Search results for "MC-ICP-MS"
showing 7 items of 7 documents
Triple Isotope Fractionation Exponents of Elements Measured by MC-ICP-MS—An Example of Mg
2019
In most chemical reactions, stable isotopes are fractionated in a mass-dependent manner, yielding correlated isotope ratios in elements with three or more stable isotopes. The proportionality between isotope ratios is set by the triple isotope fractionation exponent θ that can be determined precisely for, e.g., sulfur and oxygen by IRMS, but not for metal(loid) elements due to the lower precision of MC-ICP-MS analysis and smaller isotopic variations. Here, using Mg as a test case, we compute a complete metrologically robust uncertainty budget for apparent θ values and, with reference to this, present a new measurement approach that reduces uncertainty on θ values by 30%. T…
NanoSr - A New Carbonate Microanalytical Reference Material for In Situ Strontium Isotope Analysis
2019
The in situ measurement of Sr isotopes in carbonates by MC‐ICP‐MS is limited by the availability of suitable microanalytical reference materials (RMs), which match the samples of interest. Whereas several well‐characterised carbonate reference materials for Sr mass fractions > 1000 µg g−1 are available, there is a lack of well‐characterised carbonate microanalytical RMs with lower Sr mass fractions. Here, we present a new synthetic carbonate nanopowder RM with a Sr mass fraction of ca. 500 µg g−1 suitable for microanalytical Sr isotope research (‘NanoSr’). NanoSr was analysed by both solution‐based and in situ techniques. Element mass fractions were determined using EPMA (Ca mass fraction),…
Copper supply during the Final Neolithic at the Saint-Blaise/Bains des Dames site (Neuchâtel, Switzerland)
2009
The Saint-Blaise/Bains des Dames stratified site in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, contains several occupations that span the Late through Final Neolithic, including the Horgen, Lüscherz, and Auvernier-Cordé periods. As part of a study on prehistoric metallurgy in western Switzerland, we compare the lead isotope ratios (multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer) and elemental compositions (instrumental neutron activation analysis) of the site's numerous copper finds to a database of corresponding measurements for copper ores throughout Europe. The results show a considerable variation in copper compositions present at the site, suggesting complex economic relationships and multip…
Calcium Carbonate and Phosphate Reference Materials for Monitoring Bulk and Microanalytical Determination of Sr Isotopes
2017
In situ laser ablation analyses rely on the microanalytical homogeneity of reference materials (RMs) and a similar matrix and mass fraction between unknown samples and RMs to obtain reliable results. Suitable carbonate and phosphate RMs for determination of Sr isotope ratios in such materials are limited. Thus, we determined Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios of several carbonate (JCt-1, JCp-1, MACS-1, MACS-3) and phosphate (MAPS-4, MAPS-5, NIST SRM 1400, NIST SRM 1486) international RMs using dissolved samples and two different multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometers (MC-ICP-MS). Our Sr isotope data are in agreement with published data and have an improved measurement precision for s…
δ30Si and δ29Si Determinations on USGS BHVO-1 and BHVO-2 Reference Materials with a New Configuration on a Nu Plasma Multi-Collector ICP-MS
2008
We report silicon isotopic determinations for USGS rock reference materials BHVO-1 and BHVO-2 using a Nu Plasma multi-collector (MC)-ICP-MS, upgraded with a new adjustable entrance slit, to obtain medium resolution, as well as a stronger primary pump and newly designed sampler and skimmer cones ("B" cones). These settings, combined with the use of collector slits, allowed a resolution to be reached that was sufficient to overcome the (NO)-N-14-O-16 and N-14(2) interferences overlying the Si-30 and the Si-28 peaks, respectively, in an earlier set-up. This enabled accurate measurement of both delta Si-30 and delta Si-29. The delta value is expressed in per mil variation relative to the NBS 28…
(Supplementary Table 1) 230Th/U results for stalagmite Cuba Grande (CG) from Pinar del Rio
2010
We present 22 U-series ages for a stalagmite from north-western Cuba based on multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) and thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS). Our results reveal that the stalagmite continuously grew within the last ~1400a. Low uranium content of the sample and thus, extremely low 230Th concentrations limit the precision and accuracy of 230Th/U-dating by TIMS. Samples measured by MC-ICPMS show a high variability of 232Th content along the growth axis with some sections significantly affected by initial 230Th from a detrital phase. An a-priori bulk earth ratio for (238U/232Th) cannot be used to accurately account for this initial 230Th.…
(Supplement Table S2) Results of 230Th/U-dating
2016
We compared the suitability of two skeletal materials of the Atlantic brain coral Diploria strigosa for 230Th/U-dating: the commonly used bulk material comprising all skeletal elements and the denser theca wall material. Eight fossil corals of presumably Last Interglacial age from Bonaire, southern Caribbean Sea, were investigated, and several sub-samples were dated from each coral. For four corals, both the ages and the activity ratios of the bulk material and theca wall agree within uncertainty. Three corals show significantly older ages for their bulk material than for their theca wall material as well as substantially elevated 232Th content and (230Th/238U) ratios. The bulk material sam…