CONGRATULATIONS DR. ZEIGLER – More Pics!
October 9, 2025
CONGRATULATIONS DR. ZEIGLER!
September 26, 2025
Congratulations to newly minted Dr. Spencer Zeigler on a successful defense of her thesis! Spencer’s Ph.D. work included methodological development, megacrystic zircons, kimberlites, and big tectonic questions in the Canadian arctic.
SPENCER ZEIGLER LEADS PUBLICATION OF MEGACRYSTIC KIMBERLITIC ZIRCON WORK IN CHEMICAL GEOLOGY!
September 15, 2025
Spencer Zeigler and colleagues (iuncluding TRaILers Becky Flowers, Liam Courtney-Davies, Kaden Berkhahn, and Jim Metcalf) published her new work demonstrating that (U-Th)/He dating of megacrystic zircons can be used to date the timing of kimberlite eruptions. Check it out!
Spencer D. Zeigler, Rebecca M. Flowers, D. Graham Pearson, Liam Courtney-Davies, Bruce A. Kjarsgaard, Stephen H. Richardson, Kaden Berkhahn, James R. Metcalf, Izaac Cabral-Neto, 2025,
Paired megacrystic zircon (U-Th)/He and U/Pb dating reveals kimberlite eruption ages, protracted emplacement histories, and insights into megacryst genesis, Chemical Geology, Volume 695, doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2025.123033.
WELCOME NEW GRADUATE STUDENTS JOHN ALLARD AND PAIGE MCDOWELL!
August 18, 2025
The TRaIL welcomes two new graduate students into the group, John Allard and Paige McDowell!
TRaIL SAYS “SEE YOU LATER” TO PROFESSORS ROSS AND COURTNEY-DAVIES!
August 18, 2025
Everyone at the TRaIL would like to wish Drs. Cat Ross and Liam Courtney-Davies the best as they start their new faculty positions at Baylor University and San Diego State University, respectively. But of course this isn’t goodbye, it’s just “see you later!”
TRaIL TAKES FIRST PLACE IN “THERMOCHRONOLOGY GROUP” DIVISION AT 45TH RUNNING OF THE BOLDER BOULDER
May 27, 2025
TRaIL members and associates took on 52,000 other runners and nabbed first place in the “thermochronology group” category at the 45th running of the Bolder Boulder, a 10K race/walk through Boulder that finishes at Folsom Field, right next to TRaIL labs. All in all 7 lab associated geologists and high level athletes participated in the race that wound through town. Most professional observers think the dominance of the TRaIL team is the beginning of a dynasty in their category.
CELEBRATING ANOTHER GREAT YEAR OF THERMOCHRONOLOGY
May 18, 2025
This weekend the group celebrated another year of excellent science and community and nabbed that rarest of things, a great group picture!
SNODASE (STUDENTS OF NORTHGLENN DATE ANCIENT SNOWBALL EARTH) BEGINS!
April 4, 2025
TRaIL Research Scientist Cullen Kortyna is spearheading a project with Northglenn Highschool in Denver to introduce high school to geochronology and the geology of Colorado, specifically focusing on the Tava Sandstone injectites, rare remnants of Snowball Earth deposits in the continental interior. The students will help collect, prepare, and analyze samples of Tava from just outside of Boulder, and then work with Cullen and their geology teacher Kent Hups to interpret the data. This is the start of a multi-year relationship with Northglenn High School, and this past weekend Cullen lead the first field trip!
KAINZ ET AL. (2023) ONE OF LITHOSPHERE’S TOP 10 MOST READ PAPERS!
February 6, 2025
Congratulations Sabrina Kainz and co-authors (Lon Abbott, Becky, Aidan Olsson, Skye Fernandez, and Jim) on their 2023 paper Cenozoic Exhumation Across the High Plains of Southeastern Colorado from (U-Th)/He Thermochronology being named one of Lithosphere’s 10 most read papers in 2024! Excellent work!
Kainz, S.J., Abbott, L.D., Flowers, R.M., Olsson, A., Fernandez, S., and Metcalf, J.R., 2024, Cenozoic Exhumation Across the High Plains of Southeastern Colorado from (U-Th)/He Thermochronology: Lithosphere, v. 2023, doi:10.2113/2023/lithosphere_2023_310.
CONTEXT MATTERS: NEW PAPER BY BECKY AND BARRA PEAK IN EPSL!
November 22, 2024
Congratulations to Becky and Barra Peak (Ph.D. 2024) on their new Frontiers Paper in EPSL Context matters: Modeling thermochronologic data in geologic frameworks using the Great Unconformity as a case study. This paper summarizes and discusses many of the lessons learned from their years of using thermochronology to understand complex and long geologic histories. Excellent work!
LIAM COURTNEY-DAVIES PUBLISHES HEMATITE U-Pb SNOWBALL EARTH PAPER IN PNAS
November 11, 2024
Congratulations to CU TRaIL Postdoc Liam Courtney-Davies for his brand new paper in PNAS titled “Hematite U-Pb dating of Snowball Earth meltwater events.” Liam measured U-Pb dates on hematite from the Tava sandstone injectite in Colorado to demonstrate that they likely formed during the Cryogenian, suggesting that these unique fluidized sands were injected due to increased fluid pressure at the base of Snowball glaciers. Check it out here!
Courtney-Davies, L., Flowers, R.M., Siddoway, C.S., Tasistro-Hart, A., and Macdonald, F.A., 2024, Hematite U-Pb dating of Snowball Earth meltwater events: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, v. 121, p. e2410759121, doi:10.1073/pnas.2410759121.
CELEBRATING THE NEW GSA FELLOW IN ANAHEIM!
September 27, 2024
At this year’s Geological Society of America National meeting in Anaheim friends, colleagues, and die-hard fans gathered to congratulate and celebrate Becky’s selection as a new GSA Fellow! Congratulations Becky!
CONGRATULATIONS SPENCER ZEIGLER, UNDISPUTED CONQUERER OF STUDENT POSTER COMPETITIONS!
July 14, 2024
Congratulations to Spencer Zeigler who just earned 1st placed in the student poster competition at the 12th International Kimberlite Conference in Yellowknife! I’d have to check my notes but this is like the 54th best student poster award Spencer has won. Nice work Spencer!
CONGRATULATIONS GSA FELLOW PROF. BECKY FLOWERS!
July 1, 2024
Congratulations to Becky Flowers on being selected as a Geological Society of America Fellow! This is a well-deserved and well-earned honor for Becky, with co-nominator Francis Macdonald writing
“From the carving of the Grand Canyon to the development of Great Unconformities, Rebecca Flowers’ studies linking geology and thermochronology have revealed unexpected and rich details to the history of the continents. She has catalyzed growth in thermochronology through developing the AGeS program, expanding access to data, and successful mentoring.”
WELCOME NEW RESEARCH ASSOCIATE CULLEN KORTYNA!
June 1, 2024
Welcome to the TRaIL Cullen! Dr. Kortyna is joining the group as a research associate working on the development of in situ (U-Th)/He geochronology. Cullen has an extensive background in thermochronology and detrital geochronology, recently working in the University of Connecticut BAHTL facility as a post-doc with Julie Fosdick, and before that earning his Ph.D. at the University of Texas with Danny Stockli and Jake Covault.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. BARRA PEAK Part 2!
May 10, 2024
Yesterday CU held it’s spring graduation ceremony and the Department of Geological Sciences had their PhD hooding ceremony during the fesitivities. We had crack photographers on hand to capture Dr. Barra Peak!
CONGRATULATIONS DR. BARRA PEAK!
April 5, 2024
Congratulations to the newly minted Dr. Barra Peak who successfully defended her PhD thesis this Friday afternoon. Barra’s talk was titled “Continental Breakup, Mountain Building, and the Great Unconformity: The Exhumation History of North America’s Most Iconic Erosional Surface Using Zircon (U-Th)/He Thermochronolog” and she unsurprisingly killed it. Barra has done exceptional work here at CU and will now be taking her talents to Austin for a new postdoc adventure.
The TRaIL welcomes new NSF postdoc Cat Ross!
March 13, 2024
NSF postdoctoral fellow Cat Ross has now joined the TRaIL working on a project titled “The effects of grain-scale deformation on helium diffusion and thermochronometric ages of accessory minerals.” Learn more about Cat here!
Sabrina Kainz et al. Publish Paper on the Spanish Peaks and High Plains!
March 4, 2024
Congratulations to former CU/TRaIL Undergraduate Sabrina Kainz on her first lead author paper being published in Lithosphere. “Cenozoic Exhumation Across the High Plains of Southeastern Colorado from (U-Th)/He Thermochronology” presents research Sabrina, along with Lon Abbott, Beck, Jim, RESESS intern Skye Fernandez and Aidan Olsson (then at Fairview High and now at CU Boulder) began during the early days of the pandemic, building upon work by Rachel Landman (formed PhD student) and extending our understanding of ehumation and uplift in the high plains farther east. Check out this write up!
