Determination of Rb/Sr and 87Sr86Sr ratios of some standard rocks and evaluation of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry in Rb1bSr geochemistry

New isotope dilution results are presented for Rb and Sr concentrations in U.S.G.S. standard rocks and NBS-70a K-feldspar. The results (based on at least five analyses of each rock), are generally accurate to ± 0.5% and resolve discrepancies in previously published data. X-ray fluorescence analyses of the same samples yield Rb and Sr determinations which are only accurate to ± 5%, but Rb/Sr ratios which are as precise and in excellent agreement with the isotope dilution values. It is concluded that X.R.F. determination of Rb/Sr ratios is perfectly suitable for whole-rock Rb1bSr geochronology.${}^{87}\text{Sr}{}^{86}\text{Sr}$ ratios have been determined on G-2, GSP-1, BCR-1 and AGV-1 as well as the Eimer and Amend SrCO₃ standard.