Sb. Simon et al., EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF TRACE-ELEMENT PARTITIONING IN CA, AL-RICH COMPOSITIONS - ANORTHITE AND PEROVSKITE, Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, 58(5), 1994, pp. 1507-1523
Using electron probe and ion probe techniques, experimental crystal-li
quid partition coefficients (D) have been measured in meteoritic Ca,Al
-rich inclusion (CAI) compositions for Mg, Zr, Y, and REEs in anorthit
e and perovskite. Partitioning data for Ti in anorthite and Al in pero
vskite are also reported. Where cross-comparisons are possible between
electron and ion probe data, agreement is good. Concentration variati
ons in anorthite for many elements are beyond what can be explained by
fractional crystallization, but show well-defined interelement correl
ations which could reflect the temperature dependence of the D values
or could result from liquid boundary layers. For anorthite our D value
s for REEs are lower, and they decrease more rapidly with decreasing i
onic radius than most in the literature. Most of the older REE D patte
rns for plagioclase in the literature are too flat because of insuffic
ient purity of mineral separates or because of analytical problems. Ne
w ion probe data for minor and trace elements in anorthite from type B
CAIs permit detailed comparisons with fractional crystallization mode
ls based on the measured D values. For most comparisons, models and ob
servations do not agree for amounts of crystallization less than 90%.
It is possible that anorthite does not appear until after 95% crystall
ization, compared to about 40% which would be expected from isothermal
equilibrium crystallization experiments. The LREEs are highly compati
ble elements in perovskite, but D values drop sharply for the HREEs, Y
, and Zr. D values for REEs increase strongly from air to highly reduc
ing conditions as coupled REE-Ti+3 substitutions become possible. Mode
l calculations show that REE patterns in igneous perovskites from CAIs
will reflect the D pattern, and the models can explain some REE patte
rns from compact type A CAIs. However, there are other sets of trace e
lement data for perovskite in CAIs that cannot easily be explained by
igneous processes.