Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb carbonate geochronology: strategies, progress, and limitations

Roberts, Nick M.W.; Drost, Kerstin; Horstwood, Matthew S.A.; Condon, Daniel J.; Chew, David; Drake, Henrik; Milodowski, Antoni E.; McLean, Noah M.; Smye, Andrew J.; Walker, Richard J.; Haslam, Richard; Hodson, Keith; Imber, Jonathan; Beaudoin, Nicolas; Lee, Jack K.. 2020 Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb carbonate geochronology: strategies, progress, and limitations. Geochronology, 2 (1). 33-61. https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-33-2020

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-33-2020

Abstract/Summary

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb geochronology of carbonate minerals, calcite in particular, is rapidly gaining popularity as an absolute dating method. The high spatial resolution of LA-ICP-MS U–Pb carbonate geochronology has benefits over traditional isotope dilution methods, particularly for diagenetic and hydrothermal calcite, because uranium and lead are heterogeneously distributed on the sub-millimetre scale. At the same time, this can provide limitations to the method, as locating zones of radiogenic lead can be time-consuming and “hit or miss”. Here, we present strategies for dating carbonates with in situ techniques, through imaging and petrographic techniques to data interpretation; our examples are drawn from the dating of fracture-filling calcite, but our discussion is relevant to all carbonate applications. We review several limitations to the method, including open-system behaviour, variable initial-lead compositions, and U–daughter disequilibrium. We also discuss two approaches to data collection: traditional spot analyses guided by petrographic and elemental imaging and image-based dating that utilises LA-ICP-MS elemental and isotopic map data.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-33-2020
ISSN:	2628-3719
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences
Date made live:	14 Apr 2020 10:52 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527464

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-33-2020

ISSN:

2628-3719

NORA Subject Terms:

Earth Sciences

Date made live:

14 Apr 2020 10:52 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527464