Definition
The term chalcophile (derived from the Greek for copper-loving) was originally introduced by Goldschmidt (1923) to describe the group of elements that are concentrated in sulfide minerals in meteorites. Traditionally this group is defined as the elements Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Hg, In, Pb, S, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, and Zn. Goldschmidt classified the other elements in meteorites into two groups: those associated with Fe alloy as siderophile (iron loving) and those concentrated in silicates minerals as lithophile (rock loving). Subsequently Goldschmidt applied his classification to the whole Earth and modified it to include two new groups of elements: atmophile, those concentrated in the atmosphere and biophile elements, those concentrated by organic processes (Goldschmidt 1930).
Distribution in Terrestrial Rocks
Whereas the concepts outlined by Goldschmidt are useful, as is evidenced by the fact the terms, siderophile, chalcophile, and lithophile are in daily use by geochemists, the...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arevalo R Jr, McDonough WF (2010) Chemical variations and regional diversity observed in MORB. Chem Geol 271:70–85
Barnes S-J, Ripley EM (2016) Highly siderophile and strongly chalcophile elements in magmatic ore deposits. Rev Mineral Geochem 81:725–774
Dale CW, Burton KW, Greenwood RC, Gannoun A, Wade J, Wood BJ, Pearson DG (2012) Late accretion on the earliest planetesimals revealed by the highly siderophile elements. Science 336:72–75
Dare SA, Barnes S-J, Prichard HM, Fisher PC (2011) Chalcophile and platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations in the sulphide minerals from the McCreedy East deposit, Sudbury, Canada, and the origin of PGE in pyrite. Mineral Deposita 46:381–407
Goldschmidt VM (1923) Geochemische Verteilungsgesetze der ElementeSkrifter utg. av det Norske Visenskaps-Akademii i Oslo I. Mat-Naturv Klasse 2:1–17
Goldschmidt V (1930) Geochemische Verteilungsgesetze und kosmische Häufigkeit der Elemente. Naturwissenschaften 18:999–1013
Harvey J, Day JM (2016) Highly siderophile and strongly chalcophile elements in high temperature geochemistry and cosmochemistry. Rev Mineral Geochem 81:774
Hinkley TK, Le Cloarec M-F, Lambert G (1994) Fractionation of families of major, minor, and trace metals across the melt-vapor interface in volcanic exhalations. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 58:3255–3263
Hu Z, Gao S (2008) Upper crustal abundances of trace elements: a revision and update. Chem Geol 253(3):205–221
John DA, Ayuso RA, Barton MD, Blakely RJ, Bodnar RJ, Dilles JH, Gray F, Graybeal FT, Mars JC, McPhee DK, Seal RR, Taylor RD, Vikre PG (2010) Porphyry copper deposit model, chap. B of Mineral deposit models for resource assessment: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5070–B, p 169
Keith J, Whitney J, Hattori K, Ballantyne G, Christiansen E, Barr D, Cannan T, Hook C (1997) The role of magmatic sulphides and mafic alkaline magmas in the Bingham and Tintic mining districts, Utah. J Petrol 38:1679–1690
Ketris M, Yudovich YE (2009) Estimations of Clarkes for carbonaceous biolithes: world averages for trace element contents in black shales and coals. Int J Coal Geol 78:135–148
Large RR, Bull SW, Maslennikov VV (2011) A carbonaceous sedimentary source-rock model for Carlin-type and orogenic gold deposits. Econ Geol 106:331–358
Li Y, Audétat A (2015) Effects of temperature, silicate melt composition, and oxygen fugacity on the partitioning of V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Ag, Sn, Sb, W, Au, Pb, and Bi between sulphide phases and silicate melt. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 162:25–45
Lodders K (2003) Solar system abundances and condensation temperatures of the elements. Astrophys J 591:1220–1247
Lyubetskaya T, Korenaga J (2007) Chemical composition of Earth’s primitive mantle and its variance: 1. Method and results. J Geophys Res 112:B03211
McDonough WF, Sun S-S (1995) The composition of the Earth. Chem Geol 120:223–253
Orberger B, Pasava J, Gallien JP, Daudin L, Pinti DL (2003) Biogenic and abiogenic hydrothermal sulphides: controls of rare metal distribution in black shales (Yukon Territories, Canada). J Geochem Explor 78:559–563
Patten C, Barnes S-J, Mathez EA, Jenner FE (2013) Partition coefficients of chalcophile elements between sulphide and silicate melts and the early crystallization history of sulphide liquid: LA-ICP-MS analysis of MORB sulphide droplets. Chem Geol 358:170–188
Richards JP (2011) Magmatic to hydrothermal metal fluxes in convergent and collided margins. Ore Geol Rev 40:1–26
Rudnick RL, Gao S (2003) Composition of the continental crust. Treatise Geochem 3:1–64
Slack JF, Selby D, Dumoulin JA (2015) Hydrothermal, biogenic, and seawater components in metalliferous black shales of the Brooks Range, Alaska: synsedimentary metal enrichment in a carbonate ramp setting. Econ Geol 110:653–675
Xu L, Lehmann B, Mao J (2013) Seawater contribution to polymetallic Ni–Mo–PGE–Au mineralization in early Cambrian black shales of South China: evidence from Mo isotope, PGE, trace element, and REE geochemistry. Ore Geol Rev 52:66–84
Zelenski ME, Fischer TP, de Moor JM, Marty B, Zimmermann L, Ayalew D, Nekrasov AN, Karandashev VK (2013) Trace elements in the gas emissions from the Erta Ale volcano, Afar, Ethiopia. Chem Geol 357:95–116
Zientek ML, Likhachev AP, Kunilov VE, Barnes S-J, Meier AL, Carlson RR, Briggs PH, Fries TL, Adrian BM (1994) Cumulus processes and the composition of magmatic ore deposits: examples from the Talnakh District, Russia. In: Lightfoot PC, Naldrett AJ (eds) Proceedings of the Sudbury-Noril’sk symposium, Ontario Geological Survey, Special publication, vol 5, Ontario, pp 373–392
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Barnes, SJ. (2018). Chalcophile Elements. In: White, W.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_220
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39312-4_220
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39311-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39312-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences