Datación mediante trazas de fisión y análisis multielemental con LA-ICP-MS del fluorapatito de Cerro de Mercado (Durango, México)

Abstract

This paper presents the fission track age and multielemental analysis of the Durango fluorapatite (Cerro de Mercado, Durango, Mexico) performed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). A mean age of 31.2 ± 0.2 Ma (1σ) was obtained from 104 fission-track ages determined in 12 different fragments, which is in close agreement with the accepted value of 31.4 ± 0.5 Ma (1σ). The literature about the chemical composition and age of the Durango apatite was also reviewed and the results obtained in this study (REE, trace elements and fission-track ages) are consistent with the published data. This study also presents a new equation for calculating the uncertainty of fission-track ages taking into account all analytical errors. These results validate the procedure used and allow this methodology to be used routinely in other apatites.