RESUMEN
Geothermal waters from the Semi, Dagejia and Kawu hot springs in the Shiquanhe-Yarlung Zangbo geothermal field of southern Tibet (China) are highly enriched in rare alkali metals (RAM). However, the enrichment mechanism is still hotly debated. Here, we report the first silicon isotope data of these geothermal waters to unravel the origin of the extreme RAM enrichments. Sinter precipitation in the spring vents and water-rock interaction in the deep reservoir controlled both the silicon budget and silicon isotope fractionation. The rates of water-rock interaction and sinter precipitation in three spring sites decrease in the sequences Semi > Kawu > Dagejia, and Dagejia > Kawu > Semi respectively. Silicon isotope fractionation during sinter precipitation (i.e. Δ30Siprecipitate-solution < -0.1) is less than that due to water-rock interaction (i.e. Δ30Sisolution-rocks at least as high as -0.47), which makes it possible to use the δ30Si signatures of springs to evaluate the intensity of water-rock interaction. Based on the available evidence, a conceptual model of RAM enrichment is proposed: (i) persistent magmatic activity in southern Tibet provided the initial enrichment of the RAM in host rocks and a heat sources for the deep reservoirs of geothermal systems; (ii) the high Cl- content and long residence time (thousands of years) promote the leaching of RAM from the silicate host rocks.
RESUMEN
A new, feasible procedure for high-precision bromine isotope analysis using multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) is described. With a combination of HR mass resolution mode and accurate optimization of the Zoom Optics parameters (Focus Quad: -1.30; Zoom Quad: 0.00), the challenging problem of the isobaric interferences ((40)Ar(38)ArH(+) and (40)Ar(40)ArH(+)) in the measurement of bromine isotopes ((79)Br(+), (81)Br(+)) has been effectively solved. The external reproducibility of the measured (81)Br/(79)Br ratios in the selected standard reference materials ranged from ±0.03 to ±0.14, which is superior to or equivalent to the best results from previous contributions. The effect of counter cations on the Br(+) signal intensity and the instrumental-induced mass bias was evaluated as the loss of HBr aerosol in nebulizer and potential diffusive isotope fractionations.
RESUMEN
In order to eliminate boron loss and potential isotopic fractionation during chemical pretreatment of natural samples with complex matrices, a three-column ion-exchange separation/purification procedure has been modified, which ensures more than 98% recovery of boron from each step for a wide range of sample matrices, and is applicable for boron isotope analysis by both TIMS and MC-ICP-MS. The PTIMS-Cs2BO2(+)-static double collection method was developed, ensuring simultaneous collection of (133)Cs2(11)B(16)O2(+)(m/z 309) and (133)Cs2(10)B(16)O2(+) (m/z 308) ions in adjacent H3-H4 Faraday cups with typical zoom optics parameters (Focus Quad: 15 V, Dispersion Quad: -85 V). The external reproducibilities of the measured (11)B/(10)B ratios of the NIST 951 boron standard solutions of 1000 ng, 100 ng and 10 ng of boron by PTIMS method are ±0.06, ±0.16 and ±0.25, respectively, which indicates excellent precision can be achieved for boron isotope measurement at nanogram level boron in natural samples. An on-peak zero blank correction procedure was employed to correct the residual boron signals effect in MC-ICP-MS, which gives consistent δ(11)B values with a mean of 39.66±0.35 for seawater in the whole range of boron content from 5 ppb to 200 ppb, ensuring accurate boron isotope analysis in few ppb boron. With the improved protocol, consistent results between TIMS and MC-ICP-MS data were obtained in typical geological materials within a wide span of δ(11)B values ranging from -25 to +40.
RESUMEN
Because the variation in chlorine isotopic abundances of naturally occurring chlorine bearing substances is significant, the IUPAC Inorganic Chemistry Division, Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW-IUPAC) decided that the uncertainty of atomic weight of chlorine (A(r)(Cl)) should be increased so that the implied range was related to terrestrial variability in 1999 (Coplen, T. B. Atomic weights of the elements 1999 (IUPAC Technical Report), Pure Appl. Chem.2001, 73(4), 667-683; and then, it emphasized that the standard atomic weights of ten elements including chlorine were not constants of nature but depend upon the physical, chemical, and nuclear history of the materials in 2009 (Wieser, M. E.; Coplen, T. B. Pure Appl. Chem.2011, 83(2), 359-396). According to the agreement by CIAAW that an atomic weight could be defined for one specified sample of terrestrial origin (Wieser, M. E.; Coplen, T. B. Pure Appl. Chem.2011, 83(2), 359-396), the absolute isotope ratios and atomic weight of chlorine in standard reference materials (NIST 975, NIST 975a, ISL 354) were accurately determined using the high-precision positive thermal ionization mass spectrometer (PTIMS)-Cs(2)Cl(+)-graphite method. After eliminating the weighing error caused from evaporation by designing a special weighing container and accurately determining the chlorine contents in two highly enriched Na(37)Cl and Na(35)Cl salts by the current constant coulometric titration, one series of gravimetric synthetic mixtures prepared from two highly enriched Na(37)Cl and Na(35)Cl salts was used to calibrate two thermal ionization mass spectrometers in two individual laboratories. The correction factors (i.e., K(37/35) = R(37/35meas)/R(37/35calc)) were obtained from five cycles of iterative calculations on the basis of calculated and determined R((37)Cl/(35)Cl) values in gravimetric synthetic mixtures. The absolute R((37)Cl/(35)Cl) ratios for NIST SRM 975, NIST 975a, and ISL 354 by the precise calibrated isotopic composition measurements are 0.319876 ± 0.000067, 0.319768 ± 0.000187, and 0.319549 ± 0.000044, respectively. As a result, the atomic weights of chlorine in NIST 975, NIST 975a, and ISL 354 are derived as 35.45284(8), 35.45272(21), and 35.45252(2) individually, which are consistent with the issued values of 35.453(2) by IUPAC in 1999.
