Incorporating 3‐D parent nuclide zonation for apatite 4He/3He thermochronometry: An example from the A ppalachian M ountains

The ability to constrain km‐scale exhumation with apatite 4He/3He thermochronometry is well established and the technique has been applied to a range of tectonic and geomorphic problems. However, multiple sources of uncertainty in specific crystal characteristics limit the applicability of the method, especially when geologic problems require identifying small perturbations in a cooling path. Here we present new 4He/3He thermochronometric data from the Appalachian Mountains, which indicate significant parent nuclide zonation in an apatite crystal. Using LA‐ICPMS measurements of U and Th in the same crystal, we design a 3‐D model of the crystal to explore the effects of intracrystal variability in radiation damage accumulation. We describe a numerical approach to solve the 3‐D production‐diffusion equation. Using our numerical model and a previously determined time temperature path for this part of the Appalachians, we find excellent agreement between predicted and observed 4He/3He spectra. Our results confirm this time‐temperature path and highlight that for complex U and Th zonation patterns, 3‐D numerical models are required to infer an accurate time‐temperature history. In addition, our results provide independent and novel evidence for a radiation damage control on diffusivity. The ability to exploit intracrystal differences in 4He diffusivity [i.e., temperature sensitivity) greatly increases the potential to infer complex thermal histories.