Spencer Zeigler takes second in CU three-minute thesis competition!
February 8, 2024
Congratulations to Ph.D. Candidate Spencer Zeigler for placing second in the 7th annual CU Three-minute thesis competition! This competition challenges graduate students to distill their work into a three minute talk for a general audience. They get one slide, no animations, and no props. The finalists this year came from a wide range of academic departments, and Spencer made us all proud!
Becky Finishes another 100 mile race!
February 4, 2024
Early Sunday morning, while I was still waking up and probably toasting yet another bagel, Becky crossed the finish line of the Rocky Raccoon 100 Trail Run, a 100 mile endurance run in Huntsville Texas. Despite the mud and slog Becky ran through the day and night and completed the challenging course. Congratulations Becky!
Happy New Year!
January 1, 2024
Happy new year from the TRaIL! Don’t forget if you have data from 2023 you haven’t published yet you’ll need to add 1E-6 Ma to each date.
New TRaIL Paper in Minerals!
January 1, 2024
CU TRaIL alumni Colin Sturrock along with co-authors Becky, Barry Kohn, and Jim published their research, including an extensive apatite (U-Th)/He dataset from across Ontario, in Minerals!
Sturrock, C.P.; Flowers, R.M.; Kohn, B.P.; Metcalf, J.R. Phanerozoic Burial and Erosion History of the Southern Canadian Shield from Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology. Minerals 2024, 14, 57.https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010057
TRaIL at AGU!
December 20, 2023
CU TRaIL Undergraduate researcher Kaden Berkhahn, Ph.D. student Spencer Zeigler, post-doc Liam Courtney-Davies, alumna Sabrina Kainz, Becky, and co-authors presented research at this year’s American Geohpysical Union meeting!
Berkhahn, K., Zeigler, S. D., Courtney-Davies, L., Kainz, S., Pearson, D. G., and Flowers, R. M. (2023) “Characterization of Mantle-Derived, Kimberlitic Zircon Megacrysts”. American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
New Paper in PNAS!
October 1, 2023
Congratulations to TRaIL postdoc Peter Martin, Becky, and their co-authors for a recent paper in PNAS describing the impact of erosion in Papua New Guinea on global climate!
Martin, P.E., Macdonald, F.A., McQuarrie, N., Flowers, R.M., and Maffre, P.J.Y., 2023, The rise of New Guinea and the fall of Neogene global temperatures: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2306492120.
New TRaIL Paper in EPSL
October 1, 2023
Congratulations to Barra Peak, Becky Flowers, and co-author Francis Macdonald recently published their work in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., and Macdonald, F.A., 2023, Ediacaran-Ordovician tectonic and geodynamic drivers of Great Unconformity exhumation on the southern Canadian Shield: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 619, p. 118334, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118334.
The TRaIL (almost) goes to the moon!
September 21, 2023
CU TRaIL Ph.D. student Connor Antonio Diaz recently participated in the Lunar Planetary Institute’s field training and research program at astronaut training sites in Flagstaff, Arizona used by NASA for lunar mission simulations.
TRaIL in Riva del Garda Italy for Thermo2023!
September 10, 2023
Becky Flowers and Barra Peak travelled to Riva del Garda, Italy, this month for the 18th International Conference in Thermochronology. Barra presented research she, Becky, and Francis Macdonald have been working on.
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., 2023, Thinking beyond thermochronology: The “Great Unconformities” as case studies in incorporating multiple types of data into deep-time model interpretations, presented at the 18th International Conference on Thermochronology, Riva del Garda, Italy, 3-8 Sept.
TRaIL at the 86th Meteoritical Society Meeting!
September 1, 2023
TRaIL Ph.D. student Connor Antonio Diaz presented some of his recent research at the meeting!
Petrology of Lunar Meteorite Northwest Africa 12593 and Investigation of a Zirconium Enriched Clasts, 2023, Marcus Richards, Carolyn Crow, Connor Diaz, Timmons Erickson, Paper #6313, 86th Meteoritical Society Meeting.
CU TRaIL at the 2023 Gordon Geochronology Conference
August 18, 2023
Becky, TRaIL postoc Liam Courtney-Davies, and Ph.D. students Barra Peak and Spencer Zeigler presented at the 2023 Gordon Geochronology research conference in West Dover, VT. This specialist conference focused on the timing, tempo, and drivers of lithospheric evolution.
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., 2023, Multiple Exhumation Mechanisms for the Diachronous Great Unconformities in Grand Canyon, USA and Ontario, Canada, presented at the Geochronology Gordon Research Conference, Mount Snow West Dover, Vermont, USA, 13-18 Aug.
Peak, B.A., invited, Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., 2023, Bottom-up or top-down? Dating the Great Unconformities in Grand Canyon, USA and Ontario, Canada, Geochronology Gordon Research Seminar, Mount Snow West Dover, Vermont, USA, 12 Aug.
Courtney-Davies, L., Flowers, R.M., Siddoway, C.S., 2023, Hematite U-Pb dating brackets age of Tavakaiv sandstone injectites and provides minimum age for Great Unconformity erosion surface, Colorado, USA: Gordon Research Conference on Geochronology, Mt. Snow, VT, August.
Courtney-Davies, L., Flowers, R.M., Danisik, M., Kainz, S., and Metcalf, J., 2023, Laser ablation U-Pb dating and He mapping of hematite: Latest progress and examples: North American Workshop on Laser Ablation, University of Notre Dame, IN, June.
Zeigler, S. D., Flowers, R. M., Pearson, D. G., and Kjarsgaard, B. A. (2023) “Cratonic Surface Histories Revealed by Kimberlite Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology across the Canadian Arctic”. [Poster] Gordon Geochronology Conference, Mt. Snow, VT
Zeigler, S. D., Flowers, R. M., Pearson, D. G., and Kjarsgaard, B. A. (2023) “Cratonic Surface Histories Revealed by Kimberlite Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology across the Canadian Arctic”. [Talk] Gordon Geochronology Seminar, Mt. Snow, VT
CU TRaIL is HIRING!
August 7, 2023
The TRaIL (Thermochronology Research and Instrumentation Lab) in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder seeks a Research Associate/Laboratory Technician with geochronology and/or thermochronology expertise. The Research Associate will 1) help implement protocols for routine acquisition, reduction, and uncertainty propagation of laser-ablation (LA)-(U-Th)/He data in TRaIL, 2) train and assist users in acquiring LA-(U-Th)/He data and different types of LA-ICPMS data (U-Pb, trace element), 3) engage in collaborative research and lead/contribute to associated publications, 4) help develop methodology for adding LA-datasets to a newly adopted data management system in TRaIL, and 5) contribute to maintaining a productive, organized, and inclusive laboratory environment.
Funds are available to fully support the position for five years. Start date is flexible.
The CU TRaIL is a fully equipped (U-Th)/He lab (https://cutrail.org). Instrumentation includes an ASI Alphachron quadrupole He system; an Agilent 7900 quadrupole ICP-MS; an ESI NWR193UC Excimer laser; a KLA ZETA-20 optical profiler; and a new custom, low volume, He extraction and measurement line built in-house that will be largely dedicated to laser-ablation He analyses.
The full job posting and online application are here: https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=49171
For questions about the position, please contact Dr. Rebecca Flowers (rebecca.flowers@colorado.edu).
AGeS3 Funded!
June 27, 2023
Congratulations to Becky (PI) and her co-PI’s Ramon Arrowsmith (ASU), Leilani Arthurs (CU) and Vicki McConnell (GSA) on getting AGeS3 funded through the NSD Frontier Research in the Earth Sciences program! This is the third iteration of the AGeS program, Advancing Geochronology Science, Spaces, and Systems, which will continue to fund geochronology data collection and training for graduate students, but will also expand to offer funding opportunities for other geochronology community priorities. REad more about AGeS3 here!
NSF Frontier Research in Earth Sciences, EAR-2218547, “Collaborative Research: Human Infrastructure for a National Geochronology Consortium: Micro-funding an inclusive community grassroots effort to better understand the Earth system”, PI: Flowers; co-PIs: R. Arrowsmith, L. Arthurs, V. McConnell. $528,702 to CU; $2,485,259 total consisting mostly of funds to support three micro-award programs, 8/1/22-7/31/27.
Congratulations Sabrina Kainz on her NSF Graduate Ressearch Fellowship!
June 27, 2023
Congratulations to TRaILer Sabrina Kainz on her NSF Graduate Research Fellowship! Sabrina was a CU undergraduate who did a fantastic thermochronology honors thesis and has spent the last year as a lab assistant in the TRaIL. This fall Sabrina is moving on to the next chapter of her Earth Science career adventure and starting a Ph.D. at the University of Washington with Marjorie Cantine working on calcite U-Pb LAICPMS geochronology on microbialites. Congratulations Sabrina!
New NSF grant funded!
