Dizhi lixue xuebao (Aug 2022)
In-situ zircon U-Pb dating method by LA-ICP-MS and discussions on the effect of different beam spot diameters on the dating results
Abstract
By using the newly introduced GeoLas HD 193 nm ArF excimer laser ablation system and the Agilent 7900 quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) in the Key Laboratory of Paleomagnetism and Tectonic Reconstruction at the Institute of Geomechanics, we successfully established the in-situ zircon U-Pb dating method and trace element analytical method by LA-ICP-MS. U-Pb dating experiments were carried out on Plešovice, Temora1 and Qinghu zircons under the experimental conditions of 32 μm beam spot diameter, 5.0 J/cm2 energy density and 5 Hz denudation frequency using the standard zircon 91500 as the external standard. The ideal age results are consistent with their recommended values, and the measured U-Pb ages for Plešovice zircon remain stable in different periods. Meanwhile, a comparative study of the U-Pb dating results in different laboratories was carried out on an unknown sample 11-5, and the dating results are consistent with that obtained in the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) within analytical error. Trace elements in zircon standard 91500 and glass standard NIST SRM 612 were analyzed by using NIST SRM 610 as an external standard and 29Si as an internal standard, and the measured values are consistent with the recommended values of trace element contents. In addition, the influence of different beam spot diameters on the zircon U-Pb age results was explored by using the Plešovice zircon as an example. The results show that a denudation diameter of 16~44 μm can obtain reliable zircon U-Pb ages similar to the recommended age, and under the same energy density and denudation frequency conditions, U-Pb ages obtained by using 32~44 μm beam spot diameters are more accurate than those obtained by 16~24 μm beam spot diameters.
Keywords
