Mg Isotope Interlaboratory Comparison of Reference Materials from Earth‐Surface Low‐Temperature Environments

Abstract

To enable quality control of measurement procedures for determinations of Mg isotope amount ratios, expressed as δ26Mg and δ25Mg values, in Earth‐surface studies, the δ26Mg and δ25Mg values of eight reference materials (RMs) were determined by interlaboratory comparison between five laboratories and considering published data, if available. These matrix RMs, including river water SLRS‐5, spring water NIST SRM 1640a, Dead Sea brine DSW‐1, dolomites JDo‐1 and BCS‐CRM 512, limestone BCS‐CRM 513, soil NIST SRM 2709a and vegetation NIST SRM 1515, are representative of a wide range of Earth‐surface materials from low‐temperature environments. The interlaboratory variability, 2s (twice the standard deviation), of all eight RMs ranges from 0.05 to 0.17‰ in δ26Mg. Thus, it is suggested that all these materials are suitable for validation of δ26Mg and δ25Mg determinations in Earth‐surface geochemical studies.