Paradox Basin

The Paradox Basin is a Paleozoic Basin in the Southwestern United States that holds geologic, hydrologic, and economic importance. As such, it is desirable to understand the history of the Paradox Basin in terms of geologic forcings, hydraulic fluxes, and fluid-flow reactions. Prior work measured (U-Th)/He ages on the abundant Fe- and Mn- oxides found throughout the basin. However, as a ligheight noble gas that is known to leak out of mineral structures at low temperatures, these helium ages frequently record cooling ages rather than actual formation ages. We aim to use (U-Th)/Ne dating to gain additional information about the high-temperature history of the samples that can allow us to determine rock formation ages and refine our understanding of the history of the Paradox Basin.