Using a 3-D heat transport model (PeCUBE) to invert OSL- and ESR-derived rock cooling histories into erosion rate changes in the Hida Range of Japan

Anderson, L.*; Bartz, M.*; King, G.*; Fox, M.*; Herman, F.*; Stalder, N.*; Biswas, R.*; 末岡 茂; 塚本 すみ子*; Ahadi, F.*; et al.

no journal, , 

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) thermochronometry have the potential to resolve continuous erosion histories from rapidly eroding settings. These thermochronometers are viable over the past few hundred thousand to a million years. These time periods are defined by persistent oscillations between warm and cold states. During the Quaternary, fundamental questions about the relationship between climate and erosion remain unanswered. With further development, the OSL and ESR thermochronometers could answer these questions. To realize this potential new strategies are required to invert low-temperature thermal histories for erosion rates. Here, we explore the use of PeCUBE (Braun, 2003), a three-dimensional finite-element model that simulates heat conduction and advection in the upper crust. As a training dataset we use cooling histories derived from eight samples from the Tateyama region in the Hida Mountains of Japan. The flexibility of PeCUBE allows us to quantify the role of time varying surface temperatures between glacial and interglacial periods. In high-relief settings the three-dimensionality of the topography, for example between valleys and ridges, can substantially perturb rock temperatures. PeCUBE allows us to quantify and remove these confounding topographic effects. We additionally explore the role of changing topographic relief on time varying thermal fields and erosion rates. Lastly, we explore a generous range of model parameters to quantify the sensitivity and robustness of our inversions.