Elemental Scientific Lasers’ Scientific Publications

This study evaluates geochemical variation in archaeological ceramics from three pre-Columbian sites in La Altagracia, Dominican Republic. We compare compositional variation of ceramics between a submerged site and two terrestrial sites using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) trace element analysis supplemented with thin section microscopy. Contrary to expectations, greater variation in trace element concentrations of the metals vanadium (V), copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta), zirconium (Zr), and uranium (U) exist between submerged and terrestrial sites in close geographic proximity to one another than between more distant terrestrial sites. Thin section analysis identified more void space in submerged than terrestrial samples ...

ABSTRACT Lepidolite‐bearing pegmatite, recently recognized as a major lithium (Li) resource, is exposed in Phang Nga, southern Thailand. This study investigates the geological relationships between Li‐pegmatites and granitic rocks and their formation processes within the tectonic evolution of the study area, using petrological, geochemical, and geochronological data. The granitic rocks in the study area are classified into three types: I‐type biotite granite, both I‐ and S‐type biotite-muscovite granite, and S‐type tourmaline granite. The Li‐pegmatite shows S‐type characteristics with peraluminous features. The primitive mantle‐normalized spider diagram of Li‐pegmatite and tourmaline granite reveals similar patterns, wit...

Laser ablation-high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-HR-ICPMS) offers a powerful in situ analytical technique for determining elemental and isotopic compositions in geological materials. Its potential for precise Pb isotope and trace element analysis at low concentrations, however, requires accurate instrument tuning/optimization and systematic data processing.We assessed the performance of LA-HR-ICPMS for in situ Pb isotope and trace element measurements in synthetic reference glasses (NIST 610, NIST 612) and geological reference glasses (BHVO-2G, BIR-1G, BCR-2G, TB-1G, GSD-1G) with Pb concentrations as low as 0.4 μg/g. An optimized analytical protocol was developed, involving instrument tuning, background c...

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is a commonly used ion source for mass spectrometry-based chemical analysis of a wide range of materials. Traditional ICP ion sources use high power (> 1000 W) and significant gas flow (> 10 L/min), rendering them unsuitable for spaceflight, as they are too resource-intensive for planetary spacecraft.To address the technology gap, we designed and developed a laser ablation microwave-induced plasma mass spectrometer (LA-MIP-MS) and experimentally validated the analytical performance of a prototype instrument capable of providing in situ analyses during planetary science missions. We developed a low-pressure plasma ion source and interfaced it to a heritage quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) to perfor...

Glioblastoma (GBM) is relatively radioresistant compared to other malignancies. Like other tumours undergoing radiotherapy, there is a variable response in similar patients having identical treatments.Our objective was to identify a predictive biomarker of radioresistance in GBM, that we contend will apply to all solid cancers.This retrospective study includes a homogenous cohort of 13 GBM patients (9 males, 4 females), carefully selected to minimise the influence of many known prognostic factors. Histopathology slides were analysed using laser ablation - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), measuring intra-tumoural manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Only the Mn score (parts per million - ppm) corre...

Hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) is an ecologically and economically important fish species in the Indo-Pacific region, yet its migration and spawning behaviour remains poorly in Myanmar. This study investigates hilsa migration and spawning strategies in the Ayeyarwady River using otolith chemistry, including elemental ratios (Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca, Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca) and 87Sr:86Sr isotope signatures. Otoliths from 101 juvenile and adult hilsa collected across the Ayeyarwady River Basin showed that 94 % of hilsa exhibited life histories consistent with anadromy (spawning in freshwater rivers but growing up in the ocean). However, a small subset (6 %) displayed alternative reproductive strategies, likely spawning in higher salinity environments (such as ...

Shonkinites are rare alkali-rich igneous rocks found in the geological record from the Precambrian to the Eocene. This study investigates the Upper Cretaceous shonkinites from the Adel Hills Volcanic Field (AHVF), central Montana. The AHVF shonkinites are porphyritic with large, euhedral to subhedral phenocrysts of diopside that exhibit sector zoning. Other major mineral phases include plagioclase, sanidine, and secondary zeolites. Minor and accessory phases identified with SEM-EDS include magnetite, apatite, rare ilmenite and pyrite, and secondary calcite. Bulk rock SiO2 ranges from 47 to 49 wt% with Na2O + K2O varying from 5.50 to 7.34 wt% within that silica range. Normalized bulk trace elements indicate LILE enrichment and Nbsingle bondT...

High-pressure metapelites from the Song Ma suture zone provide crucial insights into the tectonometamorphic evolution of convergent plate boundaries between the South China and Indochina cratons. Two distinct metamorphic stages (M1 and M2) are identified. M1 is characterized by relict inclusions of garnet, quartz, white mica, chlorite, monazite within albite porphyroblasts, with internal fabrics (S1) ranging from straight to sigmoidal and discontinuous to the major foliations (S2) indicating pre-S2 formation. M2 assemblages include porphyroblasts of garnet, albite, quartz and white mica, chlorite, monazite in the matrix, almandine is higher than spessartine from core to rim of garnet. The P-T conditions of M1, constrained by isochemical pha...

The redox state of fluids migrating above subduction zones is crucial for understanding of complex processes of element cycling and magma generation. In this contribution, we report the secondary fluid inclusions (FIs) in olivine from refractory peridotites of the Khara-Nur ophiolite, previously interpreted as a fragment of fossil subcontinental lithospheric mantle experienced melt interaction and retrograde metamorphism above a subduction zone. Fluid inclusions accompany serpentine (mainly antigorite) veinlets and altogether reflect limited and focused hydration within ∼ 400-600 °C at forearc depths. Raman spectroscopy of FIs revealed dominant CH4 and rare H2 gases, graphite, serpentinization minerals (antigorite/chrysotile, brucite, ma...

Indium is a critical metal that can be concentrated in skarn deposits. However, not all skarn deposits exhibit indium mineralization. The controlling factors of indium mineralization in skarn deposits are unclear. We investigate the sphalerite trace element, geological setting, geochemical compositions of related intrusions, and hydrothermal physicochemical conditions of 47 skarn deposits worldwide to unravel the critical factors for indium mineralization. The deposits are classified into four types according to the indium content in sphalerite. The In-rich skarn deposits are predominantly distributed in the intra-continental extension setting. The In-rich skarn deposits show higher SiO2 values and Rb/δEu ratios, and lower MgO contents tha...

The botryoidal dolomite within the Ediacaran Dengying Formation (Yangtze Craton, South China) represents distinctive features whose origins remain debated, having been variously interpreted as synsedimentary precipitates or as products of dolomitization on a carbonate platform. Detailed petrographic examination reveals two distinct subtypes based on crystal morphology and optical properties: fascicular slow dolomite (FSD) and radial slow dolomite (RSD). Integrated petrographic and geochemical analyses (δ13C, δ18O, rare earth element plus yttrium [REY] patterns, Y/Ho ratios, and clumped isotopes Δ47) constrain their contrasting origins. FSD—characterized by sinistral undulose extinction, dull-red to non-luminescence, relatively stable �...

The Jinchang porphyry Au-Cu deposit in Northeast China has recently shown significant cobalt (Co) enrichment. Before the precipitation of Co-rich sulfides during the main mineralization stage, magnetite and hematite precipitation occurred. Based on the different morphological characteristics of magnetite, it can be classified into mushketovite Mag1 (aspect ratio > 5) and granular Mag2 (aspect ratio < 2) and further subdivided into four subtypes: Mag1-1, Mag1-2, Mag2-1 and Mag2-2. The platy Mag1 is mushketovite, replacing early hematite. The granular Mag2, with well-defined 120° triple junction textures, formed through fluid-assisted recrystallization processes. Mag1 has a trace element composition very similar to the precursor hematite, in...