June 26, 2023
Flowers and Metcalf have recently been awarded $865,370 in NSF I&F funding to help advance and broaden access to Laser Ablation (U-Th)/He Thermochronology! Stay tuned for what this means later this summer.
NSF Instrumentation and Facilities, EAR-2311978, “Advancing and Broadening Access to Laser-Ablation (U-Th)/He Thermochronology”, PIs R.M. Flowers and J.R. Metcalf, $865,370 to CU, 07/15/2023- 06/30/2028.
In Situ (U-Th)/He Dating is a go!
June 21, 2023
After a few years of pandemic interrupted lab renovations, machine acquisiting, new He analysis line construction, and machine calibration, the CU TRaIL is now able to measure in situ (U-Th)/He dates! Here’s a pretty picture of an ablation pit in Durango Fluorapatite that we recently dated.
Summer 2023 TRaIL Publication Update
June 20, 2023
2023 has been another busy year of TRaIL science so far with students, post-docs, and senior scientists publishing a bunch of papers. Here’s the update for 2023, so far….
Zeigler, S.D., Metcalf, J.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2023, A practical method for assigning uncertainty and improving the accuracy of alpha-ejection corrections and eU concentrations in apatite (U-Th)/He chronology: Geochronology, v. 5, p. 197-228, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-197-2023.
Stanley, J.R. and Flowers, R.M., 2023, Localized Cenozoic erosion on the southern Africa Plateau: A signal of topographic uplift?: Geology, https://doi.org/10.1130/G50790.1.
Martin, P.E., Metcalf, J.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2023, Calculation of uncertainty in the (U-Th)/He system: Geochronology: v. 5, p. 91-107, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-91-2023.
Flowers, R.M. and Arrowsmith, J.R., 2022, AGeS3: Micro-funding an inclusive community grassroots effort to better understand the Earth system: GSA Today, Groundwork article, v. 32 (12), p. 52-53, https://doi.org/10.1130/GSATG549GW.1.
Flowers, R.M., Ketcham, R.A., Macdonald, F.A., Siddoway, C.S., Havranek, R.E., 2022, Existing thermochronologic data do not constrain Snowball glacial erosion below the Great Unconformities: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Letter to the Editor, v. 119, No. 38, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2208451119.
TRaIL at the NAWLA 2023 Meeting
June 10, 2023
TRaILers Liam Courtney-Davies and Sabrina Kainz travelled to South Bend, IN, to attend the 2023 North American Workshop on Laser Ablation. Liam and Sabrina have both substantially helped the TRaIL get LA-ICP-MS analyses going. Liam presented on his recent hematite LA-ICP-MS.
Welcome Liam!
February 1, 2023
Welcome new TRaIL postdoc Liam Courtney-Davies! Liam is a geochronologist with interests and experience in method development, economic geology, and dating of oxide minerals who will be joining the TRaIL and focusing on development of laser ablation techniques.
TRaIL at GSA 2022
October 14, 2022
The CU TRaIL had quite the presence at GSA 2022 in Denver. Students Barra Peak and Spencer Zeigler each presented their research in poster sessions, as did CU alum and current TRaIL Lab assistant Sabrina Kainz. Jim also had a poster presenting some of his research in Nevada, and Becky gave a talk on the development of the great unconformities. Becky and Jim also organized a 2 day short course before GSA, held on campus, for the AGeS program. The short course brought together over 50 students and senior scientists.
CONGRATULATIONS SPENCER ZEIGLER!
July 6, 2022
Congratulations to CU TRaIL Ph.D. student Spencer Zeigler for winning an award for the best student presentation at the 9th International Conference on Arcitc Margins!
Zeigler, S. D., Flowers, R. M., Pearson, G.D. & Kjarsgaard, B. A. (2022). “Surface Histories Revealed by Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology in the Canadian Arctic”. 9th International Conference on Arctic Margins.
THE CU TRaIL IS HIRING!
June 30, 2022
The CU TRaIL seeks a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in noble-gas techniques and/or laser-ablation ICP-MS methods. The postdoctoral scientist will spearhead research associated with several projects that use new laser-ablation (U-Th)/He dating, U-Pb dating, and trace element mapping capabilities in TRaIL. A fraction of the time (~20-25%) will be spent on activities that directly support the lab (e.g., establishment of new ICP-MS analysis protocols, refinement of new Sparrow database system, or sample analysis). Funds are currently available to fully support the position for two years.
The CU TRaIL is a fully equipped (U-Th)/He lab (https://cutrail.org). Instrumentation includes an ASI Alphachron quadrupole He system; an Agilent 7900 quadrupole ICP-MS; an ESI NWR193UC excimer laser; a KLA ZETA-20 optical profiler; and a new custom, low-volume, He extraction and measurement line built in-house that will be largely dedicated to laser-ablation He analyses.
Applicants should have a PhD in geosciences or related field by the time of appointment. Programming skills, such as in Python, are desired (though not required).
Review of applications will begin immediately. The desired start date is fall 2022 or early 2023. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Applications can be submitted here: https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=40241
Feel free to contact me (rebecca.flowers@colorado.edu) for additional
BARRA PEAK CO-CHAIRING SESSION AT 2022 GSA IN DENVER
June 1, 2022
Barra will be co-chairing a topical session at GSA next fall: Unconformities and Global Hypsometry: Integrating Constraints on Lateral and Vertical Continental Lithospheric Dynamics. If this sounds like you, please submit an abstract!
information.
CU TRaIL EARNS EAGER FUNDING!
June 2, 2022
Congratulations to Peter Martin, Becky Flowers, and their collaborators on successfully getting a new grant funded to use double-dating techniques to study ancient oxidation.
NSF Geobiology & Low Temperature Geochemistry, EAR-2203532, “Collaborative Research: EAGER: Developing new high spatial resolution hematite (U-Th)/(He-Pb) double dating techniques to date ancient oxidation,” lead-PI: P. Martin; co-PI: R. Flowers; N. Swanson-Hysell), $80,155 to CU, 12/1/21-11/30/22.
BARRA PEAK CO-CHAIRING SESSION AT 2022 GSA IN DENVER
June 1, 2022
Barra will be co-chairing a topical session at GSA next fall: Unconformities and Global Hypsometry: Integrating Constraints on Lateral and Vertical Continental Lithospheric Dynamics. If this sounds like you, please submit an abstract!
CU TRaIL PUBLICATIONS THIS YEAR
May 30, 2022
Here’s a list of some of the papers coming out featuring CU TRaIL scientists and science.
Havranek, R.E. and Flowers, R.M., 2022, Exploiting the imprint of spatially variable burial on deep-time (U-Th)/He datasets: An example from the Colorado Front Range “fourteeners”: Chemical Geology, v. 591, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120702.
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., Cottle, J.M; Zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology reveals pre-Great Unconformity paleotopography in the Grand Canyon region, USA: REPLY. Geology 2022;; 50 (3): e544. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G49965Y.1
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., and Cottle, J.M., 2021, Zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology reveals pre-Great Unconformity paleotopography in the Grand Canyon region: Geology, v. 49, https://doi.org/10.1130/G49116.1.
Flowers, R.M., Zeitler, P.K., Danišík, M., Reiners, P.W., Gautheron, C., Ketcham, R.A., Metcalf, J.R., Stockli, D.F., Enkelmann, E., and Brown, R.W., 2022, (U-Th)/He chronology: Part 1. Data, uncertainty, and reporting: Geological Society of America Bulletin special volume on the Reporting and Interpretation of Geochronologic data, https://doi.org/10.1130/B36266.1.
Flowers, R.M., Ketcham, R.A., Enkelmann, E., Gautheron, C., Reiners, P.W., Metcalf, J.R., Danišík, M., Stockli, D.F., and Brown, R.W., 2022, (U-Th)/He chronology: Part 2. Considerations for evaluating, integrating, and interpreting conventional individual aliquot data: Geological Society of America Bulletin special volume on the Reporting and Interpretation of Geochronologic data, https://doi.org/10.1130/B36268.1.
WELCOME CONNOR DIAZ!
April 6, 2022
Connor Diaz, who just completed his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina, will be joining the CU TRaILin the fall of 2022 as a Ph.D. student. Welcome Connor!
CONGRATULATIONS SABRINA KAINZ AND EDDIE RICCIO!
April 4, 2022
CU undergraduate geology majors Sabrina Kainz and Eddie RIccio both successfully defended their honors theses this spring. Both Sabrina and Eddie worked with Lon Abbott on (U-Th)/He from Colorado to better understand post-Laramide exhumation in Colorado. Eddie’s thesis is entitled “Thermochronological Study on the Elk and West Elk Mountain Ranges and Interpretations of Exhumation Rates in Western Colorado.” Sabrina extended the study area to the south and east with her thesis “Constraining Cenozoic Exhumation in Southeastern Colorado and Easter New Mexico using Low-Temperature Thermochronology.” Sabrina will be joining the CU TRaIL for the next year as a part-time lab assistant. Excellent work Eddie and Sabrina!
THE CU TRaIL WELCOMES DR. JEFF BENOWITZ!
