Analytical Geochemistry

Abstract

This chapter reviews the strategies in analytical geochemistry, including major element geochemistry, trace element geochemistry, determination of mass fractionation, age dating, and radiogenic isotopes for geochemical tracers. Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is one of the analytical methods that seemed to satisfy the requirements of analytical geochemistry. TIMS can give the precise isotopic ratio but the signal intensity itself cannot be used for the quantification of the element. The chapter then explains the element synthesis in stars because analytical geochemistry sometimes deals with the isotopic anomaly originating from the elemental synthesis in stars. The story of element synthesis starts soon after the Big Bang, the formation of the first stars, and the end of stars (supernovae) in which most elements are synthesized. Finally, the chapter outlines the basics of errors. Two types of errors are used, namely repeatability and intermediate precision.