Perilla Zircon Megacryst: A New Cenozoic Natural Reference Material for In Situ U-Pb Dating and Hf-O Isotopes Analysis
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    Abstract:

    Zircon U-Pb and Hf-O isotope compositions preserve valuable records of the formation and evolution of geological processes. To obtain accurate and precise zircon geochronology and Hf-O isotope ratios using in situ techniques, matrix-matched reference materials are essential. In this study, we introduce a new potential zircon reference material, the Perilla megacryst, which has homogeneous U-Pb ages and Hf-O isotopic compositions, as demonstrated by multiple analytical techniques. The chemical abrasion isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) method presents a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 42.40 ± 0.06 Ma (2σ, n = 8). Further examination of the heterogeneity of U-Pb ages of the Perilla zircon megacryst was conducted by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and laser ablation (multiple collector) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) among six laboratories. We obtained mean 206Pb/238U ages of 42.6 ± 0.3 Ma (2σ, n = 23) using SIMS (SHRIMP), 42.6 ± 0.3 Ma (2σ, n = 20) using SIMS (CAMECA), 42.2 ± 0.3 Ma (2σ, n = 14) using LA-MC-ICP-MS, and 42.6 ± 0.1 Ma (2σ, n = 207) using LA-Q-ICP-MS, respectively. The Hf isotopic compositions of Perilla were evaluated using LA-MC-ICP-MS, yielding a uniform mean 176Hf/177Hf ratio of 0.282565 ± 0.000040 (2SD, n = 149) among four laboratories. Oxygen isotope analysis using laser fluorination yielded results consistent with SIMS data, providing a recommended mean δ18O value of 6.53 ± 0.34 ‰ (2SD, n = 5). The reproducibility of results obtained from multiple analytical techniques across different laboratories demonstrate the homogeneity of U-Pb ages and Hf-O isotopic compositions in the Perilla zircon megacryst. Based on these results, we propose the Perilla zircon megacryst as a potential secondary reference material for external monitoring or analytical validation of Cenozoic U-Pb geochronology and Hf-O isotopic measurements.

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Yan-Guang Li, Hai-Ou Gu, Dong-Yong Li, Xiao-Yan Gu Guo-Chao Sun, Jian-Dong Sun, Jia-Run Tu, Ke-Jun Hou, Run-Long Fan, Meng-Qi Jin, Lan-Lan Tian, Xing-Xiang Zhang, Yan-Jie Zhang, Li-Qun Dai, Ren-Xu Chen, Zi-Fu Zhao. Perilla Zircon Megacryst: A New Cenozoic Natural Reference Material for In Situ U-Pb Dating and Hf-O Isotopes Analysis[J]. Atomic Spectroscopy,,().

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  • Online: December 02,2025
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