January 1, 2022
The TRaIL is fortunate to welcome Dr. Jeff Benowitz to the lab this Spring. Jeff is a thermochronologist and tectonicist with extensive expertise in 40Ar/39Ar dating and all things Alaska. Jeff will be working in the lab to help move projects along, and take the opportunity to collect a pile of data that we are confident will unlock all of the secrets of the Alaska Range. Welcome Jeff!
PS – I don’t have any recent pictures of Jeff, but here’s one from when I (Jim) first met him, Jeff in his element in 2008 helping guide a field trip around Denali at the Anchorage Thermo Meeting.
CONGRATULATIONS MORGAN BAKER!
December 20th, 2021
CU TRaIL M.Sc. student Morgan Baker successfully defended her thesis entitled “CORRECTING FOR SYSTEMATIC ERROR AND ESTIMATING UNCERTAINTIES OF ALPHA-EJECTION CORRECTIONS AND eU VALUES FOR THE ZIRCON (U/Th)/He METHOD.” Morgan is now working as a staff scientist at Yosemite National Park!
BECKY TALKING GEOLOGY ON GEOLOGY BITES!
MONDAY October 18, 2021
Becky was a recent guest on the geology podcast Geology Bites talking about geology, thermochronology, and some of the fascinating things she and her research group are doing. Check out this link for the full episode!
HELLO FROM SANTA FE!
TUESDAY September 14, 2021
TRaIL students and staff past and present are in Santa Fe for Thermo2021. Hello from the bouquet!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ASSISTANT PROFESSOR BAUGHMAN AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AULT!
TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 2021
Congratulations to TRaIL alumnae Jaclyn Baughman (Ph.D. 2018) on her new position as an assistant professor at Humboldt State University, and Alexis Ault (Ph.D. 2012) on her promotion to Associate Professor at Utah State University. TRaILblazers indeed!
WELCOME ELLEN ALEXANDER!
TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 2021
Welcome Dr. Ellen Alexander to the TRaIL! Ellen is a specialist in crustal evolution, and specifically in using mineralogy and microanalytical geochemical techniques to understand tectonic processes. Ellen will be working in the lab to help us develop our laser ablation ICP-MS techniques and capabilities.
TRAIL RECEIVES MORE NSF FUNDING
TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 2021
Congratulations to PI Becky Flowers and Co-PI Jim Metcalf on getting their NSF Instrumentation and Facilities Supplement “Implementing customized EarthCube-Funded Sparrow products in the CU TRaIL” funded this year. These funds will help design and implement Sparrow, a laboratory data handling framework, in the TRaIL. This work is in conjunction with the Sparrow group, headquartered at UW Madison, and will involve Postdoc Peter Martin, as well as Becky and Jim.
NEW TRAIL ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT!
TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 2021
The TRaIL is expanding! This past year we oversaw the delivery and installation of both a KLA Zeta20 optical profiler and an ESI NWR193 Excimer Laser. Stay tuned to our lab facilities page for updates!
TRAIL MEETING ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR
TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 2021
TRaIL scientists have been presenting their work at both national and international meetings. Here are recent (and upcoming) meeting abstracts featuring TRaIL science!
Abbott, L.D., R.M Flowers, J. Metcalf, C. Hiett, R. Kelleher, H. Camm, M. Ramba, N. McCorkel, and E. Riccio, 2021, The Gothic Dome: Kilometer-scale Miocene Exhumation in Colorado’s Elk and West Elk Mountains, AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Fernandez, S., S. Kainz, A. Olsson, L.D. Abbott, J.R. Metcalf, and R.M. Flowers, 2021, A (U-Th)/He Thermochronologic Investigation of Exhumation on the Great Plains of Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico, AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Flowers, R.M., Zeitler, P.K., Danišík, M., Reiners, P.W., Gautheron, C., Ketcham, R.A., Metcalf, J.R., Stockli, D.F., Enkelmann, E., Brown, R.W., 2021, Reporting in (U-Th)/He Geo- and Thermochronology: International Thermochronology Meeting, Santa Fe.
Kainz, S., L.D. Abbott, R.M. Flowers, and J.R. Metcalf, 2021, Effect of rock strength on exhumation and the thermochronologic record: The south-central Colorado example. EGU General Assembly paper EGU21-13071.
Martin, P.E., J.R. Metcalf, and R.M. Flowers, (2021) “Monte Carlo Analysis of (U-Th)/He Uncertainties and Intra-sample Variability”. 17th International Conference on Thermochronology. Abstract ID 791077
Martin, P.E., J.R. Metcalf, and R.M. Flowers, (2021) “Evaluating (U-Th-Sm)/He Data Variability of the Durango Apatite Standard Using a Monte Carlo Error Modeling Approach”. International Conference on Thermochronology Virtual Series. Session 7
Peak, B.A.., R.M. Flowers, and F.A. Macdonald (2021) “Zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology used to constrain the evolution of the Great Unconformity erosion surface in the southeastern Superior Craton”. International Conference on Thermochronology. Santa Fe, NM, USA
Zeigler, S. D., James R. Metcalf, Flowers, R. M., & Coulombe, J. C. (2021). “Quantifying Uncertainty and Correcting for Systematic Error on Alpha-Ejection and eU in Apatite (U-Th)/He Chronology Based on Realistic Grain Sizes and Shapes”. International Conference on Thermochronology.
CU TRAIL SCIENCE MAKING HEADLINES!
THURSDAY AUGUST 26, 2021
Recent work by CU TRaIL Ph.D. student Barra Peak and PI Professor Becky Flowers using (U-Th)/He thermochronology to better understand the nature of the Great Unconformity in The Grand Canyon is making headlines. Here are links to the original Geology paper, as well as some mainstream press coverage of their exciting work. Great job Barra and Becky!
Read the original research paper here!
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., and Cottle, J.M., 2021, Zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology reveals pre-Great Unconformity paleotopography in the Grand Canyon region, USA: Geology, doi:10.1130/g49116.1.
Check out some of the press coverage on Forbes, Science Daily, Vice, Live Science, The Daily Mail, and the Denver Fox affiliate, KDVR.
TRAIL PUBLICATIONS!
TUESDAY AUGUST 24, 2021
TRaIL continues to publish their science, check out these recent papers to see what we’ve been up to!
Sturrock, C.P., Flowers, R.M., and Macdonald, F.A., 2021, The late Great Unconformity of the central Canadian Shield: Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009567.
Stanley, J.R., Braun, J., Baby, G., Guillocheau, F., Robin, C., Flowers, R.M., Brown, R., Wildman, M., Beucher, R., 2021, Constraining plateau uplift in southern Africa by combining thermochronology, sediment flux, topography, and landscape evolution modeling: Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 126, e2020JB021243, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JB021243.
ANOTHER ULTRAMARATHONING THERMOCHRONOLOGIST UPDATE!
TUESDAY AUGUST 24, 2021
Congratulations to TRaIL PI Professor Rebecca Flowers for finishing the Leadville Trail 100 run this past weekend, an exceptionally difficult race that occurs all above 9000 feet, includes over 15,000 feet of elevation gain, and requires multiple crossings of Hope Pass at 12,532′. Becky’s superb support team included current TRaIL postdoc Peter Martin, who paced her for the last 23 miles. Nice work!
CU TRaIL IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
THURSDAY MAY 27, 2021
In keeping with University of Colorado COVID-19 protocol, the CU TRaIL facilities can once again host visitors if you are vaccinated and can stay masked while using the lab. Please contact us if you are interested in visiting the lab or using our sample preparation facilities!
CONGRATULATIONS DR. STURROCK!
THURSDAY MAY 27, 2021
CU TRaIL member Colin Sturrock successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis entitled, “Linking the tectonic, hypsometric and geodynamic history of the central and southern Canadian shield using (U-Th)/He thermochronology and global convection modeling” on January 8, 2021. Congratulations Dr. Sturrock!
RECENT WORK FROM THE CU TRAIL
THURSDAY MAY 27, 2021
CU TRaIL scientists have had a busy year publishing and presenting their work. Here’s our references for the past academic year!
Publications
Cooperdock, E.H.G., Chen, C.Y., Guevara, V.E., and Metcalf, J.R., 2021, Counteracting Systemic Bias in the Lab, Field, and Classroom: AGU Advances, v. 2, doi:10.1029/2020av000353.
McDannell, K.T. and Flowers, R.M., 2020, Vestiges of the ancient: Deep-time noble gas thermochronology: Elements issue “Noble gas thermochronology”, v. 16 (5), p. 325-330, doi: 10.2138/gselements.16.5.325.
Metcalf, J.R. and Flowers, R.M., 2021, (U-Th)/He Chronology, Encyclopedia of Geology, 2nd Edition, p. 66-75, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.12385-1.
Abstracts
McGrew, A., and Metcalf, J.R., (2020) A Revised Cooling and Extensional Exhumation History for the Harrison Pass Pluton, Southern Ruby Mountains Metamorphic Core Complex, Elko County, Nevada, Geological Society of Nevada Symposium, Sparks, NV.
