Geochronology using in situ produced cosmogenic nuclides, a versatile toolkit for the quantification of landscape evolution, Part 1: Theoretical basis

Abstract

Lithospheric in situ produced cosmogenic nuclides have become a fundamental and widely applied toolkit for the quantitative study of landscape evolution. They can be used to determine the exposure ages of characteristic landforms and, in the case of buried sediments, to establish burial ages. They are also applicable for quantifying denudation rates of bare bedrock or regolith-mantled surfaces as well as entire drainage basins. The method can be applied across diverse lithologies and over timescales of 102 to 106 years.

This review is divided into two parts. The first part outlines the theoretical background required for the application of the method, beginning with the factors that control the production of in situ cosmogenic nuclides and the mechanisms of their formation, followed by an overview of the stable and radioactive nuclides used in Earth sciences. These introductory concepts are necessary for understanding the applications of in situ produced cosmogenic nuclides, namely, the determination of exposure and burial ages, the quantification of denudation rates, and the limitations of the approach, which will be presented in the second part.