U-Pb dating of calcite using LA-ICP-MS; Instrumental setup for non-matrix-matched age dating and determination of analytical areas using elemental imaging

LA-ICP-MS法による方解石のU-Pb年代測定; マトリクスの一致した標準試料を必要としない装置セッティング方法と元素イメージングによる分析領域の選択手法

横山 立憲   ; 木村 純一*; 三ツ口 丈裕 ; 檀原 徹*; 平田 岳史*; 坂田 周平*; 岩野 英樹*; 丸山 誠史*; Chang, Q.*; 宮崎 隆*; 村上 裕晃  ; 國分 陽子   

Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Kimura, Junichi*; Mitsuguchi, Takehiro; Danhara, Toru*; Hirata, Takafumi*; Sakata, Shuhei*; Iwano, Hideki*; Maruyama, Seiji*; Chang, Q.*; Miyazaki, Takashi*; Murakami, Hiroaki; Kokubu, Yoko

We developed a non-matrix matched U-Pb dating method for calcite by using LA-ICP-MS. The excimer LA was set to generate a low-aspect-ratio crater to minimize downhole U-Pb fractionation. We used He sample ablation gas mixed with Ar carrier gas and additional trace N gas to create a robust plasma setup. The use of N additional gas allowed for low oxide molecular yield for high-sensitivity interface cones with the ICP shield electrode disconnected. Moreover, this resulted in robust ICP plasma against different matrixes in LA aerosols owing to efficient dissociation-ionization of the aerosols by increased plasma temperature. The above setup helped accomplish accurate U-Pb dating of calcite samples by using SRM 612 glass as the standard. We applied this method to the following calcite samples: (1) recently-proposed reference material named WC-1 with a determined U-Pb age of 254.63.2 Ma and (2) a well-preserved fossil specimen of blastoid sp. with an estimated age of 339-318 Ma. The resultant U-Pb ages of the WC-1 and samples were 260.06.7 Ma and 33212 Ma, respectively, which indicate accurate U-Pb dating by this method. Before this U-Pb dating, quantitative distribution maps of the U, Th, and Pb isotopes of each sample were obtained using the LA-ICP-MS imaging technique to select suitable areas for dating.