Central Asia thermochronology compilation

A compilation of geosample metadata, apatite, zircon and titanite fission-track data, apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He data, as well as best-fit and maximum and minimum 95% confidence interval time-temperature paths from thermal history models from 372 surface rock samples from across Central Asia.

Thermochronology data included in the compilation were sourced from publications (see linked references) which included inverse time-temperature reconstructions that passed three criteria: (1) that the underlying thermochronology (meta-)data and inverse thermal history model parameters and results were reported following published international data reporting best practices (Kohn et al., 2024) and in enough detail to extract the requisite information needed for the numerical 4D analysis described below, (2) that the reported underlying thermochronology ages were reproduced by other independent studies, and (3) that the published thermal history models were shown to reproduce the observed data indicating statistical robustness.

To ensure a high-quality dataset with sufficiently detailed (meta-)data, the compilation only includes data from peer-reviewed publications which report secondary standard results for objective assessment of data accuracy, and single-grain results consistent with best-practice reporting standards of Kohn et al. (2024) and Boone et al. (2023). Published inversely modelled best-fit and upper and lower 95% confidence interval time-temperature paths produced by QTQt and HeFTy modelling software were digitised using WebPlotDigitizer. Where available in supplementary information from data sources, model reliability metrics including goodness of fit (HeFTy) and age, length and kinetic parameter model residuals (QTQt) were also recorded. In addition to data quality requirements described above, models were only included in this compilation when modelling conditions were reported, including software, data types used, and rationale for applied constraints were reported, to prevent inclusion of thermochronologically or geologically unsupported time-temperature histories.

Instances of large discrepancies in reported thermochronology ages have been noted in different parts of Central Asia (see Discussions in Gillespie et al., 2019 and He et al., 2022), where certain studies report anomalous apatite fission-track ages that are significantly younger and incompatible with those reported by the majority of studies from the same areas and, in some cases, are even younger than ages from the lower-temperature apatite (U-Th)/He system reported in the same basement blocks. In these cases, the studies which reported suspect data were therefore omitted from the compilation.

In line with published international thermal history modelling data reporting best practices (Flowers et al., 2015, 2016; Gallagher, 2016), only published time-temperature simulations from Central Asia were included that were shown to reproduce the underlying thermochronology data either via visual observed versus predicted plots of numerical goodness of fit values.

Cooling rates stored in the Nixon et al. (2025) data compilation were calculated by taking the slope of best-fit time-temperature paths from published thermal history models on a per million year basis. Only periods of cooling recorded by thermal history models, as a proxy for exhumation, were considered. Rare phases of reheating in published thermal history models from the study area were instead considered as recording 0 °C/Ma of cooling during the corresponding time periods. Extracted thermal histories for any given sample extend only as far back as the period of time constrained by their underlying thermochronology data, with cooling rates for earlier periods recorded in the database as NaN and ignored during analysis.

This compilation underpins the integrated plate tectonic, geodynamic and paleoclimate modelling study of Boone et al. (2025):

Boone, S., Glorie, S., Zahirovic, S., Nixon, A., Meeuws, F., and Kohlmann, F. (2025). Deciphering Mantle, Tectonic and Climactic Controls of Exhumation (in review).

A preprint of this work can be found here, DOI: 10.22541/au.174111208.84464085/v1

本数据集整合了中亚地区372个地表岩石样品的地质样品元数据、磷灰石（apatite）、锆石（zircon）及榍石（titanite）裂变径迹（fission-track）数据、磷灰石与锆石（铀-钍）/氦[(U-Th)/He]热年代学（thermochronology）数据，以及来自热历史模型（thermal history models）的最优拟合、95%置信区间上下限的时间-温度路径（time-temperature paths）。

本数据集收录的热年代学数据均来自已发表文献（详见关联参考文献），且其所包含的反演时间-温度重建（inverse time-temperature reconstructions）需满足三项标准：（1）原始热年代学（元）数据、反演热历史模型参数及结果的报告需遵循已发布的国际数据报告最佳实践（best practices，Kohn等，2024），且细节充足，可提取下文所述数值四维分析所需的必要信息；（2）报道的原始热年代学年龄可被其他独立研究复现；（3）已发表的热历史模型可复现观测数据，证明其具备统计稳健性（statistical robustness）。

为确保数据集具备高质量且包含足够详尽的（元）数据，本数据集仅收录来自同行评议（peer-reviewed）文献的数据，此类文献需报告可用于客观评估数据准确性的二级标准结果，且单颗粒结果（single-grain results）需符合Kohn等（2024）与Boone等（2023）发布的最佳报告规范。由QTQt和HeFTy模拟软件生成的已发表反演最优拟合时间-温度路径及95%置信区间上下限，均通过WebPlotDigitizer进行数字化提取。若数据来源的补充材料中包含相关内容，还将记录模型可靠性指标，包括HeFTy的拟合优度（goodness of fit），以及QTQt的年龄、长度与动力学参数模型残差（residuals）。除上述数据质量要求外，仅当建模条件（包括所用软件、数据类型及约束条件的依据）均已明确报道时，相关模型才可被纳入本数据集，以避免收录热年代学或地质学上缺乏支撑的时间-温度历史。

中亚不同区域已出现报道的热年代学年龄存在显著偏差的案例（详见Gillespie等，2019与He等，2022的讨论部分），部分研究报道的异常磷灰石裂变径迹年龄显著偏年轻，与同一区域多数研究的报道结果不符；在部分案例中，该年龄甚至比同一基底地块中报道的低温磷灰石（铀-钍）/氦热年代学系统年龄还要年轻。针对此类情况，本数据集将剔除报道可疑数据的相关研究。

遵循已发表的国际热历史模拟数据报告最佳实践（Flowers等，2015、2016；Gallagher，2016），本数据集仅收录中亚地区已发表的时间-温度模拟结果，且该模拟需通过数值拟合优度的观测值与预测值可视化图，证明可复现原始热年代学数据。

Nixon等（2025）数据集收录的冷却速率（cooling rates），通过计算已发表热历史模型的最优拟合时间-温度路径的斜率（以每百万年为单位）得到。本数据集仅考虑热历史模型记录的、作为剥蚀作用（exhumation）替代指标的冷却时段。研究区已发表热历史模型中罕见的升温阶段（reheating），将被视为对应时段内冷却速率为0℃/Ma。单个样品提取的热历史仅延伸至其原始热年代学数据所约束的最早时间，数据库中更早时段的冷却速率将以NaN（非数值）记录，并在分析中予以忽略。

本数据集为Boone等（2025）的整合板块构造、地球动力学与古气候模拟研究提供支撑：
Boone, S., Glorie, S., Zahirovic, S., Nixon, A., Meeuws, F., 及 Kohlmann, F. (2025). 《解密剥蚀作用的地幔、构造与气候控制因素》（已投稿待审）。
该研究的预印本（preprint）可通过以下DOI获取：10.22541/au.174111208.84464085/v1