Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

The La–Ce geochronometer: a new dating method

Abstract

The isotope 138La(0.089% of natural lanthanum) decays by β and electron capture to 138Ce and 138Ba with a long half-life. We present here the first age determination using La–Ce dating. An internal La–Ce isochron of a gabbro from the upper zone of the Bushveld, South Africa, yields an age of 2,390 ± 480 (2σ) Myr based on the partial decay constant 2.58 × 10 −12 yr−1. This age agrees with the Sm–Nd isochron age (2,050 ± 90(2σ) Myr) which was obtained from an aliquot of the same sample solution: within the uncertainties of 138La half life and isotopic measurement.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

Irka Hajdas, Philippa Ascough, … Minoru Yoneda

References

  1. Pringle, R. W., Standil, S. & Roulston, K. I. Phys. Rev. 78, 303–304 (1950).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pringle, R. W., Standil, S., Taylor, H. W. & Fryer, G. Phys. Rev. 84, 1066–1067 (1951).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Mulholland, G. I. & Kohman, T. P. Phys. Rev. 87, 681–682 (1952).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Turchinetz, W. & Pringle, R. W. Phys. Rev. 103, 1000–1003 (1956).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Glover, R. N. & Watt, D. E. Phil. Mag. 2, 49–56 (1957).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. De Ruyter, A. W., Aten, A. H. W. Jr, Van Dulmen, A., Krol-Koning, C. & Zuidema, E. Physica 32, 991–994 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ellis, J. L. & Hall, H. E. Jr Nucl. Phys. A179, 540–544 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Marsol, C., Armanet, F. & Ardisson, G. C. r. hebd Séanc, Acad. Sci., Paris B274, 904–906 (1972).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cesana, A. & Terrani, M. Analyt. Chem. 49, 1156–1159 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Taylor, H. W. & Bauer, R. J. J. phys. Soc. Japan 47, 1395–1396 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sato, J. & Hirose, T. Radiochem. Radionalyt. Lett. 46, 145–152 (1981).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. York, D. Can. J. Phys. 44, 1079–1086 (1966).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Steiger, R. H. & Jäger, E. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 36, 359–362 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Nicolaysen, L. O., de Villiers, J. W. L., Burger, A. J. & Strelow, F. W. E. Trans. geol. Soc. S. Afr. 61, 137–164 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hamilton, P. J. J. Petrol. 18, 24–52 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lugmair, G. W. & Marti, K. Earth planet, Sci. Lett. 35, 273–284 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Masuda, A., Nakamura, N. & Tanaka, T. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 37, 239–248 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wildeman, T. R. & Haskin, L. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 37, 419–438 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. O'Nions, R. K. & Pankhurst, R. J. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 22, 328–338 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hamilton, P. J., O'Nions, R. K., Evensen, N. M., Bridgwater, D. & Allaart, J. H. Nature 272, 41–43 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Masuda, A. & Dohmoto, Y. Geochem. J. 14, 57–61 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Nakamura, N. & Masuda, A. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 19, 429–437 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Masuda, A. & Tanaka, T. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 49, 109–116 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Davis, A. M., Tanaka, T., Grossman, L., Lee, T. & Wasserburg, G. J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 46, 1627–1651 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Inghram, M. G., Hayden, R. J. & Hess, D. C. Jr Phys. Rev. 72, 967–970 (1947).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Heath, R. L. in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (ed. Weast, R. C.) 58th edn (CRC, West Palm Beach, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wasserburg, G. J., Jacobsen, S. B., DePaolo, D. J., McCulloch, M. T. & Wen T. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 45, 2311–2323 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tanaka, T., Masuda, A. The La–Ce geochronometer: a new dating method. Nature 300, 515–518 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/300515a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/300515a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing