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Open File Report OF-AR-
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral ResourcesA division of
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
40Ar/39Ar Geochronology Results
Prepared By:
New Mexico Bureau of Geology, Socorro, NM 87801
Prepared For:
Initially prepared as:
SOCORRO 2011
-1-
Introduction A sample (8297- Mancos) of a minette dyke from Mancos Canyon in Mesa Verde
National Park was submitted by Paul Carrara. A previous sample from a dike in Navajo
Canyon, about 20 Km to the west of where 8297-Mancos was collected was dated at the
NMGRL and yielded an age of 25.65±0.08 Ma. Phlogopite from 8297-Mancos was
separated and analyzed by the 40Ar/39Ar
40Ar/39Ar Analytical Methods and Results
The minette was crushed, sieved and cleaned with distilled water and the biotite
was removed by hand-picking under a binocular microscope. The mineral separates and
monitors (Fish Canyon tuff sanidine, 28.02, Renne et al., 1998) were loaded into
aluminum discs and irradiated for 7 hours at the Nuclear Science Center in College
Station, Texas.
The phlogopite mineral separate was analyzed with the furnace incremental
heating age spectrum method. Abbreviated analytical methods for the dated sample are
given in Table 1, and details of the overall operation of the New Mexico Geochronology
Research Laboratory is provided in the Appendix. The age results are summarized in
Table 1 and the argon isotopic data are given in Table 2.
8297-Mancos Weighted Mean Age=24.97±0.12 Ma n/ntotal =4/12 MSWD=3.80
8297-Mancos yielded a somewhat disturbed age spectrum (Figure 1a). The initial
4.5% of the39Ar released yielded anomalously young apparent ages (-0.78 Ma-23.86 Ma)
followed by a rise in apparent age to 25.67 Ma. The apparent ages then decrease to 25.19
Ma over the following 42.2 % of the spectrum. The radiogenic yields (35.2 to 89.8%) and
K/Ca values (29.2-104.1) rise over this portion of the age spectrum. The remainder of the
age spectrum is nearly concordant and a weighted mean age of 24.97±0.12 Ma is
calculated from steps H to K excluding the final 0.4% of the 39Ar released. The K/Ca
values are somewhat oscillatory (86.5 to 190.6 and down to 10.6) over this portion of the
spectrum while the radiogenic yields increase steadily to 96.3% radiogenic. Inverse
-2-
isochron analysis of steps C-L yield an isochron age of 25.10±0.28 Ma with a 40Ar/36Ar
intercept of 297.9±15.6 (Figure 1b).
Discussion We assign the weighted mean age (24.97±0.12 Ma) calculated from steps H-K as
the intrusion age of this minette dike. The discordance displayed in this age spectrum is
possibly the result of minor alteration, minor 39Ar recoil (redistribution of 39Ar from K-
rich to K-poor alteration phases), or slight excess Ar (40Ar/36Ar >295.5). The fact that the
integrated age (the age usually chosen as the best eruption age in samples suspected of
having undergone 39Ar recoil), the isochron age and the weighted mean age all agree
within the quoted 2 sigma error, suggests that the amount of recoil or excess is minor.
We feel confident that the assigned age (24.97±0.12 Ma) is an accurate intrusion age of
this minette. We note that 8297-Mancos is ~0.5 Ma younger than the previously dated
minette from a nearby canyon (25.65±0.08 Ma).
-3-
References Cited
Renne, P.R., C.C. Swisher, A.L. Deino, D.B. Karner, T.L. Owens and D.J. Depaolo,
1998a, Intercalibration of standards: absolute ages and uncertainties in 40Ar/39Ar
dating. Chem. Geol., v. 145, p.117-152.
Steiger, R.H., and Jäger, E., 1977. Subcommission on geochronology: Convention on
the use of decay constants in geo- and cosmochronology. Earth and Planet. Sci.
Lett., 36, 359-362.
Taylor, J.R., 1982. An Introduction to Error Analysis: The Study of Uncertainties in
Physical Measurements,. Univ. Sci. Books, Mill Valley, Calif., 270 p.
Table 1. Summary of 40Ar/39Ar results and analytical methods
ageSample Lab # Irradiation mineral analysis steps/analyses Age ±2σ MSWD8297-Mancos 58726 NM-221 phlogogpite furnace step-heat q 12 24.94 0.11 23.07
Sample preparation and irradiation: Minerals separated with standard heavy liquid, Franz Magnetic and hand-picking techniques.Samples in NM-221 irradiated in a machined Aluminum tray for 7 hours in D-3 position, Nuclear Science Center, College Station, TX. Neutron flux monitor Fish Canyon Tuff sanidine (FC-2). Assigned age = 28.02 Ma (Renne et al, 1998).
Instrumentation: Analyses performed on a Mass Analyzer Products 215-50 mass spectrometer on line with automated all-metal extraction system.Phlogopite step-heated, using a Mo double-vacuum resistance furnace.
