Natural long-term annealing and diffusion studies in thermally well-controlled settings: Calibrations for low-temperature geochronometers

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Cornelia Spiegel
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2001 to 2004
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5350023

... This study aims (1) to create a large data set from natural long-term annealing/diffusion experiments in thermally well-controlled settings, (2) to use this data set to test existing models and to use it as a base for new models, and (3) to develop and test a method of automation of the counting process of fission tracks. The long-term annealing/diffusion experiments will be carried out on ash layers of drill cores from oceanic borehols and on drill of the Kola super-deep drilling. The oeceanic environment gives a much better control of the long-term thermal evolution than a continental setting. The Kola borehole is situated in a techtionically passive setting on the Baltic Shield, far away from any orogenic activity. The automation of the fission track counting process follows the approach of a computer-guided identification system for recognizing and counting of nannofossils tested at the ETH Zürich.

• DFG Programme: Emmy Noether International Fellowships