Quick Search:    advanced search

GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (13) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Frei, D. Articles by Dulski, P. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Trace Element Geochemistry of Epidote Minerals

Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Øster Voldgade 10, DK 1350 København K, Denmark

Axel Liebscher

Geo Forschungs Zentrum Potsdam, Department 4, Chemistry of the Earth, Telegrafenberg, D-14407 Potsdam, Germany

Gerhard Franz

Technische Universität Berlin, Fachgebiet Petrologie, Sekretariat BH 1, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, D-10587 Berlin, Germany

Peter Dulski

Geo Forschungs Zentrum Potsdam, Department 3 Geodynamik, Telegrafenberg, D-14407 Potsdam, Germany

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

	INTRODUCTION

 
One of the most striking features of epidote minerals is their ability to incorporate significant amounts of geochemically important trace elements such as large ion lithophile elements (LILE), especially Sr and Pb, transition metals, actinides, and rare earth elements (REE). Epidote minerals are common in a broad range of whole rock compositions and they can be the most important reservoir for these elements in a variety of crustal rocks. We summarize the available trace element data of epidote minerals including zoisite from the literature and discuss their geochemical significance. Additionally, we present a set of new data from a wide range of geological environments.

We focus on the orthorhombic polymorph zoisite [Ca₂Al₃Si₃O₁₁O(OH)], which shows a very limited variation in major element chemistry, and the monoclinic epidote minerals along the join Ca₂Al₃Si₃O₁₁O(OH)–Ca₂Fe³⁺₃Si₃O₁₁O(OH), which is typically constrained to the Al-rich part, i.e., the Fe³⁺ content rarely exceeds one cation per formula unit (pfu). The term "trace element" is problematic and ambiguous for the epidote minerals because they form solid solutions with actual end members whose components are usually abundant only as minor or trace elements, such as

piemontite Ca₂Al₂(Mn³⁺,Fe³⁺)Si₃O₁₁O(OH),

mukhinite Ca₂Al₂V³⁺Si₃O₁₁O(OH),

tawmawite Ca₂Al₂Cr³⁺Si₃O₁₁O(OH),

niigataite CaSrAl₃Si₃O₁₁O(OH),

hancockite CaPbAl₂ (Al, Fe³⁺)Si₃O₁₁O(OH),

allanite CaREEAl₂Fe²⁺Si₃O₁₁O(OH)

dissakisite CaREEAl₂MgSi₃O₁₁O(OH),

dollaseite CaREEAl₂MgSi₃O₁₁F(OH).

Therefore, these elements can be present in a continuous spectrum from the ppm to the wt% level.

Only few occurrences have been reported for the Sr, V, Cr, and Pb endmembers or for epidotes where they are major elements (see Grapes . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Franz and A. Liebscher Physical and Chemical Properties of the Epidote Minerals-An Introduction- Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, January 1, 2004; 56(1): 1 - 81. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Poli and M. W. Schmidt Experimental Subsolidus Studies on Epidote Minerals Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, January 1, 2004; 56(1): 171 - 195. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. K. Bird and A. R. Spieler Epidote in Geothermal Systems Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, January 1, 2004; 56(1): 235 - 300. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Enami, J. G. Liou, and C. G. Mattinson Epidote Minerals in High P/T Metamorphic Terranes: Subduction Zone and High- to Ultrahigh-Pressure Metamorphism Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, January 1, 2004; 56(1): 347 - 398. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Morrison Stable and Radiogenic Isotope Systematics in Epidote Group Minerals Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, January 1, 2004; 56(1): 607 - 628. [Full Text] [PDF]