Surface processes, and the spatial variation of denudation in particular, are key issues in understand long-term surface evolution of a passive margin.

This article shows how to convert thermal history information from a large apatite fission track data set from Namibia into

1. Palaeotemperature-,
2. Denudation-, and
3. Palaeotopography-

maps to achieve and visualise quantitative information of the denudation chronology of the passive continental margin of central Namibia. Watch three animated QuickTime movies to see Namibia's margin evolving.

Peer reviewed:

Belton, D. X. and Raab, M. J. (submitted to Tectonophysics), Transpressional Tectonics in the Limpopo: Cretaceous Reactivation and Exhumation of a "stable" Zimbabwe Craton.

Raab, M. J., R. W. Brown, K. Gallagher, K. Weber, and A. J. W. Gleadow (2005), Denudational and thermal history of the Early Cretaceous Brandberg and Okenyenya igneous complexes on Namibia’s Atlantic passive margin, Tectonics, Vol. 24, TC3006, doi:10.1029/2004TC001688.
[download pdf 1 MB]

Weber, K. and Raab, M. J. (2003), Tectonomorphological development of Namibia, Zbl. Geol. Paläont. Teil I, Heft 1/2, 117 - 129.

Raab, M. J., R. W. Brown, K. Gallagher, A. Carter, and K. Weber (2002), Late cretaceous reactivation of major crustal shear zones in northern Namibia: Constraints from apatite fission track analysis, Tectonophysics, 349, 75 – 92.
[download pdf 1 MB]

Raab, M. J. and Brown, R. W. (2002). Palaeogeothermal gradient and denudation rate estimates from the Brandberg complex, Namibia, Geotemas, Vol 4, p129-132.

Conference papers since 2003:

Raab, M. J., Brown, R. W., and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2006). The interplay of tectonics, erosion and topography across the Drakensberg Escarpment, South Africa; A fission track study, 16^th Annual Goldschmidt Conference, Melbourne Australia, September 2006.

Luft, F. F., Raab, M. J., Brown, R. W., Kohn, B. P., and Gleadow, A. J. W (2006). Tectono-Thermal history of North Kaoko Belt: an integrated apatite fission track thermochronology and (U-Th)/He dating study, 16^th Annual Goldschmidt Conference, Melbourne Australia, September 2006.

Raab, M. J., Brown, R. W., and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2006). New sub-surface insights into the structural evolution of the Drakensberg Escarpment, South Africa, European Conference on Thermochronology, Bremen, Germany, July 2006.

Luft, F. F., Raab, M. J., Brown, R. W., Kohn, B. P., and Gleadow, A. J. W (2006). Constraining the post-break-up denudation chronology of a passive margin: a fission track study from Namibia’s Atlantic margin, Geological Society of Australia, Conference, Melbourne, Australia, July 2006.

Brown, R. W., Raab, M. J., Gallagher, K. (2006). Erosion rates across Africa, European Geosciences Union, Conference, Vienna, Austria, April 2006.

Brown, R. W., Raab, M. J., Belton, D. X., Gallagher, K., Kohn, B. and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2005). A change of tactics on tectonics and landscape evolution?, STOMP-Conference on Structure, Tectonics and Ore Mineralization Processes, Townsville, Australia, August 2005.

Raab, M. J., Belton, D. X., Brown, R. W., Gallagher, K., Stevenson, J., Weber, K. and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2005). Reactivation of cryptic structures in basement terranes (I): Cretaceous tectonics in Central Namibia, STOMP-Conference on Structure, Tectonics and Ore Mineralization Processes, Townsville, Australia, August 2005.

Belton, D. X., Raab, M. J., Brown, R. W., Gallagher, K. and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2005). Reactivation of cryptic structures in basement terranes (II): Cretaceous tectonics on the Zimbabwe Craton, STOMP-Conference on Structure, Tectonics and Ore Mineralization Processes, Townsville, Australia, August 2005.

Raab, M. J., Brown, R. W., Gallagher, K. Weber, K. and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2004). The post break-up denudation chronology of Namibia’s passive margin, International Conference on Fission Track Dating and Thermochronology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, August 2004.

Raab, M. J., Brown, R. W., Belton, D. X., Gallagher, K. and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2004). Vertical relief profiles and interpreting palaeo-heat-flow in Namibia and Zimbabwe, International Conference on Fission Track Dating and Thermochronology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, August 2004.

Brown, R. W., Raab, M. J., Gallagher, K., Tinker, J., Raza, A. de Wit, M. J. and Gleadow, A. J. W. (2004). Raising southern Africa: a thermochronologic view of the origin and evolution of the supercontinent’s anomalous topography, International Conference on Fission Track Dating and Thermochronology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, August 2004.

Geological Maps:

Raab, M. J. (1998). Geological maps 1:25,000 of the Heimefrontfjella/Antarctica:

1. Worsfoldfjellet,
   
2. Cottontoppen,
   
3. Juckeskammen,
4. Kvitebotnen,
   
5. Ryghnuten,
   
6. Norumnuten,
   
7. Monsrudnabben,
   
8. Sirinuten,
   
9. Furubotnnabben,
   
10. Gramkroken,
    
11. Bjørnnutane,
    
12. Hanssonhorna,
    
13. Vikenegga.

Published by Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research Columbusstrasse, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany, and Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie, Richard-Strauss-Allee 11, 60598 Frankfurt, Germany.