The Pamir Plateau offers valuable insights into the evolution of the Tethys Oceans. Despite numerous studies, the nature and timing of closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean remain debated. This study presents detrital zircon U-Pb ages of sedimentary rocks across the Pamir terranes to investigate their tectonic evolution. Detrital zircons from the Paleozoic-Triassic sedimentary succession in the Northern and Central Pamir yielded similar results, with ages ranging from ∼ 233 Ma to 1000 Ma, showing two major peaks one at ∼ 250 Ma and another at 540-600 Ma. Zircons giving these two age peaks are subhedral to anhedral, implying they were likely derived from arc-related magmatic rocks, possibly formed by the subduction of the Paleo-Tethys oceani...

The North Qaidam (NQ) preserves records of Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic magmatic activity and metamorphism, reflecting a complex multi-stage tectonic evolution. The Maoniushan Formation is a key stratigraphic record of the Proto- to Paleo-Tethys transition. We present petrological, zircon U-Pb geochronological, whole-rock geochemical, and Lu-Hf isotopic data for Maoniushan Formation alkaline volcanics in the Xiatuoaer area. The suite comprises basalt, basaltic andesite, and trachyte. Zircon U-Pb geochronology indicates an Early Devonian eruption age (ca. 403 - 400 Ma). Geochemically, the suite is shoshonitic, enriched in LREEs, and depleted in HREEs and HFSEs (e.g., Nb, Ta, P, Ti). Their εHf(t) values range from −11.4 to + 6.8, predominan...

The aim of this study is to address questions about the differences in chemical composition of iron smelting slag finds in Estonia. The chemical analyses of smelting slag will allow to establish a production regions reference dataset for further research. Currency blooms have been also included, of which some have been dated to the Estonian Viking Age (800-1050 AD) and the Late Iron Age (1050-1227 AD). The blooms are examined about their relationships with possible production regions. Using a multi-method analytical approach (SEM-EDS, LA-ICP-MS) and a multivariate data analysis (PCA, AHC and a set of supervised methods) it is argued that Estonia most likely had a highly interconnected local exchange of iron between different regions. An exi...

The Wyoming Craton is one of the best-preserved Archaean fragments of Laurentia. For billions of years it's consisted of a thick Archaean root surrounded by Proterozoic suture zones. In this study we characterise the geochemistry of 20 eclogitic xenoliths and, for five samples determine the ferric-ferrous ratios and oxygen fugacities, from the Aultman, Maxwell, and Schaffer kimberlite pipes from the Colorado-Wyoming State Line kimberlite district with EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, and Synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy. We measured major and trace element concentrations in garnet and clinopyroxene, which were used to reconstruct bulk-rock compositions and determine the pressure-temperature conditions along the craton's 38 mW/m2 geotherm. We subdivide x...

High MgO ultramafic rocks commonly show similar δ65Cu value to primitive mantle source. However, the Triassic meimechite found in the West Kunlun Orogenic Belt (WKOB) exhibit remarkably lighter δ65Cu (‐−0.26 ± 0.04 ‰), which may confirm mantle heterogeneity of Cu isotope. The WKOB meimechite is characterized by porphyritic texture, low contents of SiO2 and alkali, and high contents of MgO and TiO2. The disorder of depletion degree of Co, Ni, Cu, and PGE, high Cu concentration (1.2-12.5 ppm) in olivine, and magma evolutionary trend of olivine accumulation without sulfide fractionation or segregation revealed by Fo and Ni in olivine suggest that the WKOB meimechite was derived from a sulfide-undersaturated magma. Thus, Cu isotope wou...

