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Natural Clinopyroxene Reference Materials for in situ Sr Isotopic Analysis via LA-MC-ICP-MS
Han Zhao1,2,3, Xin-Miao Zhao1,2,3, P J Le Roux4
1State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Chemistry
|December 28, 2020
Summary
Six new natural clinopyroxene reference materials from South Africa and China are presented for in situ strontium isotope microanalysis. These materials exhibit homogeneity and stability, crucial for geochemical research and mantle evolution studies.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Isotope Geology
- Mineralogy
Background:
- Clinopyroxene is a key mineral for understanding lithophile element behavior in the mantle lithosphere.
- Accurate in situ strontium (Sr) isotope analysis of clinopyroxene is essential for constraining mantle evolution and melt generation processes.
- Recent advancements in laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) have increased the need for reliable reference materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce six natural clinopyroxene samples from South Africa and China as potential reference materials for in situ Sr isotope microanalysis.
- To evaluate the homogeneity and suitability of these clinopyroxenes for geochemical applications.
- To provide a dataset of Sr isotope compositions for these new reference materials.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 193-nm nanosecond and 257-nm femtosecond laser systems coupled to MC-ICP-MS for in situ analysis.
- Investigated homogeneity over a 2-year period.
- Analyzed major and trace elements using electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and ICP-MS (solution and laser).
- Compared in situ Sr isotope data with thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) results.
Main Results:
- Six natural clinopyroxene reference materials (JJG1424, YY09-47, YY09-04, YY09-24, YY12-01, YY12-02) were characterized.
- Sr content ranged from 50 to 340 μg g⁻¹, covering typical natural clinopyroxene compositions.
- Demonstrated homogeneity and Sr isotopic stability of the proposed reference materials.
- In situ ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values showed excellent agreement with TIMS data.
Conclusions:
- The characterized clinopyroxenes are suitable as reference materials for in situ Sr isotope microanalysis.
- These materials can be used for correcting instrumental fractionation and as quality control materials.
- The provided Sr isotope data will aid microbeam analysis in geochemistry and mantle studies.
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