Matrix-matched calibration by natural zircon standards and analysis of natural materials as a reference are the principle methods for achieving accurate results in microbeam U{\textendash}Pb dating and Hf isotopic analysis. We describe a new potential zircon reference material for laser ablation ICP-MS that was extracted from a potassic granulite facies rock collected in the southern part of the Bohemian Massif (Ple{\v s}ovice, Czech Republic).
Data from different techniques (ID-TIMS, SIMS and LA ICP-MS) and several laboratories suggest that this zircon has a concordant U{\textendash}Pb age with a weighted mean~206Pb/238U date of 337.13~{\textpm}~0.37~Ma (ID-TIMS, 95\% confidence limits, including tracer calibration uncertainty) and U{\textendash}Pb age homogeneity on the scale used in LA ICP-MS dating. Inhomogeneities in trace element composition due to primary growth zoning prevent its use as a calibration standard for trace element analysis. The content of U varies from 465~ppm in pristine parts of the grains to ~~3000~ppm in actinide-rich sectors that correspond to pyramidal faces with a high degree of metamictization (present in ca. 30\% of the grains). These domains are easily recognized from high intensities on BSE images and should be avoided during the analysis. Hf isotopic composition of the Ple{\v s}ovice zircon (\>~0.9~wt.\% Hf) is homogenous within and between the grains with a mean~176Hf/177Hf value of 0.282482~{\textpm}~0.000013 (2SD). The age and Hf isotopic homogeneity of the Ple{\v s}ovice zircon together with its relatively high U and Pb contents make it an ideal calibration and reference material for laser ablation ICP-MS measurements, especially when using low laser energies and/or small diameters of laser beam required for improved spatial resolution.
}, year = {2008}, journal = {Chemical Geology}, volume = {249}, pages = {1-35}, month = {03/2008}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2007.11.005}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemgeo.2007.11.005}, language = {eng}, }