Part 1. Meteorites

GEOLOGICAL SURViTf PROFESSIONAL PAPER
Data of Geochemistry

Sixth Edition

MICHAEL FLEISCHER, Technical Editor

Chapter B. Cosmochemistry

Part 1. Meteorites

By BRIAN MASON

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 440-B-l

Tabulation and discussion of elemental 

abundances in the different classes of 

stony and iron meteorites, and in their 

constituent minerals

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1979
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

CECIL D. ANDRUS, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

H. William Menard, Director

Library of Congress catalog-card No. 79-64561

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402

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DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY, SIXTH EDITION

Michael Fleischer, Technical Editor

The first edition of the Data of Geochemistry, by F. W. Clarke, was published in 1908 as U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 

330. Later editions, also by Clarke, were published in 1911, 1916, 1920, and 1924 as Bulletins 491, 616, 695, and 770. This, the 

sixth edition, has been written by several scientists in the Geological Survey and in other institutions in the United States 

and abroad, each preparing a chapter on his special field. The current edition is being published in individual chapters, titles 

of which are listed below. Chapters already published are indicated by boldface.

CHAPTER A. The chemical elements

B. Cosmochemistry Part 1, Meteorites by Brian Mason] Part 2, Cosmochemistry.

C. Internal structure and composition of the earth.

D. Composition of the earth's crust, by R. L. Parker

E. Chemistry of the atmosphere

F. Chemical composition of subsurface waters, by Donald E. White, John D. Hem, and G. A. Waring

G. Chemical composition of rivers and lakes, by Daniel A. Livingstone

H. Chemistry of the oceans

I. Geochemistry of the biosphere

J. Chemistry of rock-forming minerals

K. Volcanic emanations, by Donald E. White and G. A. Waring

L. Phase equilibrium relations of the common rock-forming oxides except water, by G. W. Morey

M. Phase equilibrium relations of the common rock-forming oxides with water and (or) carbon dioxide

N. Chemistry of igneous rocks, Part 1, The chemistry of the peralkaline oversaturated obsidians, by Bay 

	Macdonald and D. K. Bailey

0. Chemistry of rock weathering and soils

P. Chemistry of bauxites and laterites

Q. Chemistry of nickel silicate deposits

R. Chemistry of manganese oxides

S. Chemical composition of sandstones excluding carbonate and volcanic sands, by F. J. Pettijohn

T. Nondetrital siliceous sediments, by Earle R. Cressman

U. Chemical composition of shales and related rocks

V. Chemistry of carbonate rocks

W. Chemistry of the iron-rich sedimentary rocks, by H. L. James

X. Chemistry of phosphorites

Y. Marine evaporites, by Frederick H. Stewart

Z. Continental evaporites

AA. Chemistry of coal

BB. Chemistry of petroleum, natural gas, and miscellaneous carbonaceous substances

CC. Chemistry of metamorphic rocks

DD. Abundance and distribution of the chemical elements and their isotopes

EE. Geochemistry of ore deposits

FF. Physical chemistry of sulfide systems

GG. The natural radioactive elements

HH. Geochronology

II. Temperatures of geologic processes

JJ. Composition of fluid inclusions, by Edwin Roedder

KK. Compilation of stable isotope fractionation factors of geochemical interest, by Irving Friedman and James 

	R. O'Neil
CONTENTS

Abstract ________ 

Introduction __________ ____________

Historical background ___ ____________

Phase composition of meteorites _ ____________

Classification of meteorites _______ ___________

Classification of chondrites _______________________

Classification of achondrites and stony-irons _ 

Classification of iron meteorites __ .____________

Chemical fractionations in chondrites _____________

The geochemical behavior of elements in meteorites

Location of minor and trace elements in meteorites

Hydrogen ______ .______ 

The noble gases: helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon 

Lithium ___________ _ .____________

Beryllium ____________ .__________

Boron _____________ ___ ______ 

Carbon ________________________________

Nitrogen ____________ ___________ 

Oxygen .______ 

Fluorine ____________________._________

Sodium ________________________________

Magnesium ____________ ___________ 

Aluminum _______________________________

Silicon ______________________.__________

Phosphorus __________________________ 

Sulfur ______________________.... 

Chlorine _____________ _______________

Potassium ____________________________

Calcium _____________________________________________

Scandium ____________________.____________

Titanium ____________________________________________

Vanadium ___________________________________________

Chromium ___________________________________________

Manganese __________________________________________

Iron _______________________.____________

Cobalt ______________________.____________

Nickel _______________________________________________

Copper __________________________________

Zinc _______________________ ____________

Gallium _________________________________

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Germanium __________ . B53

Arsenic _________ 55

Selenium ____________ . 55

Bromine ___________- . 57

Rubidium ____________ 60

Strontium ___________ - 60

Yttrium ______________________ __ __ 64

Zirconium ____________________ 64

Niobium _____________________. 65

Molybdenum ___________________. 66

Ruthenium ___________________________ 67

Rhodium _____________________________ 68

Palladium ____________________._______ 69

Silver ______________________________ 70

Cadmium ____________ ___ ._______ 71

Indium ______________________. 71

Tin ________________________ 74

Antimony ____________________________ 75

Tellurium ____________________________ 76

Iodine ______________________._______ 77

Cesium _____________________. 78

Barium ______________________. 79

The lanthanides ____________ _________ 79

Hafnium _____________________________ 86

Tantalum ____________________._______ 86

Tungsten _________________________ 87

Rhenium ____________________________ 88

Osmium ___________ _ ._______ 89

Iridium _____________________________ 90

Platinum ____________________._______ 92

Gold _______________________________ 94

Mercury _____________________________ 95

Thallium ____________________._______ 97

Lead ___________________ 98

Bismuth _____________________._______ 100

Thorium _____________________________ 101

Uranium ____________________________ 102

Conclusions ___________________________ 103

Acknowledgments _______________________ 123

References cited ________________________ 123

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page 

FIGURES 1-3. Graphs showing:

1. Relationship between elemental abundances in Type I carbonaceous chondrites and abundances

in the Sun _______________ ___________________________ _______ B2

2. Relationship between oxidized iron and i ron as metal and sulfide in analyses of chondrites .___ 5

3. Relationship between CaO and FeO/(FeO+MgO) in the achondrites and stony-irons .______ 10
VI CONTENTS

FIGURES 4-6. Diagrams showing

4. Relative abundances of selected elements in Type II and III carbonaceous chondrites and in 

ordinary chondrites, normalized to Type I carbonaceous chondrites=1.0 ___.____________

5. Frequency distribution of carbon in chondrites _______________________.____________

6. 0/ieO analyses of whole-rock samples and olivines from carbonaceous chondrites and whole-rock 

analyses of other meteorites ____ _________________________ ____________

7. Graph showing relationship between Si02 and MgO in chondrites _______________._-_______

8. Logarithmic plot showing Co-Ni distribution in meteorites __________ _ _ ._____ _

9. Histogram showing the nickel content of analyzed iron meteorites _______________._________ 

10-15. Logarithmic plots showing:

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15. Sb-Ni distribution in iron meteorites ___ _____________________.____________

16,17. Diagrams showing:

16. Lanthanide abundances in Cl chondrites, C3 chondrites, and the eucrites (calcium-rich achondrites ___________________________________.____________________

17. Chondrite-normalized lanthanide abundances in achondrites _______ __ _ _____________

18-22. Logarithmic plots showing:

iron meteorites 

iron meteorites 

iron meteorites 

Ru-Ni distribution in iron meteorites 

Pd-Ni distribution in iron meteorites

Ga-Ni distribution 

Ge-Ni distribution 

As-Ni distribution

18. Re-Ni distribution in

19. Os-Ni distribution in

20. Ir-Ni distribution in

21. Pt-Ni distribution in

22. Au-Ni distribution in

iron meteorites

iron meteorites

iron meteorites

iron meteorites

iron meteorites

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TABLES

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The common minerals of meteorites ___ B2

3 

6

TABLE 1.

