COSMOGONIC BE-10 AND THE SOLID EARTH: STUDIES IN GEOMAGNETISM, SUBDUCTION ZONE PROCESSES, AND ACTIVE TECTONICS

Abstract

Since the mid-1980s, cosmogenic 10Be, with a 1.5 Myr half-life, has proven to be an extremely useful tool for studies of the solid Earth and surface processes. Measured at very low concentrations using a particle accelerator, 10Be reveals tantalizing clues to the behavior of the Earth’s geodynamo, permits “geochemical imaging” of physical and magmatic processes in subduction zones, and provides ages and uplift and incision rates essential for understanding active tectonic processes. This paper emphasizes the utility of atmospheric and in situ-produced 10Be in understanding these solid Earth processes, using igneous and sedimentary rocks, deep-sea and...