation of the thermotectonic evolution of Australia

The apatite fission track system depends on the accumulation of radiation damage from spontaneous fission of 238U which is only stable over geological time at relatively low temperatures, <∼120 deg C. Such temperatures are characteristic of the upper ∼3-4 kilometres of the continental crust, so that rock cooling histories reconstructed from the Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology (AFTT) measurements can quantify cooling through this upper crustal zone. The development of quantitative thermal modelling and regional imaging techniques for large data sets now means that fission track analysis can be accessed in a variety of novel formats, and used to investigate patterns and timing of denudation, and post-orogenic tectonic activity over broad areas of the crust. In addition to the already widespread application of AFTT data in petroleum exploration and sedimentary basin analysis, these new approaches are also expected to find application in exploration programs for commodities where the relative position of deposits to a palaeo-landsurface is an important factor. Fission track imaging can also reveal discontinuities associated with major lineament features, possibly indicating the presence of long-lived fundamental faults