U-Pb isotopic age dating by LAM ICP-MS, INCO Innovation Centre, Memorial University: Sample preparation methodology and analytical techniques

This contribution reports on sample preparation methods and Laser Ablation Microprobe Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LAM ICP-MS) analytical techniques routinely used to acquire U-Pb isotopic age data at the INCO Innovation Centre, Memorial University. Four concordant zircon reference materials that span from Miocene to Archean in age (9.52 Ma, 337.15 Ma, 1066.3 Ma and 2674.3 Ma) were recently analysed during a data collection session in which U-Pb isotopic data for 11 suspected Cretaceous plutonic rocks were being acquired. Final U-Pb age calculations determined for the four zircon reference materials are in excellent agreement with the corresponding known and/or published ID TIMS ages and demonstrate the reproducibility, accuracy and precision of the LAM ICP-MS technique. Furthermore, data collected for sample GP-09-02 demonstrate the applicability of the LAM ICP-MS technique for dating zircon populations as young as Miocene.

Publisher

Government of Yukon

Resources

3

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-08-26