McGrew, A. and Metcalf, J.R. (2021) Episodic Late Eocene to recent extension in the vicinity of the Ruby Mountains and East humboldt Range, Elko County, NV, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 53, No. 4, 2021 doi: 10.1130/abs/2021CD-363293
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A., Cottle, J.M., (2021), Thermochronology of the Great Unconformity, presented at the Grand Canyon Field Forum, 9-19 Apr.
Peak, B.A., Flowers, R.M., Macdonald, F.A. (2020), Paleotopography Tied to Late Breakup of Rodinia in the Grand Canyon Region, Abstract 224-2 presented at 2020 GSA Connects Online, 26-30 Oct.
Sturrock, C., Mao, W., Zhong, S., & Flowers, R. M. (2020) Testing Global Plate Motion Models using Dynamic Topography and Cratonic Vertical Motions Inferred from Thermochronology. AGU, Abstract DI014-06.
Sturrock, C., Flowers, R. M., & Macdonald, F. A. (2020) The late Great Unconformity of the Central Canadian Shield. GSA Abstracts, 52(6), No. 173-6
WELCOME TO THE BOUQUET SPENCER ZEIGLER, NEW PhD STUDENT AND NSF GRF RECIPIENT!
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Welcome Spencer Zeigler (back) to the TRaIL! After graduating from CU Spencer worked in the TRaIL using nano-CT to better understand uncertainties in the alpha-ejection correction we apply to apatites. Spencer then won a prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and we are thrilled to announce has decided to stay at CU and persue a Ph.D. in the TRaIL. Welcome Spencer!
WELCOME TO THE BOUQUET PETER MARTIN, NEW POSTDOC IN THE TRaIL!
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Welcome Peter Martin to the TRaIL! Peter completed his Ph.D. at CalTech focusing on Martian geochemistry, and is now at CU working on the exhumation and uplift of New Guinea.
ULTRAMARATHONING THERMOCHRONOLOGIST UPDATE REDUX
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Congratulations to Becky Flowers on successfully completing the Bear 100 Endurance Run this weekend, which included over 22,000 feet of climbing over its 100 mile course – that’s higher than Denali! TRaIL alum and current USU professor Alexis Ault joined Becky as a pacer for part of the race for a TRaIL mini-reunion!
CONGRATULATIONS SABRINA KAINZ AND LANE DAIGLE ON AWARDS AND THESES!
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Congratulations to CU Undergrads Sabrina Kainz and Lane Daigle for their excellent work in the TRaIL. Lane successfully defended his undergraduate honors thesis in the Spring of 2020 based on work he did with former CU postdoc and current Iowa State professor Ben Johnson on samples from the Pilbara Craton in Australia. Lane presented much of this work at the 2019 GSA meeting in Phoenix, and we are thrilled to announce he has decided to continue to help push TRaIL research along this year by helping the group with sample preparation.
Sabrina is a current CU undergraduate who was awarded a CU UROP grant this summer (Undergradaute Research Opportunities) to help her ongoing research with Lon Abbott on the history of uplift and exhumation of the Spanish Peaks. Sabrina is currently processing samples and preparing to collect (U-Th)/He data.
2020 ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTATIONS FOR THE TRaIL
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
TRaIL scientists continue to present their work at national and international meetings, including GSA and AGU. This year we count 7 talks and posters being presented by TRaIL scientists.
ULTRAMARATHONING THERMOCHRONOLOGIST UPDATE
MONDAY JUNE 15, 2020
Congratulations to Becky Flowers on successfully completing the Squaw Peak 50 Mile Ultramarathon this past weekend! This race is considered the 4th hardest 50-miler in the U.S., and includes over 9000 feet of elevation gain! Nice work Becky!
CU TRAIL MAKING HEADLINES!
WEDNESDAY MAY 6, 2020
Recent work from the TRaIL using thermochronology to better understand the nature of the Great Unconformity by Becky Flowers and M.Sc. student Rachel Havranek was recently featured on national news websites. Below are links to the original CU press release, a write up on CNN, and the original paper.
CNN write-up featuring a picture of and quotes from Becky.
Original Scientific Article with Becky as lead author and Rachel Havranek as a co-author.
Nice work!
NEW LASER ABLATION LAB COMING TO THE TRAIL
TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2020
The TRaIL is now preparing for a lab renovation to accommodate multiple new analytical instruments funded by a recent NSF grant to PI Flowers and co-PI Metcalf (see below). The new equipment will include a 193 nm Excimer Laser Ablation system, optical profiler, and new, custom designed He measurement line to facilitate in situ (U-Th)/He dating and U, Th, He, and other elemental mapping of geologic materials. Check back for updates on this exciting new phase in the scientific capabilities of the TRaIL!
NEW GRANTS TO THE TRAIL
TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2020
TRaIL personnel had multiple proposals funded in 2019. These will allow us to bring in significant analytical equipment upgrades and continue to do exceptional science!
NSF Instrumentation & Facilities, EAR-1920648, “Acquisition of a 193 nm excimer laser-ablation system, hardware for a custom quadrupole He system, and an optical profiler for in situ (U-Th)/He and U-Pb geo- and thermochronology at the University of Colorado Boulder”, Lead PI R. Flowers
(co-PI: J. Metcalf), $499,562 to CU, 9/1/19-2/28/22.
NSF Petrology & Geochemistry, Geophysics, EAR-1844182, “Deciphering lithospheric and deeper mantle contributions to the surface history of the North American Arctic from the unique mantle to surface record of kimberlites”, Lead PI R. Flowers (co-PI: S. Zhong), $388,842 to CU, 7/1/19-6/30/22.
NASA Solar System Workings, “Collaborative Proposal: Building a Global Record of Lunar Magmatism and Impact Processes: A Consortium Study of Apollo Regolith Apatite,” co-PI R. Flowers (lead PI: C. Crow; co-PIs: J. Boyce, M. Brounce, R. Economos, B. Schoene), $192,651 to Flowers, 1/1/20-12/31/23.
NSF Frontier Research in Earth Sciences, EAR-1925489, “Collaborative Proposal: Do arc-continent collisions in the tropics set the Earth’s climate state?”, co-PI R. Flowers (lead PI: F. Macdonald; co-PIs: J. Chiang, O. Jagoutz, L. Lisiecki, N. Swanson-Hysell), $279,152 to CU, 8/1/19-7/31/23.
SPRING 2020 TRaIL PUBLICATION UPDATE
TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2020
Check out the new science being published by TRaIL scientists:
- Baughman, J.S., and Flowers, R.M., 2020, Mesoproterozoic burial of the Kaapvaal craton, southern Africa during Rodinia supercontinent assembly from (U-Th)/He thermochronology: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 531, p. 115930, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115930.
- Stanley, J.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2020, Mesozoic denudation history of the lower Orange River and eastward migration of erosion across the southern African Plateau: Lithosphere,, p. 1–14, doi: 10.1130/L1121.1.
- Robinson, K.H., Flowers, R.M., and Metcalf, J.R., 2019, Rutile (U‐Th)/He Thermochronology: Temperature Sensitivity and Radiation Damage Effects: Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, v. 20, p. 4737–4755, doi: 10.1029/2019GC008484.
- Duvall, A.R., Harbert, S.A., Upton, P., Tucker, G., Flowers, R.M., and Collett, C., 2020, River patterns reveal landscape evolution at the edge of subduction, Marlborough Fault System, New Zealand: Earth Surface Dynamics, v. 8, p. 177-194, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-177-2020.
SPRING 2020 TRaIL LAB PERSONNEL NEWS UPDATE
TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2020
The TRaIL has been busy this year, so let’s catch up on some of the personnel news!
- Welcome Barra Peak and Morgan Baker to the TRaIL! Barra is a new Ph.D. student and Morgan is a new M.Sc. student working with Becky. Welcome to the bouquet!
- Congratulations to TRaIL undergraduate student /researcher/ new graduate student Spencer Zeigler for winning the Geochronology Division’s Best Student Poster award at the 2019 GSA National Meeting in Phoenix for her presentation Estimating uncertainties on alpha-ejection corrections and eU values relevant for the apatite (U-Th)/He method.
- Congratulations to TRaIL undergraduates Carlton Mueller and Nicole Gonzalez for successfully defending their honors theses. They worked with Jim on thermochronology of the Ruby Mountains – East Humboldt Range – Wood Hills Metamorphic Core complex in NE Nevada.
