Most Ar and He in the rocks is radiogenic from the deacy of potassium (40K) and U-Th respectively. If the system remains closed, the formation age of the rock can be obtained. However, during heating to moderate (for rocks!) temperatures, the noble gases Ar and He can be partially released. While this resetting disturbs the record of formation, analysis of different minerals can allow reconstruction of thermal paths. Furthermore, the mineral orthoclase can be used to reconstruct thermal paths because of differential retention in certain crystallographic or mineralogical sites. From the thermal release pattern, the temperature time path of the rock can be reconstructed allowing tectonic models to be quantified.
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