2. Classification of meteorites ____________

3. Chemical analyses of chondritic meteorites __

4. Petrologic types of chondrites _______ 9

5. Classification of the chondrites _______ 10

6. Structural classification of iron meteorites _ 11

7. Structural and compositional properties of

iron meteorite groups ___________ 12

8. The geochemical behavior of the elements

in chondritic meteorites __________ 15

9. Hydrogen released as water from carbonaceous chondrites __ ___ _ _ 16

10. Noble gases in five meteorites ________ 17

11. Lithium in stony meteorites _________ 18

12. Beryllium in meteorites __________ 19

13. Boron in meteorites _______________ 20

14. Carbon in stony meteorites ___ _______ 21

15. Carbon in iron meteorites ______________

16. Nitrogen in stony meteorites __________

17. Nitrogen in iron meteorites ____________

18. Oxygen in stony meteorites ____________

19. Comparison of fluorine determinations 

chondrites _____________ 

20. Fluorine in stony meteorites __________

21. Sodium in stony meteorites ____________

22. Magnesium in stony meteorites_________

23. Aluminum in stony meteorites _____ 

24. Silicon in stony meteorites ____________

25. Phosphorus in stony meteorites_________

26. Phosphorus in iron meteorites __________

27. Sulfur in stony meteorites ___.

28. Chlorine in stony meteorites ________.

29. Potassium in stony meteorites ______.

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CONTENTS Vll

TABLE 30. Calcium in stony meteorites ._____ B40

31. Scandium in stony meteorites _______ 41

32. Titanium in stony meteorites _______ 42

33. Vanadium in stony meteorites _______ 43

34. Chromium in stony meteorites_______ 45

35. Manganese in stony meteorites_______ 46

36. Iron in stony meteorites __._______ 47

37. Mean iron content of individual classes of

	iron meteorites _______________ 48

38. Cobalt in stony meteorites _______ 49

39. Nickel in stony meteorites ________ 51

40. Copper in stony meteorites ________ 53

41. Zinc in stony meteorites ____________ 54

42. Zinc in iron meteorites ___________ 55

43. Gallium in stony meteorites _._______ 56

44. Germanium in stony meteorites______ 58

45. Arsenic in chondritic meteorites_______ 58

46. Selenium in stony meteorites _______ 59

47. Bromine in stony meteorites ___ _____ 61

48. Rubidium in stony meteorites __ _____ 62

49. Strontium in stony meteorites __ ____ 63

50. Yttrium in stony meteorites ___.____ 65

51. Zirconium in stony meteorites __.____ 66

52. Niobium in meteorites ________ _____ 67

53. Molybdenum in stony meteorites ____ 68

54. Ruthenium in stony meteorites_______ 68

55. Rhodium in stony meteorites ________ 69

56. Palladium in stony meteorites _______ 70

57. Silver in stony meteorites _________ 72

58. Cadmium in stony meteorites _______ B73

59. Indium in stony meteorites _________ 74

60. Tin in stony meteorites ___________ 75

61. Antimony in stony meteorites _______ 76

62. Tellurium in stony meteorites _..______ 78

63. Iodine in chondrites ____^__._____ 79

64. Cesium in stony meteorites _^..______ 80

65. Barium in stony meteorites ___^_____ 81

66. Lanthanides in stony meteorites ._^.___ 82

67. Lanthanide abundances in chondrite

	composites _________________ 83

68. Hafnium in meteorites ____._______ 87

69. Tantalum in stony meteorites _______ 88

70. Tuttgsten in stony meteorites ._______ 89

71. Rhenium in stony meteorites _______ 90

72. Osmium in stony meteorites _________ 92

73. Iridium in stony meteorites __.._______ 93

74. Platinum in chondrites __ .._______ 95

75. Gold in stony meteorites __ .._______ 96

76. Mercury in stony meteorites ________ 98

77. Thallium in stony meteorites _._______ 99

78. Lead in stony meteorites ___..______ 100

79. Bismuth in stony meteorites _.______ 101

80. Thorium in stony meteorites _..______ 102

81. Uranium in stony meteorites _.______ 103

82. Chondritic and solar abundances .______ 105

83. Minerals of meteorites ____________ 107

84. Analytical data for a selection of stony

	meteorites __ 111

ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations for the meteorite classes are used throughout the tables and elsewhere; for the chondrites 

a digit after the symbol indicates the petrographic type.

Chondrites

C carbonaceous 

H bronzite 

L hypersthene 

LL amphoterite 

E enstatite

Calcium-poor achondrites 

Ae aubrites 

Ah diogenites 

Ac chassignite 

Au ureilites

Calcium-rich achondrites 

Aa angrite 

An nakhlites 

Aho howardites 

Aeu eucrites
DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

COSMOCHEMISTRY 

PART 1. METEORITES

By BRIAN MASON1

ABSTRACT

Meteorites are the least-differentiated rocks in the solar 

system, and can thus provide a reasonable approximation to 

the relative and absolute abundances of the nonvolatile elements. This was first recognized by V. M. Goldschmidt, who 

in 1937 used data from meteorites to compile the first table 

of cosmic abundances of the elements in "Geochemische 

Verteilungsgesetze der Elemente." The great expansion and 

improvement in analytical techniques, coupled with a growing 

interest on space research, have resulted in an enormous 

expansion in the data on elemental abundances in meteorites. 

These data (to 1976) are summarized herein. An introductory section discusses the phase composition and classification 

of meteorites, and the factors governing the distribution of 

the chemical elements within them. This is followed by sections, one for each element (groups of elements for the noble 

gases and the lanthanides), in which the specific abundances 

are tabulated and discussed. A concluding section compares 

meteoritic and solar abundances, using Type I carbonaceous 

chondrites as the best approximation for average meteoritic 

matter. In this class of meteorites the order of abundance of 

the elements (by weight) is: 0, Si, Fe (>10 percent); Mg, 

S, Ca, Ni (1-10 percent) ; Al, Na, Cr, Mn (0.1-1 percent) ; 

P, Cl, K, Co, Ti, Zn, Cu (0.01-0.1 percent) ; all others 

(<0.01 percent). A list of meteorite minerals is provided, 

and a tabulation of elemental abundances in 35 stony meteorites represents most of the recognized classes.

INTRODUCTION 

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The systematic investigation of elemental abundances in meteorites can be said to date from 1923. 

In that year V. M. Goldschmidt, in the initial part of 

his great work "Geochemische Verteilungsgestze der 

Elemente," pointed out the significance of meteorites 

for elucidating the geochemistry of the elements. He 

proposed a classification of the elements into siderophile, chalcophile, lithophile, and atmophile groups, 

according to their affinity for metallic iron, for sulfides, for silicates, and for the atmosphere, respec1 Curator, Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of 

Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, B.C. 20560.

tively. He remarked that meteorites, with their 

nickel-iron, troilite (FeS), and silicate (plus oxide) 

phases, provided a readily available "fossilized" experiment in the distribution of the elements among 

these phases. During the following years, Goldschmidt and his coworkers made many determinations of specific elements in meteorites. These results, and those of other investigations such as I. 

and W. Noddack and G. von Hevesy, were summarized in the final part of "Geochemische Verteilungsgesetz der Elemente" (1937), and were used 

by Goldschmidt to prepare the first comprehensive 

table of elemental abundances in meteoritic matter. 

In this table (1937, p. 99-101) he introduced the 

convention of referring atomic abundances to silicon 

as the reference element, primarily in order to relate 

terrestrial and meteoritic abundances to solar abundances, a convention which has since become standard practice.

On the basis of the meteoritic data, supplemented 

by information from solar spectra, Goldschmidt also 

prepared a table of cosmic abundances of the elements (1937, p. 120-122). This table and many revised versions (such as Cameron, 1973) have formed 

the basis for theoretical studies of cosmochemistry 

and for the testing of hypotheses of nucleosynthesis. 

As Cameron stated (1973, p. 121):

In the field of cosmochemistry, these abundances determine 

the mineral phases which will condense from the primitive 

solar nebula under different conditions of temperature and 

density, so that by examining the bulk compositions and individual mineral phases of planetary and smaller bodies in the 

solar system, much can be deduced about the conditions in 

the original primitive solar nebula. As our knowledge of the 

abundances improves, more stringent boundary conditions 

can be placed on the mechanisms of nucleosynthesis which 

produced these elements in stars, particularly in short-lived 

phases such as supernova explosions, thus allowing better 

tests of theoretical astrophysical calculations in this field.

For some years the propriety of using data from

Bl
B2 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

meteorites for establishing cosmic abundances of the 

elements was questioned, largely on an apparent 

fivefold to tenfold discrepancy between the iron 

abundance in the solar photosphere and in chondritic 

meteorites (Urey, 1967; Arnold and Suess, 1969). 

This discrepancy has been eliminated by the discovery of a tenfold error in the oscillator strengths 

of the Ee spectrographic lines used for solar abundance determinations (Garz and Kock, 1969). Anders 

(1971a) provided a detailed discussion of this problem, and concluded that a particular group of meteorites, the Type I carbonaceous chondrites, closely 

approximates the condensible fraction of primordial 

solar-system matter. Figure 1 shows the correlation 

between solar abundances and those in Type I carbonaceous chondrites for 29 elements for which adequate data are available. If abundances for individual 

elements were the same in both, the points in figure 

1 would lie on the 45° line. The close approach to this 

line is the basis for considering Type I carbonaceous 

chondrites as approximating in composition the unfractionated nonvolatile matter of the solar system.

PHASE COMPOSITION OF METEORITES

More than 80 minerals are known from meteorites 

(tables 1 and 83), but many of these are rare accesin 

o

1

107

106

10E

104

10*

10

0.1

Ru.

0.1 1 10 102 103 104 105

ABUNDANCES IN TYPE I

CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES

106 107

FIGURE 1. Comparison of elemental abundances (normalized 

to Si=106 atoms) in Type I carbonaceous chondrites with 

abundances in the Sun. Reprinted from Mason (1971) and 

published with permission.

TABLE 1. The common minerals of meteorites

Famac ite

Taenite

Troilite

Olivine

Orthopyroxene

Pigeonite

Diopside

Plagioclase

a-(Fe,Ni) 

Y-(Fe,Ni) 

FeS

(Fg,Fe) 2 Si0 4 

(Mg,Fe)S10 3 

(Mg,Fe,Ca)Si0 3 

Ca(Mg,Fe)Si 2 0 6 

(Na,Ca) (Al,Si)AlSi 2 0 8

(4-7 percent Ni) 

(30-60 percent Ni)

(About 10 mole percent 

CaSi0 3 )

FeSiO., bronzite 

minerals

Divided into enstatite, with 0-10 mole percent

10-20 percent, and hypersthene, >20 percent; these minerals are 

orthorhombic, and have monoclinic polymorphs known as clinoenstatite 

clinobronzite, and clinohypersthene. It should be noted that the 

boundary between bronzite and hypersthene in meteorites, established 

by Prior (1920), is not the same as current mineralogical usage 

(30 mole percent FeSiO.), following Poldervaart (1947).
TABLE 2. Classification of meteorites

Class Symbol Principal minerals

Chondrites

Enstatite (11) 

Bronzite (224) 

Hypersthene (256) 

Amphoterite (49) 

Carbonaceous (33)

E

H

L

LL

C

Enstatite, nickel-iron 

Olivine, bronzite, nickel-iron 

Olivine, hypersthene, nickel-iron 

Olivine, hypersthene, nickel-iron 

Serpentine, olivine

Achondrites

Aubrites (8)

Diogenites (8)

Chassignite (1)

Ureilites (3)

Angrite (1)

Nakhlite (1)

Howardites (17)

Eucrites (20)

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

Enstatite

Hypersthene

Olivine

Olivine, clinobronzite, nickelAugite

Diopside, olivine

Hypersthene, plagioclase

Pigeonite, plagioclase

ir

Stony-irons

Pallasites (2) 

Siderophyre (l)(find) 

Lodranite (1) 

Mesosiderites (6)

P Olivine, nickel-iron

S Orthopyroxene , nickel-iron

Lo Orthopyroxene, olivine, nickel-ir

M Pyroxene, plagioclase, nickel-iro

Irons

Hexahedrites

Octahedrites

Ataxites (1)

(4)

(27)

Hx

0

D

Kamacite

Kamacite ,

Taenite

taenite

Figures in parentheses are the numbers of observed falls in each c

(Buchwald, 1975, Table 23a, p. 60).

