Experimental and geologic evaluation of monazite (U-Th)/He thermochronometry: Catnip Sill, Catalina Core Complex, Tucson, AZ

- We incrementally heated grains of reference monazite 554 to measure 4He diffusion.
- 6 experiments yielded: Ea=212-238 kJmol−1, Do=15.7-103 cm2s−1, Tc=262-291°C.
- Results were compared with 40Ar/39Ar data from coexisting phases.
- Results confirm the accuracy of 4He diffusion data from monazite 554.
- Monazite (U-Th)/He age data are useful if He diffusivity is measured not inferred.

Monazite is a petrologically important and analytically promising target for (U-Th)/He thermochronology. Previous studies have reported highly variable He diffusion results from monazite from a single sample and demonstrated that composition can significantly affect He diffusion parameters. In this study, we performed incremental heating of single monazite grains to experimentally determine the 4He diffusion properties of reference monazite '554' that occurs within a peraluminous two-mica granite from the Catnip Sill within the Catalina Core complex, Arizona. Assuming that the grain size defines the diffusion geometry, the six experiments yielded Ea values of 212 to 238±5 kJmol−1 (1σ) and Do values of 15.7 to 103 cm2s−1 with one value of 784 cm2s−1. Monazite (U-Th)/He data from five grains yielded closure temperatures of 291 to 262 °C (± c. 15 °C) and ages of 23.8-20.3(±∼1.2;2σ) Ma; the weighted mean age is 21.8±0.73 (MSWD=1.83, n=5) and the weighted mean closure temperature is 282±6°C (MSWD=0.96, n=5;1σ). We tested the accuracy of these results by comparing our monazite thermochronology data with monazite Th/Pb depth profiling results, the 40Ar/39Ar thermal history for the Catnip Sill constrained using coexisting muscovite, biotite, and K-feldspar, and published regional zircon and apatite fission track results. The monazite Th/Pb data indicate emplacement of the Catnip Sill at ∼45 Ma. The 40Ar/39Ar muscovite and biotite data indicate cooling from 460 to 350 °C from 27 to 26 Ma. K-feldspar MDD modeling suggests cooling from 360 to 240 °C from 26 to 24 Ma. Zircon fission track data indicate cooling through 250 °C between 29 and 20 Ma. Additional cooling through 110 °C is recorded by apatite fission track ages of 19-16 Ma. Because the monazite thermochronology results are reproducible and consistent with the thermal history constrained by the other chronometers, our results 1) confirm the accuracy of the 4He diffusion kinetics from monazite '554,' and 2) demonstrate that monazite can be an effective (U-Th)/He thermochronometer, provided that He diffusion properties are either measured or reasonably assumed for each sample.