LA-ICP-TOFMS Elemental Imaging in Geosciences: Advances and Applications

Elemental imaging is crucial for deciphering the microstructure and associated elemental compositions of geological samples, revealing fine-scale enrichment processes and the evolution of mineral petrogenesis that are inaccessible to conventional techniques. However, conventional imaging methods are often hampered by low imaging efficiency and limited sensitivity for trace elements, which constrains simultaneous multi-element analysis and rapid mapping over large areas. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-time of flight mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOFMS) provides a promising solution by enabling simultaneous, high-speed virtually all element analysis with pixel dwell times ＜ 10 ms. This review summarizes its analytical principles, key advantages, and current limitations, with emphasis on applications in rapid evaluation of reference material development, the mechanisms of critical metal enrichment in polymetallic nodules, and the study of mineral formation and biomineralization processes. Although LA-ICP-TOFMS remains at an exploratory stage in geoscience research, it offers considerable potential to advance studies from macroscopic observation toward microscopic mechanistic interpretation and to support micro-scale elemental imaging and fine-scale geological process reconstruction.