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Temperature and pressure-independent correlations of olivine/liquid partition coefficients and their application to trace element partitioning

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Abstract

Molar olivine/liquid partition coefficients for Mg, Fe, Mn and Ni are shown to be linearly correlated. These correlations appear to be independent of temperature, pressure and, to some extent, bulk composition and are best explained by the dominance of change-of-state thermodynamics during partitioning. The correlations presented here, when coupled with considerations of olivine stoichiometry, allow (olivine/basalt) partition coeficients of Mg, Fe, Mn and Ni to be predicted if the composition of the basalt is known. Since the correlations hold for major, minor and trace elements and for both “compatible” and “incompatible” elements, the inferences drawn from this study appear to have general relevance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, 85721, Tucson, AZ, USA

    John H. Jones

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  1. John H. Jones
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Jones, J.H. Temperature and pressure-independent correlations of olivine/liquid partition coefficients and their application to trace element partitioning. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 88, 126–132 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371417

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371417

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