Using geochemical data in

igneous petrology

Trace elements: spidergrams, ratios and

magical diagrams
(or presenting and using trace elements data)

A slide of a recent presentation by Julian Pearce

And therefore

Why is it magical?

4. Trace elements
1. Representing trace element compositions:
the use of spidergrams
2. Spidergrams and ratios
3. Main families of trace elements
4. Some diagrams using trace elements

4.1 Spidergrams
Also (better) known as multi-elements diagram
Allow to represent the whole composition of a
sample on a single diagram
Allow to compare the concentration in elements
in different ranges
Allow to get rid of the effects of primordial
abundances

Elements abundance patterns in

Earth are a product of
Nucleosynthesis
Lights > Heavies
Even > Odd
Abundance peak close to Fe (n=56)

Differenciation
Lithophile mantle (+ crust)
Siderophile core

Solar system abundance

Chondrites

Concentration of REE in a sample

Building a spidergram (Recipe)

Arrange the elements in given order
(generally the more incompatible on the
left)
Divide each elements concentration in the
sample by the concentration in a reference
material (chondrite, primitive mantle,
MORB)
Plot using a log scale

Contrasted REE patterns

Granites

Basalts

Multi-elements diagrams

Normalized to the PRImitive Mantle (close to chondrites) (Wood version)

Various normalizations:
To MORB (Mid-Oceanic Ridge Basalts the most common type of basalt!)
Meaningful for basalts and co.

Look how the elements on the left-hand side behave in a different way as those
on the right-hand side!

Various normalizations:
To the average continental crust.
Meaningful for granites, sediments, etc.

4.2 Using ratios

Example: MORBs and OIB
N-MORBs

OIBs

La/Sm
E-MORB

OIB

N-MORB
Gd/Yb

 Anomalies

Granites from the Cape Granite Suite

Darling-Vredenburg area

Eu anomaly

Eu anomaly is supposed to reflect the

implication of plagioclase

 because :
Kds for REE in basaltic liquids

Eu anomaly
Can you invent a magical number
showing the implication of plagioclase?

 REE ratios
Eu/Eu* is a measure of the size of the Eu anomaly

Eu N
Eu
=1
*
Eu
2 ( Sm N + Gd N )
La/Yb (or LaN/YbN, also written (La/Yb)N ) is an
indication of the slope of the REE pattern

Why can a Eu/Eu* vs. La/Yb

diagram be read as a
plagioclase vs. garnet
diagram?

OIB vs. Island-arcs: LIL and HFS

elements

Figure 14-3. Winter (2001) An Introduction to Igneous

and Metamorphic Petrology. Prentice Hall. Data from Sun
and McDonough (1989) In A. D. Saunders and M. J. Norry
(eds.), Magmatism in the Ocean Basins. Geol. Soc. London
Spec. Publ., 42. pp. 313-345.

Figure 16-11a. MORB-normalized spider diagrams for

selected island arc basalts. Using the normalization and
ordering scheme of Pearce (1983) with LIL on the left and
HFS on the right and compatibility increasing outward
from Ba-Th. Data from BVTP. Composite OIB from Fig
14-3 in yellow.

What will happen if you plot

HFS vs. LIL?
(eg Nb & Rb)

Arcs
Back-arc
Mid-ocean ridges
Within plate

Why is it not magical?

Ratios (of incompatible elements)

Less affected by differentiation
Differences in Nb/Yb
reflect (mostly)
different primitive
magmas; mostly
preserved during
differentiation

 Use a diagram showing ratios:

HFS/Reference
LIL/Reference

 Once
youve
understood
the trick,
you can
build many
similar
diagrams!

Dark arts Geotectonic diagrams

Wood diagrams (for basalts)

Dark arts Geotectonic diagrams

Another diagram by You-know-Who (Pearce et al. 1984)

(With all due respect for J. Pearce, who is a nice person and one of the best living geochemists !)

Why does it work?

Well, this is going to be (part of) Jacos

seminar stay tuned.

