Results are presented for in situ simultaneous determination of U‐Pb and Sm‐Nd isotopes in monazite using the Laser Ablation Split‐Stream (LASS) method. This method uses a laser ablation system coupled to a magnetic‐sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR) (ICP‐MS) for measuring U‐Pb isotopes and a multicollector (MC) ICP‐MS for measuring Sm‐Nd isotopes. Ablated material is split using a Y‐connector and transported simultaneously to both mass spectrometers. In addition to Sm and Nd isotopes, the MC‐ICP‐MS is configured to also acquire Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd elemental abundances. This approach provides age, tracer isotope, and trace element data in the same ablation volume, reducing sampling problems associated with fine‐scale zoning in accessory minerals and minimizing the material needed for ablation. Precision and accuracy of the U‐Pb method (and the precision of the Sm‐Nd method) is demonstrated with results from well‐characterized monazite reference materials. The LASS results agree within uncertainty with the isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID‐TIMS) U‐Pb dates. The accuracy of the Sm‐Nd method is assessed by comparing the LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS results with ID‐TIMS determinations on a well‐characterized, in‐house monazite reference material. The LASS method is then applied to monazite from the Birch Creek Pluton in the White Mountains of California as a case study to illustrate the utility of this method for solving geologic problems. The U‐Pb ages and Sm‐Nd isotopic data from the LASS method support the conclusions drawn from previous results that monazite can record timing and information about the source region(s) of hydrothermal fluids.

Single-step trans-vertical moulds used to prepare grain mounts for SEM-automated-mineralogy based instruments have been shown to lead to more representative sample statistics. For samples that contain a variety of mineral phases, denser phases can settle to the bottom of an epoxy mould during the curing phase. Slicing and polishing a cross section through density-stratified moulds of the sample material can compensate for this. Aliquots from offshore drill well cuttings were prepared using three different methods: (1) traditional epoxy mounting, (2) two-step trans-vertical moulds, and (3) single-step trans-vertical moulds. All were analysed with a FEI Quanta 650 FEG instrument using MLA software with similar acquisition parameters. The results indicate that the single-step trans-vertical moulds are reproducible, lead to more accurate statistics, and yield MLA calculated elemental assays that closely match with data from standard analytical methods. In addition, these moulds can be made in half the time of the two-step trans-vertical moulds, and because of the unique geometry of the custom-made SEM holders, the analytical throughput is doubled. Depending on the size fraction of the well cuttings, the throughput can be further increased by slicing off the remaining epoxy to allow for more samples in the 26x TV holder. A unique cell holder was created to accommodate these trans-vertical samples, allowing them to fit into a LA-ICP-MS instrument such that detailed follow-up microanalyses can be conducted on specific minerals. For instance geochronology can be conducted on grains of interest (e.g., zircons), which had been mapped by the SEM-MLA.