Abstract:

Geochronology is the key to study the temporal-spacial evolution of geological bodies and continental geodynamics, and the U-Pb method of accessory minerals is one of the generally-used dating methods. The U-bearing accessory minerals commonly occur in all kinds of rocks, and their U-Pb ages provide an indication of the timing of geological events which took place during the evolution of their host geological bodies. However, the result of TIMS U-Pb dating is bulk analysis and gives an average age of the sample. With the development of the instrument sciences and analysis technique, the in-situ U-Pb dating has been a dominant trend of the U-Pb chronology development. Comparing with zircon, the other accessory minerals have a more complicated U-Pb isotopic system often with high content of common lead. Based on the reading of updated references and our relative studies, the authors review the advance of the in-situ U-Pb dating methods of accessory minerals and the correction of common lead, in order to accelerate the studies of the in-situ U-Pb dating of accessory minerals and its application to the geological research in China.

Key words: accessory mineral, in-situ analysis, U-Pb age, correction of common lead, dating methods