Combined Zircon/Apatite U-Pb and Fission-Track Dating by LA-ICP-MS and Its Geological Applications: An Example from the Egyptian Younger Granites

Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is classically used in U-Pb dating to measure U and Pb isotopic concentrations. Recently, it has become frequently used in fission-track (FT) chronometry too. As an advantage, the U-Pb and FT double dating will enable efficiently determining the crystallization ages and the thermo-tectonic history concurrently as samples volume, analytical time, efforts, and cost will be greatly reduced. To demonstrate the validity of this approach, a Younger granite (Ediacaran age) sample from North Eastern Desert (NED), Egypt was analyzed for U-Pb and FT double dating. The integration of multiple geochronologic data yielded a zircon U-Pb crystallization age of 599 +/- 30 Ma, after emplacement, the rock cooled /uplifted rapidly to depths of 9-14 km as response to the post-Pan African Orogeny erosional event as indicated by apatite U-Pb age of 474 +/- 9 Ma. Afterwards, the area experienced a slow cooling/exhumation for a short period, most-likely as response to denudation effect. During the Devonian, the area was rapidly exhumed to reach depths of 1.5-3 km as response to the Hercynian tectonic event, as indicated by a zircon FT age of 347 +/- 16 Ma. Then the studied sample has experienced a relatively long period of thermal stability between the Carboniferous and the Eocene. During the Oligocene-Miocene, the Gulf of Suez opening event affected the area by crustal uplift to its current elevation. This integration of Orogenic and thermo-tectonic information reveals the validity, efficiency, and importance of double dating of U-Pb and FT techniques using LA-ICP-MS methodology.

Automated summary

The combination of U-Pb and FT double dating using LA-ICP-MS methodology efficiently determines both the crystallization ages and thermo-tectonic history of samples, reducing analytical costs and time, providing a powerful tool for geological dating studies.