Geology Lunch 2/5/2019 – “How stable are ancient continents? Deciphering major burial and erosion episodes across South Africa using thermochronology”
Come to GeoLunch, Tuesday February 5th, 12:00 – 1:00 Carnegie 219
Pizza and cider to be served while we speak about the stability of continents!
ABSTRACT: The Kaapvaal craton of southern Africa and other ancient settings around the world are believed to be highly stable throughout geologic time, but they have poorly constrained geologic histories due to major gaps in the sedimentary rock record. Using titanite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology I can constrain 2 billion years of South Africa’s thermal history and link that history to major episodes of basin burial (5 km) and erosion that have been completely removed from the rock record. Maybe these ancient settings are quite as stable as previously thought.
