U–Pb systematics of the McClure Mountain syenite: thermochronological constraints on the age of the 40Ar/39Ar standard MMhb

Recent advances in U–Pb geochronology allow unprecedented levels of precision in the determination of geological ages. However, increased precision has also illuminated the importance of understanding subtle sources of open-system behavior such as Pb-loss, inheritance, intermediate daughter product disequilibria, and the accuracy of the model assumptions for initial Pb. Deconvolution of these effects allows a much richer understanding of the power and limitations of U–Pb geochronology and thermochronology. In this study, we report high-precision ID-TIMS U–Pb data from zircon, baddelleyite, titanite and apatite from the McClure Mountain syenite, from which the 40Ar/39Ar hornblende standard MMhb is derived. We find that excess 206Pb in zircon due to inclusions of high-Th minerals and elevated Th/U in titanite and apatite jeopardize the utility of the 238U–206Pb system in this rock. Strongly air-abraded zircons give dates that are younger than chemical-abraded zircons, which yield a statistically robust 207Pb/235U date of 523.98±0.12 Ma that is interpreted as the crystallization age. We explore the best method of Pbc correction in titanite and apatite by analyzing the U–Pb isotopes of K-feldspar and using 2-D and 3-D regression methods—the latter of which yields the best results in each case. However, the calculated compositions of Pbc for titanite, apatite and K-feldspar are different, implying that using a single Pbc correction for multiple U–Pb thermochronometers may be inaccurate. The U–Pb thermochronological results are used to predict a closure time for Ar in hornblende of 522.98±1.00 Ma. Widely cited K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dates overlap with the U–Pb date, and relatively large errors make it impossible to verify whether U–Pb dates are systematically ≤1% older than K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dates.