2

Generally subdivided into calcium-poor achondrites (aubrites, diog

chassignite,ureilites) and calcium-rich achondrites (angrite, nakhl

howardites,eucrites).
B4 DATA OP GEOCHEMISTRY

series. The common and abundant minerals are listed 

in table 1. Some contrasts to terrestrial mineralogy 

may be pointed out: nickel-iron is practically absent 

from terrestrial rocks; the common minerals in 

meteorites are largely magnesium-iron silicates, 

whereas, in the Earth's crust, the commonest minerals are quartz and aluminosilicates; the common 

meteorite minerals are anhydrous, whereas hydrated 

minerals are common and abundant on Earth. These 

features indicate that most meteorites formed in a 

highly reducing environment, in which nickel and 

iron were largely in the metallic state. The carbonaceous chondrites, a small but remarkable class 

of meteorites, differ fundamentally: they consist 

largely of serpentine, (Mg, FE) 6Si4Oi0 (OH) 8 (or 

related layer-lattice silicates), the nickel is present 

mainly in silicates and sulfides, and they contain 

considerable amounts of organic compounds of extraterrestrial origin. A notable feature of the overall 

mineralogy of meteorites is the absence of phases, 

such as pyrope garnet and jadeitic pyroxenes, indicative of high pressures (that is, large parent 

bodies) ; the origin of the diamond in the Canyon 

Diablo iron has been plausibly ascribed to the shock 

of impact with the Earth that formed the Arizona 

Meteor Crater, and the presence of diamond in the 

small group of ureilites appears to be due to extraterrestrial shock effects.

CLASSIFICATION OF METEORITES

Current classifications of meteorites are based on 

mineralogy and structure. The major groups and 

classes are listed in table 2. It is obvious from the 

figures for observed falls that the populations of the 

different classes vary widely. The figures for observed falls are used as being the best approach to 

actual extraterrestrial abundances; irons dominate 

meteorite finds since they are resistant to weathering and are readily recognized as meteorites or at 

least as very unusual objects. More than 80 percent 

of meteorite falls are chondrites, and 84 percent of 

these belong to two classes, frequently referred to 

jointly as the ordinary or common chondrites. Of 

the other classes of meteorites, some are represented 

by a single fall, which suggests that additional 

classes, as yet unknown, may well exist.

CLASSIFICATION OF CHONDRITES

Chondrites are characterized by the presence of 

chondrules, which are small (~1 mm diameter) 

spheroidal aggregates, usually of olivine and (or)

pyroxene. Chondrules are unique to chondritic meteorites 2, being unknown in terrestrial rocks, which 

suggests that they were formed by some exotic 

process. That they originated as molten silicate droplets is generally agreed, although where and under 

what circumstances is still a controversial subject. 

Current ideas include volcanism on the meteorite 

parent bodies, splash droplets formed in collisions 

between asteroids, condensation of liquid droplets 

from a hot gas of solar composition, and fusion of 

dust in the primordial solar nebula.

Not only are the chondrites the most abundant 

meteorites, but many features indicate a primary 

origin for them and a derivative origin for the other 

meteorite groups. As a consequence, compositional 

data are far more extensive for the chondrites than 

for any other meteorite group. However, although 

the chondrites may have originated from comparatively undifferentiated parent material, they can 

be subdivided into several classes and subclasses, 

marked off by distinct mineralogical and chemical 

hiatuses.

This subdivision is illustrated in figure 2, which 

plots chemical analyses of individual chondrites in 

the form of weight percent iron as metal and sulfide 

(that is, reduced iron) against weight percent 

oxidized iron (essentially iron combined in silicates). 

The trend is clear, from meteorites in which all the 

iron is in the reduced form (the enstatite chondrites) 

to meteorites in which all or nearly all is in the 

oxidized form (the carbonaceous chondrites). But 

the sequence is not a continuous one, and the five 

classes of chondrites form discrete clusters in this 

diagram. The classes are also distinguished by their 

total iron content. Urey and Craig (1953), in the 

original version of figure 2, noted a bimodal clustering of points corresponding to average total iron 

contents of approximately 22 percent and 28 percent, 

and named these the low-iron (L) and high-iron 

(H) groups respectively. The present figure 2, based 

on a more rigid selection of analyses and a considerable number of superior analyses made since 1953, 

shows that the H group comprises the bronzite 

chondrites and the L group the hypersthene chondrites. In the enstatite chondrites the iron content 

ranges from values corresponding to the L group to 

higher figures than those characteristic of the H 

group. Carbonaceous chondrites cannot be directly 

compared with the other classes of chondrites, since 

they contain a large amount of combined water and 

other volatiles; on a volatile-free basis (used in fig. 

1) they belong to the H group.

2 Chondrite-like structures have been identified in some lunar rocks.
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B5

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FIGURE 2. Relationship between oxidized iron and iron as metal and sulfide in analyses of chondrites, illustrating the separation into distinct classes and the variation within the classes. Reprinted from Mason (1967b) 

and published with permission.
B6 DATA OP GEOCHEMISTRY

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o

CM o o o 

o o o

00

o CO CO CM

m

O

O 

CO 00

oo co r~" 

<r m o

CM CO

m

o 

o

0) PL.

^

o

0

o

1 vO

I m

i 

CM

CM

CM

C/D O

<U -H

P^ CO

(^.

C

.

CM

O

 H

EH

m

vC

.

i-H

CO

o

CM

rH

<j

\C O O> I-H CM -3"

co !* « i i oo CM r*»

. .....

co m i i

CM 1

CO

0 0

CM O O O O CM

L^ QJ f*{ OC ^C ^0

cj P^ X. Js cj> B

r^ oo

O CM

. .

m

O O

CM CM

K^^ C* .

O^ C^ CO ^O O^

OO i I CM O -3"

. ....

a. co i i m

i-H

o o o

CM -HO

U-, O fe O c/"j

CM

<T

.

vC

cr.

rH

CO

O

H
TABLE 3. Chemical analyses of chondritic meteorites Gontinued

Si

Mg

Fe

Al

Ca

Na

Ni

Cr

Mn

F

K

Ti

Co

10,000

10,400

8,730

860

580

630

440

130

71

106

38

29

22

10,000

10,400

8, 220

910

640

440

440

104

60

91

22

28

19

10,000

10,700

7,750

890

820

300

400

122

50

97

16

28

19

10,000

9,240

5,380

610

490

460

240

100

82

38

36

31

12

10,000

9,240

5,920

640

480

480

310

100

71

38

36

22

14

10,000

9,510

8, 140

660

470

480

480

120

74

62

33

25

25

,...,.,. . ,,...___ ........ 

Key to analyses:

1. Carbonaceous chondrite,Type I: Orguei1.(Wiik, 1956). Deficiency in sum

be ascribed to reporting all Fe as FeO and all S as S, although both 

and sulfate are present in considerable amounts.

2. Carbonaceous chondrite, Type II: Mighei (Wiik, 1956, recalculated with 

FeO) .

3. Carbonaceous chondrite, Type III: Mokoia (Wiik, 1956).

4. Amphoterite: Cherokee Springs (Jarosewich and Mason, 1969).

5. Hypersthene chondrite: Leedey (Jarosewich, 1967).

6. Bronzite chondrite: Guarena (Jarosewich and Mason, 1969).

7. Enstatite chondrite: Pillistfer (Jarosewich and Mason, 1969). Includes 

TiS 0.14, Cr 2 S 3 0.29, MnS 0.26, CaS 0.90, P 0.09.
B8 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

The individual classes can be divided into subclasses by the use of chemical, mineralogical, and 

structural distinctions. On the basis of his numerous 

chemical analyses, Wiik (1956) divided the carbonaceous chondrites into Types I, II, and III, some 

of the principal distinguishing factors being C, H2O, 

total S, and specific gravity, the mean values being:

Type I______________ 3.54 20.08 6.04

Type II_____________.2.46 13.35 3.16

Type III_____________. .46 .99 2.21

Sp gr 

2.2 

2.7 

3.4

These three types are clearly demarcated by both 

chemical and mineralogical criteria, and appear to be 

discrete groups, meteorites of intermediate composition being unknown. One unique carbonaceous chondrite, Renazzo, cannot be readily classified; its mineralogy resembles that of Type II, except for the 

presence of 12 percent free nickel-iron. Type III carbonaceous chondrites have been called olivine-pigeonite chondrites, but the mineral identified as 

pigeonite is now known to be a pyroxene of the 

clinobronzite-clinohypersthene series, so the term 

"olivine-pigeonite chondrite" should be abandoned. 

The existence of an amphoterite group distinct 

from the hypersthene chondrites has been the subject of some controversy. Inspection of figure 2 

shows a cluster of hypersthene chondrite analyses 

around 10 percent oxidized iron, and a smaller 

cluster around 15 percent oxidized iron, with possibly a hiatus between them. This clustering was 

first perceived by Prior (1916), and he called them 

the Baroti type and Soko-Banja type respectively, 

after two analyzed meteorites. In the 1920 paper in 

which Prior established the current classification, he 

placed these two types in a single class of hypersthene chondrites; the overall chemical composition 

of the two types is very similar, except for the degree of oxidation of the iron. As figure 2 shows, 

the greater amount of oxidized iron in the SokoBanja type is compensated by a concomitant decrease in the amount of iron in the metal phase. 

