Calibration of GA1550 biotite standard for K/Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dating

The mineral separate GA1550 biotite has become an international standard for K/Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating studies, although it was prepared as an intralaboratory standard at ANU to monitor tracer depletion from a gas pipette. It is one of a small number of samples that has been calibrated against ³⁸Ar tracers, some of which had been mixed with known amounts of atmospheric argon, so that a so-called primary calibration has been performed. By measuring GA1550 biotite against additional tracers from the same batch we have determined the radiogenic argon content of this sample as 1.342 (± 0.007) × 10^? 9 mol/g, and together with the measured K content of 7.645 (± 0.050) weight percent, we derive a best estimate for the K/Ar age as 98.5 ± 0.5 Ma, where the error is derived from averaging the ages determined relative to the ³⁸Ar tracer.     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学现状与问题

Ar同位素体系定年矿物的封闭温度范围广,并且可以获得650℃～150℃温度段的非线性冷却历史,因此~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学成为研究地质体热演化历史过程中最有效的工具之一。但是由于矿物中Ar同位素扩散机制还有一些问题没有清楚地被认识,因此在一定程度上制约了~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学的发展。本文介绍了目前应用最广泛的两种~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar热年代学模式:多重扩散域模式和多路径扩散模式,讨论了它们的发展现状、存在的问题、可能解决的方法以及今后的发展方向。     

激光显微探针~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar同位素定年

已有 5 0年历史的K Ar定年法 ,由于过剩Ar和Ar丢失的普遍发现 ,使其最广泛的应用面临着严重挑战。40 Ar/ 3 9Ar分步加热释氩法是常规K Ar定年法的发展 ,它克服了常规K Ar定年法的一些局限 ,又可以测定岩浆构造热事件。激光显微探针40 Ar/ 3 9Ar定年法是在 2 0世纪末把聚焦激光束应用在40 Ar/ 3 9Ar分步加热释氩法中而发展起来的一种定年方法。它既具有常规K Ar定年法和40Ar/ 3 9Ar分步加热释氩法的所有优越性 ,又把定年引入微观领域。特别是在 2 0世纪的最后几年 ,以激光显微探针40 Ar/ 3 9Ar定年方法的完善和精度的提高为标志 ,把K Ar年代学研究推向了一个新的里程碑。微区微量高精度高分辨定年 ,把定年时限扩展到人类历史范畴 ,精细的分析技术拓宽了年代学的应用范围 ,使之解决的地质问题更广泛和深入 ,并且开始冲击着地球科学中的某些热点和难点课题。     

Comparison between grain size and multi-mineral Ar/Ar thermochronology

In the case of volume diffusion, the closure temperature of a mineral is function of, among other factors, the characteristic diffusion dimension, which can be approximated by the grain size of the mineral analysed for grains smaller than or similar in size to the diffusion domains. The theoretical possibility of single mineral grain size thermochronology had been demonstrated empirically in earlier studies, mostly using biotite. In order to examine the potential of this method, it was tested alongside the widely used multi-mineral ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar thermochronology. The sample comes from the granitic McLean pluton, in the south section of the Grenville orogeny. Seven grain size separates of biotite (ranging between 90 and 1000 μm), eight size fractions of amphibole (between 63 and 1000 μm), and three size fractions of K-feldspar (250-600 μm) were extracted and dated by the laser step-heating ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method. The total gas ages obtained behave as theoretically predicted, with increasing ages for increasing grain sizes, including for K-feldspar, but with the exception of the smallest and the largest grains for biotite and amphibole. The calculated cooling rates are ca. 0.7 °C/Ma for K-feldspar, ca. 2.5 °C/Ma for biotite, and ca. 11 °C/Ma for amphibole, corresponding very well to a monotonic cooling of the McLean pluton. A quick initial thermal re-equilibration with the cooler host-rocks is followed by a much slower cooling on a thermal path parallel to that of the Frontenac Terrain situated immediately to the southeast. The validity of the single mineral grain size thermochronology is demonstrated by comparison with the thermal evolution of the adjacent units and with the cooling history derived from a multi-mineral thermochronology, suggesting that it can be routinely used. The application of this method can be hampered by insufficiently low analytical uncertainties.     

