Analytical Sciences
Online ISSN : 1348-2246
Print ISSN : 0910-6340
ISSN-L : 0910-6340
Original Papers
Nano-SIMS Analysis of Mg, Sr, Ba and U in Natural Calcium Carbonate
Yuji SANOKotaro SHIRAINaoto TAKAHATATakafumi HIRATANeil C. STURCHIO
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2005 Volume 21 Issue 9 Pages 1091-1097

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Abstract

Concentrations of minor (Mg and Sr) and trace (Ba and U) elements in four natural calcium carbonate samples were first analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after chemical dissolution and calibrated against a standard dolomite. Their homogeneities were checked by in situ laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS with 10 - 20 spots. The carbonate samples were measured by using a high lateral resolution secondary ion mass spectrometer (Nano-SIMS NS50). A ∼4 nA O- primary beam was used to sputter a 5 - 6-µm diameter crater on the sample surface, and secondary positive ions were extracted for mass analysis using an accelerating voltage of 8 kV and a Mattauch-Herzog geometry. A multi-collector system was adjusted to detect 26Mg+, 43Ca+, 88Sr+, 138Ba+, 238U16O+ and 238U16O2+ ions at the same time. A resolving power of 2500 - 5000 at 10% peak height was attained by an entrance slit set at 40 µm, and each exit slit at 50 µm with adequate flat-topped peaks. The observed 26Mg/43Ca, 88Sr/43Ca, 138Ba/43Ca and 238U16O2/43Ca ratios agreed well with those measured by LA-ICP-MS. Foraminifera shells were analyzed at 5 - 6 µm scale by Nano-SIMS. There was a large variation of the Mg/Ca ratios, up to ±38%, even in a single fragment of the shell, suggesting that although the ratios provide a useful paleoceanographic proxy at bulk scale, they may reflect a more complex pattern at <10 µm scale.

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© 2005 by The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry
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