Mason and Wiik (1964) studied a number of meteorites of the Soko-Banja type and found that chemically and mineralogically they correspond to the 

amphoterites, then considered a class of achondrites, 

evidently because they contain few and poorly defined chondrules; Mason and Wiik therefore considered the amphoterites as a subclass of the hypersthene chondrites. Independently, Keil and Fredriksson (1964) pointed out some distinctive features of 

the Soko-Banja type chondrites, in particular: "The 

total iron content of the Soko-Banja group is almost 

the same as in the L-group chondrites, whereas the 

mettalic nickel-iron content is considerably lower.

For this reason the group constituted of Soko-Banja 

chondrites should properly be designated the lowiron-low metal (or LL group) of chondrites" (p. 

3493-4). Thus the terms Soko-Banja type (or group), 

LL group, and amphoterite refer to a single group 

of meteorites. A compositional hiatus probably exists 

between this group and the hypersthene chondrites 

(Fredriksson and others, 1968), but the hiatus is a 

narrow one, much narrower than those between the 

other chondrite classes and between the Type I, II, 

III carbonaceous chondrites.

The bronzite chondrites form a very coherent 

group and are not readily subdivided on chemical or 

mineralogical criteria. The enstatite chondrites, however, show a wide spread in chemical composition, 

their total iron content ranging from 20 to 35 percent. They can be divided into two subclasses, sometimes called Type I and Type II (Anders, 1964). Type 

I enstatite chondrites contain more than 30 percent 

Fe and more than 5 percent S; the principal mineral 

is clinoenstatite; and chondritic structure is well developed. Type II enstatite chondrites contain less 

than 30 percent Fe and 5 percent S; the principal 

mineral is enstatite; and chondritic structure is 

poorly developed. Type I and Type II enstatite chondrites show characteristic differences in minor- and 

trace-element contents (Larimer and Anders, 1967).

The similarities and differences in overall chemical 

composition between chondrites of the different 

classes and subclasses is illustrated in table 3. The 

variation in nickel and cobalt are clearly seen. The 

carbonaceous chondrites, the common chondrites, 

and the enstatite chondrites have distinctive Si/Mg 

ratios, as pointed out originally by Urey (1961). 

Fractionation of the major lithophile elements between different classes of chondrites is the subject 

of a paper by Ahrens and others (1969).

Van Schmus and Wood (1967) developed a classification scheme for the chondrites that has been 

widely adopted. They distinguished six petrologic 

types on the basis of mineralogical and structural 

criteria (table 4). They then constructed two-dimensional classification grid (table 5), using these six 

petrologic types and five chemical groupings 

[enstatite chondrites (E), carbonaceous chondrites 

(C), bronzite chondrites (H), hypersthene chondrites (L), and amphoterites (LL)]. No carbonaceous chondrites of types 5 and 6 are known, and 

there are no representatives of types 1 and 2 in the 

remaining chemical groups. Their Cl, C2, and C3 

classes correspond closely to Wiik's Type I, II, and 

III carbonaceous chondrites. Their E3 and E4 classes 

correspond to the Type I enstatite chondrites, E5 

and E6 to the Type II. The Van Schmus-Wood clas-
TABLE 4. Petrologic types of chondrites 

[From Van Schmus and Wood, 1967]

Petrologic types

Homogeneity of olivine and pyroxene

composition

Structural state of low-Ca pyroxene

Degree of development of secondary

feldspar

Igneous glass

Metallic minerals (maximum Ni 

content In percent)

Sulfide minerals (average Ni content)

in percent

Overall Texture

Texture of matrix

Bulk carbon content (percent)

Bulk water content (percent)

1 23

Greater than 5 percent

mean deviations

Predominantly monoclinic

Absent

Clear and isotropic primary 

glass; variable abundance

(<20) 

Taenite, absent

or very minor

>0.5

No chondrules Very sharply defined

chondrules

All fine- Much Opaque 

grained, opaque matrix

opaque matrix

^2.8 0.6-2.8 0.2-1.0

^20 4-18

4 5

Less than 5 percent

mean deviations to 

uniform

Abundant mono- n 

... , O

clinic crystals

Predominantly as micro- 

crystalline aggregates 

Turbid if 

present A

Kamacite and taenite 

(>20)

<0.5

Well-defined Chondrules 

chondrules readily 

delineated

Transparent _ 

. Re

microcrystalline

matrix

< 0.2

<2
BIO DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

TABLE 5. Classification of the chondrites

[From Van Schmus and Wood, 1967]

PETROLOGIC TYPE 

12345

GROUP CHEMICAL 

F S0mrEl

Cl 

4

HI

LI

LL1

E2

C2 

16

H2

L2

LL2

E3 

1*

C3 

8

H3

7

L3 

9

LL3 

4

E4 

4

C4 

2

H4 

35

L4 

18

LL4 

3

E5 

2

C5

H5 

74

L5 

43

LL5

7

E6 

6

C6

H6 

44

L6 

152

LL6 

21

''Number of examples of each meteorite type now known is 

given in its box.

u

DC

CD

10

I 1 T v I

	EXPLANATION 

+ Enstatite achondrites 

A Pallasites (olivine)

 Hypersthene achondrites

- x Mesosiderites (silicates)

® Howardites

 Eucrites

- D Nakhlite

0 Angrite @ @®

5-

o

X

X ®

®

JA-A10 20 30 40 50 60 

FeO/FeO+MgO, IN MOLE PERCENT

70

FIGURE 3. Plot of CaO (weight percent) against FeO/ 

(FeO+MgO) (mole percent) for the achondrites and 

stony-irons.

sification implies that each chemical group is essentially an isochemical sequence, and that the classes 

within each group are genetically related; they suggested that (except for the carbonaceous chondrites) 

the sequence may represent progressive recrystallization. The interpretation is not universally accepted. 

However, the classification stands independently of 

its genetic implications; it provides a workable 

scheme for subdividing the larger chondrite classes, 

and has shown its utility in the interpretation of 

minor- and trace-element data.

CLASSIFICATION OF ACHONDRITES AND STONY-IRONS

Superficial examination of a collection of achondrites and stony-irons reveals a great diversity and 

an apparent lack of any unifying features. Some of 

them, especially the mesosiderites, are obviously 

breccias made up of fragments of widely different 

chemical and mineralogical composition, cemented 

together by a nickel-iron matrix. However, a closer 

examination does indicate relationships that imply 

common processes of genesis for most of them. The 

composition and structure of the silicate material 

indicate original crystallization from a melt, similar 

to the magmas that gave rise to terrestrial mafic 

and ultramafic igneous rocks.

These relationships can be most readily visualized 

in the form of a diagram (fig. 3). This shows a regular trend, from calcium-poor, magnesium-rich compositions to compositions richer in calcium and ferrous iron. The enstatite achondrites can plausibly 

be accounted for by the partial melting of a parent 

body of enstatite chondrite composition, whereby

metal and sulfide were melted and removed by gravitational forces, leaving a residue of coarsely-crystallized enstatite and a little sodic plagioclase. Most of 

the other achondrites and stony-iron may have 

been derived by the melting and fractional crystallization of one or more parent bodies with the overall 

composition of the common chondrites. Such a melt 

would begin to crystallize at about 1,500°C with the 

separation of magnesium-rich olivine, similar in 

composition to that found in pallasites. This olivine 

together wth the molten nickel-iron would sink and 

eventually form a core of pallasitic composition. 

The crystallization of olivine would be followed by 

that of hypersthene, with a higher Fe/Mg ratio, as 

occurs in the hypersthene achondrites. At a slightly 

later stage, plagioclase would begin to crystallize, 

giving the association hypersthene-plagioclase characteristic of the howardites. This fractional crystallization would result in a steady increase in the concentration of calcium and ferrous iron in the melt, 

and eventually pigeonite, a pyroxene richer in iron 

and calcium than hypersthene, would be the stable 

ferromagnesian silicate, producing the association 

pigeonite-plagioclase characteristic of the eucrites. 

Mesosiderites appear to be breccias of all these 

achondrite types, together with nickel-iron and 

olivine.

CLASSIFICATION OF IRON METEORITES

The traditional basis for classifying iron meteorites is their structure, specifically the relationship 

between kamacite, taenite, and plessite (a fine intergrowth of kamacite and taenite). This classification
TABLE 6. Structural classification of iron meteorites 

[From Buchwald, 1975]

Structural class

Hexahedr ites

Coarsest octahedrites

Coarse octahedrites

Medium octahedrites

Fine octahedrites

Finest octahedrites

Plessitic octahedrites

Ataxites

Anomal ous

Symbol

Hx

Ogg

Og

Om

Of

Off

Opl

D

Anom

Karaaci t e 

Bandwidth, mm

--

>3.3

1.3-3.3

.5-1 .3

.2-. 5

< . 2 continuous

< . 2 spind les

____

various

Type member

Coahuila

Sikhote-Alin

Canyon Diablo

Cape York

Gibeon

Tazewell

Ballinoo

Hoba

 

Fa

1

3
TABLE 7. Structural and compositional properties of iron meteorite groups 

[From Scott and Wasson, 1975]

Group

1A 

IB

1C 

HA

11B 

11C 

11D

HE

111A

111B

me

HID

HIE

111F 

IVA 

IVB

Number

82 

8

10 

39

13 

7 

13

12

120

36 

7

5

8

5 

40 

11

Frequency 

(percent)

17.0 

1.7

2.1 

8.1

2.7 

1.4 

2.7

2.5

24.8

7.5 

1.4

1.0

1.7

1.0 

8.3 

2.3

Bandwidth 

(mm)

1.0-3.1 

.01-1.0

<3 

>50

5-15 

.06-. 07 

.4-. 8

.7-2

.9-1.3

.6-1.3 

.2-. 4

.01-. 05

1.3-1.6

.5-1.5 

.25-. 45 

.006-. 03

Structure

Om-Ogg 

D-Om

Anom.-Og 

Hx

Ogg 

Opl 

Of-Om

Anom

Om

Om 

Off-Of

D-Of f

Og

2 Om-Og

Of 

D

Ni 

(percent)

6.4-8.7 

8.7-25

6.1-6.8 

5.3-5.7

5.7-6.4 

9.3-11.5 

9.6-11.3

7.5-9.7

7.1-9.3

8.4-10.5 

10-13

16-23

8.2-9.0

6.8-7.8 

7.4-9.4 

16-26

Ga 

(ppm)

55-100 

11-55

49-55 

57-62

46-59 

37-39 

70-83

21-28

17-23

16-21 

11-27

1.5-5.2

17-19

6.3-7.2 

1.6-2.4 

.17-. 27

Also Om and Og. 

