Petrochronology: Micron-scale links between mineral dates, P – T conditions, and petrogenesis

Geodynamic processes impart characteristic compositional signatures to minerals; petrochronology is the science of deciphering these signatures with respect to time. This chapter provides a critical appraisal of the thermodynamic and kinetic processes that lead to commonly observed patterns of intracrystalline isotopic dates and trace-element concentrations. The now routine ability to characterize multi-scale variations in isotopic dates and mineral compositions – from regional to (sub)micron scales – heralds a new era in petrochronology. We emphasize the potential for such information to constrain histories of mineral growth, temperature, deformation and fluid-rock interaction over sub-million year timescales, affording fresh insight into the geodynamics of Earth's lithosphere.