U/Pb DATING

INTRODUCTION
• This method involves decay of U and Th to stable isotopes of Pb
•First radiometric age using U/Pb and U/He to propose the first
geological time scale in his book “The age of the Earth”, 1913
•U/Pb systems has provided crucial time constraints for the formation
of the solar system, the calibration of the geologic timescale, the rates
of tectonothermal processes in the lithosphere and the reconstruction
of paleogeography and supercontinent cycles.

Arthur Holmes. United

Kingdom
Uranium Isotopes
Lead Isotopes
NOT SO FAST….

Constant
Alpha Decay
Beta Decay
 Age Equations
There is a constant of probability per unit of time of an event from a parent isotope to a
daughter isotope. This probability is called “Decay Constant”

N= moles of parent isotope

 
𝑑𝑁 λ= Decay constant
=− λ 𝑁
𝑑𝑡
Basic equation of decay
t
D  D0  n(e  1)
Hijo hoy
Cantidad
inicial Padre que decayó
Basic equation of decay
 Pb   Pb 
 
206 206 238
U 23 8t
 204
   204
  204
e 1
 Pb  P  Pb i Pb
 Pb   Pb 
 
207 207 235
U 2 3 5t
 204
   204
  204
e 1
 Pb  P  Pb  i Pb

Dividimos por 204Pb (estable), con el fin de tener relaciones isotópicas y no abundancias absolutas (las
rel. isotópicas son las que medimos con un espectrómetro, ICP, etc.)
 207Pb/206Pb
235
𝑈
 
238
=137,88
𝑈

Present-day: Constante en la
Naturaleza (Hiess et al, 2012)

Interesting because it doesnt need to measure U. Since the age only depends on Pb isotopes, the equation is not
modified if there is Pb loss the quantity of Pb lost is the same (is the same element), there are not differences
of proportion in the loss.
Cómo despejar t en las ecuaciones?

Tabular los valores de a y b para

diferentes t
Visualization of U/Pb Data
Wetherhill Concordia Diagram

La concordia es una curva producto de las

diferentes vidas medias de los dos sistemas
isotópicos de U. Se construye resolviendo las
ecuaciones… para valores iguales de t
Otra opción para
presentar datos
isotópicos de U-Pb es el
diagrama de Tera-
Wasserburg (1972) que
sirve bien para muestras
mesozoicas o mas
jóvenes debido a la
mejor definición de la
intersección
discordia/concordia
inferior. También tiene
la ventaja que no se
requieren los valores
iniciales 206Pb/204Pb y
207Pb/204Pb

Tera-Wasserburg
Temperatura de Cierre

Es la temperatura a la
que un mineral ya no
intercambia elementos o
isótopos con su
alrededor.
Why Zircon?
• 3 Cadenas de decaimiento, 3 edades, ACCURACY!
• Contenido abundante del isótopo padre (U)
• No contiene abundante isótopo hijo de manera natural (i.e., casi no tiene Pb “común”)
• Tener una estructura cristalina “fuerte” y poco sensible a disolución, alteración, etc.
• Se forman trazas de fisión
• Partículas alfa, He en circones
• Su temperatura de cierre es de aproximadamente 800 °C,
Es decir, cristaliza en la mayoría de los magmas. Lo que se fecha
Es la EDAD DE CRISTALIZACION.
Other Targets
ASSUMPTIONS
•The system being dated is a CLOSED SYSTEM
•At the beginning of the time period there are no daughter isotopes
present
•The rate of radioactive decay stays the same through the whole time
period
APPLICATIONS
•Maximum Depositional Age
•Provenance Studies
•Reconstructing provenance from ancient sedimentary systems
•Quantitative sediment budgets of a modern river system
•Evaluating models of terrane displacement
•Processes of subduction erosion and underplating
•Processes of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism

(Gehrels, 2014)
APPLICATIONS
•Paleogeography and paleorivers
•Characterization of Strata
•Magmatic flux of batholiths
•Early Earth evolution
•Global crustal evolution
…………………………
LA-ICPMS (Laser ablation- Inductively coupled plasma mass
spectrometry)
OTHER METHODS
•ID-TIMS (Isotope dilution-Thermal ionization mass
spectrometry)

•SIMS (Secondary mass spectrometry)

•SHRIMP (Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe)