Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Subsolidus REE partitioning between pyroxene and plagioclase in cumulative eucrites: An ion microprobe investigation

Journal Article · · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, MA (United States)

In an attempt to elucidate the relationship between the cumulate eucrites and the noncumulate (main series) eucrites, we have examined the trace-element systematics of plagioclase grains that coexist with inverted pigeonites of the cumulative eucrites. Analyses were done by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Plagioclase compositions are uniform in trace-element abundances within grains from each cumulate eucrite, but are variable between the four analyzed: Moama, Moore County, Serra de Mage, and Binda. Shapes of CI-normalized trace-element abundance patterns of the plagioclase grains of the cumulates are typical of plagioclase, showing a LREE-enriched pattern with positive Eu anomalies reflecting the site preference of Eu{sup 2+} in the feldspar structure. Using trace-element concentrations of the pyroxenes (orthopyroxene, pigeonite, augite; Pun and Papike, 1995) and plagioclase (this study), we calculate the subsolidus partition coefficients (Ds) for the REEs and Y between plagioclase and pyroxens in the examined cumulate eucrites. Trace-element systematics suggest that igneous trace-element signatures have been altered by subsolidus exchange for both the plagioclase and pyroxene. Calculated hypothetical parental-melt patterns determined form pyroxene and plagioclase are different and can differ by a factor of 4-5 for individual REEs. 36 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs.

OSTI ID:
617827
Journal Information:
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 61; ISSN 0016-7037; ISSN GCACAK
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English