ISSN:
1432-0967
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Geosciences
Notes:
Abstract Solid solution in vesuvianite is elucidated by examining chemical trends and cation abundances in 22 microprobe analyses of samples from the Big Maria Mountains, southeastern California. Two recent structure refinements indicate 50 filled cation sites per formula, providing the basis for data normalization. Previous optical absorption and Mössbauer studies help clarify site occupancies. Stoichiometric abundances of Si and Ca + Na indicate 18 and 19 per formula, filling all 4- and 8-fold sites respectively. The four 6-fold A-sites are filled with Al. The solid solution occurs mainly within the eight 6-fold AlFe-sites (Al, Mg, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ti) and one 5-fold B-site (Mg, Fe2+, Fe3+). Chemical trends and crystal chemical constraints delineate eight independent substitutions. An extensive solid solution in the elements Mg, Fe, Al, and Ti suggests considerable potential as a petrogenetic indicator. In order to treat equilibria involving vesuvianite thermodynamically, a reference composition must be chosen and activity-composition relations modeled. For a reference composition, Mg-vesuvianite (Fe, Ti, Na-free) was chosen because of its chemical simplicity, but problems in ascertaining its stoichiometry have led previous workers to propose at least six different formulas. In this study, its formula is determined from the microprobe analyses by applying exchange vectors to substitute components of pure Mg-vesuvianite for Fe and Ti. This yields Ca19Mg2Al11-Si18 O69(OH)9, with AlFe-sites=MgAl7, and B-sites=Mg. Subdivision of the AlFe-sites into at least two distinct sites is suggested by observed chemical trends which are explanable only when different substitutions are considered to operate within different AlFe-sites. A thermodynamic mole fraction is formulated for Mg-vesuvianite based on an ideal mixing-on-sites solution model. A method is provided for estimating the distribution of Fe between the AlFe- and B-sites. Thermodynamic mole fractions calculated using Fe site distributions estimated from microprobe data yield results similar to those calulated using Fe site distributions determined from Mössbauer analysis.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00379454
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