ROLE OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN

PETROGENESIS

PRESENTED BY GUIDED BY
THOTA .RAJESH
3rd SEM, GEOLOGY Prof. K.N.PRAKASH NARASIMHA
Regd.No.GE315023

DOS IN EARTHSCIENCE
MANASAGANGOTHRI
UNIVERSITY OF MYSORE
1. INTRODUCTION
2. MAGMA – COMPOSITION ,ORIGIN AND CLASSIFICATION
3. GEOCHEMISTRY OF MAGMA
4. TRACE ELEMENTS
5. CLASSIFICATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS
6. MECHANISM AND BEHAVIOUR OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN
MAGMATIC PROCESSES
7. APPLICATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN IGNEOUS PETROGENESIS
8. CONCLUSION
9. REFERENCES
• A trace element is a chemical element whose
concentration is very low in a rock.
• A trace element is one whose concentration is less than
1000ppm or 0.1% of a rock’s composition.
• Trace elements that are not essential to a mineral’s
defined composition will not appear in the chemical
formula of that mineral.
• Trace elements will be either compatible with a liquid
or solid phase.
• Molten rock that originates from the partial melting of upper mantle
and lower crust usually at the depth of 10-200km below the surface
defined as molten rock material along with the volatile components.
• Solidification of magma dose not takes place at definite temperature.

• Magma can characterized by

-composition - predominantly siliceous
-temperature - 500o c -1300oc
- mobility, i.e. viscosity

• Viscosity is depends on % of Si contain in the magma, and

accordingly it can be classified as
Si rich magmas- are acidic, and more viscous that piles at one place,
Si poor magmas- are basic, less viscous, and occupies larger area.
 Magma = liquid (molten rock) + crystals + dissolved gasses (volatiles)

• As result of melting of crust yield’s most Si rich magmas that also

contain considerable Al, Ca, Na, Fe, Mg, K and several other
elements in lesser quantity.

• Melting of Earth’s upper mantle, which is composed of rocks that

contain mostly ferromagnesian silicates thus magma from this
sources contain comparatively less amount of silica and more iron
and magnesium contain.
• The primary constituent of magma is silica, which varies to
distinguish the magmas and classified as felsic to mafic.

• Most magmas are the part of the ranges from mafic magma
to silicic magma.

• Si magmas produce the rock of the granite-rhyolite family

which composed of Quart, K-feldspar, Na-plagioclase, and
minor amount of biotite and amphibolite.

• Mafic magmas produce the rocks of gabbro, basalt family,

which composed of Ca-plagioclase, pyroxene with lesser
amount of olivine and lesser or no quartz.
  Major elements:
Comprise most of the rock
Expressed as weight (wt.) % oxides,
each >0.1% SiO2, Al2O3, FeO, MgO, CaO , Na2O, K2O, H2o.
Analysed by XRF, ICP-MS
 Minor elements:
usually 0.1 - 1% ,
TiO2,MnO, P2O5 ,CO2.

Analysed by XRF,ICP-MS

 Trace elements:
Present in concentrations <0.1 %
Expressed in ppm or ppb
Analysed by XRF, ICP-MS, INAA

 Volatile elements:
H2O, CO2, SO4
Rare gases: He, Ar, Ne, etc.
Analysed by spectroscopy or mass spectrometry
TRACE ELEMENTS IN IGNEOUS PETRO GENESIS
Trace elements are those which occur in very low concentrations in common
rocks.
This trace elements generally of less percentage that is less than 0.1% by weight,
hence they are expressed always in PPM.

In geochemistry specially a rock chemistry simple analysis is done in

respect of major oxide like, K2O SiO2 and TiO2etc.
In addition to this trace elements occurs in minor quantity and these
are known as minor elements.
They are basically Ga, Cr, Mo, Li, Ni, Co, Cu, Zr, Y, pt, La, Sr, Ba,
Rb.
Contin…..
• Trace elements are observed only in a few minerals. They are useful in
identifying the magmatic differentiation and source of magma.
• Concentration of trace elements varies from rock to rock.
• EX: ultramafic rocks show more Ni and Cr, acidic igneous rock indicates Zr and
Rb.

• Trace elements during crystallization of magma gets substituted for

a major elements in the structure or they remains in the magma.
• Eg. Potassium never forms its own phase in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB),
its concentration rarely exceeding 1500 ppm; but K is certainly not a trace
element in granites.
• Trace elements can be classified as compatible and incompatible.
• Incompatible elements :
 K, Rb, Cs, Ta, Nb, U, Th, Y, Hf, Zr, Most have a large ionic radius.
 Do not easily fit into the crystal structure of minerals in the mantle.
 Mantle minerals like olivine, pyroxene, spinel, & garnet do not
have crystallographic sites for large ions.

