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Geochemical analysis of small samples: Micro‐analytical techniques for the nineties and beyond
Author(s) -
Neal Clive R.,
Davidson Jon P.,
McKeegan Kevin D.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/95rg00256
Subject(s) - microprobe , trace element , electron microprobe , mineralogy , geology , laser ablation , isotope analysis , analytical technique , sample preparation , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , geochemistry , laser , environmental chemistry , physics , optics , oceanography , organic chemistry , chromatography
As technology becomes more sophisticated, the number and type of tools available to the geochemist continue to grow and the amount of data collected from a single sample is dramatically increased. Micro‐analytical techniques developed over the last 20–30 years allow the geochemist to obtain an almost overwhelming wealth of data from single samples. Not only can bulk analysis be routinely conducted, but detailed major‐ and trace‐element determinations, as well as isotopic analysis of individual components from geological, metallic, ceramic, and plastic materials are opening up a whole new avenue of research and petrogenetic interpretation. In situ measurements have become an important aspect of many geoscience applications, following the realization that much of the information relating to the origin and evolution of rock systems is retained at the scale of individual mineral grains [e.g., Reed , 1989, 1990, 1993]. The new generation of high resolution ion probes has furthered our ability to perform trace element and isotope analyses at the micron (μm = micron = 10 ‐3 mm) scale. Laser ablation techniques, coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP‐MS) analyses have opened up a parallel capacity for trace element analysis, while laser fluorination oxygen extraction is fast becoming the tool of choice for silicate oxygen isotope geochemistry. With these analytical techniques available, a detailed data base on a single sample or suite of samples can be quickly built up. For major and minor element analyses, the electron microprobe is normally used and as this has generally become a routine analytical technique and has recently been extensively reviewed by Reed [1993], it will not be discussed here.