U-Pb columbite-tantalite chronology of rare-element pegmatites using TIMS and Laser Ablation-Multi Collector-ICP-MS

U-Pb isotopic analyses using TIMS and Laser Ablation-Multi Collector-ICP-MS were carried out on columbite-tantalite minerals from three suites of rare-element (Li, Cs, Ta) pegmatites in the Superior Province of Canada. Conventional TIMS analyses of these columbite-tantalite crystals produce scattered data and reverse discordance even after HF leaching of the grains prior to dissolution, possibly reflecting the incomplete removal of the open-system metamict segments during sample preparation. LA-MC-ICP-MS analyses of unleached, primary columbite free from inclusions and alteration give consistent and precise (