Photoluminescence Imaging of Whole Zircon Grains on a Petrographic Microscope—An Underused Aide for Geochronologic Studies
The refractory nature of zircon to temperature and pressure allows even a single zircon grain to preserve a rich history of magmatic, metamorphic, and hydrothermal processes. Isotopic dating of micro-domains exposed in cross-sections of zircon grains allows us to interrogate this history. Unfortunately, our ability to …