NOTE: Standard minerals are an essential component of geochronology, and they are difficult to obtain. Ensure you reuse standard mineral grains/crystals for multiple analyses. If you mount your samples on pucks, we encourage you to mount your standard grains on a separate puck or other mount so they can be used many times rather than just once.
Unfortunately, we are no longer able to provide the range of standards that we offered previously, due to a lack of access to original rock material for processing. As of September 2022, either we only have small amounts (<5 kg) left to be processed for certain standards, or we have not had time to process the rock material that we do have (e.g., Fish Canyon Tuff, Duluth FC1-zircon). We hope to restock our supplies and start providing further options during late 2022 or early 2023.
Geochronology standards potentially available, dependent on supplies:
Durango: apatite only
Duluth Complex: apatite (FC5) and zircon (FC1)
Fish Canyon Tuff: apatite, titanite, and zircon
Mount Dromedary: apatite and zircon
Mount McClure: apatite, titanite, and zircon
Tardree Rhyolite: zircon only
Please contact Andrea about standard availability and ordering.
Academic Labs
0.25 grams (~60 mounts): $400.00 per aliquot, $300.00 per second mineral
0.50 grams (~120 mounts): $700.00 per aliquot, $525.00 per second mineral
1.00 grams (~240 mounts): $1,400.00 per aliquot, $1,050.00 per second mineral
Commercial Labs
0.25 grams (~60 mounts): $600.00 per aliquot, $450.00 per second mineral
0.50 grams (~120 mounts): $1,000.00 per aliquot, $750.00 per second mineral
1.00 grams (~240 mounts): $1,800.00 per aliquot, $1,350.00 per second mineral
Note: The above prices do not include shipping or customs fees & taxes. Estimated FedEx to China and Europe ~$85-130 additional charge. Customs fees, etc. can range from $0 to hundreds of dollars (out of GSS control).
| Standard | Standard | Age (±2s) | Reference |
| MD | Mount Dromedary | 99.12 ± 0.14 Ma | Renne et al., 1998 |
| MM | Mount McClure | 523.51 ± 1.47 Ma | Schoene and Bowring, 2006 |
| IF | Fish Canyon Tuff | 28.201 ± 0.012 Ma | Lanphere et al., 2001; Kuiper et al., 2008 |
| TEM2* | Temora2, Middledale gabbroic diorite | 416.78 ± 0.33 Ma | Black et al., 2004 |
| Dur | Durango | 31.44 ± 0.018 Ma | McDowell et al. 2005 |
| FC1 | Duluth complex | 1099.0 ± 0.6 Ma | Paces and Miller, 1993 |
| TR | Tardree Rhyolite | 61.23 ± 0.11 Ma | Dave Chew, personal communication |
*GSS does not have access to material for this standard.
References Cited
Black, L.P., Kamo, S.L., Allen, C.M., Davis, D.W., Aleinikoff, J.N., Valley, J.W., Mundil, R., Campbell, I.H., Korsch, R.J., Williams, I.S., and Foudoulis, C. 2004. Improved 206 Pb/238 U microprobe geochronology by the monitoring of trace-element-related matrix effect; SHRIMP, ID-TIMS, ELA-ICP-MS and oxygen isotope documentation for a series of zircon standards. Chemical Geology, 205, p.15-140
Kuiper, K.F., Deino, A., Hilgen, P.J., Krijgsman, W., Renne, P.R., and Wijbrans, J.R., 2008. Synchronizing rock clocks of Earth history. Science, 320, p. 500-504.
Lanphere, M.A. and Baadsraard, H., 2001. Precise K-Ar, 40 Ar/39 Ar, Rb-Sr and U-Pb mineral ages from the 27.5 Ma Fish Canyon Tuff reference standard. Chemical Geology, 175, p. 653-671.
McDowell, F.W., McIntosh, W.C., and Farley, K.A., 2005. A precise 40Ar-39Ar reference age for the Durango apatite (U-Th)/He and fission trackdating standard. Chemical Geology, 214, p. 249-263
Paces, J.B. and Miller, J.D., 1993. Precise UPb ages of Duluth Complex and related mafic intrusions, northeastern Minnesota: Geochronological insights to physical, petrogenic, paleomagnetic, and tectonomagmatic processes associated with the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift System. Journal of Geophysical Research, 98, no. B8, p. 13997-14013.
Renne, P.R., Swisher, C.C., Deino, A.L., Karner, D.B., Owens, T.L., and DePaolo, D.J., 1998. Intercalibration of standards, absolute ages and uncertainties in 40 Ar/39 Ar dating. Chemical Geology, 45, p. 117-152.
Schoene, B., and Bowring, S.A., 2006. U–Pb systematics of the McClure Mountain syenite: thermochronological constraints on the age of the 40Ar/39Ar standard MMhb. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 151, p. 615-630.