Open AccessAn intensity ratio calibration method for the accurate determination of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca of marine carbonates by ICP‐AES
Author(s) -
de Villiers Stephanie,
Greaves Mervyn,
Elderfield Henry
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2001gc000169
Subject(s) - aragonite , calcite , calibration , inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , accuracy and precision , matrix (chemical analysis) , inductively coupled plasma , mineralogy , geology , chemistry , plasma , chromatography , mathematics , physics , statistics , quantum mechanics
An inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP‐AES) method for the accurate and precise simultaneous measurement of the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca content of carbonates was established. While a precision of <0.3% (1 σ standard deviation (SD)) is easily obtainable for both Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca analysis, a Ca matrix effect complicates achieving similar levels of accuracy with conventional calibration procedures. An alternative ratio calibration procedure is proposed which overcomes the Ca matrix effects and ensures the accuracy of the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca analysis of marine carbonates to <0.3%, almost an order of magnitude better than conventional calibration methods. The longer‐term precision is <0.1% if the batch run average values are corrected for longer‐term drift. The method is suitable for analysis of foraminiferal calcite and coral aragonite and can easily be adjusted for the analysis of other carbonates or microsamples.