Also Ogg and Of
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B13

is presented in table 6, and its significance was discussed in detail by Buckwald (1975).

A more detailed chemical classification of the irons 

[based on chemical parameters], has been developed 

by J. T. Wasson and coworkers, and is described by 

Scott and Wasson (1975). This work is a refinement 

and extension of the earlier Ga-Ge divisions of Goldberg, Uchiyama, and Brown (1951) and Lovering 

and others (1957). This classification is based on 

structural data and accurate analyses for Ni, Ga, and 

Ge. Sixteen groups of irons have been defined, each 

of which shows limited ranges of these and other 

elements, and very similar structures (table 7). Scott 

and Wasson believe there is good evidence for genetic 

relationships between groups IA-IB, IIA-IIB, IIIAIIIB, and IIIC-IIID, and each of these pairs is considered as a single group, giving 12 distinct groups. 

As can be seen from table 7, the groups are very unevenly populated, two of them (IA and IIIA) comprising over 40 percent of the whole. The relationship of Co, Ga, Ge, As, Ru, Sb, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au 

to Ni is shown in diagrams under each of these 

elements.

CHEMICAL FRACTIONATIONS IN CHONDRITES

The abundance variations between different 

classes and subclasses of chondrites were carefully

reviewed by Larimer and Anders (1967). Figure 4, 

taken from their report, relates the abundances of a 

considerable number of elements, of differing degree 

of volatility, in Type I, II, and III carbonaceous 

chondrites, and in the ordinary chondrites. For the 

carbonaceous chondrites, abundances decrease from 

Type I through Type II to Type III by rather constant factors, in the ratio 1.0:0.6:0.3; Type I 

enstatite chondrites, with a factor 0.7, resemble Type 

II carbonaceous chondrites. In ordinary chondrites 

and Type II enstatite chondrites, 9 elements (Au, 

Cu, F, Ga, Ge, S, Sb, Se, and Sn) are depleted by factors of 0.2-0.5, whereas 12 elements (Te, Ag, Zn, Cd, 

Hg, Cl, Br, I, Pb, Bi, In, Tl) show more drastic depletions, to factors of 0.002. Larimer and Anders considered that chondrites are a mixture of two types of 

material: a low-temperature fraction (=matrix) 

that retained most of its volatiles, and a high-temperature fraction (=chondrules, metallic grains) 

that lost them. They concluded that these fractionations occurred in the solar nebula as it cooled from 

high temperatures, and could not have been produced 

in the meteorite parent bodies. They correlated the 

different compositions of the chondrite classes with 

different regions of aggregation within the ancestral 

solar nebula: enstatite chondrites come from the inner fringe of the asteroidal belt; ordinary chondrites

Carbonaceous I

Carbonaceous II

Carbonaceous III

Abundances of Depleted Elements

in Ordinary and Carbonaceous Chondrites

 Carbonaceous Type II o Carbonaceous Type 

Geochemical Character: a=atmophile c=chalcophile 

l=lithophile s=siderophile

Mn Na K Rb Cs Cu Au Ga Ge Sn Sb F S Se Te Ag Zn Cd Hg Cl Br I Pb Bi In Tl Kr Xe H C N 

I I II I sssssslcc csccslllsscs aaaaa

ALKALIS NORMAL GROUP STRONGLY DEPLETED GROUP ^ATMOPHILES>

FIGTJRE 4. Relative abundances of selected elements in Type II and III carbonaceous chondrites and in ordinary chondrites, normalized to Type I carbonaceous chondrite abundances=1.0. Reprinted from Larimer and Anders (1967) 

and published with permission.
B14 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

from the center and inner half; carbonaceous chondrites from the outer fringe or from comets.

Goles (1969, p. 123) commented: "While the model 

of Larimer and Anders (1967) is an engagingly 

simple approach to the systematization and, hopefully, understanding of geochemical fractionations 

among meteorites, much further work must be done 

before it can be accepted as valid." This seems to be 

a reasonable statement of the present situation. The 

existence of fractionation, both of major and minor 

elements, between different classes of chondrites is 

beyond dispute; how and where these fractionations 

took place, and their significance for the early history of the solar system, are certainly open for further elucidation. Clearly, however, the different 

classes of chondrites are not a simple genetic sequence in the sense that one class represents the 

parent material from which the others were derived. 

Instead, they appear to be samples from different 

regions of an ancestral nebula which was somewhat 

differentiated chemically, and possibly mineralogically. Carbonaceous chondrites, usually considered 

more "primitive" or "undifferentiated" with respect 

to other chondrites, are so only to the extent that 

their elemental abundances approximate solar abundances more closely; they are presumably coeval, not 

ancestral, to the other classes.

THE GEOCHEMICAL BEHAVIOR OF ELEMENTS IN 

METEORITES

When Goldschmidt proposed his geochemical classification of the elements in 1923, few data were 

available for many of the minor and trace elements. 

This situation has been largely remedied, but thorough investigation has revealed some surprising 

variations of geochemical behavior under special 

circumstances, particularly in some of the less common meteorite classes. For example, potassium, 

normally a completely lithophile element, occurs as 

an essential component of the sulfide djerfisherite, 

K3CuFe12Si4, in some enstatite chondrites. For many 

elements, therefore, it is necessary to qualify their 

geochemical classification according to the specific 

environment. Table 8 gives the geochemical behavior 

as seen in the ordinary chondrites, with appropriate 

qualifications where called for. Some elements show 

multiple affinity, even in a single class of meteorite. 

In ordinary chondrites, iron shows lithophile, chalcophile, and siderophile affinities, whereas in the 

enstatite chondrites it is essentially chalcophile and 

siderophile, and in the Type I carbonaceous chondrites it is essentially lithophile, because these meteorites contain no free metal and little or no sulfide.

Variations in behavior occur within a single class 

of meteorites; for example, titanium is progressively 

more chalcophile and less lithophile in going from the 

more chondritic to the more recrystallized members 

of the enstatite chondrites (Easton and Hey, 1968).

LOCATION OF MINOR AND TRACE ELEMENTS IN 

METEORITES

The location of a specific element in a meteorite is 

of course conditioned by its geochemical character. 

Siderophile elements are present in the nickel-iron, 

chalcophile elements in the troilite, lithophile elements in the silicates (and accessory minerals such 

as phosphates and oxides). However, the quantitative expression of this is only partly explored, and 

is a promising field for further investigation. Some 

of the possible ways a minor or trace element may be 

incorporated in a meteorite are: (1) as a minor constituent of a major phase; for example, in the common chondrites the manganese is present in solid 

solution in the olivine, pyroxene, and chromite, (2) 

as a major constituent of a minor phase; for example, zirconium has been found to occur as rare 

grains of zircon (ZrSi04 ), (3) as a minor constituent 

of a minor phase; for example, most of the chlorine 

in stony meteorites is present in chlorapatite (Ca5 

(PO4 ) 3CI, (4) possibly as a constituent of an intergranular film; for example, water-soluble bromine 

and iodine. Other mechanisms can be postulated. For 

example, the noble gases have been found to be concentrated in the surface layers of meteorite minerals, and emplacement by the solar wind has been 

advanced as an explanation.

HYDROGEN

The occurrence and distribution of hydrogen in 

meteorites has been extensively reviewed by I. R. 

Kaplan, in Mason (1971). Although hydrogen is the 

most common element in the solar system and in 

the universe as a whole, it is essentially absent from 

most meteorites, because of the high-temperature 

conditions under which they formed. Only the carbonaceous chondrites contain hydrogenated compounds of undoubted extraterrestrial origin the 

small amount of H2O sometimes reported in analyses 

of other stony meteorites is probably terrestrial, 

acquired since the meteorite entered the Earth's atmosphere. The Cl and C2 carbonaceous chondrites 

contain hydrogen in a number of forms: water of 

crystallization in gypsum and hydrated magnesium 

sulfate, OH groups in serpentine or related layerlattice silicates, hydrogen in a variety of organic
TABLE 8. The geochemical behavior of the elements in chondritic meteorites

= Atmophile: IT

Be - Lithophile: Na B £ N 

___ = Chalcophile: In _______________

, - = Siderophile: Fe 

Na Mg Al Si P 

K1 Ca1 Sc Ti1 V Cr1 Mn1 |j.3 Co Ni4 Cu Zn1 Ga3 Ge As 

 

12 

Rb SrYZrNb^ M^MM^iEiElki

 

 , , , 

5 

Cs Ba La-Lu HfTa^M^^f^MMIilkli 

, , ,

Th U 

 : . 