激光显微探针40Ar/39Ar 定年方法研究

实验结果表明，在激光探针40Ar/36Ar年龄和常规40Ar/39Ar年龄之间有较好的吻合性，多次测定BSP-1角闪石国际标样年龄值大部分在2020-20900Ma之间，多次测定周口店花岗岩中ZBH-25国内标样年龄值大部分在130-135.9Ma。分析区域可小到30μm以下（激光束本身可被聚集到10μm以下）。研究表明，激光显微探针技术在下述工作中将是一个极有前途的工具①测定不易大量获取的样品年龄；②研究遭受多期地质历史事件作用因而有复杂Ar状态的岩石年代；③研究在岩石样品中填充在不同结构位置上的矿物年     

铜陵地区中酸性侵入岩年代学研究

本文选择了铜陵地区主要岩石类型的代表性岩体中黑云母为测定对象，准确地测定了侵入岩的４０Ａｒ／３９Ａｒ同位素年龄。测定结果表明，区内侵入岩的年龄均小于１４０Ｍａ，属燕山晚期的产物，后期热事件为成矿时代，晚于岩浆侵入时代，在此基础上，分析了ＫＡｒ法、ＲｂＳｒ法同位素年龄产生偏差的原因     

^40Ar／^39Ar测年中的冷却年龄和变形年龄

^40Ar／^39Ar法年龄数据的解释与Ar同位素在矿物中的封闭温度有关。冷却年龄只能限制变质——变形事件发生的时间区间,不能真正代表地质事件的发生时间。因此,必须想办法得到变形年龄。本文从封闭温度概念出发,探讨了压力、冷却速率、有效扩散范围和几何形态、颗粒大小、动力学参数等对矿物封闭温度的影响,介绍了新近提出的“封闭窗”概念,并讨论了在什么情况下可以获得变形年龄。     

Intercalibration of the Hb3gr Ar/Ar dating standard

The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating technique is based on the knowledge of the age of neutron fluence monitors (standards). Recent investigations have improved the accuracy and precision of the ages of most of the Phanerozoic-aged standards (e.g. Fish Canyon Tuff sanidine (FCs), Alder Creek sanidine, GA1550 biotite and LP-6 biotite); however, no specific study has been undertaken on the older standards (i.e. Hb3gr hornblende and NL-25 hornblende) generally used to date Precambrian, high Ca/K, and/or meteoritic rocks.In this study, we show that Hb3gr hornblende is relatively homogenous in age, composition (Ca/K) and atmospheric contamination at the single grain level. The mean standard deviation of the ⁴⁰Ar^?/³⁹Ar_K (F-value) derived from this study is 0.49%, comparable to the most homogeneous standards. The intercalibration factor (which allows direct comparison between standards) between Hb3gr and FCs is R_FCs^Hb3gr = 51.945 ± 0.167. Using an age of 28.02 Ma for FCs, the age of Hb3gr derived from the R-value is 1073.6 ± 5.3 Ma (1σ; internal error only) and ± 8.8 Ma (including all sources of error). This age is indistinguishable within uncertainty from the K/Ar age previously reported at 1072 ± 11 Ma [Turner G., Huneke, J.C., Podosek, F.A., Wasserburg, G.J., 1971. ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages and cosmic ray exposure ages of Apollo 14 samples. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 12, 19-35].The R-value determined in this study can also be used to intercalibrate FCs if we consider the K/Ar date of 1072 Ma as a reference age for Hb3gr. We derive an age of 27.95 ± 0.19 Ma (1σ; internal error only) for FCs which is in agreement with the previous determinations. Altogether, this shows that Hb3gr is a suitable standard for ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology.     

36Ar/39Ar-40Ar/39Ar等时线方法的应用——以新疆查汗萨拉锑、银矿带为例

等时线方法在K-Ar年代学中得到广泛应用,本文利用一种新的36Ar/39Ar-40Ar/39Ar等时线方法,计算查南疆汗萨拉锑、银矿带中石英脉的40Ar-39Ar实验数据,并与其他等时线方法进行对比,得到非常一致的结果.     

Comparison of Conventional K–Ar and Ar/Ar Dating of Young Mafic Volcanic Rocks

K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages have been measured on nine mafic volcanic rocks younger than 1 myr from the Snake River Plain (Idaho), Mount Adams (Washington), and Crater Lake (Oregon). The K–Ar ages were calculated from Ar measurements made by isotope dilution and K₂O measurements by flame photometry. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages are incremental-heating experiments using a low-blank resistance-heated furnace. The results indicate that high-quality ages can be measured on young, mafic volcanic rocks using either the K–Ar or the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar technique. The precision of an ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age generally is better than the precision of a K–Ar age because the plateau age is calculated by pooling the ages of several gas increments. The precision of a plateau age generally is better than the precision of an isotope correlation (isochron) age for the same sample. For one sample the intercept of the isochron yielded an ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar value significantly different from the atmospheric value of 295.5. Recalculation of increment ages using the isochron intercept for the composition of nonradiogenic Ar in the sample resulted in much better agreement of ages for this sample. The results of this study also indicate that, given suitable material and modern equipment, precise K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages can be measured on volcanic rocks as young as the latest Pleistocene, and perhaps even the Holocene.     

