PREPRINT: A global platform solution for Big Data in low-temperature thermochronology

Low-temperature thermochronology is a powerful tool for constraining the thermal evolution of geological materials at temperatures (< ~300 °C) common in the upper crust in relation to geodynamics, continental crustal evolution, landscape evolution, and natural resource formation and preservation. However, complexities inherent to these analytical techniques can make interpreting the significance of results challenging, requiring them to be placed in their geological context through time. We present a novel tool for the geospatial archival, analysis and dissemination of low-temperature thermochronology data (i.e., fission track and (U-Th)/He), built as an extension to the open-access AusGeochem platform (https://ausgeochem.auscope.org.au) and which is freely accessible to scientists from around the world. To demonstrate the power and utility of the platform, three regional low-temperature thermochronology datasets from Kenya, Australia and the Red Sea are presented. By visualising and interrogating these data in their regional three-dimensional geological, geochemical, and geographic contexts, insights into their tectonic implications are revealed which could otherwise be overlooked.