Evaluating uncertainties in the calibration of isotopic reference materials and multi-element isotopic tracers (EARTHTIME Tracer Calibration Part II)

McLean, Noah M.; Condon, Daniel J.; Schoene, Blair; Bowring, Samuel A.. 2015 Evaluating uncertainties in the calibration of isotopic reference materials and multi-element isotopic tracers (EARTHTIME Tracer Calibration Part II). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 164. 481-501. 10.1016/j.gca.2015.02.040

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.02.040

Abstract/Summary

A statistical approach to evaluating uncertainties in the calibration of multi-element isotopic tracers has been developed and applied to determining the isotopic composition of mixed U-Pb (202Pb-205Pb-233U-235U) tracers used for accurate isotope dilution U-Pb geochronology. Our experiment, part of the EARTHTIME initiative, directly links the tracer calibration to first-principles measurements of mass and purity that are all traceable to SI units, thereby quantifying the accuracy and precision of U-Pb dates in absolute time. The calibration incorporates new more accurate and precise purity measurements for a number of commonly used Pb and U reference materials, and requires inter-relating their isotopic compositions and uncertainties. Similar methods can be used for other isotope systems that utilize multiple isotopic standards for calibration purposes. We also detail the inter-calibration of three publicly available U-Pb gravimetric solutions, which can be used to bring the same first-principles traceability to in-house U-Pb tracers from other laboratories. Accounting for uncertainty correlations in the tracer isotope ratios yields a tracer calibration contribution to the relative uncertainty of a 206Pb/238U date that is only half of the relative uncertainty in the 235U/205Pb ratio of the tracer, which was historically used to approximate the tracer related uncertainty contribution to 206Pb/238U dates. The tracer uncertainty contribution to 206Pb/238U dates has in this way been reduced to <300 ppm when using the EARTHTIME and similarly calibrated tracers.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.gca.2015.02.040
ISSN:	0016-7037
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences Mathematics Chemistry
Date made live:	17 Mar 2015 13:57 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/510180

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.gca.2015.02.040

ISSN:

0016-7037

NORA Subject Terms:

Earth Sciences
Mathematics
Chemistry

Date made live:

17 Mar 2015 13:57 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/510180