Magnesium Isotopic Homogeneity of GSR-1 and RGM-2: Two Potential Standards for Mg Isotope Analysis of Low MgO Felsic Rocks

Abstract

In sample preparation and mass spectrometry analysis, sample dissolution, column chemistry, concentration mismatches, and matrix effects have significant potential for introducing analytical artifacts during Mg isotope analysis. Based on the low MgO content and undesirable matrix elements in felsic rocks, the development of well-characterized felsic standards is essential to reduce inter-laboratory mass bias, enable the assessment of data accuracy, and facilitate the comparison of chemical separation procedures in different laboratories. In this work, the homogeneity and long-term stability of two felsic rock standards, GSR-1 and RGM-2, were evaluated due to their low MgO contents. Furthermore, synthetic solutions with doped matrix elements were used to evaluate potential Mg isotope analytical artifacts using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The accuracy and precision of Mg isotopic compositions in GSR-1 and RGM-2 were assessed by repeated measurements over twelve months. The long-term tests show that the Mg isotopic compositions of the two low MgO felsic rocks (GSR-1 and RGM-2) are homogenous among batches and can be used as low MgO reference materials for accuracy assessments of Mg isotopic analyses. The Mg isotopic compositions (δ26Mg) of GSR-1 and RGM-2 were marked as -0.223‰±0.053‰ (2s, n=50) and -0.184‰±0.058‰ (2s, n=50) respectively.