POST-DOCTORAL POSITION IN THE CU TRAIL IN LASER ABLATION ICP-MS
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2020
Postdoctoral Associate position in Laser-Ablation ICP-MS, University of Colorado Boulder, Thermochronology Research and Instrumentation Lab (CU TRaIL). The CU TRaIL welcomes applications for a Postdoctoral Associate with expertise in laser-ablation ICP-MS methods. The postdoctoral scientist will take the lead on establishing standard analytical protocols and data reduction procedures for spot analyses and spatial mapping of U-Th, U-Pb dates, and trace elements in a range of materials using a new ESI excimer NWR193UC laser ablation system coupled with our Agilent 7900 quadrupole ICP-MS. Active participation in or the development of new research projects will be encouraged. The position is fully supported for one year, with the possibility of continuation with the acquisition of sufficient funds. Applicants should have a PhD in geosciences, chemistry, or related field by the time of appointment. Salary is commensurate with education and experience.
The CU TRaIL is a fully equipped (U-Th)/He lab (https://cutrail.org). The laser is funded by a new NSF award that will enable us to develop laser-ablation (U-Th)/He dating in our lab, in addition to implementing LA-ICP-MS methods. Interested candidates can contact Dr. Rebecca Flowers (rebecca.flowers@colorado.edu) for additional information. To apply, please submit a cover letter, CV, statement of technical and research interests, and contact information for three referees.
For more information and to apply please go to: https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/?jobId=24068&emailCampaignId=168
Review of applications will begin immediately with a desired start date in early fall 2020. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED IN TECTONICS
THURSDAY APRIL 18, 2019
The CU TRaIL is involved in a new paper published by former M.Sc. student Camille Collett at University of Washington. This work was supported by NSF Tectonics grant EAR-1321735 to lead-PI Alison Duvall (UW), Becky Flowers, and Greg Tucker (CU).
Collett, C., Duvall, A.R., Flowers, R.M., Tucker, G.E., and Upton, P., 2019, The timing and style of oblique deformation within New Zealand’s Kaikoura Ranges and Marlborough Fault system from low-temperature thermochronology: Tectonics, 38, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018TC005268.
CONGRATULATIONS KATHY ROBINSON, M.Sc. 2019!
WEDNESDAY APRIL 17, 2019
Congratulations to CU TRaIL’er Katherine Robinson for successfully defending her M.Sc. thesis, Rutile (U-Th)/He Thermochronology on April 8th, 2019.
CONGRATULATIONS CARLTON MUELLER!
WEDNESDAY APRIL 17, 2019
Congratulations to CU TRaIL undergraduate Carlton Mueller who is graduating this spring. Carlton successfully defended his honors thesis on April 8th, 2019, and has been awarded a 2019 Neal J. Harr Memorial Outstanding Student Award from the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists.
CONGRATULATIONS FORMER UNDERGRAD COLEMAN HIETT FOR RECEIVING AN NSF GRF!
TUESDAY APRIL 16, 2019
Congratulations to former CU TRaIL undergraduate Coleman Hiett (class of 2017) who has been awarded a prestigious NSF graduate research fellowship that will support his Ph.D. studies at USU. Coleman is the second former CU TRaIL undergraduate to receive this award, the other being Ryan Stoner (class of 2016) who is a Ph.D. student at UCSB.
UROP AWARDS TO CU TRAIL UNDERGRADUATES!
MONDAY APRIL 15, 2019
Congratulations Nicole Gonzalez, Carlton Mueller, and Lane Daigle for receiving awards from the CU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program! Nicole and Carlton are working with Jim Metcalf on the uplift and exhumation of the Ruby Mountains – East Humboldt Range – Wood Hills metamorphic core complex in NE Nevada, and Lane Daigle is working with Ben Johnson and Becky Flowers on apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology of the Pilbara craton.
NEW FUNDED GRANTS IN 2018 FOR THE CU TRAIL
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2019
NSF EAR-1759200, Tectonics, Petrology & Geochemistry, EarthScope. “Collaborative Research: AGeS2 (Awards for Geochronology Student research) Program: Democratizing access to geochronology and promoting interdisciplinary science” PI Flowers with co-PIs Ramon Arrowsmith (ASU) and Vicki McConnell (GSA) (see program here).
NSF EAR-1759200, Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology, “Collaborative Research: Did the formation of the Great Unconformity trigger oxygenation and the Cambrian explosion?” PI Flowers with co-PI Francis Macdonald (UCSB)
CU TRAIL RESESS INTERNS IN 2017 and 2018
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2019
The CU TRaIL has been thrilled to continue working with RESESS summer interns, see conference abstracts describing their research in earlier updates!
Haley May Snyder, summer 2018, with Colin Sturrock and Becky Flowers
Fatima Niazy, summer 2017, with Lon Abbott, Jim Metcalf, Becky Flowers
NEW CU TRAIL PAPERS PUBLISHED IN 2018
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2019
In 2018 CU TRaIL senior scientists, graduate students, and former undergraduate interns all published papers
Baughman, J.S.*, and Flowers, R.M., 2018, Deciphering a 2 Gyr-Long Thermal History From a Multichronometer (U-Th)/He Study of the Phalaborwa Carbonatite, Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa: Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, v. 218, p. 308–14, doi: 10.1029/2017GC007198.
Flowers, R.M., and Ehlers, T.A., 2018, Rock erodibility and the interpretation of low-temperature thermochronologic data: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 482, p. 312–323, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.11.018.
Flowers, R., Arrowsmith, R., McConnell, V., Metcalf, J., Rittenour, T., and Schoene, B., 2018, The AGeS2 (Awards for Geochronology Student research 2) Program: Supporting Community Geochronology Needs and Interdisciplinary Science: GSA Today, doi: 10.1130/GSATG392GW.1.
Kelly, N.M., Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J.R., and Mojzsis, S.J., 2018, Late accretion to the Moon recorded in zircon (U–Th)/He thermochronometry: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 482, p. 222–235, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.11.009.
Powell, J.W., Schneider, D.A., Desrochers, A., Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J.R., Gaidies, F., and Stockli, D.F., 2018, Low-temperature thermochronology of Anticosti Island_ A case study on the application of conodont (U-Th)/He thermochronology to carbonate basin analysis: Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 96, p. 441–456, doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.05.018.
Weisberg, W.R.**, Metcalf, J.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2018a, Distinguishing slow cooling versus multiphase cooling and heating in zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He datasets_ The case of the McClure Mountain syenite standard: Chemical Geology, v. 485, p. 1–0, doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.03.038.
Weisberg, W.R.**, Metcalf, J.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2018b, Response to comment on “Distinguishing slow cooling versus multiphase cooling and heating in zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He datasets_ The case of the McClure Mountain syenite standard”: Chemical Geology, v. 498, p. 153–156, doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.07.033.
* CU TRaIL graduate student and superb young scientist
** RESESS undergraduate who worked in the CU TRaIL
CU TRAIL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS IN 2018
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2019
CU TRaIL science had a busy year at national and international conferences, here are the abstracts we presented in 2018!
Abbott, L.D., Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J.R., Hiett, C.*, McCorkel, N.*, Schanock, E.*, and Gonzalez, N.*, 2018, Investigating a Bull’s-Eye of Late Miocene Exhumation in Colorado’s Elk and West Elk Mountains using (U-Th)/He Thermochronology, paper 156-12, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 50, No. 6, ISSN 0016-7592
Baughman, J.S.**, and Flowers, R.M., 2018, Substantial Proterozoic Burial and Exhumation of the Kaapvaal Craton from (U-Th)/He Thermochronology and Implications for Cratonic Stability, Poster T33C-0423, 2018 American Geophysical Union National Meeting, Washington, D.C., December 10-14.
Flowers, R.M., Baughman, J.S.**, Robinson, K.H.**, and Metcalf, J.R., 2018, Titanite and rutile (U-Th)/He thermochronology: Diffusion kinetics,radiation damage effects, and utility, Presented at the 2018 International Conference on Thermochronology, Quedlinburg, Germany, September 16-22.
Gombosi, D.J., Metcalf, J.R., and Flowers, R.M, 2018, Preliminary development of the pyrite (U-Th)/He chronometer, Presented at the 2018 International Conference on Thermochronology, Quedlinburg, Germany, September 16-22.
Harbert, S.A., Duvall, A.R., Flowers, R.M., Tucker, G.E., Upton, P., and O’Sullivan, P.O., 2018, Exhumation, Mountain Building, and Landscape Evolution across the Marlborough Fault System, South Island, New Zealand, paper 156-6, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 50, No. 6, ISSN 0016-7592
McGrew, A.J., Rodgers, A., Metcalf, J.R., Meisner, C.B., and Webb, L.E., 2018, Tracking the Escalator Ride from Mid-Crustal Depths to the Surface: New Constraints on the Pace and Episodicity of Late Eocene to Miocene Exhumation from the Southern East Humboldt Range Metamorphic Core Complex, Elko County, Nevada, paper 237-12, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 50, No. 6, ISSN 0016-7592
Metcalf, J.R., McGrew, A.J., and Bruno, C.B., 2018, Exhumation of a Metamorphic Core Complex: Apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He constraints on the timing and rate of cooling of the Ruby Mountains – East Humboldt – Wood Hills Metamorphic Core Complex, northeastern Nevada, Presented at the 2018 International Conference on Thermochronology, Quedlinburg, Germany, September 16-22.
