The magnesium (Mg) isotopic compositions of 40 seawater samples from the Gulf of Mexico and of one seawater sample from the southwest Hawaii area were determined by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) to investigate the homogeneity of Mg isotopes in seawater. The results indicate that the Mg isotopic composition of seawater from the Gulf of Mexico is homogeneous, both vertically and horizontally, with average values for d 25 Mg = À0.43 AE 0.06 (2SD, n = 90). The magnesium isotopic composition of seawater is principally controlled by river water input, carbonate precipitation and oceanic hydrothermal interactions. The homogeneous Mg isotopic composition of seawater indicates a steady-state budget in terms of Mg isotopes in oceans, consistent with a long Mg residence time (~13 Ma). Considering that seawater is homogeneous, readily available in large amounts, can be easily accessed and processed for isotopic analysis, and has an isotopic composition near the middle of the natural range of variation, it is an excellent geostandard for accuracy assessment to rule out analytical artifacts during high-precision Mg isotopic analysis.

Magnesium isotopic compositions are reported for twenty-four international geological reference materials including igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, as well as phlogopite and serpentine minerals. The longterm reproducibility of Mg isotopic determination, based on 4-year analyses of olivine and seawater samples, was ≤ 0.07‰ (2s) for d 26 Mg and ≤ 0.05‰ (2s) for d 25 Mg. Accuracy was tested by analysis of synthetic reference materials down to the quoted long-term reproducibility. This comprehensive dataset, plus seawater data produced in the same laboratory, serves as a reference for quality assurance and inter-laboratory comparison of high-precision Mg isotopic data.Significant advances have been made on Mg isotope geochemistry over the past decade. It was debated whether or not the Earth has a chondritic Mg isotopic composition. The most recent studies indicate that the Earth, as well as the Moon, have Mg isotopic composition similar to chondrites within 0.07‰ (2s) in 26 Mg/ 24 Mg ratio (Teng et al.

No abstract

No abstract

To evaluate the interlaboratory mass bias for high-precision stable Mg isotopic analysis of natural materials, a suite of silicate standards ranging in composition from felsic to ultramafic were analyzed in five laboratories by using three types of multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICPMS). Magnesium isotopic compositions from all labs are in agreement for most rocks within quoted uncertainties but are significantly (up to 0.3& in 26 Mg/ 24 Mg, >4 times of uncertainties) different for some mafic samples. The interlaboratory mass bias does not correlate with matrix element/Mg ratios, and the mechanism for producing it is uncertain but very likely arises from column chemistry. Our results suggest that standards with different matrices are needed to calibrate the efficiency of column chemistry and caution should be taken when dealing with samples with complicated matrices. Well-calibrated standards with matrix elements matching samples should be used to reduce the interlaboratory mass bias.

We report high-precision Mg isotopic analyses of different types of lunar samples including two pristine Mg-suite rocks (72415 and 76535), basalts, anorthosites, breccias, mineral separates, and lunar meteorites. The Mg isotopic composition of the dunite 72415 (δ25Mg = −0.140 ± 0.010‰, δ26Mg = −0.291 ± 0.018‰), the most Mg-rich and possibly the oldest lunar sample, may provide the best estimate of the Mg isotopic composition of the bulk silicate Moon (BSM). This δ26Mg value of the Moon is similar to those of the Earth and chondrites and reflects both the relative homogeneity of Mg isotopes in the solar system and the lack of Mg isotope fractionation by the Moon-forming giant impact. In contrast to the behavior of Mg isotopes in terrestrial basalts and mantle rocks, Mg isotopic data on lunar samples show isotopic variations among the basalts and pristine anorthositic rocks reflecting isotopic fractionation during the early lunar magma ocean (LMO) differentiation. Calculated evolutions of δ26Mg values during the LMO differentiation are consistent with the observed δ26Mg variations in lunar samples, implying that Mg isotope variations in lunar basalts are consistent with their origin by remelting of distinct LMO cumulates.

A new type of potentiometric sensor based on a recently constructed carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) is described. Two kinds of ionic liquids, i.e., N-octylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate (OPFP) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoluim hexafluorophosphate (BMFP) were tested as binder for construction of the carbon composite electrode. The characteristics of these electrodes as potentiometric sensors were evaluated and compared with those of the traditional carbon paste electrode (CPE). The results indicate that potentiometric sensors constructed with ionic liquid show an increase in performance in terms of Nernstian slope, selectivity, response time, and response stability compared to CPE.

Magnesium isotopic compositions of 22 well-characterized differentiated meteorites including 7 types of achondrites and pallasite meteorites were measured to estimate the average Mg isotopic composition of their parent bodies and evaluate Mg isotopic heterogeneity of the solar system. The δ 26 Mg values are -0.236‰ and -0.190‰ for acapulcoite-lodranite and angrite meteorites, respectively and vary from -0.267‰ to -0.222‰ in the winonaite-IAB-iron silicate group, -0.369‰ to -0.292‰ in aubrites, -0.269‰ to -0.158‰ in HEDs, -0.299‰ to -0.209‰ in ureilites, -0.307‰ to -0.237‰ in mesosiderites, and -0.303‰ to -0.238‰ in pallasites. Magnesium isotopic compositions of most achondrites and pallasite meteorites analyzed here are similar and reveal no significant isotopic fractionation. However, Mg isotopic compositions of D′Orbigny (angrite) and some HEDs are slightly heavier than chondrites and the other achondrites studied here. The slightly heavier Mg isotopic compositions of angrites and some HEDs most likely resulted from either impact-induced evaporation or higher abundance of clinopyroxene with the Mg isotopic composition slightly heavier than olivine and orthopyroxene. The average Mg isotopic composition of achondrites (δ 26 Mg = -0.246 ± 0.082‰, 2SD, n = 22) estimated here is indistinguishable from those of the Earth (δ 26 Mg = -0.25 ± 0.07‰; 2SD, n = 139), chondrites (δ 26 Mg = -0.28 ± 0.06‰; 2SD, n = 38), and the Moon (δ 26 Mg = -0.26 ± 0.16‰) reported from the same laboratory. The chondritic Mg isotopic composition of achondrites, the Moon, and the Earth further reflects homogeneity of Mg isotopes in the solar system and the lack of Mg isotope fractionation during the planetary accretion process and impact events.