T_c1D documentation

An example Tc1D model run from the command-line interface.

T_c1D is a one-dimensional thermal and thermochronometer age prediction model that can simulate the effects of various geodynamic and geomorphic processes on thermochronometer ages. It supports forward and inverse modeling of apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He and fission-track ages.

Check out the getting started page and the user guide for further information, including details about installation.

What can T_c1D do?

T_c1D can be used to

• Explore the effects of changes in rates of burial or exhumation on apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He and fission-track thermochronometer ages

• Simulate how thermochronometer ages change in response to crustal and lithospheric thermal processes such as emplacement of magmatic intrusions or delamination of the mantle lithosphere

• Derive estimates of rates of burial and exhumation from thermochronometer datasets using data inversion

• Produce plots of measured and predicted ages for various exhumation/burial histories

More details about how T_c1D works and some example applications are presented in a technical note about the code in Geochronology.

Citation

How to cite the code

Use of T_c1D can be acknowledged by citing the relevant version of Tc1D using the DOI from Zenodo that always points to the latest version (10.5281/zenodo.7124271). For example, the citation for version 0.7.0 is

Whipp, D. M., Gérard, B., Laaksonen, S., & Dönges, S. (2026). Tc1D - A 1D thermal and thermochronometer age prediction model (Version 0.7.0) [Computer software]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23721479

How to cite the paper

You’re also welcome to cite the related T_c1D technical note when referencing ideas from the article.

Whipp, D. M., Gérard, B., Laaksonen, S., and Kellett, D. A. (2026). Technical note: Tc1D – a 1D thermal and thermochronometer age prediction model. Geochronology, 8, 627–643. https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-8-627-2026

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Saska Dönges from the University of Helsinki Research Software Engineering (UH-RSE) for scientific computing support.

License

T_c1D is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3: Tc1D software license.

Contents

Using Tc1D

• Getting started
  • Installation (for most users)
  • Installation (for parallel MCMC inversions)
  • Running a basic model
  • Model options
  • Example notebooks
• User guide
  • Dealing with age data
  • Erosion models
• Plot examples
  • Temperature and density history
  • Surface elevation history
  • Cooling history and predicted ages
  • Ages at the model surface through time

Reference

• Functions reference
  • Functions in T_c1D