High-resolution 40Ar/39Ar chronology of multiple intrusion igneous complexes

The Mount Brome complex of the Monteregian province of southern Quebec, Canada, consits of several major intrusions ranging compositionally from gabbro to syenite. The relative ages of these intrusives have been investigated with high-resolution ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analyses, including a specially designed irradiation configuration to cancel the effects of fluence gradients. Small yet distinct apparent age differences are observed. While a number of analytical and geological factors could be proposed to explain the small variations, evaluation of these suggests the age differences reflect those in emplacement times. The gabbro and nepheline diorite were emplaced within a short span 123.1 Ma ago. Generally more evolved lithologies (biotite monzodiorite, pulaskite, nordmarkite) appear to have been emplaced within a restricted interval 1.4±0.3 Ma later. Whole-rock Rb-Sr systematics do not give acceptable isochrons because of significant scatter interpreted to reflect initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr heterogeneities resulting from crustal contamination. Considering the variations in initial ratio, the Rb-Sr data are consistent with the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age.     

新疆北部基性岩脉40Ar/39Ar年代学研究

晚古生代以来,新疆北部地区侵入了一系列的基性岩脉,成为了解该地区地壳生长过程的重要窗口.本文采用激光40Ar/39Ar年代学方法,对整个北疆地区出露的基性岩脉进行了精细年代学研究.从数据特征上分析.低本底激光加40Ar/39Ar方法能对低钾含量、极少量样品(0.1mg～5mg)进行精细定年,所以非常适合进行基性岩脉的精细定年.本文展示的基性岩脉激光40Ar/39Ar方法的高质量数据显示新疆北部基性岩脉群的活动时限跨越332～174Ma,为石炭纪-侏罗纪.由数据分析可以看出,新疆北部基性岩脉群在时间上,呈现脉动式侵位特征,在332～174Ma之间,有多达6～7次脉动式活动,时间间隔大致为20～30Ma.从基性岩脉所揭示的大地构造含义来分析,新疆北部地区从石炭纪到侏罗纪处在一个相似的地壳演化阶段.为一个陆壳垂向生长、区域构造应力场显示拉张的构造环境,并在时间、空间上具有相对统一的特征.     

Instrumentation Development for In Situ 40Ar/39Ar Planetary Geochronology

The chronology of the Solar System, particularly the timing of formation of extra‐terrestrial bodies and their features, is an outstanding problem in planetary science. Although various chronological methods for in situ geochronology have been proposed (e.g., Rb‐Sr, K‐Ar), and even applied (K‐Ar), the reliability, accuracy, and applicability of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method makes it by far the most desirable chronometer for dating extra‐terrestrial bodies. The method however relies on the neutron irradiation of samples, and thus a neutron source. Herein, we discuss the challenges and feasibility of deploying a passive neutron source to planetary surfaces for the in situ application of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronometer. Requirements in generating and shielding neutrons, as well as analysing samples are described, along with an exploration of limitations such as mass, power and cost. Two potential solutions for the in situ extra‐terrestrial deployment of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method are presented. Although this represents a challenging task, developing the technology to apply the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method on planetary surfaces would represent a major advance towards constraining the timescale of solar system formation and evolution.     

APPARENT AGE ERROR ANALYSIS IN 40Ar/39Ar DATING TECHNIQUE

除了样品因素外,第四纪地质样品40Ar/39Ar测年的关键在于测试和年龄计算中的误差控制.信号强度(随测量时刻)的拟合值可以采用最小二乘法进行直线或二次多项式拟合计算,但拟合值的误差不能通过拟合方程系数的误差进行计算,而应选择合适的计算方法以便获得与实测值误差相协调的拟合值误差.减小质量歧视系数D的相对误差并控制36Ar的原始误差,才能有效的降低质量歧视校正带给36Ar的相对误差.40Arrad的相对误差来源于40Ar测量值的相对误差、36Ar测量值的相对误差、36ArCa的相对误差、吸附大气氩36Arair的相对误差以及样品经反应堆辐照后产生的39Arx的相对误差等.当样品极年轻且含有较多吸附大气氩时,40Arrad的相对误差就会变大;当样品极年轻且受到过度辐照时,39Ark的相对误差对40Arrad相对误差的贡献也会增大;当反应堆中热中子比例较高且样品辐照过程中没有Cd屏蔽时,校正系数α的相对误差对其贡献也不可忽略.当标样年龄小于100Ma时,J值相对误差等于标样测量值Rs的相对误差平方、衰变常数相对误差平方及标样年龄相对误差平方加和的平方根.当标样年龄大于100Ma对,衰变常数相对误差平方及标样年龄相对误差平方将被不同程度的放大(1倍多到几倍)后传递到J值相对误差中,从而增大了这两个来源的误差对J值相对误差的影响.     

