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Electron microprobe analysis of Hf and Ti in ultrahigh temperature zircon: Optimized approaches and perspectives

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Abstract

Zircon as a multi-objective typomorphic mineral commonly contains diverse trace elements with specific petrogenetic significances. The Hf abundance in zircon is sensitively indicative of melt fractionation during zircon growth on one hand, and on another, the Ti content is a robust temperature sensor of zircon crystallization and has been effectively utilized in thermometric estimation. A Hf-Ti negative correlation was previously reported in igneous zircons, and thus a potential Hf thermometry was then speculated. In this work, we performed reliable electron microprobe (EMP) measurements of Hf and Ti in ultrahigh temperature (UHT) zircons from the North China Craton, in optimizing point, line and grid analysis. The EMP contents of Hf and Ti both show a wide range of fluctuation owing to the smaller probe spot, and some of them are higher than the LA-ICPMS data. The Hf-Ti correlation in UHT zircons displays dual and thus complicated patterns in contrast with the previous consideration, which implicates some other factors controlling the geochemical behaviors of Hf and Ti in zircons. Generally, the estimated Ti temperatures based on the EMP analyses are obviously higher than the LA-ICPMS outcomes, but are well consistent with the actual peak condition of the parent rock. It explains the common underestimation of Ti temperatures in high-temperature metamorphic rocks, by using LA-ICPMS analyses.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable and constructive comments that have greatly improved this manuscript. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41872190).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution MOE, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Xiaoli Li, Bin Wang & Chunjing Wei

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  1. Xiaoli Li
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Correspondence to Xiaoli Li.

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Li, X., Wang, B. & Wei, C. Electron microprobe analysis of Hf and Ti in ultrahigh temperature zircon: Optimized approaches and perspectives. Sci. China Earth Sci. 66, 985–996 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-022-1039-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-022-1039-3

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