Improving U-Pb Dating Accuracy for High-U Stalagmites in Quaternary Records

Pu Zhang; Shitou Wu; Tingyong Li; Zhe Zhang; Zhaofeng Zhang

doi:10.1007/s12583-025-0262-x

Volume 37 Issue 4

Aug 2026

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Journal of Earth Science > 2026 > 37(4): 1594-1607.

Pu Zhang, Shitou Wu, Tingyong Li, Zhe Zhang, Zhaofeng Zhang. Improving U-Pb Dating Accuracy for High-U Stalagmites in Quaternary Records. Journal of Earth Science, 2026, 37(4): 1594-1607. doi: 10.1007/s12583-025-0262-x

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Pu Zhang, Shitou Wu, Tingyong Li, Zhe Zhang, Zhaofeng Zhang. Improving U-Pb Dating Accuracy for High-U Stalagmites in Quaternary Records. Journal of Earth Science, 2026, 37(4): 1594-1607. doi: 10.1007/s12583-025-0262-x

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Improving U-Pb Dating Accuracy for High-U Stalagmites in Quaternary Records

doi: 10.1007/s12583-025-0262-x

Pu Zhang^{1
,
,},
Shitou Wu²,
Tingyong Li^{3
,
,},
Zhe Zhang⁴,
Zhaofeng Zhang¹

1.
International Center for Planetary Science, College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
2.
State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
3.
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Process & Environmental Changes, Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
4.
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China

More Information

Corresponding author: Pu Zhang, zhangpu035@cdut.edu.cn; Tingyong Li, litingyong@ynnu.edu.cn
Received Date: 16 Dec 2024
Accepted Date: 23 Apr 2025
Issue Publish Date: 30 Aug 2026

Abstract

Abstract

This paper explores the accuracy of U-Pb dating of stalagmites with high uranium contents and high μ values of > 10 000, focusing on Quaternary records. Isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb dating methods are compared, and it is found that LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating yields a better precision, especially for samples up to 3 Ma. This research highlights the importance of correcting ²³⁴U/²³⁸U disequilibrium for accurate dating, though ²³⁰Th/²³⁸U calibration is not necessary for Quaternary samples. Common lead correction has a minimal effect on high-uranium samples regardless of whether 2-D or 3-D linear regression is applied to the U-Pb concordia data. The results of the LA-ICP-MS U-Pb method are consistent with those of the ID-TIMS U-Pb method for samples up to 2 Ma, and the error can reach 1.1%–2.9%. Ultimately, this study provides a framework for improving the accuracy of U-Pb dating of high-resolution stalagmite records, which is crucial for paleoenvironment reconstruction.
- U-Pb dating,
- disequilibrium correction,
- common lead correction,
- high uranium content,
- accuracy for high-resolution stalagmite records,
- climate change,
- geochemistry

Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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References(64)

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