The supercontinents Rodinia and Gondwana are believed to have assembled through orogenic events at ∼1000 Ma and ∼550 Ma, respectively. The Larsemann Hills, part of the extended Rayner Complex of East Antarctica, is a Neoproterozoic granulite terrane that was a part of both supercontinents. The tectonic evolution of the terrane in the Rodinia to Gondwana interval remains uncertain. This study integrates new field, microstructural, metamorphic and geochronological information to unveil a previously undocumented mid-Neoproterozoic thermo-tectonic event in the Larsemann Hills. Granulite facies metamorphism (M1), synchronous with the deformation, D1, is interpreted to have occurred in the Larsemann Hills at ∼1000 Ma, followed by a crustal ...

We present an integrated study combining field observations, petrography, mineral chemistry, whole-rock geochemistry, of tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorites (TTGs), sanukitoids, high-K granitoids and U-Pb geochronology of a high-K granitoid from the Madawara domain, Southern Bundelkhand Craton. Zircon of a high-K granitoid yields a U-Pb emplacement age of 2.47 Ga, marking the terminal phase of Archean magmatism as well as crustal stabilization in the craton. The TTGs exhibit adakitic signatures with low to moderate Sr/Y (8-88) and (La/Yb)CN (15-30) consistent with garnet-amphibolite melting, while negative Eu anomalies suggest plagioclase fractionation or residual source effects. This study provides the first account of sanukitoids from the...

The Late Cretaceous magmatic rocks, widely distributed along the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone (BNSZ), not only records large-scale crust-mantle interactions, but also contains characteristic fingerprints of deep geodynamic processes. However, the formation regime is still controversial, with proposed mechanisms including lithospheric delamination, the rollback of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, and the subduction of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean. To address this issue, we conducted zircon Usingle bondPb dating, in situ Hf isotope analysis, and whole-rock major and trace element compositions on the Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks in the Lunpola Basin, central Tibet. Geochronological results indicate that they crystallized primarily at ∼80 Ma, which was fo...

The closure timing of the Paleo-Tethyan Mianlue Ocean is crucial for undestanding plate tectonic reorganization and paleoenvironment changes. However, it remains highly debated, with estimates varying from the Late Permian to the Late Triassic due to insufficient geologic records within the suture zone. In this study, we investigate the Early Triassic inversion structures in the Huayingshan tectonic belt, located south of the Mianlue suture zone, to better constrain the collisional timing. Structural analysis of the Guanyin Gorge anticline in the southern HTB identifies positive inversion structures within the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation, as evidenced by decrease and eventually reversal in sense of displacements along the fault pla...

The Early Cretaceous (133-109 Ma) Bomi-Chayu batholith in the easternmost Lhasa terrane provides key insights into crustal growth and tectonic evolution, yet its petrogenesis and geodynamic setting remain contentious. Integrated petrographic, geochronological, geochemical, and isotopic analyses of three granitic suites identify crystallization ages of 134.3 Ma, 116.7-118.0 Ma, and 102.6-102.8 Ma, extending the known duration of regional magmatism. The ∼134 Ma and ∼103 Ma granites are classified as A2-type, formed under high-temperature, low-pressure settings. The ∼134 Ma biotite monzogranites show enriched isotopic compositions, suggesting derivation from ancient crustal sources. In contrast, the ∼103 Ma monzogranites exhibit decoup...

Rare earth element (REE) content and Sr and O isotope composition of bones and teeth are widely used as proxies for palaeoecology, palaeoenvironments and taphonomy. However, the interpretation of these data is often hindered by the complexity of diagenetic processes and history. In this paper, we use in-situ analyses (trace elements and Sr isotopes using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) and O isotopes using secondary ion mass spectrometry, SIMS) to investigate Lower Cretaceous (Late Barremian-Early Aptian) teeth and bones of Iguanodon bernissartensis to decipher the diagenetic processes, and to provide information about paleoenvironment and the non-migratory behaviour of iguanodons. Combined REE and iso...

