Quantifying Tectonic and Geomorphic Interpretations of Thermochronometer Data: The Reconstruction of Mountain Surface

Thermochronometer data offers a powerful tool for quantifying a wide range of geologic processes, such as the deformation and erosion of mountain ranges, paleotopography, hydrocarbon maturation, and forest fire frequency. With increasing interest to quantify a wider range of complicated geologic processes, more sophisticate techniques are in need. This paper is concerned with an inverse problem method for interpreting the thermonochronometer data quantitatively. Two novel models are proposed to simulate the thermal convection inside the mountain and the surface process, respectively. One is the heat transport process model which describes the change of temperature of rocks; while the other is surface process model which explains the change of surface of the mountain. New computational algorithms are developed for solving the inverse problem of the coupled system of these two models. The computational modeling should provide a systematic tool for restoring the historic geological process effectively.