Heavy iron isotope composition of granites determined by high resolution MC-ICP-MS

High mass resolution multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) was assessed for iron isotope measurement of natural samples after matrix separation by anion exchange chromatography. No remaining interferences were observed on the plateaus used for the mass spectrometric measurements. The approach developed and the instrument used permitted analyses in the static mode. Various mass bias corrections using Ni doping were tested, and even the assumption of similar fractionation factors for Fe and Ni did not produce significantly inaccurate data. However, the daily regression method between ln57Fe / 54Fe and ln61Ni / 60Ni on the standard reference material IRMM-14 to characterize the instrumental mass bias appeared to give the best precision. The reproducibility observed over four months is about 0.013‰/amu, 2 SD, on both δ57Fe / 54Fe and δ56Fe / 54Fe values, provided that each sample is analyzed at least six times. Accuracy, as estimated on interlaboratory comparison of natural samples that included geostandards, lies within this uncertainty. Among the bulk granitic rocks analysed, those with MgO below 0.6 wt.% and SiO2 above 71 wt.% have δ57Fe / 54Fe values significantly heavier than the bulk mafic Earth. This shows that the iron isotope composition of terrestrial igneous rocks is more scattered than previously thought. There are good correlations between the Fe isotope composition and the MgO and SiO2 contents of the granitoids. These correlations are interpreted as reflecting the exsolution of late magmatic aqueous fluids from the granitic melt that preferentially removed the lighter isotopes of iron and enriched the residual magma in the heavier isotopes.