Collaborative Research: Thermochronometry and Evolution of the Taiwan Fold and Thrust Belt

这个项目是针对台湾积极的造山过程而进行的。台湾作为年轻构造活动区，具有较高的形变、隆升和剥蚀速率。这些高速率有利于研究与造山过程相关的变形。本研究以台湾西部褶皱冲断带为研究对象，亚洲板块的地壳物质并入台湾造山带。研究人员正在使用磷灰石裂变径迹年龄和磷灰石的U-Th/He年龄来确定整个褶皱冲断带岩石的低温冷却速度。地质填图为测年提供了构造背景，使个别逆冲片的折返测年成为可能。冷却作用与断层运动的速率和时间有关，并提供了有关地壳形变运动模式的信息。为了量化这种模式，研究人员正在使用结构重建软件结合热模拟来关联冷却数据、断层运动和温度历史。使用商业软件进行热模拟，校准到低温热时，代表了推力带解释的新创新。

This project is directed at the processes of active mountain-building in Taiwan. As a region of young tectonic activity, Taiwan exhibits high rates of deformation, uplift and erosion. These high rates are advantageous to studies of deformation associated with the mountain-building process. This study is focused on the fold-and-thrust belt of western Taiwan where crustal material from the Asian plate is incorporated into the Taiwan orogen. The investigators are using apatite fission track dating and U-Th/He dating of apatite to determine low-temperature cooling rates of rock throughout the fold-and-thrust belt. Geologic mapping provides structural context for the dating, permitting dating of exhumation of individual thrust sheets. The cooling is related to the rates timing of fault motion and provides information on the kinematic pattern of crustal deformation. To quantify this pattern, the investigators are using structural reconstruction software combined with thermal modeling to relate cooling data, fault motion and temperature history. The use of commercial software with thermal modeling, calibrated to low temperature thermochronomety represents a new innovation in thrust belt interpretation.