Common-Lead Corrected U-Pb Age Dating of Perovskite by LA–SF–ICP–MS

Abstract:

Perovskite is a very useful mineral for dating the age of emplacement of kimberlites and associated rocks. Conventionally, U-Pb dating of perovskite is achieved using isotope dilution (ID-TIMS) or ion-probe (SHRIMP) techniques, which are time- and cost-intensive. The potential of the rapid and inexpensive laser ablation ICP-MS technique for U-Pb dating of perovskite has been demonstrated recently. We investigated the benefits of single collector magnetic sectorfield ICP-MS (SF-ICP-MS) instruments for U-Pb dating of perovskite by laser ablation. To this end perovskites from two kimberlites from Garnet Lake, W Greenland, and Pyramidefjeld, SW Greenland, have been separated. Multigrain aliquots of both perovskite separates were U-Pb dated by ID-TIMS, yielding emplacement ages of 568 ±11 Ma for the Garnet Lake kimberlite and 151 ±2 Ma for the Pyramidefjeld kimberlite. Subsequently both samples have been dated in-situ by laser ablation employing a ThermoFinnigan Element2 SF-ICP-MS coupled to a NewWave UP 213 laser system. A common lead correction was applied based on the measured ²⁰⁴Pb intensity (after correction for the measured ²⁰⁴(Pb+Hg) gas blank). Perovskite from the Ice River Complex, British Columbia, was used as a secondary standard for quality control purposes. Multiple in-situ measurements of the Ice River perovskite in two different analytical sessions yielded concordia ages of 359 ±3 Ma and 357 ±3 Ma, in excellent agreement with the age of 356 Ma determined by ID-TIMS (Heaman, pers. comm.). Nineteen in-situ analyses of perovskite grains extracted from the Garnet Lake kimberlite yielded a concordia age of 566 ±5 Ma, also in excellent agreement with the age obtained by ID-TIMS. Because of the very low Pb contents in perovskites from the Pyramidefjeld (around 1 ppm) and the associated large uncertainties of the common lead correction, no concordia age could be obtained. However, the in-situ laser ablation analysis yielded a common lead corrected weighted average ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 152 ±3 Ma which is again in excellent agreement with the weighted average ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 152 ±2 Ma obtained by ID-TIMS. We therefore conclude that laser ablation SF-ICP-MS is a fast and inexpensive method for precise and accurate common lead corrected U-Pb dating of perovskite, and hence diamond exploration.