Chemical studies of differentiated meteorites: I. Labile trace elements in Antarctic and non-Antarctic eucrites

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90133-6· OSTI ID:6106066

Paul, R L; Lipschutz, M E ^[1]

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1. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (USA)

The authors report data for Ag, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, In, Rb, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, U, and Zn determined by RNAA in 25 Antarctic and 9 non-Antarctic eucrites. Highly incompatible, refractory elements like U are well known to exceed Cl levels in eucrites because of their igneous origin. Surprisingly, contents of highly labile elements can also be quite high, sometimes at 0.1 {times} Cl, i.e., levels more like chondritic. However, a carbonaceous chondrite pattern is not apparent since Cl-normalized trace element data for a given eucrite sample do not match the flat trends known for carbonaceous chondrites. The U-normalized contents of most elements indicate a thermal process accompanied in the case of lithophiles Rb and Cs by a geochemical fractionation. For these, or Ag, Bi, Cd, or Tl Antarctic and non-Antarctic noncumulate eucrites lie on the same trend line, indicating that all derive from the same parent. The thermal process responsible for the U-normalized trend could involve devolatilization of eucrite parent material or, as the authors prefer because of other data, condensation of volcanic emanations to differing degrees on pre-existing eucrite parent rocks. Antarctic eucrites have different - usually higher - contents of labile elements, particularly Tl, than do non-Antarctic eucrites. The difference seems not to be due to the terrestrial history of the samples but, rather, is preterrestrial in origin. By their preferred scenario, Antarctic eucrites received a greater average complement of mobile elements, hence, were presumably cooler than were non-Antarctic eucrites.

• OSTI ID: 6106066
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Vol. 54:11; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
BASALT
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
PETROGENESIS
METEORITES
PETROCHEMISTRY
ANTIMONY
BISMUTH
CADMIUM
CESIUM
CONCENTRATION RATIO
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
GALLIUM
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GOLD
INDIUM
MINERALOGY
RUBIDIUM
SELENIUM
SILVER
TELLURIUM
THALLIUM
URANIUM
WEATHERING
ZINC
ABUNDANCE
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METALS
ELEMENTS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
METALS
ROCKS
SEMIMETALS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
580000* - Geosciences