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

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.