학술논문

Ultrafast, > 50 Hz LA‐ICP‐MS Spot Analysis Applied to U–Pb Dating of Zircon and other U‐Bearing Minerals.
Document Type
Article
Source
Geostandards & Geoanalytical Research. Mar2019, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p39-60. 22p.
Subject
*ZIRCON
*URANIUM-lead dating
*PICOSECOND pulses
*GEOLOGICAL time scales
*REFERENCE sources
Language
ISSN
1639-4488
Abstract
LA‐ICP‐MS U–Pb detrital zircon studies typically analyse 50–200 grains per sample, with the consequent risk that minor but geologically important age components (e.g., the youngest detrital zircon population) are not detected, and higher abundance age components are misrepresented, rendering quantitative comparisons between samples impossible. This study undertook rapid U–Pb LA‐ICP‐MS analyses (8 s per 18–47 μm diameter spot including baseline and ablation) of zircon, apatite, rutile and titanite using an aerosol rapid introduction system (ARIS). As the ARIS resolves individual single pulses at fast sampling rates, spot analyses require a high repetition rate (> 50 Hz) so the signal does not return to baseline and mass sweep times (> 80 ms) that span several laser pulses (i.e., major undersampling of the signal). All rapid U–Pb spot analyses employed 250–300 pulses, repetition rates of 53–65 Hz (total ablation times of 4.1–5.7 s) and low fluence (1.75–2.5 J cm−2), resulting in pit depths of ca. 15 μm. Zircon, apatite, rutile and titanite reference material data yield an accuracy and precision (2s) of < 1% for pre‐Cenozoic reference materials and < 2% for younger reference materials. We present a detrital zircon data set from a Neoproterozoic tillite where > 1000 grains were analysed in < 3 h with a precision and accuracy comparable to conventional LA‐ICP‐MS analytical protocols, demonstrating the rapid acquisition of huge detrital data sets. Key Points: A rapid U‐Pb LA‐ICP‐MS protocol (8 s per spot including baseline and ablation) for U‐bearing accessory minerals. Zircon, apatite, rutile and titanite reference material data yielded accuracy and precision (2s) of < 1% for pre‐Cenozoic reference materials. Neoproterozoic tillite detrital zircon data set results (> 1000 grains analysed in < 3 h) gave precision and accuracy comparable to conventional LA‐ICP‐MS protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]