Thermotectonic Evolution of Central Namibia
Abstract of PhD Thesis "The Geomorphic Response of the Passive Continental Margin of Northern Namibia to Continental Break-Up and Global Scale Tectonics" by Dr Matthias Raab. A fission track study of central and northern Namibia.
Apatite fission track thermochronology data provide an independent and direct constraint on the spatial and temporal variations of denudation in onshore regions. The method allows the identification of major eroding source areas over time. With this information, a record of the cooling history can be established, potentially identifying offsets across major structures, as well as important periods of accelerated denudation and their distribution along the continental margin. Moreover, if vertical relief profiles are available, a palaeogeothermal gradient can be reconstructed.