Volcanic ash beds are unrivaled as geochronological marker horizons because radiometric dates from volcanic minerals yield high-precision absolute ages of deposition. Such chronostratigraphic information is difficult to obtain however because tephras are rare. Our study tests the hypothesis that paleosols are significant reservoirs for volcanogenic zircons representing the depositional age of continental strata. Paleosols, as time-rich stratigraphic horizons, are likely to incorporate airfall zircons from volcanic eruptions that overlapped with extended periods of landscape stability and pedogenesis, even in areas where volcanicity is low or volcanic sources are far away. Zircon-bearing ashes from late Miocene calderas on the Snake River Pl...

The Qiangtang Terrane preserves a complete geological record documenting the growth of the central Tibetan Plateau; however, its thermo-tectonic evolution and the timing of topographic development remains debated. This study employs multi-system thermochronology (zircon U-Pb, apatite U-Pb, apatite fission track, apatite (U-Th)/He) of sedimentary strata and magmatic rocks from the Qiangtang Terrane to reconstruct its thermal history. The new thermochronological data show that zircon and apatite U-Pb geochronology from Late Triassic and Eocene igneous rocks yield ages in close agreement at ∼220 Ma and ∼ 35 Ma, respectively. Apatite fission track ages range from 121.2 ± 2.7 Ma to 39.3 ± 2.7 Ma, while AHe ages are between 72.5 ± 1.5 Ma a...

Understanding the interactions between biological evolution and other components of the Earth system, particularly tectonic, climatic, and environmental changes, has long been a central focus in Earth sciences. In this study, we present the first high-resolution foraminiferal species diversity curve spanning the late Visean to Serpukhovian from the Youjiang Basin of South China, integrated with multiple geochemical datasets, to elucidate the factors influencing foraminiferal diversification through robust correlations among sedimentological, biological, and geochemical records at a global scale. The widespread biodiversity crisis during the early late Visean (Aleksinian-Mikhailovian transition) is interpreted to have resulted from global oc...

The Jurassic tectonic and geomorphic evolution of the Chinese West Tianshan (CWTS) remains controversial, with conflicting models proposing either regional peneplanation or a local topographic relief. We present the first integrated detrital apatite U-Pb geochronology and trace element geochemistry dataset from Jurassic strata in the Yili and Bayanbulak Basins, complemented by previously published detrital zircon U-Pb data, to constrain the Jurassic tectono-geomorphic evolution of the CWTS. Our results demonstrate that early Early Jurassic sediments in the northern Yili Basin were primarily sourced from the North Tianshan-northern Yili Block and central Yili Block, reflecting topographic barriers that restricted southern sediment input. By ...

Li-Rb-Cs rare metal mineralization is closely linked to highly fractionated granites. However, the origin of Li-Rb-Cs rare metal mineralization during the shear-deformation remains unclear. The Gaoligong Shear Zone (GSZ) is situated along the eastern margin of Tibetan in southwestern China. It is a dextral strike-slip shear zone formed by the northward movement of the India Plate to relative to the Eurasia Plate during Oligocene-Miocene. Bulk mineral composition, together with EMPA and LA-ICP-MS data, reveal that Li-Rb-Cs-rich phlogopite occurs in Carboniferous metamorphic rocks of the GSZ. This phlogopite is enriched in F (4.29-5.06 wt%), Li (1281-1849 ppm), Rb (2550-3242 ppm), and Cs (386-1575 ppm), but depleted in Be (...

In-situ observations of Enceladus' plume and Saturn's E ring by the Cassini spacecraft have revealed that some ice particles erupted from Enceladus contain a large inventory of organic materials. These include both high- and low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon chains, aromatic-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-bearing compounds. Here we report experimental results on organic synthesis through hydrothermal (up to 150 °C) and freezing (down to -40 °C) processes using starting solutions simulating Enceladus' ocean. We find that, owing to HCN and NH3 in the starting solutions, amino acids, together with aldehydes, carboxylic acids, amines, and nitriles, are the primary products of hydrothermal synthesis. Freezing of the starting solutions can also form si...

OLG is proposed as a new potential reference material for apatite (U-Th)/He dating....