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Application of the Method of Symmetrical Balances to Aitchison's Rock Suites

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Abstract

Because all of the natural rock suites which might have been used for testing the method of symmetrical balances were so complicated, Aitchison’s rock suites, which consist of just five constituent minerals A, B, C, D, E and just 25 samples each, were subjected to the method of paired symmetrical balance coordinates. The results revealed that the correlation coefficients within boxite and coxite are insignificant except for the mineral pair D and E of coxite, which shows a high positive correlation. For Aitchison's rock suites related to hongite and kongite, the correlations are more complex. The mineral pairs A and B are highly correlated, while the mineral pairs A and C, B and C, and D and E have a high negative correlation. For comparing one methodology with another it is proposed that, although completely artificial, Aitchison’s rock suites be used as a standard of comparison.

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Acknowledgements

I want to thank Petra Kynčlová for her guidance in programming the symmetrical balance coordinates. Further I want to thank the School of Earth, Ocean and Environment for their continuing support.

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Correspondence to W. E. Sharp.

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Sharp, W.E. Application of the Method of Symmetrical Balances to Aitchison's Rock Suites. Math Geosci 54, 1255–1259 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11004-022-10009-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11004-022-10009-x

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