Western Gneiss Region Ar/Ar data (NERC grant NE/H016279/1)

This dataset encompasses thin section photographs, mineral composition data and Ar/Ar data. Grant abstract: Many of the Earth's great mountain ranges, such as the Alps and the Himalaya, result from the collision between two continents. As mountains get pushed up by tectonic forces, they also get worn away by surface erosion. The uplift of topography causes long-term regional and global climate change, and conversely, changes in climate have also been linked to changes in the rate of tectonic processes. This project will define and quantify the competition between growth and erosion during the early stages of mountain uplift by exploiting a combination of state-of the art advances in numerical modelling and analytical techniques. During the early stages of continental collision, unusual (and diagnostic) rock types form under very high pressure conditions. Certain minerals in these rocks preserve details of the pressures and temperatures experienced during the journey from initial formation deep in the mantle, through their subsequent transport to the Earth's surface, their erosion, and their final deposition as sand grains in a sedimentary rock. The minerals retain distinctive chemical signatures which allows them to be distinguished from those formed in other rock types, even when eroded and turned into sand. Sand grains retain information about not only the original rock type, but also about details of the formation and transport history of the original rock. Unlocking this information will therefore yield insight into earlier stages of mountain belt growth history than is currently preserved in the bedrock record. However the methods needed to decipher these details are currently insufficiently precise to provide useful insight into changes in rates of tectonic or erosive processes, or constraints for the models. This project will therefore also develop and exploit innovative techniques for obtaining high-precision data from these high pressure rocks and their eroded remains. These data will enable the competing forces which act to shape a mountain belt during the early stages of formation to be quantified and allow the numerical models to be robustly tested. The unique contribution of this proposal lies in the combination of geodynamic numerical modelling with studies based on observational data and hence exploiting the synergy between these two, normally disparate, fields.

Identification info

Metadata Language: English (en)

Dataset Reference Date (): 2017-11-01

Identifier: http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13607226

Open University - Dr Clare Warren ( School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences )

British Geological Survey - Enquiries

Maintenance and update frequency: notApplicable

GEMET - INSPIRE themes

Geology

BGS Thesaurus of Geosciences

Eclogite
Gneiss

Keywords

NERC_DDC

Limitations on Public Access: otherRestrictions

Other constraints: no limitations

Other constraints: The dataset is made freely available for access, e.g. via the Internet. Either no third party data / information is contained in the dataset or BGS has secured written permission from the owner(s) of any third party data / information contained in the dataset to make the dataset freely accessible.

Use constraints: otherRestrictions

Other constraints: The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, via the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Manager. Use by customers of information provided by the BGS, is at the customer's own risk. In view of the disparate sources of information at BGS's disposal, including such material donated to BGS, that BGS accepts in good faith as being accurate, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the quality or accuracy of the information supplied, or to the information's suitability for any use. NERC/BGS accepts no liability whatever in respect of loss, damage, injury or other occurence however caused.

Other constraints: The dataset is made available to external clients under BGS Digital Data Licence terms and conditions. Revert to the IPR Section (iprdigital@bgs.ac.uk ) if further advice is required with regard to permitted usage.

Topic category