A Laser Ablation ICP-MS Protocol for High-Resolution Iodine-to-Calcium Ratio (I/Ca) Analysis on Corals.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Corals are continuous, time-resolved archives of ambient seawater geochemistry and can extend climate records beyond direct monitoring. The iodine-to-calcium (I/Ca) ratio may be a proxy for local oxygen depletion in corals, but the current solution-based ICP-MS protocol limits sampling resolution. A protocol was developed for rapid analysis of coral I/Ca using laser ablation ICP-MS.

Methods

Two reference materials, a powdered coral (JCp-1) and a synthetic carbonate (MACS-3), were compared for precision in measuring Sr, Mg, I, Ba, and U. Then, the influence of laser parameters (spot size, fluence, repetition rate, and scan speed) on iodine sensitivity from the reference material was evaluated to optimize laser settings for accurate and reproducible I/Ca calibration.

SUBMITTER: Prow-Fleischer AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11807343 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature