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Global cooling initiated stony deserts in central Australia 2-4 Ma, dated by cosmogenic [sup.21Ne]-[sup.10Be]
- Source :
- Geology. Dec, 2005, Vol. 33 Issue 12, p993, 4 p.
- Publication Year :
- 2005
-
Abstract
- Stony deserts are durable indicators of aridity but until now have not been directly dated. Using [sup.21Ne] and [sup.10Be] produced in surface rocks by cosmic rays, we show that Australian stony deserts formed 2-4 Ma, at the time when global cooling initiated the Quaternary ice ages and intensified aridity-induced major landscape changes in central Australia. This is the first direct determination of stony desert ages, using a new method for determining cosmogenic [sup.21Ne] in the presence of various neon components from other sources. Keywords: late Cenozoic, stony deserts, silcrete, exposure age, cosmogenic Ne/Be.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00917613
- Volume :
- 33
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- Gale General OneFile
- Journal :
- Geology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsgcl.139913705