1. Partly chalcophile in enstatite chondrites. 

2. Also moderately chalcophile. 

3. Also chalcophile and lithophile. 

4. Chalcophile and lithophile in carbonaceous chondrites. 

5. Also moderately siderophile.

6. Possibly chalcophile.
B16 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

TABLE 9. Hydrogen released as water from carbonaceous chondrites

[In weight percent]

Meteorite Type Reference

Orgueil

Pollen

Murray

Santa Cruz

Murchison

Essebi

Ornans

Warrenton

Cl

C2

C2

C2

C2

C2

C3

C3

6.

2.

1.

1.

3.

10

62

44

10

14

72

18

00

10.

12.

9.

9.

8.

7.

55

95

98

23

95

67

25

10

Jarosewich,

Wiik,

Wiik,

Wiik,

unpub

1956

1956

Jarosewich,

Wiik,

Wiik,

Wiik,

unpub

1956

1956

unpub .

. data

1971

. data

data

compounds, and presumably acquired terrestrial 

H2O as well. Some analytical data are given in table 

9. Many of the C3 chondrites have no detectable 

combined hydrogen, which is consistent with the 

absence of hydrated minerals; the small amounts 

reported in some of them may be partly terrestrial 

and partly derived from organic compounds.

Boato (1954) concluded from his studies that all 

HoO liberated by heating in a vacuum up to 180°C 

was terrestrial water absorbed by different minerals 

in the meteorite. This conclusion was reached by 

measuring the D/H ratio of the liberated water at a 

series of temperatures from 25°C to 800°C. For the 

Ivuna, Orgueil, and Mokoia meteorites, water released above 180°C gave values that fell outside the 

range of atmospheric water. Some of the H.O extracted from the carbonaceous chondrites has the 

highest deuterium content ever found in natural 

material.

Edwards (1955) extracted hydrogen from 14 iron 

meteorites, and found a range of 0.7-54 ppm.

THE NOBLE GASES: HELIUM, NEON, ARGON, 

KRYPTON, XENON

The noble gases have especial significance in the 

geochemistry of meteoritic matter. Their gaseous 

nature and inertness simplify analytical procedures, and the volume of data on their abundance 

in meteorites exceeds that for most other elements. 

By using modern techniques, a determination of 

their concentration and their isotopic composition 

can be carried out with high precision on small samples. They may have originated from a variety of 

sources, and the identification of these sources enables significant deductions regarding the origin and 

evolution of the meteorites.

Neglecting terrestrial atmospheric contamination 

(usually small and readily removed by gentle heating) , the noble-gas content of a meteorite may comprise several different components, as follows:

Trapped. Divided into two types, (1) solar, implanted in the surface layers of mineral grains directly from the solar wind; (2) planetary, occluded 

from the primitive solar nebula during the initial 

condensation of solid matter. The trapped component 

is sometimes referred to as the primordial component.

Cosmogenic. Produced by cosmic-ray-induced 

spallation reactions; dominantly He, Ne, and Ar 

produced by spallation of the abundant elements up 

to Fe and Ni. Heavy elements that produce Kr and 

Xe by spallation are of low abundance in meteorites, 

and hence cosmogenic Kr and Xe occur only in very 

minor amounts.

Radiogenic. Decay products of radioactive isotopes; 4He from U and Th, 40Ar from 40Kr, and 

120Xe from extinct 129I.

Fissionogenie. Isotopes of Kr and Xe produced 

by spontaneous (for example, 244Pu) or neutron-induced (for example ,235U) fission. Anders and others 

(1975) have provided evidence that Xe of peculiar 

isotopic composition in the Allende meteorite is derived from the fission of an extinct superheavy element, probably element 115.

An indication of the concentration range of the 

noble gases in meteorites is provided by the data in 

table 10 (from Dieter Heymann, in Mason (1971)). 

Grant is an iron meteorite and contains only cosmogenic gas. Bruderheim contains principally cosmogenic gas and radiogenic 4He and 40Ar, and small 

amounts of trapped 36Ar, 84Kr, and 132Xe. Chainpur 

differs from Bruderheim in containing substantial
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B17

COV*i

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0)

CM 

CM

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0)

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en*

CO 

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Meteorite

CO CM

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co i I-H m

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m

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r-l rH

e rH rH

 H -H -H 

Q) H > > 

X! 3 rH Q) Q) 

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CS T3 «H 3 Q) Q) 

tO 3 fO 00 r*"> K*^ 

>-i >-t X! * tO tO 

OPQOOPt.pt.
B18 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

amounts of trapped Ar, Kr, and Xe; the same is 

true for Orgueil, which also contains a large amount 

of trapped He. Fayetteville typifies a small group of 

chondritic meteorites with light-dark structure 

(light- and dark-gray areas of essentially the same 

composition except for their noble-gas content). In 

Fayetteville, the light parts have gas contents 

similar to Bruderheim, but the dark part contains 

vast amounts of trapped He, Ne, and Ar of solar 

wind origin.

This brief review clearly shows that no purpose is 

served in attempting to give mean concentrations 

of the noble gases in meteorites since each meteorite 

is essentially unique, and its noble-gas content reflects its individual history. Cameron (1973) gave 

the following cosmic atomic abundances for the noble 

gases (normalized to Si 106 ): He, 2-21 XlO9 ; Ne, 

3-44X106 ; Ar, 1-172XlO5 ; Kr, 46-8; Xe 538.

Wasson (1974) provided a comprehensive account

of noble gases in meteorites and their significance 

in problems of genesis and subsequent history.

LITHIUM

Lithium is a trace element that shows remarkably 

little variation in abundance between different 

classes of chondritic meteorites (table 11), except 

in the enstatite chondrites of petrologic types 5 and 

6, in which this element is notably diminished. The 

same is true for the single analysed aubrite 

(enstatite achondrite). In terms of atoms/106Si, 

some diminution in abundance is evident in going 

from Cl to C2 to C3, and thence to the ordinary 

chondrites. The highest concentrations are found in 

the eucrites, at about twice chondritic levels.

Lithium is essentially a lithophile element; Fireman and Schwarzer (1957) found less than 0.01 ppm 

in several iron meteorites. However, Shima and

TABLE 11. Lithium in stony meteorites

[From Walter Nlchiporuk, in Mason, 1971; Nichiporuk and Moore, 1974; Nichiporuk, 1975; and table 84]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

2

5

11

13

19

21

2

2

1.52-1.61

1.61-1.86

1.43-3.83

1.2-2.1

1.3-2.6

1.7-2.7

1.3-2.9

.44-. 64

1.6

1.7

1.9

1.7

1.8

2.1

2.1

.58

60

52

49

40

39

45

47

13

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

1

1

1

.33

2.20

1 . 84

5.3

36

40

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa 

Aeu

2.02 

5.07-7.27 6.1

40

106
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B19

Honda (1967) showed that, in the enstatite chondrite 

Abee, about two-thirds of the lithium is in the sulfide phases; evidently under conditions of extreme 

reduction and relatively high sulfur fugacity, 

lithium, like sodium and potassium, has chalcophile 

affinities. Shima and Honda also showed that in 

ordinary chondrites most of the lithium is in the 

HCh soluble fraction (after treatment with bromine 

water to remove troilite); this indicates that in 

these meteorites the lithium probably resides in 

olivine, replacing magnesium. (LiFeP04 is isostructural with olivine.)

BERYLLIUM

The limited data on the abundance and distribution of beryllium in meteorites are derived from the

work of Sill and Willis (1962) and Quandt and Herr 

(1974). Sill and Willis analyzed 12 chondrites, 4 

achondrites, and 1 iron by a fluorometric procedure; 

Quandt and Herr analyzed 73 chondrites, 1 achondrite, and 4 irons by photon activation. Their results are generally consistent, although Quandt and 

Herr recorded some unusually high values for chondrites those >100 ppb have been omitted from 

table 12. The single enstatite chondrite and 

enstatite achondrite (aubrite) analyzed show relative depletion in this element, as does the Johnstown 

diogenite; one eucrite, Sioux County, is relatively 

enriched. Beryllium is a lithophile element; Sill and 

Willis recorded <1 ppb in the Aroos iron, Quandt 

and Herr <8 ppb in the four irons they analyzed. 

The abundance of Be is remarkably low, lower even

TABLE 12. Beryllium in meteorites

Class Number 

analyzed

Range. 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si Source 1

Chondrites

C2

C2

C3

H

H

L

L

LL

LL

E4

1

1

3

4

23

6

25

1

4

1

35

41

43-93

30-48

30-88

32-58

26-92

33

41-62

20

--

--

62

38

51

43

52

--

51

"* ~

0.81

.94

1. 25

.69

.93

.72

.87

.58

.85

.36

S

Q

Q

S

Q

S

Q

S

Q

S

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah

6-13 

13

0.10 

.16

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aeu

( Pasamont e)

Aeu

(Sioux County)

1

1

37-40

272-276

39

274

0.63

3.69

S

S

S, Sill and Willis (1962); Q, Quandt and Herr (1974)
B20 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

than the abundances of the neighboring odd-numbered elements.

BORON

Data on the concentration of boron in meteorites 

are sparse, and have been summarized and discussed 

by P. A. Baedecker (in Mason, 1971). See table 13. 

Practically all the data are derived from the work 

of Quijano-Rico and Wanke (1969), who used a 

fluorometric method of determination. The concentration in carbonaceous chondrites is notably higher 

than in most other stones, suggesting that in these 

meteorites the boron may be associated with the 

carbonaceous matter, or that it is combined in volatile compounds. Quijano-Rico and Wanke noted a 

correlation between boron content and petrologic 

type in chondrites, boron behaving like other volatile elements (and noble gases) by diminishing in 

concentration with increasing type number. Two iron 

meteorites, Canyon Diablo and Toluca, contained 

0.02 and 0.03 ppm boron, confirming the lithophile 

nature of this element. Mason and Graham (1970)

found that in mineral separates from meteorites 

boron is concentrated in plagioclase and olivine.

