Element Distribution in Cobalt-Rich Crust Profile by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

A method was established for the determination of the element composition and distribution in different layers of cobalt-rich crust profile by 193 nm ArF excimer Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The crust standard reference material (GSMC-1) was used as the external standard and Ti was used as the internal standard element for the quantitative determination of multi-element in different layers of the cobalt-rich crust. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of the crust samples GSMC-2 and GSMC-3; the relative error and relative standard deviation were less than 10%, and the detection limits of the element were in the range of 3.2–191 ng g−1 (with the exception of silicon). The concentration of the ore-forming and rare earth elements in different crust layers of a cobalt-crust sample MDD-42, which was collected from Magellan seamounts in the western Pacific, was determined by LA-ICP-MS. The distribution of elements in different crust layers was investigated in detail. The results indicated that the enrichment and depletion of elements are closely related to the geological process and the paleoceanic environment during their growth period.