40Ar/39Ar age spectra of some undisturbed terrestrial samples

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age spectra and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar vs ³⁹Ar/³⁶Ar isochrons were determined by incremental heating for 11 terrestrial rocks and minerals whose geology indicates that they represent essentially undisturbed systems. The samples include muscovite, biotite, hornblende, sanidine, plagioclase, dacite, diabase and basalt and range in age from 40 to 1700 m.y. For each sample, the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ratios, corrected for atmospheric and neutron-generated argon isotopes, are the same for most of the gas fractions released and the age spectra, which show pronounced plateaus, thus are consistent with models previously proposed for undisturbed samples. Plateau ages and isochron ages calculated using plateau age fractions are concordant and appear to be meaningful estimates of the crystallization and cooling ages of these samples. Seemingly anomalous age spectrum points can be attributed entirely to small amounts of previously unrecognized argon loss and to gas fractions that contain too small (less than 2 per cent) a proportion of the ³⁹Ar released to be geologically significant. The use of a quantitative abscissa for age spectrum diagrams is recommended so that the size of each gas fraction is readily apparent. Increments containing less than about 4–5 per cent of the total ³⁹Ar released should be interpreted cautiously. Both the age spectrum and isochron methods of data reduction for incremental heating experiments are worthwhile, as each gives slightly different but complementary information about the sample from the same basic data. Use of a least-squares fit that allows for correlated errors is recommended for ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar vs ³⁹Ar/³⁶Ar isochrons. The results indicate that the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar incremental heating technique can be used to distinguish disturbed from undisturbed rock and mineral systems and will be a valuable geochronological tool in geologically complex terranes.     

激光Ar/Ar微区定年的应用及展望

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar定年中,存在一些使用传统的大样逐步升温技术难以处理的难题,如变质及沉积岩样品常含有多期次矿物而难以获得理想结果,过剩Ar在样品中的分布以及来源问题一直难以有效解决,根据缓慢冷却钾长石的⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar年龄谱提出的热演化模型也因为Ar在矿物中扩散机制的不明确性而不断受到质疑。20世纪90年代将紫外激光（UV-laser）成功引入⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar年代学分析后,为解决这些难题提供了一种思路。借助激光微区     

鲁西地区中生代火成活动的^40Ar／^39Ar年龄

鲁西地区中生代有四种火成岩岩石组合，测得了三种组合代表性岩体的４０Ａｒ／３９Ａｒ坪年龄。平邑铜石岩体的石英二长闪长斑岩为１８９．８Ｍａ，该岩体的二长斑岩为１８８．４Ｍａ；枣庄沙沟岩体的黑云母辉石岩为１１５．１Ｍａ；邹平茶叶山橄榄苏长辉长岩为１１２．５Ｍａ，邹平四尖山石英二长岩为１１５．１Ｍａ。结合已公布的年龄数据，将鲁西区火成活动划为早侏罗世和早白垩世两个阶段     

赣东北地区重要火成岩的40Ar／39Ar年龄

在赣东北蛇绿混杂岩带发现含晚古生代放射虫硅夺，测定了该带内的和带外几个关键地点的火山岩和辉长岩的＾４０Ａｒ／＾３０Ａｒ同位素地南年龄，获得了以下结果：火山岩的坪年龄为４３４．９－４８６．７Ｍａ，辉长岩的坪年龄为２３２．５－２６６．３Ｍａ，因此可以肯定赣东北地区有早生代晚期的火山活动，证实了上述火成冉不是中、新元古代的产物，它们中的一部分与晚古生代硅质岩都是蛇绿岩套的成员，属该区晚古生代洋壳的组成部     

下庄糜棱岩的40Ar/39Ar年龄及其成矿意义

下庄铀矿田的糜棱岩按产状可以分为两种，即韧性剪切带中的糜棱岩和硅质碎裂岩带中的糜棱岩，两种糜棱岩具有不同的特征，反映糜棱岩的不同成因和环境。两个测年样确定糜棱岩年龄为140-140Ma，它与晚期花岗岩活动高峰期相近，与早期铀矿化年龄耦合。认为韧性剪切带是早期花岗岩体再度处于假塑性状态下的变形产物，岩石的韧性变形与铀的成矿在时间上和空间上密切相关，控矿因素与成矿机制与韧性剪切变形机制息息相连，这些信息有助于早期铀矿的勘查。