CARBON

Carbon in small amounts is universally present in 

meteorites, but until the work of Moore and Lewis 

(1965, 1966, 1967) no systematic investigation of a 

large number of specimens had been undertaken. 

Their results, along with some additional data, are 

summarized in table 14 and figure 5. The carbonaceous chondrites, as implied by their name, are 

richest in carbon; the abundance ranges of the four 

types overlap, and the lower limit of C3 and C4 

overlaps the higher limits for the ordinary and 

enstatite chondrites. Thus, the distinction between 

carbonaceous and other classes of chondrites cannot 

be based on carbon content alone. Figure 5 illustrates 

the distribution of carbon in the ordinary chondrites 

in relation to the petrologic types established by Van 

Schmus and Wood (1967). High carbon contents are 

clearly confined to the so-called unequilibrated chondrites, the petrologic type 3 of Van Schmus and

TABLE 13. Boron in meteorites 

[From P. A. Baedecker, in Mason, 1971]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E6

2

1

3

25

10

1

1

1

5.1-7.1

9.4

5.6-9.6

.14-6.0

.14-1.70

1.4

.77

.43

5.7

7.2

1.0

.74

144

186

121

15

10

19

12

5.7

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah

1 

1

0.42 

.34

3.9 

3.6

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aeu 0.63-1.1 0.83 9.4
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B21

Wood. A good median figure for the ordinary chondrites is 0.1 percent C.

The carbonaceous material in stony meteorites 

has been exhaustively discussed in a book by Nagy 

(1975). In the carbonaceous chondrites, some of the 

carbon is present as extractable organic compounds, 

but most is combined in a black insoluble complex 

of high molecular weight compounds. This complex 

is probably the carbonaceous material in most of the 

ordinary chondrites, judging by the results of Hayes 

and Biemann (1968). They found that the carbonaceous material in Holbrook, a hypersthene chondrite, 

is largely polymeric, the most abundant compounds 

being evolved at 200°-500°C. The pyrolysis compounds are predominantly alkylbenzenes, but various 

aromatic C-H-0, C-H-N, C-H-S compounds are also 

present, along with some more highly condensed 

aromatic hydrocarbons.

Carbon contents are low in the achondrites, except 

for the ureilities, which have carbon contents as high 

as the carbonaceous chondrites.

The results of Moore, Lewis, and Nava (1969) on 

iron meteorites (the samples selected to avoid inclusions of graphite and cohenite) show generally 

low figures for carbon (table 15). Slow cooling has 

evidently favored the segregation of carbon into 

specific phases, such as graphite and cohenite. Within 

the metal phases the carbon is in solid solution in 

the taenite (0.1-0.5 percent) in preference to the 

kamacite (<0.01 percent), according to Buchwald 

(1975).

NITROGEN

Nitrogen in meteorites has been systematically 

studied by Moore and his coworkers; the total nitrogen contents were determined by an inert gasTABLE 14. Carbon in stony meteorites 

[From Vdovykin and Moore, in Mason, 1971]

Class Number of

determinations

Range 

(weight percent)

Median 

(weight percent)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

C4

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

5

9

9

2

35

43

16

4

2

7

2.70-4.83

1.30-4.00

.35-2.49

.07-. 20

.02-. 35

.03-. 53

.03-. 44

.36-. 56

.37-. 54

.06-. 43

3.19

2.48

.56

.14

.11

.09

.12

.39

.45

.36

720,000

440,000

85,000

20,000

15,000

11,000

15,000

53,000

58,000

43,000

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

2

1

5

0.04-0.10

1.94-4.10

0.07

.04

3.00

59,000

3,800

370,000

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aho 

Aeu

0.02-0.25 

.04-0.47

0.11 

.06

11,000

6,100
B22 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

\ i \ 1111

 

2 ; 0 ;: io.

!i: ii

 o o o

"IE

i i i i i i i i

.01 .1 1 

C, IN WEIGHT PERCENT

10

FIGURE 5. Frequency distribution of carbon in chondrites; open circles indicate unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, 

petrologic type 3; solid circles indicate all other chondrites. Reprinted from Vdovykin and Moore in Mason (1971) 

and published with permission.

TABLE 15. Carbon in iron meteorites 

[In weight percent. From Moore, Lewis, and Nava, 1969]

Class

Hx

Ogg

Og

Oia

Of

Off

D

Number of 

meteorites

8

3

10

42

17

6

6

Range

0.005-0.013

.009-. 022

.004-. 18

.002-. 06

.005-. 046

.010-. 042

.003-. 051

Median

0.009

.013

.012

.014

.011

.030

.007

fusion gas chromatographic technique (Gibson and used a neutron activation technique. Results on the

Moore, 1970). Some additional determinations have same meteorite by the two techniques are fairly

been provided by Kothari and Goel (1974), who consistent, although the figures obtained by Kothari
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B23

and Goel are generally somewhat lower. The data 

are summarized in tables 16 and 17.

Nitrogen is strongly enriched in Cl and C2 carbonaceous chondrites with respect to other classes 

of stony mateorites. This can be ascribed to the 

presence in Cl and C2 meteorites of nitrogen-bearing 

organic compounds; Hayatsu and others (1968) 

have identified the nitrogen-bearing organic compounds adenine, ammeline, guanine, guanylurea, and 

melamine in the Orgueil (Cl) meteorite; and amino 

acids have been found in several Cl and C2 meteorites more than 30 different amino acids have been 

identified in the Murchison (C2) meteorite (Lawless, 

1973).

The state of combination of the small amounts of 

nitrogen in noncarbonaceous meteorites is not well 

known. Kothari and Goel (1974) found that nitrogen 

is enriched in the nonmagnetic relative to the magnetic (metallic) fractions in ordinary chondrites. 

Some of the enstatite chondrites contain trace

amounts of the minerals osbornite (TiN) and sinoite 

(Si2N2 0); sinoite-bearing meteorites have notably 

enhanced nitrogen contents (Moore, Gibson, and 

Keil, 1969).

The nitrogen content of iron meteorites is low 

and variable as shown in table 17. The mineral 

carlsbergite (CrN) is an accessory in some irons. 

Gibson and Moore (197la) showed that sulfide inclusions in iron meteorites contain notably higher 

concentrations of nitrogen than the metal itself.

Injerd and Kaplan (1974) determined the isotopic 

composition of nitrogen in some carbonaceous chondrites, and found that it is enriched in 15N; 815N 

relative to air ranges from +5.6 to +46.3 (%0 ).

OXYGEN

Until 1964, no direct measurements had been made 

on the amount of oxygen in any meteorite, oxygen

TABLE 16. Nitrogen in stony meteorites

[Data from Moore and Gibson, 1969; Moore, Gibson, and Keil, 1969; Gibson and Moore, 1971; Gibson and others, 

1971a, b; Gibson and Moore, 1970;. Au is from Kothari and Goel, 1974]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Median 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

1

6

10

20

28

11

9

3,090-3,280

950-2,000

55-242

18-121

17-109

36-298

54-780

3,185

1,500

105

48

43

70

260

59,000

22,000

1,200

570

480

740

3,000

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

1

1

2

44

31

13-46 27

340

250

290

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aho 

Aeu

40-66 

24-45

56

39

490

360
B24 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

being a calculated figure, arrived at by difference in 

a classical chemical analysis; the oxygen percentages 

for individual meteorites given in table 84 have been 

calculated on this basis. This procedure, of course, 

throws all the errors and omissions of the analysis 

onto the figure for oxygen. Wing (1964) and Vogt 

and Ehmann (1965) directly measured oxygen in 

stony meteorites by neutron-activation analysis. 

Vogt and Ehmann's work is the more extensive, 

giving oxygen abundances for 39 meteorites, representing a total of 421 separate analyses; they estimated the absolute accuracy as probably better than 

±5 percent. Their results for different classes of 

meteorites are summarized in table 18.

The state of combination of the oxygen presents 

problems in interpreting analytical data on meteorites. The standard procedure is to allot the requisite amounts to form the standard oxides of those 

elements more electropositive than iron, and then to 

add the amount required to form FeO from the iron 

not present as sulfide or nickel-iron. This procedure 

is reasonably satisfactory for most classes of stony 

and stony-iron meteorites, but may be unsatisfactory 

for the carbonaceous chodrites (which contain organic compounds, ferric iron, and oxidized sulfur 

compounds) and the enstatite chondrites (in which 

some of the Si, Ca, Cr, Mn, Mg, and Ti may not be 

present as oxidic compounds).

Taylor and others (1965) made an extensive 

series of measurements of oxygen isotopes in stony 

meteorites, and their results are summarized in

figure 6. The common chondrites, the enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites, and the nakhlites 

are isotopically very similar to their terrestrial counterparts, the ultramafic igneous rocks, with 8 values 

(relative to standard mean ocean water) about 5.7 

per mil. Eucrites, howardites, diogenites, and mesosiderites have 8 values about 4.0 per mil. The 8 values 

of the carbonaceous chondrites are highly variable, 

showing a range of -2 to +12 per mil. The isotopic 

relationships among coexisting minerals in meteorites follow the same pattern observed in terrestrial 

rocks. In the eucrites and howardites, the small 

differences between pyroxene and plagioclase imply 

a high temperature of formation, consistent with a 

magmatic origin for these meteorites.

Intriguing anomalies have been found in the oxygen isotopic composition components of the Allende 

meteorite (C3). Clayton, Grossman, and Moyeda 

(1973) found that Ca,Al-rich chondrules and aggregates are strongly depleted in 170 and 180; other 

carbonaceous chondrites also show this feature. 