4.3 Families of elements

Commonly used trace elements

LILE= Large Ion Lithophile Elements
Cs, Rb, K, Ba, Sr, Pb
Large atoms with a small charge
Tend to be incompatible to very incompatible
Some exceptions (Rb in Biotite, Sr in plag)
Typically fluid mobile (and therefore can be
subject to weathering)
Interesting to use but some caution should be
exercised

 HFSE= High Field Strength Elements

Sc, Y, Th, U, Pb, Zr, Hf, Ti, Nb, Ta
Variable behaviours, generally incompatible
except in some specific phases (Y in Grt, Nb
in Hbl)
Normally fluid immobile, insensible to
weathering
Regarded as good petrogenetic indicators

 HFSE: some interesting pairs with very

similar behaviours
Nb and Ta (Nb/Ta chondritic 15-20, less for
crustal rocks)
Zr and Hf (Zr/Hf chondritic 30-35)
Values largely departing from this call for
explanation (phases able to fractionnate Nb
from Ta or Zr from Hf)

OIB vs. Island-arcs: LIL and HFS

elements

Figure 14-3. Winter (2001) An Introduction to Igneous

and Metamorphic Petrology. Prentice Hall. Data from Sun
and McDonough (1989) In A. D. Saunders and M. J. Norry
(eds.), Magmatism in the Ocean Basins. Geol. Soc. London
Spec. Publ., 42. pp. 313-345.

Figure 16-11a. MORB-normalized spider diagrams for

selected island arc basalts. Using the normalization and
ordering scheme of Pearce (1983) with LIL on the left and
HFS on the right and compatibility increasing outward
from Ba-Th. Data from BVTP. Composite OIB from Fig
14-3 in yellow.

 REE= Rare Earth Elements

La Ce Pr Nd (Pm) Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm
Yb Lu
Technically they are HFS
Rather incompatible, except in specific
phases
For a given mineral phases, different REE
have different behaviours
Nearly insensible to weathering
Excellent petrogenetic indicators!

Kds for REE in basaltic liquids

REE: the case of Eu

REEs are normally 3+ (La3+,
etc.)
Eu can be Eu3+ or Eu2+
Eu2+ strongly compatible
Especially in reducing
environments

Oxydizing (Eu3+)

Reducing (Eu2+)

 Transition elements
Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn
All compatible, no huge differences
Low abundances in felsic or intermediate
rocks, useful for basic or ultrabasic systems,
or for some mineral deposits (chromite)
Fluid immobile

 PGE= Platinum Group Elements

Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Au
Not that well-known, large uncertainities on
Kds
Low abudances, commonly below detection
limit (bdl) with usual mehods
Economic importance, especially in
chromitites and sulphides
Marginal petrologic use, could become more
significant in the future

4.4 Some trace element diagrams

In general, far greater diversity than for
majors
You can plot anything against anything
else, and then start again with ratios
Its easy to get confused

 Diagrams showing different types or

groups of rocks
Diagrams showing differentiation and
implication of specific minerals (during
melting or differentiation)
Diagrams reflecting different sources
Geotectonic diagrams ?

Specific minerals
Garnet
implication in
OIB genesis

Different sources
N-, E- and T-MORB

Describing different groups

N-MORB E-MORB

N-MORB E-MORB

Groups of rocks: Potential spurious

correlations
Continental arcs
Back-arc

Is this a useful diagram?

Our nice diagram just tells us that back-arcs are

basalts and cont. arcs. dacites to rhyolites we
knew that already!

Arcs
Back-arc

Geotectonic

Mid-ocean ridges
Within plate

WPB
IAT

MORB
IAT

CAB

Pearce & Cann 1973

CAB

Arcs

Geotectonic

Back-arc
Mid-ocean ridges
Within plate

N-MORB
IAT
E-MORB
WPT
CAB

WPA

Wood 1980

Geotectonic diagrams
A specific site = combination of sources +
processes (in terms of PT and therefore of
minerals)

Trace elements ratios

How?
Element-Element diagrams with linear
scale

Trace elements ratios

How?
Element-ratio diagrams with linear scale

Trace elements ratios

How?
Element-element diagrams with log scale

Trace elements ratios

Be careful!
Dividing by a common value yields
spurious correlations