Morriss, M.C., Schoettle-Greene, P., Duvall, A.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2018, Exhumation and Faulting in Hells Canyon, North America’s Deepest Gorge, paper 172-6, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 50, No. 6, ISSN 0016-7592
Samson, S.D., Bonich-Wissink, M., Flowers, R., Metcalf, J., and Fedo, C., 2018, Multichronometers of detrital accessory minerals – implications for provenance studies, Goldschmidt Abstracts, 2018 2218
Snyder, H.***, Sturrock, C.P.*, Flowers, R.M., and Metcalf, J.R., 2018, Cool Rocks: an Apatite (U-Th)/He Study of the Trans-Hudson Orogen’s Phanerozoic Thermal History, Poster ED13E-0789, 2018 American Geophysical Union National Meeting, Washington, D.C., December 10-14.
Sturrock, C.P.**, Flowers, R.M., Kohn, B.P., and Metcalf, J.R., Deep-time (U-Th)/He thermochronology of ahe, AFT, and zhe datasets: a transect across the Archean Superior Province of the Canadian Shield, Presented at the 2018 International Conference on Thermochronology, Quedlinburg, Germany, September 16-22.
* CU TRaIL graduate student and superb young scientist
** CU TRaIL undergraduate student and future geoscience star
*** RESESS undergraduate working in the CU TRaIL
NEW CU TRAIL PAPERS PUBLISHED IN 2017
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2019
Baughman, J.S.*, Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J.R., and Dhansay, T., 2017, Influence of radiation damage on titanite He diffusion kinetics: Geochmica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 205, p. 50–64, doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2017.01.049.
Johnson, J.E.*, Flowers, R.M., Baird, G.B., and Mahan, K.H., 2017, “Inverted” zircon and apatite (U–Th)/He dates from the Front Range, Colorado: High-damage zircon as a low-temperature (<50 °C) thermochronometer: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 466, p. 80–90, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.03.002.
* CU TRaIL graduate student and superb young scientist
CU TRAIL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS IN 2017
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2019
Abbott, L.A., Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J.R., and Falkowski, S., 2017, The Pre-Rift Exhumation History along the Arkansas River Segment of Colorado’s Rio Grande Rift, Geological Society of America, National meeting, Seattle, WA, October 2017.
Flowers, R.M., Baughman, J.S.*, Johnson, J.E.*, and Metcalf, J.R., 2017, The Exmapdning Temperature Sensitivity Range of (U-Th)/He Thermochronology from Improved Understanding of the “Big Three” (Apatite, Zircon, and Titanite): Approaches and Examples, Geological Society of America, National meeting, Seattle, WA, October 2017.
Glotzbach, C., Lang, K., Avdievitch, N., Flowers, R., Metcalf, J., and Ehlers, T., 2017, Correcting for Long-Alpha Stopping Distances in (U-Th)/He Dating, Abstract TS1.4/GM2.5 presented at the 2017 General Assembly, EGU, Vienna, Austria, 23-28 Apr.
Kelly, N.M., Marchi, S., Mojzsis, S.J., Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J.R., and Bottke, W.F., 2017, Constraining the Thermal Conditionals of Impact Environments through Integrated Low-Temperature Thermochronometry and Numerical Modeling, Abstract P54B-09 presented at 2017 Fall Meeting, AGU, New Orleans, LA, 11-15 Dec.
Kelly, N.M., Metcalf, J.R., Flowers, R.M, and Mojzsis, S.M., 2017, New Information from Old Lunar Zircon – Integrating U-Pb and (U-Th)/He Chronometry, Geological Society of America, National meeting, Seattle, WA, October 2017.
Niazy, F.**, Abbott, L.A., Metcalf, J.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2017, Exhumation History of Colorado’s South Park Basin and its Potential Causes fro Coupling Apatite (U-Th)/He Thermochronology with Constraints from Surface Geology, Geological Society of America, National meeting, Seattle, WA, October 2017.
Sturrock, C.P.*, Flowers, R.M., Zhong, S., Metcalf, J.R., and Kohn, B.P., 2017, Linking Craton Stability and Deep Earth Processes using Thermochronology; a Case Study in the Superior Provice of the Canadian Shield, Abstract T11D-07 presented at 2017 Fall Meeting, AGU, New Orleans, LA, 11-15 Dec.
* CU TRaIL graduate student and superb young scientist
** RESESS undergraduate working in the CU TRaIL
CATCHING UP WITH LAB NEWS
FRIDAY OCTOBER 12, 2018
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
Congratulations to CU TRaIL graduate student Josh Johnson for successfully defending his M.Sc. thesis entitled “Inverted” zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He dates and interpretation of high-damage zircon from the Southern Rocky Mountains, Front Range, Colorado. After defending, Josh is spending some time doing geoscience outreach in a National Park before deciding what to do with his recently acquired thermochronology skills.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
Ault, A.K., Flowers, R.M., and Bowring, S.A., 2015, Synchroneity of cratonic burial phases and gaps in the kimberlite record: Episodic magmatism or preservational bias?: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 410, p. 97-104.
Abstract:
A variety of models are used to explain an apparent episodicity in kimberlite emplacement. Implicit in these models is the assumption that the preserved kimberlite record is largely complete. However, some cratons now mostly devoid of Phanerozoic cover underwent substantial Phanerozoic burial and erosion episodes that should be considered when evaluating models for global kimberlite distributions. Here we show a broad temporal coincidence between regional burial phases inferred from thermochronology and gaps in the kimberlite record in the Slave craton, Superior craton, and cratonic western Australia. A similar pattern exists in the Kaapvaal craton, although its magmatic, deposition, and erosion history differs in key ways from the other localities. One explanation for these observations is that there is a common cause of cratonic subsidence and suppression of kimberlite magmatism. Another possibility is that some apparent gaps in kimberlite magmatism are preservational artifacts. Even if kimberlites occurred during cratonic burial phases, the largest uppermost portions of the pipes would have been subsequently eroded along with the sedimentary rocks into which they were emplaced. In this model, kimberlite magmatism was more continuous than the preserved record suggests, implying that evidence for episodicity in kimberlite genesis should be carefully evaluated in light of potential preservational bias effects. Either way, the correlation between burial and kimberlite gaps suggests that cratonic surface histories are important for understanding global kimberlite patterns.that cratonic surface histories are important for understanding global kimberlite patterns.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
CU TRaIL Ph.D. candidate Jess Stanley, along with co-authors Becky Flowers and David Bell recently published her most recent work in G3, using (U-Th)/He thermochronology to understand patterns of erosion and topographic change across the southern African Plateau.
Stanley, J.R., Flowers, R.M., and Bell, D.R., 2015, Erosion patterns and mantle sources of topographic change across the southern African Plateau derived from the shallow and deep records of kimberlites, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. v. 16, doi:10.1002/2015GC005969.
Abstract:
Flow in the sublithospheric mantle is increasingly invoked as a mechanism to explain both modern and past surface topography, but the importance of this phenomenon and its influence at different localities are debated. Southern Africa is an elevated continental shield proposed to represent dynamically supported topography. However, this region is also characterized by a complex lithospheric architecture variably affected by Cretaceous heating, thinning, and metasomatic alteration. We used apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometry on 15 Cretaceous kimberlites from an ∼600 km long transect across the Kaapvaal Craton, combined with information from xenoliths in these pipes, to determine the plateau interior erosion history. The goal was to determine the relationships with lithospheric modification patterns and thereby better isolate the sublithospheric contribution to elevation. The results document a wave of erosion from west to east across the craton from ∼120 to <60 Ma, initially focused along paleorivers and then retreating as a scarp across the landscape. This spatially variable erosion event was associated with limited modification of the Archean cratonic lithospheric mantle as recorded by mantle xenoliths and xenocrysts, implying that dynamic buoyancy sources may be required to explain the elevations. In contrast, off-craton to the southwest, a more pronounced regional erosion phase at ∼110–90 Ma was coincident with significant modification of the Proterozoic lithospheric mantle. This relationship suggests that lithospheric processes were more important contributors to erosion and topographic change off-craton than on-craton. Together, these results suggest that lithospheric architecture can have an important control on the surface expression of mantle dynamics.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
CU TRaIL science was again well-represented at meetings across the country in 2015 with presentations by a whole range of TRaILers, from senior scientists to undergraduate interns. Check out the newest science, hot off the Alphachron!
Flowers, R.M., Arrowsmith, R., Metcalf, J.R., Rittenour, T., Schoene, B.S., Hole, J., Pavlis, T., Wagner, L., Whimeyer, S., and Williams, M.L., 2015, Geology, Geochronology, and EarthScope: The EarthScope AGeS program and a new idea for a 4D-Earth initiative: Invited, Fall AGU meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2015
Stanley, J.R. and Flowers, R.M., 2015, Dating kimberlite eruption and erosion phases using perovskite, zircon, and apatite (U-Th)/He geochronology to link cratonic lithosphere evolution and surface processes: Fall AGU meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2015.
Collett, C., Duvall, A., Flowers, R.M., Tucker, G., 2015, Exhumation history of an oblique plate boundary: Investigating Kaikoura mountain-building within the Marlborough Fault System, NE South Island, New Zealand: Fall AGU meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2015.
Lease, R., Haeussler, P., Metcalf, J., O’Sullivan, P.O., 2015, Accelerated erosion of high-latitude glaciated terrain in Alaska since 3-4 Ma: Fall AGU meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2015.
Baughman, J.*, Flowers, R.M., Dhansay, T., Metcalf, J.R., Stoner, R.**, 2015, Influence of radiation damage on titanite (U-Th)/He dates from the Kaapvaal craton, southern Africa: National GSA meeting, Baltimore, MD, November 2015.
Flowers, R.M., Baughman, J.S.*, Johnson, J.E.*, Landman, R.L.*, Stanley, J.R.*, Weisberg, W.R.**, and Metcalf, J.R., 2015, Expanding the temperature sensitivity range and applicability of the (U-Th)/He system: some examples: Invited, National GSA meeting, Baltimore, MD, November 2015.
Scott, B.**, Metcalf, J.R., Flowers, R.M., Koenig, A., 2015, Exploring the role of apatite chemistry on apatite (U-Th)/He dates: National GSA meeting, Baltimore, MD, November 2015.
Weisberg, W.R.**, Metcalf, J.R., Flowers, R.M., Donelick, R., 2015, Multi-mineral (U-Th)/He thermochronometry of the standard boulder and outcrops of the McClure Mountain Syenite, Wet Mountains, Colorado: National GSA meeting, Baltimore, MD, November 2015.
Bonich, M.B., Samson, S.B., Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J.R., and Fedo, C.M., 2015, Isotopic-thermochronologic characterization of apatite as a new proxy for provenance analysis: National GSA meeting, Baltimore, MD, November 2015.
Flowers, R.M., Arrowsmith, R., Metcalf, J.R., Schoene, B.S., and Rittenour, T., 2015, The EarthScope AGeS program: A progress report: EarthScope National Meeting, Stowe, Vermont, June 2015.
Flowers, R.M., Ault, A.K.***, Zhong, S., and Bowring, S.A., 2015, Exploring relationships between kimberlite distributions, mantle dynamics, and the hypsometric history of the North American cratonic interior: Invited, Spring AGU/GAC-MAC Joint Assembly meeting, Montreal, Canada, May, 2015.
Hardie, R., Schneider, D.A., Metcalf, J.R., and Flowers, R.M., 2015, Rift flank uplift and thermal evolution of an intracratonic rift basin (eastern Canada) determined by combined apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology: Spring AGU/GAC-MAC Joint Assembly meeting, Montreal, Canada, May, 2015.
Powell, J., Schneider, D., Flowers, R.M., Metcalf, J., and Stockli, D., 2015, A Viable Thermochronometer for Carbonate-Dominated basins? Results of Conodont (U-Th)/He Thermochronology of Anticosti Basin, Eastern Canada: Spring AGU/GAC-MAC Joint Assembly meeting, Montreal, Canada, May, 2015.
Johnson, J.E.*, Flowers, R.M., Liefert, D.L..**, 2015, Understanding our spectacular mountain landscapes: A helium thermochronology study in Rocky Mountain National Park: Rocky Mountain National Park Research Conference, Estes Park, Colorado, March 2015.
Marokane, M., Tappe, S., Baughman, J.*, Flowers, R.M., Smart, K.A., Joy, S., 2015, (U-Th)/He thermochronology of Dharwar craton kimberlites, Peninsular India: Toward a better understanding of coupled deep Earth-surface processes: Igneous Metamorphic Petrology Study Group Annual meeting, Pretoria, South Africa, January 2015.
Kelly, N.M., Mojzsis, S.J., Flowers, R.M., and Metcalf, J.R., 2015, Impact history of the inner solar system from (U-Th)/He geochronology of lunar and meteoritic zircon: Early Life Science Institute meeting, Tokyo, Japan, January 2015.
*CU TRaIL graduate student and superb young scientist
** CU TRaIL undergraduate student and future geoscience star
*** CU TRaIL alum and current fancy Geoscience Professor
**** This would be very spicy, but delicious, Thai food at Urban Thai
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2015
2014 has been a busy year for CU TRaIL science. Becky, Jim, and all of the students have presented their research at multiple meetings. See for yourself, CU TRaIL people are bolded.
Baughman, J., Flowers, R.M., and Dhansay, T., 2014, Stability of the Kaapvaal craton from titanite (U-Th)/He thermochronology and the strong influence of radiation damage on this underutilized thermochronometer: Fall AGU meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2014.
Johnson, J.E., Flowers, R.M., Mahan, K.H., Baird, G.B., Metcalf, J.R. 2014, Repeated intracontinental tectonism in the Colorado Front Range: Filling critical gaps in thermal histories with titanite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology: National GSA meeting, Vancouver, Canada, October 2014.
Johnson, J.E., Liefert, D.L., Flowers, R.M., 2014, Understanding our spectacular mountain landscapes: A helium thermochronology study in Rocky Mountain National Park: National GSA meeting, Vancouver, Canada, October 2014.
Landman, R.L., Rosenau, N.A., and Flowers, R.M., 2014, Constraining thermal histories in marine carbonates and black shales: A pilot conodont (U-Th)/He thermochronometry study in the Illinois basin: AAPG, Houston, TX, April 2014.
Landman, R.L., Flowers, R.M., Rosenau, N., Metcalf, J., and Powell, J., 2014,
Constraining thermal histories in carbonates and marine shales: exploring the conodont AHe thermochronometer: Thermo2014, 14th International Conference on Thermochronology, Chamonix, France, September 2014.
*Stanley, J.R., Flowers, R.M., and Bell, D.A., 2014, (U-Th)/He dating of apatite and zircon constrains erosion patterns and emplacement ages of kimberlites across the Kaapvaal Craton: Thermo2014, 14th International Conference on Thermochronology, Chamonix, France, September 2014.
Weisberg, W.R., Metcalf, J.R., Flowers, R.M., 2014, Thermochronology of the McClure Mountain Syenite: Characterization of new He thermochronometers and constraints on the cooling history of the Wet Mountains, Colorado: National GSA meeting, Vancouver, Canada, October 2014.
**Weisberg, W.R., Metcalf, J.R., Flowers, R.M., 2014, Thermochronology of the McClure Mountain Syenite: Characterization of new He thermochronometers and constraints on the cooling history of the Wet Mountains, Colorado: Association of Missouri Geologists annual, meeting, September 2014.
Metcalf, J.R., Kohn, B.P., Flowers, R.M., Osadetz, K.G., Gleadow, A.J.W., 2014, Inverted apatite (U-Th)/He and fission-track dates from the Southern Canadian Shield: Evaluating the internal consistency of apatite (U-Th)/He and fission-track thermochronology datasets: Thermo2014, 14th International Conference on Thermochronology, Chamonix, France, September 2014.
Flowers, R.M., Landman, R.L., and Rosenau, N., 2014, Potential of conodont (U-Th)/He thermochronometry to resolve shallow crustal thermal histories in carbonates and shales: Invited Speaker, Fall AGU meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2014. Session: Between a cold outcrop and a hot place: Validation of clumped isotopes and other novel geochemical proxies to shallow crustal geothermometry
Flowers, R.M. and Farley, K.A., 2014, Grand Canyon, models, and the interpretation of thermochronology data: Invited speaker,Thermo2014, 14th International Conference on Thermochronology, Chamonix, France, September 2014.
* Jess Stanley won the award for the best student poster presentation for the first half of the meeting with this research.
** Wesley Weisberg won the award for the best student poster with this research.
FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014
2013 saw two thermochronology short courses led by CU TRaIL personnel. In August, Becky Flowers and Jess Stanley led a 2-day course in Port Elizabeth, South Africa for African students and post-docs as part of the Africa Earth Observatory Network (AEON).
In October, Becky Flowers and Jim Metcalf led a one-day course on He thermochronology in conjunction with the 2013 GSA national meeting. In addition to talks by Becky and Jim highlighting the fundamentals of He thermochronology, the course also included a HeFTy tutorial, lab tour, and 3 invited talks by thermochronology specialists Professor Todd Ehlers (Universität Tübingen), Dr. Joe Colgan (USGS), and Dr. Desmond Patterson (ASI – UT Austin). The course was held in the Benson Earth Sciences Building at CU-Boulder, allowing participants to visit the CU TRaIL lab and see the facilities.
Both of the short courses were fantastic, and included a wide range of participants. We hope to lead more of these in the future, and have been encouraged by the feedback of the participants.
Wondering what is happening in the lab? We’ll try to keep this page updated with lab-related news. Check back!
Individual apatite crystals from a granite in eastern China, ready for packing
CU TRaIL 