Mass‐Independent and Mass‐Dependent Ca Isotopic Compositions of Thirteen Geological Reference Materials Measured by Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

We report mass‐independent and mass‐dependent Ca isotopic compositions for thirteen geological reference materials, including carbonates (NIST SRM 915a and 915b), Atlantic seawater as well as ten rock reference materials ranging from peridotite to sandstone, using traditional ε and δ values relative to NIST SRM 915a, respectively. Isotope ratio determinations were conducted by independent unspiked and 43Ca‐48Ca double‐spiked measurements using a customised Triton Plus TIMS. The mean of twelve measurement results gave ε40/44Ca values within ± 1.1, except for GSP‐2 that had ε40/44Ca = 4.04 ± 0.15 (2SE). Significant radiogenic 40Ca enrichment was evident in some high K/Ca samples. At an uncertainty level of ± 0.6, all reference materials had the same ε43/44Ca and ε48/44Ca values. We suggest the use of δ44/42Ca to report mass‐dependent Ca isotopic compositions. The precision under intermediate measurement conditions for δ44/42Ca over eight months in our laboratory was ± 0.03‰ (with n ≥ 8 repeat measurements). Measured igneous reference materials gave δ44/42Ca values ranging from 0.27‰ to 0.54‰. Significant Ca isotope fractionation may occur during magmatic and metasomatism processes. Studied reference materials with higher (Dyn/Ybn) tend to have lower δ44/42Ca, implying a potential role of garnet in producing magmas with low δ44/42Ca. Sandstone GBW07106 had a δ44/42Ca value of 0.22‰, lower than all igneous rocks studied so far.