Accurate U‐Pb Age and Trace Element Determinations of Zircon by Laser Ablation‐Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry

Various zircons of Proterozoic to Oligocene ages (1060‐31 Ma) were analysed by laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry. Calibration was performed using Harvard reference zircon 91500 or Australian National University reference zircon TEMORA 1 as external calibrant. The results agree with those obtained by SIMS within 2s error. Twenty‐four trace and rare earth elements (P, Ti, Cr, Y, Nb, fourteen REE, Hf, Ta, Pb, Th and U) were analysed on four fragments of zircon 91500. NIST SRM 610 was used as the reference material and 29 Si was used as internal calibrant. Based on determinations of four fragments, this zircon shows significant intra‐and inter‐fragment variations in the range from 10% to…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China
• MO
  Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China