INVERSE MODELING OF EXTENSION AND DENUDATION IN THE EAST IRISH SEA AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Epeirogenic uplift and denudation are difficult to quantify because, u nlike basin subsidence, they do not leave an unambiguous record. In re cent years, much research has been focussed an calculating regional de nudation from sonic velocity measurements, from vitrinite reflectance profiles, and from fission track analyses. Here we show that inverse m odelling of the remnant stratigraphy within extensional sedimentary ba sins yields estimates of denudation within a corridor which crosses th e British Isles. For a variety of reasons, these estimates are minima but they do broadly agree with those determined by inversion of vitrin ite reflectance profiles. Our results also demonstrate that denudation estimates from fission track analyses are meaningful. A combined stra tigraphic and thermal indicator approach should now be used to map den udation across different continents. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.