Trace element partitioning between pyrochlore, microlite, fersmite and silicate melts

Abstract

We present experimentally determined trace element partition coefficients (D) between pyrochlore-group minerals (Ca₂(Nb,Ta)₂O₆(O,F)), Ca fersmite (CaNb₂O₆), and silicate melts. Our data indicate that pyrochlores and fersmite are able to strongly fractionate trace elements during the evolution of SiO₂-undersaturated magmas. Pyrochlore efficiently fractionates Zr and Hf from Nb and Ta, with D_Zr and D_Hf below or equal to unity, and D_Nb and D_Ta significantly above unity. We find that D_Ta pyrochlore-group mineral/silicate melt is always higher than D_Nb, which agrees with the HFSE partitioning of?all other Ti–rich minerals such as perovskite, rutile, ilmenite or Fe-Ti spinel. Our experimental partition coefficients also show that, under oxidizing conditions, D_Th is higher than corresponding D_U and this implies that pyrochlore-group minerals may fractionate U and Th in silicate magmas. The rare earth element (REE) partition coefficients are around unity, only the light REE are compatible in pyrochlore-group minerals, which explains the high?rare earth element concentrations in naturally occurring magmatic pyrochlores.