A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.The full U-Pb isotopic systematics in a complex lunar zircon 'Pomegranate' from lunar impact breccia 73235 have been investigated by the development of a novel Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) scanning ion imaging (SII) technique. This technique offers at least a...

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Main Authors: Bellucci, J., Whitehouse, M., Nemchin, Alexander, Snape, J., Pidgeon, Robert, Grange, Marion, Reddy, Steven, Timms, Nicholas
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier Science BV 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3924
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author Bellucci, J.
Whitehouse, M.
Nemchin, Alexander
Snape, J.
Pidgeon, Robert
Grange, Marion
Reddy, Steven
Timms, Nicholas
author_facet Bellucci, J.
Whitehouse, M.
Nemchin, Alexander
Snape, J.
Pidgeon, Robert
Grange, Marion
Reddy, Steven
Timms, Nicholas
author_sort Bellucci, J.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © 2016 Elsevier B.V.The full U-Pb isotopic systematics in a complex lunar zircon 'Pomegranate' from lunar impact breccia 73235 have been investigated by the development of a novel Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) scanning ion imaging (SII) technique. This technique offers at least a four-fold increase in analytical spatial resolution over traditional SIMS analyses in zircon. Results from this study confirm the hypothesis that the Pomegranate zircon crystallized at 4.302 ± 0.013 Ga and experienced an impact that formed, U-enriched zircon around primary zircon cores at 4.184 ± 0.007 Ga (2s, all uncertainties). The increase in spatial resolution offered by this technique has facilitated targeting of primary zircon that was previously inaccessible to conventional spot analyses. This approach has yielded results indicating that individual grains with a diffusive distance of less than ~. 4 µm have been reset to the young impact age, while individual grains with a diffusive distance larger than ~. 6 µm have retained the old crystallization age. Assuming a broad range in cooling rate of 0.5-50 °C/year, which has been observed in a suite of similar lunar breccias, a maximum localized temperature generated by the impact that reset small primary zircon and created new, high-U zircon is estimated to be between 1100 and 1280 °C.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-39242018-03-29T09:05:21Z A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon Bellucci, J. Whitehouse, M. Nemchin, Alexander Snape, J. Pidgeon, Robert Grange, Marion Reddy, Steven Timms, Nicholas © 2016 Elsevier B.V.The full U-Pb isotopic systematics in a complex lunar zircon 'Pomegranate' from lunar impact breccia 73235 have been investigated by the development of a novel Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) scanning ion imaging (SII) technique. This technique offers at least a four-fold increase in analytical spatial resolution over traditional SIMS analyses in zircon. Results from this study confirm the hypothesis that the Pomegranate zircon crystallized at 4.302 ± 0.013 Ga and experienced an impact that formed, U-enriched zircon around primary zircon cores at 4.184 ± 0.007 Ga (2s, all uncertainties). The increase in spatial resolution offered by this technique has facilitated targeting of primary zircon that was previously inaccessible to conventional spot analyses. This approach has yielded results indicating that individual grains with a diffusive distance of less than ~. 4 µm have been reset to the young impact age, while individual grains with a diffusive distance larger than ~. 6 µm have retained the old crystallization age. Assuming a broad range in cooling rate of 0.5-50 °C/year, which has been observed in a suite of similar lunar breccias, a maximum localized temperature generated by the impact that reset small primary zircon and created new, high-U zircon is estimated to be between 1100 and 1280 °C. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3924 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.022 Elsevier Science BV restricted
spellingShingle Bellucci, J.
Whitehouse, M.
Nemchin, Alexander
Snape, J.
Pidgeon, Robert
Grange, Marion
Reddy, Steven
Timms, Nicholas
A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon
title A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon
title_full A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon
title_fullStr A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon
title_full_unstemmed A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon
title_short A scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale U-Pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon
title_sort scanning ion imaging investigation into the micron-scale u-pb systematics in a complex lunar zircon
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/3924