Standard minerals are an essential component of geochronology, and they are difficult to obtain. Ensure you re-use standard mineral grains/crystals for multiple analyses if possible; this may not be an option for some dating techniques. If you mount your samples on pucks, we encourage you to mount your standard grains on a separate puck or other mount so it/they can be used many times rather than just once for each sample.
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 and lack of time to process what we do have. As of September 2024, we have processed some Fish Canyon Tuff, Duluth FC1, and Mount McClure. However, the zircon yields in particular are very poor. We will try to fill requests based on available minerals.
Geochronology standards potentially available, dependent on supplies:
Durango: apatite only
Duluth Complex: FC1 zircon and apatite (we do not have any FC5, which is the apatite standard)
Fish Canyon Tuff: apatite, titanite, and zircon
Mount Dromedary: apatite (we do not have any zircon)
Mount McClure: apatite, titanite, and zircon
Tardree Rhyolite: zircon only
If you are interested in muscovite, feldspars, etc. for Fish Canyon or Mount McClure, please ask about the Lights fraction from the heavy mineral separations.
Please contact Andrea about standard availability and ordering.
NOTES:
1. We have adjusted our pricing scales to more closely correspond to the effort involved in obtaining the mineral concentrates. The below pricing is approximate, as of 2024.
2. Aliquots greater than 0.25 grams (250 mg) of apatite or 0.1 grams (100 mg) of zircon will be provided only in exceptional circumstances.
3. The prices listed do not include shipping or customs fees & taxes (VAT, etc.). Estimated DHL or FedEx shipping cost to China and Europe: ~$85-150+ (additional charge to client). Customs fees, etc. can range from $0 to hundreds of dollars (out of GSS control). Client is responsible for paying all shipping, customs fees, and taxes.
Pricing per aliquot (USD); proportional based on weight
Academic Labs
0.05 grams (50mg; ~12 mounts): apatite and titanite $100; zircon $200-300 depending on standard
0.10 grams (100mg; ~24 mounts): apatite and titanite $180; zircon $400-600 depending on standard
0.25 grams (250 mg; ~60 mounts): apatite and titanite $400; zircon not available
0.50 grams (500 mg; ~120 mounts): apatite and titanite $700; zircon not available
Commercial Labs
0.05 grams (50mg; ~12 mounts): apatite and titanite $150; zircon $300-450 depending on standard
0.10 grams (100mg; ~24 mounts): apatite and titanite $270; zircon $600-900 depending on standard
0.25 grams (250 mg; ~60 mounts): apatite and titanite $600; zircon $1,500 for Fish Canyon, others not available
0.50 grams (500 mg; ~120 mounts): apatite and titanite $1,000; zircon not available
1.00 grams (~240 mounts): apatite and titanite $1,800; zircon not available
Reference information for listed standards.
| 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 | Ganerød et al. 2011 |
*GSS does not have access to material for the TEMORA2 standard. Contact Geoscience Australia: ClientServices@ga.gov.au.
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
Ganerød, M., Chew, D.M., Smethurst, M.A., Troll, V.R., Corfu, F., Meade,F., Prestvik, T., 2011. Geochronology of the Tardree Rhyolite Complex, Northern Ireland: Implications for zircon fission track studies, the North Atlantic Igneous Province and the age of the Fish Canyon sanidine standard. Chemical Geology, Volume 286, Issues 3–4, 22 July 2011, Pages 222-228.
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 track dating 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.