• Compatible elements :
 Ni, Cr, Co, V, and Sc, which have smaller ionic radii
 Fit easily into the crystal structure of minerals in the mantle.
 crystallographic sites that normally accommodate Mg, and Fe.
Based on geochemical characters, trace elements are
classified as

1. Large Ion Lithophile Elements (LILE):-

2. Higher Field Strength Elements (HFSE):-
3. Transitional Elements
4. R.E.E. (Rare Earth Elements)
1) Large Ion Lithophile Elements (LILE) :-
The ionic radius is large these are incompatible.
They are more concentrated in liquid phase of the magma,
These are found in olivine opx, cpx and garnet largely
"incompatible" particularly with respect to mantle phases (Ol,
Opx, Cpx, Gt, .. etc)
Examples: K, Rb, Sr and Ba.

2) Higher Field Strength Elements (HFSE)

These are also concentrated in liquid phase but are compatible.
They are seen in sphene, zircon and apatite (SZA).
They are basically Titanium, Th, U, Nb and Hf.
 3). Transitional elements
Small ionic radii, and are either bi- or tri-valent .
strongly partitioned in the solid phases that crystallize
during the early stages of magmatic evolution "compatible"
with mantle phases
Ex: Ni, Co, Cr, and Sc.

4) Rare earth elements

A group of elements comprising the 15 elements from Lanthanum
(At. no. 57) to Lutetium (At. No. 71)
Yttrium (At. No. 39) and Scandium (At. no. 21) are also sometimes
included in this group.
Behavior of trace elements in various degrees of melting:

When a mantle rock begins to melt, the incompatible elements

will be ejected preferentially from the solid and enter the liquid.
A low degree melting of a mantle rock will have high
concentrations of incompatible elements.

As melting proceeds the concentration of these incompatible

elements will decrease because
(1) There will be less of them to enter the melt, and
(2) Their concentrations will become more and more diluted as
other elements enter the melt. Thus incompatible element
concentrations will decrease with increasing % melting.
 When a trace elements has the same charge and an ionic
radius similar to that of the major element, then it being
captured in a crystal lattice containing the major element.

 when a trace element having similar ionic radius but lower

the charge than that of major element ( or same charge but
greater radius), it is said to be admitted into the crystal
lattice containing the major element.
Ex. Ga3+(0.62Ao) is captured in aluminium minerals, and
Hf4+(0.78Ao) is captured in zirconium minerals.

 In capture and admission of ion of different charge the

charge balance is maintained by concomitant substitution
elsewhere in the crystal lattice.
• 1- Testing models of magmatic differentiation using
trace elements:
On calculating the concentrations of trace elements remaining in
the liquid determine how much partial melting is needed to
produce a specific magma from a given rock type.

• 2- Determination of the depth of generation of a primary

magma:
magmas produced by small degrees of partial melting
-at shallow depths will be depleted in Sr
-from intermediate depths will be depleted in V and Cr,
-from depths > 80 km will be depleted in HREE.
3- Prediction of the phases fractionating from a magma:
Identification of the phases which have fractionated from a magma
undergoing fractional crystallization.
Separation of:
(a)Plag depletes the remaining melt in Sr and Eu,
(b) Ol depletes it in Ni and Co,
(c) Spinels deplete it in V, Cr and possibly Zn,
(d) K-spar in Ba and Rb, ... etc.

4- REE and REE diagrams:

 REE are very useful for petrogenetic interpretations.
 REE diagrams are also useful in identifying which phase or phases
fractionate from a magma,
 In order to identify such phases, it is necessary to know which REE
are preferentially incorporated in which phases.
 REE diagrams are also used to determine the type of basalt.
5- Discriminant diagrams:
Trace elements can also be used to identify the paleotectonic
setting of some volcanic rocks
(i.e. to determine where they were erupted).
(which may have been affected by such post-magmatic
processes as weathering, alteration or metamorphism),
 Conclusion
 Trace elements are useful in formulating models for magmatic
differentiation, in predicting the source of a particular magma.
 Trace elements occur in very low concentrations in common
rocks.
 Large ion lithophile elements (LILE) have large ionic radii, and
low charges.
 High field strength elements (HFSE) excluded from mantle
phases and more concentrated in residual liquids.
 Trace elements are useful for determination of the depth of
generation of a primary magma.
 REE have proven to be very important for petro genetic
interpretations.
 REE are widely used in geochemistry to probe into the genesis of
rock suites and unravel petrological processes.
• Brian Mason and Carleton Moore B.,(1982) Principles Of Geochemistry.
pp.75-150
• Gilbert Hanson N.,1980,Rare Earth Elements in Petrogenesis of igneous
systems:Ann.Rev.Eatrh Planet.Sci.v.8, pp.371-406
• James Moneroe S.,and Reed Wicander, 2006, Changing Earth. pp.88-
102
• Joseph Arth G., 1976, Behavior of trace elements during magmatic
processes: U.S. Geol. Survey. v.4,no.1,pp.41-47
• Pichamuthu C.S.,1989, Archaean Geology, pp 75-150
• White W.M., 2009, Geochemistry. pp 258-312.
• Williams Helen, 1997, High Temprature Geochemistry. pp .102-170
• http://earthscience.brookscole.com/ree4e
• http://role of trace elements
• http://nasa/astrophysicsdatasystem/annualreviews