在造山運動過程中，造山帶的碎屑沉積物被剝蝕傳輸至前陸盆地，造山作用隨時間的發展過程中，剝蝕的岩層由沉積岩逐漸將變質岩剝蝕沉積至前陸盆地。鋯石核飛跡為低溫熱定年系統，可以反映造山帶岩層被深埋的溫度及抬升時冷卻的年代，因此當沉積物沉積至前陸盆地時，分析盆地碎屑鋯石核飛跡定年可以反映山脈剝蝕隨時間的變化。鋯石鈾鉛定年由於具高溫的封存溫度，不易受後來變質作用影響，因此在沉積盆地中鋯石鈾鉛年代譜可以反映來源區的岩層特性。
本研究分析台灣中部前陸盆地中，岩層的鋯石核飛跡定年及鈾鉛定年的雙重定年，藉此分析來源區中部雪山山脈剝蝕歷史。
本研究分析台灣中部烏溪流域上新世的錦水頁岩、更新世的卓蘭層與頭嵙山層的沉積岩。根據碎屑核飛跡定年結果，由錦水頁岩到卓蘭層中段間，鋯石核飛跡年代顯示以未癒合年代為主。在卓蘭層上部到頭嵙山層之間，鋯石核飛跡年代轉變為部份癒合年代群，在香山相開始出現小於6.5Ma的鋯石核飛跡年代。碎屑鋯石鈾鉛定年結果顯示，沉積物來源由錦水頁岩到頭嵙山層香山相之間，由年代譜顯示沉積來源由漸新世、中新世地層轉為始新世地層。由雙重定年結果得知，核飛跡年代小於65Ma的鋯石並非新生代火山活動的產物。本研究進一步分析核飛跡年代峰值與沉積地層年代的關係，滯後時間在1.1~0.5Ma快速縮短，顯示來源區崛起速率處於加速狀態。本研究最後將核飛跡年代分佈特性與西部麓山帶內不同地區之研究結果進行比較，癒合帶出露的時間以濁水溪流域最早，烏溪較晚。
由碎屑鋯石的鈾鉛定年與核飛跡定年得知，沉積物來源逐漸改變由未變質的中新世地層到淺變質的漸新世到始新世地層，在頭嵙山層香山相時，開始剝蝕變質度較高的始新世地層。在1.1~0.5Ma造山帶抬升速率由974m/m.y.加速至1196m~1286 m/m.y。鋯石完全癒合帶出露時間以濁水溪流域的1.6Ma最早。

In this study, we used low-temperature thermochronology to investigate the depositional source and exhumation rates of mountain belt in central Taiwan. We collected four sedimentary rock samples from Chiunkongliao River and one sample from Wuxi. Based on zircon fission-track (ZFT) dating and uranium-lead (U-Pb) dating, we find that the percentage of partial reset zircon increases from the Chinshui Shale to the Toukoshan Formation, and total reset zircon appear in the Toukoshan Formation. In addition, the probability-density of U-Pb dating in the Toukoshan Formation inclines more to the Oligocene than the Miocene. From the double-dating, the ZFT age less than 65Ma is not the product of Cenozoic volcanic activity. The above result indicates the origin of depositional source does change from the Cholan Formation to the Toukoshan Formation. By the lag time curve, the exhumation rate was accelerating during the time period from 1.1 Ma to 0.5Ma. Comparing our results with previous studies in Western Foothills, the annealing zone was exposed the earliest in the Zhuoshui River and later in Wuxi.

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