CODES ANALYTICAL LABORATORIES

U-Pb zircon geochronology

METHODS
The samples were crushed and non-magnetic heavy minerals were separated at CODES Analytical Laboratories
at the University of Tasmania using gravity and magnetic separation techniques.
After heavy mineral and magnetic separation, selected crystals were placed on double sided sticky tape and
epoxy glue was then poured on top of the zircons into a 2.5 cm diameter mould. The epoxy mount was dried
for 12 hours and polished using clean sandpaper and a clean polishing lap. The samples were then washed in
distilled water in an ultrasonic bath. Mounts were kept in a vacuum desiccator overnight to remove moisture
atmospheric air (Thompson et al. 2018).
The analyses in this report were performed with an ASI RESOLution S-155 ablation system with Coherent
Compex Pro 110 Ar-F excimer laser operating at a 193nm wavelength and a pulse width of 20ns. The laser
system was coupled to an Agilent 7900 quadrupole ICP-MS. Other analytical conditions are described in
Thompson et al. (2018). All instrumentation is housed at the CODES Analytical Laboratory at the University of
Tasmania.
Each analysis on the zircons began with a 30 second blank gas measurement followed by a further 30 seconds
of analysis time when the laser was switched on. Zircons were analysed using a 29 micron laser beam size,
firing frequency at 5 Hz and a laser beam energy density of ~ 2 J/cm2. All zircon analyses have a pre-ablation of
5 laser shots to remove any surface contamination. A flow of He carrier gas at a rate of 0.35 litres/minute
carried particles ablated by the laser out of the chamber to be mixed with Ar gas and carried to the plasma
torch. Isotopes measured were 31P, 49Ti, 56Fe, 89Y, 91Zr, 93Nb, 139La, 140Ce, 141Pr, 146Nd, 147Sm, 153Eu, 157Gd, 159Tb,
163
Dy, 165Ho, 166Er, 169Tm, 172Yb, 175Lu, 178Hf, 181Ta, 204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, 208Pb, 232Th, 235U and 238U with each
element being measured every 0.25 seconds with longer counting time on the Pb isotopes compared to the
other elements.
The data reduction used was based on the method outlined in detail in Thompson et al 2018 and Halpin et al.
2014. For each analysis, a subset of the data most closely matching a concordant composition have been
selected for quantification (Fig. 1). The downhole fractionation, instrument drift and mass bias correction
factors for Pb/U ratios were calculated using analyses of the 91500 zircon using values of Wiendenbeck et al.
(1995). The instrument drift and mass bias correction factors for the 207Pb/206Pb ratio (ages) were calculated
using analyses of the NIST610 glass, using the Pb isotopic values of Baker et al. (2004). Trace element
abundances in zircon are calibrated on the NIST610 glass using values of Jochum et al. 2011, using secondary
standard corrections based on the compositions of glasses BCR-2G and GSD-1G (GeoReM preferred values;
http://georem.mpch-mainz.gwdg.de/). Quantification was performed using 91Zr as the internal standard
element, normalizing all measured cations to the Zr site total of a stoichiometric zircon. The 91500 zircon and
the NIST610, BCR-2G and GSD-1G glasses were analysed in duplicate at the beginning, end and every 60
minutes throughout the analytical session.
The calibration of the U-Pb ages was checked on analyses of the Temora zircon (Black et al. 2004) and the
Plesovice zircon (Slama et al. 2008) analysed throughout the analytical session and treated as unknowns. Trace
element abundances measured in the 91500 zircon are in the range of reported values from the GeoReM
website. All common Pb corrections are done using Stacey & Kramer’s (Stacey & Kramer, 1975) model Pb
composition at the age of the zircon, unless independent common Pb compositions for a sample exist.
 Laser on
Chosen interval
Gas Blank

Figure 1. A representative example of a time-resolved signal from LA-ICPMS analysis of zircon for sample
MAAECU10044418X (analysis 149). The sections of the time-resolved signal used for calculating background
values (left) and signal values (right) are shown on top graph. Lower graphs show this same analysis on Concordia
(right) as well as the time-resolved plot of the age through the analysis (left).

REFERENCES
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Chemical Geology, 211, 275-303.
Black, L. P., Kamos, L., Allen, C.M., Aleinikoff, J.N., Davis, D.W., Korsch, R.J., Foudoulis, C., 2003, TEMORA 1: a
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Goemann, K., and Whittaker, J. M., 2014, Authigenic monazite and detrital zircon dating from the

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