Analytical parameters: Electron multiplier sensitivity averaged 6.88 x 10-17 moles/pA for furnance analyses and 6.21e-17 for laser analyses.1.73 x 10-18 moles at masses 40, 39, 38, 37 and 36, respectively for the furnace analyses.Total system blank and background averaged 166, 0.96, 0.24, 0.74, 8.6 x 10-18 moles at masses 40, 39, 38, 37 and 36, respectively for the furnace analyses.J-factors determined by CO2 laser-fusion of 6 single crystals from each of 10 radial positions around the irradiation tray. Decay constants and isotopic abundances after Steiger and Jäger (1977).
Table 2. 40Ar/39Ar analytical data.ID Power 40Ar/39Ar 37Ar/39Ar 36Ar/39Ar 39ArK K/Ca 40Ar* 39Ar Age ±1σ
(°C) (x 10-3) (x 10-15 mol) (%) (%) (Ma) (Ma)
8297-Mancos, Phlogopite, 8.37 mg, J=0.0008356±0.07%, D=1.0014±0.001, NM-221L, Lab#=58726-01Xi A 650 208.7 0.3975 708.3 0.428 1.3 -0.2 0.3 -0.78 2.14Xi B 750 35.71 1.947 102.8 0.797 0.26 15.3 1.0 8.25 0.73X C 850 58.66 0.2754 141.4 0.938 1.9 28.8 1.7 25.29 0.80X D 920 45.22 0.0175 99.10 3.480 29.2 35.2 4.5 23.86 0.37
E 1000 23.11 0.0092 20.16 14.32 55.3 74.2 15.9 25.67 0.10F 1075 19.04 0.0071 6.709 22.84 72.0 89.6 34.1 25.53 0.06G 1110 18.74 0.0049 6.474 15.78 104.1 89.8 46.7 25.19 0.07H 1180 18.40 0.0059 5.985 21.17 86.5 90.4 63.6 24.91 0.06I 1210 17.73 0.0027 3.829 19.17 190.6 93.6 78.9 24.84 0.06J 1250 17.35 0.0041 2.059 21.82 125.2 96.5 96.3 25.07 0.05K 1300 17.36 0.0197 2.180 4.138 25.9 96.3 99.6 25.02 0.09
X L 1680 28.18 0.0481 42.63 0.483 10.6 55.3 100.0 23.35 0.68Integrated age ± 2σ n=12 125.4 23.0 K2O=6.89% 24.94 0.11Plateau ± 2σ steps E-K n=7 MSWD=19.43 119.238 104.0±106.7 95.1 25.12 0.21Isochron±2σ steps C-L n=10 MSWD=16.06 40Ar/36Ar= 297.9±15.6 25.10 0.28
Notes:Isotopic ratios corrected for blank, radioactive decay, and mass discrimination, not corrected for interfering reactions.Errors quoted for individual analyses include analytical error only, without interfering reaction or J uncertainties.Integrated age calculated by summing isotopic measurements of all steps.Integrated age error calculated by quadratically combining errors of isotopic measurements of all steps.Plateau age is inverse-variance-weighted mean of selected steps.Plateau age error is inverse-variance-weighted mean error (Taylor, 1982) times root MSWD where MSWD>1.Plateau error is weighted error of Taylor (1982).Decay constants and isotopic abundances after Steiger and Jäger (1977).X symbol preceding sample ID denotes analyses excluded from plateau age calculations.Weight percent K2O calculated from 39Ar signal, sample weight, and instrument sensitivity.Ages calculated relative to FC-2 Fish Canyon Tuff sanidine interlaboratory standard at 28.02 Ma Decay Constant (LambdaK (total)) = 5.543e-10/aCorrection factors: (39Ar/37Ar)Ca = 0.00068 ± 5e-05 (36Ar/37Ar)Ca = 0.00028 ± 2e-05 (38Ar/39Ar)K = 0.0125 (40Ar/39Ar)K = 0 ± 0.0004
0 0.005 0.010 0.015 0.020 0.025 0.030 0.035 0.040 0.045 0.050 0.055 0.0600
0.0005
0.0010
0.0015
0.0020
0.0025
0.0030
0.0035A
B
C
D
E
F GH
IJ
K
L
0
50
100
0
100
200
300
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10020
22
24
26
28
30
D920
E1000
F1075
G1110
H1180
I1210 J
1250K
1300
L1680
Integrated Age = 24.94 ± 0.11 Ma
24.97 ± 0.12 Ma* (MSWD = 3.80)
Cumulative %39Ar Released
%40
Ar*
App
aren
t Age
(Ma)
K/C
a36
Ar/40
Ar
36Ar/40Ar
Isochron Age = 25.10 ± 0.28 Ma40Ar/36Ar Intercept = 297.9 ± 15.6MSWD = 16
Steps C-L
8297-Mancos Pholgopite
Figure 1. Age spectrum (1a) and isochron (1b) for phlogopite 8297-Mancos.Points shown in purple not included in weighted mean age calculation.All errors quoted at 2 sigma.