These meteorites have lower 180/16 and 170/160 

ratios than all other meteorites studied. The depletion pattern is one in which 170 and 180 are equally 

depleted, whereas chemical processes that produce a 

1 percent increase or decrease in the 170/160 ratio 

produce a 2 percent or decrease in the 180/160 ratio 

(since chemical isotope effects are almost linearly 

proportional to the relative mass difference of the 

isotopes). This indicates that the depletion pattern 

is the result of nuclear rather than chemical procTABLE 17. Nitrogen in iron meteorites 

[From Gibson and Moore, 1971a. Median value for 123 meteorites equals 18 ppm nitrogen]

Group

I

IIA

IIB

IIC

I ID

IIIA

IIIB

IVA

IVB

Structure 

class

Off-Ogg

H

Ogg-Oge

Opl

Of -Om

Otn-Og

Of-Om

Of

D

Number 

analyzed

17

11

5

3

2

33

7

13

4

Range 

(ppm) N

2-131

4-26

16-27

11-16

32-44

2-80

22-70

2-34

2-9

Median 

(ppm) N

35

15

18

14

38

25

46

4

2
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B25

TABLE 18. Oxygen in stony meteorites

[From Vogt and Ehmann, 1965; only data from observed falls are used because finds have suffered terrestrial oxidation]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(weight percent)

Mean 

(weight percent)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

1

3

3

3

10

1

2

 

42.0-43.8

35.8-38.9

34.3-37.3

35.3-40.0

38.4

27.0-31.6

46.2

43.2

37.1

35.7

37.7

 

29.3

7,870,000

5,790,000

4,200,000

3,670,000

3,540,000

3,590,000

2,860,000

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah

47.3-48.0 

47.7

47.7 3,020,000

3,400,000

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aeu 42.4 3,260,000

laceous 

d rites

^ c

£2

<0

o

i i i 

Orgueil-Type 1

Al Rais -\ _ } Type II n Murray J Q 

Mokoia >

Vigarano > Type III 

Frliv ' 1

Group 1

(achondrites) 

Group II

(chondrites)

D-Olivine l-Whole rock i i i

-4 -2 0

l l l 1 l l 

 h

 0 1-

 1 1 

 1 

(9)

HB

(28)

|P

t i l i i l

2 4 6 8 10 12

818O (PER MIL) IN WHOLE ROCK

FIGURE 6. Graphical comparison of "O/'O analyses of wholerock samples and olivines from carbonaceaus chondrites 

with whole-rock analyses of other meteorites. Reprinted 

from Taylor and others (1965) and published with permission.

esses; Clayton, Grossman, and Mayeda interpreted 

it as resulting from the admixture of a component 

of almost pure 160. They suggested that this component may predate the solar system and may represent interstellar dust with a separate history of 

nucleosynthesis

These investigations of variations in oxygen isotope ratios have been extended to all classes of meteorites (Clayton and others, 1976). On the basis of 

the data obtained, they presented a classification 

of meteorites into six categories: (1) H chondrites; 

(2) L and LL chondrites; (3) anhydrous minerals 

of C chondrites; (4) hydrous matrix minerals of C2 

chondrites; (5) ureilites; (6) stony-irons, achondrites other than ureilites, and E chondrites (this 

group also including terrestrial and lunar rocks). 

They believe that meteorites of one category cannot be derived by fractionation or differentiation 

from the source materials of any other category.

FLUORINE

Data on the abundance of fluorine are rather 

sparse, and the accuracy of many of the data is
B26 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

questionable. This is illustrated in table 19, where 

results obtained by different investigators from the 

same meteorite are compared. Greenland and Lovering (1965) used emission spectrography; Reed 

(1964) and Fisher (1963) used different neutronactivation techniques; Goldberg and others (1974) 

used a proton-activation technique; Sen Gupta 

(1968b) used a spectrophotometric procedure; and 

Alien and Clark (1977) used a proton activation 

technique. Reed determined fluorine in the rock 

standards G-l and W-l by his technique and obtained 1,124 ppm and 490 ppm respectively; these 

figures are considerably higher than the current 

recommended values (700 ppm and 250 ppm), suggesting that his meteorite results may be consistently too high. Therefore, the data provided in 

table 20 on the average content of fluorine in stony 

meteorites must be interpreted with caution. However, there is a moderate diminution in fluorine concentration from Cl through C3 carbonaceous chondrites to the H, L, LL chondrites is evident; enstatite chondrites are relatively enriched in F. The anchondrites are depleted in fluorine relative to the 

chondrites, especially the calcium-poor achondrites 

(aubrites and diogenites).

Little is known about the distribution of fluorine 

in meteorites. Meteoritic apatite is chlorapatite that 

has a minor F content (0.4 percent), according to 

Van Schmus and Ribbe (1969). If all the phosphorus 

in a chondrite is present as apatite, this mineral 

would amount to 0.6 percent, and thus contribute 24 

ppm F to the meteorite; this is clearly insufficient to

account for even the minimum recorded fluorine content. Trace amounts of amphibole are an intriguing 

possibility. Olsen and others (1973) discovered trace 

amounts of fluor-richterite (4.6 percent F) in the 

Abee enstatite chondrite. Reference to table 19 

shows that this meteorite has the highest F content 

of those analyzed by Greenland and Lovering (1965). 

Alien and Clark (1977) noted a correlation between 

F and Al in meteorite minerals, and suggested therefore that F may be enriched in the plagioclase.

SODIUM

Sodium is determined as a matter of course in 

most analyses of stony meteorites, but many of these 

determinations, especially in older analyses, are unreliable. Schmitt and others (1972) made an extensive series of instrumental neutron activation analyses for sodium in meteorites, and their results are 

summarized in table 21. For the common chondrites 

(H, L, LL), sodium abundances are very uniform. 

Eugene Jarosewich of the Smithsonian Institution 

has analyzed a large number of chondrites since 

1965, and for sodium (analyzed by flame photometry) he reported (written commun., 1976) as follows (class, number analyzed, range and mean 

(weight percent)): H(17), 0.61-0.70, 0.62; L(23), 

0.66-0.78, 0.71; LL(4), 0.70-0.74, 0.72. His results 

show less variability and slightly higher means than 

those of Schmitt and others (1972); the higher variability in the results of Schmitt and others can probably be ascribed to their use in some instances of

TABLE 19. Comparison of fluorine determinations in chondrites

LIn parts per million. 1. Greenland and Lovering, 1965; 2. Reed, 1964; 3. Fisher, 1963; 4. Goldberg and others, 1974; 5. Sen Gupta, 1968b ;

6. Alien and Clark, 1977]

Me teorite 1

Orgueil(Cl)

Highei(C2)

Ab e e ( E 4 )

Indarch(EA)

Hvittis(E6)

Allegan(H5)

Holbrook(L6)

Hocs(L6)

190

-

280

220

250

170

130

160

206

228

246

122

114

-

119

405

220

-

136

-

-

189

147

74

66

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

275

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

32

43

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COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B27

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COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B29

very small samples (< 100 mg) that may not have 

been representative. The relative constancy of 

sodium content is consistent with the relative constancy in the amount (~10 percent) and composition (An10-i2 ) of chondrite plagioclase. This mineral 

(or maskelynite, its glassy equivalent) contains essentially all the sodium in these meteorites.

Carbonaceous chondrites have more variable 

sodium contents than the common chondrites. The 

Cl and C2 chondrites contain no feldspar, and the 

state of combination of the sodium is not well understood. Jarosewich (written commun., 1976) has 

found that practically all the sodium in Orgueil (Cl) 

and about half that in Murchison (C2) is water soluble (probably as sulfate). Sodium also appears to be 

very irregularly distributed in some of these meteorites; Fuchs, Olsen, and Jensen (1973) analyzed 

separate fragments from five different pieces of 

Murchison and found that the Na2 0 content ranged 

from 0.19 percent to 0.71 percent. The C3 chondrites 

contain plagioclase, but it is usually close to anorthite 

in composition, and most of the sodium must be in 

other minerals; the Allende meteorite contains both 

nepheline and sodalite.

The sodium content of enstatite chondrites is comparable to that of the common chondrites. Van 

Schmus and Ribbe (1968) showed that the plagioclase in enstatite chondrites is slightly more calcic 

(An15 ) than that in the common chondrites (An10-i2 ). 

Moss and others (1967) detected sodium in the sulfide phases of several enstatite chondrites, demonstrating that this element shows chalcophile tendencies in a highly reducing and sulfide-rich paragenesis.

Achondrites have variable sodium contents, generally considerably lower than in the chondrites. 

Schaudy, Kiesl, and Hecht (1967) analyzed two irons 

and found the sodium content to be less than 10 

ppm.

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is a major element in all classes of 

stony and stony-iron meteorites, and as a consequence the abundance data are very extensive. Von 

Michaelis, Ahrens, and Willis (1969) pointed out that 

the older data on chondrites summarized by Urey 

and Craig (1953) show a greater spread of values 

than more recent analyses, indicating an improvement in overall quality in recent years. The figures 

presented in table 22 are derived as far as possible 

from recent analyses of observed falls.

The data for the chondrites show that the Mg/Si

ratio (atomic) is fairly uniform at 0.934-0.965 for 

the common (H, L, LL) chondrites, although the difference between the L and LL groups on the one 

hand and the H group on the other is probably 

greater than the experimental error, and hence may 

be significant (Ahrens, 1970). The differences between the common chondrites and the carbonaceous 

and enstatite chondrites are considerably larger than 

those within the common chondrites. The Mg/Si 

ratio for the carbonaceous chondrites is consistently 

slightly greater than unity, whereas for the enstatite 

chondrites this ratio is considerably less than unity 

and notably lower than for the common chondrites. 

The difference between the Type I and Type II 

enstatite chondrites is also significant. The range of 

values of Mg/Si ratios for the enstatite chondrites 

is considerably wider than for the other classes of 

chondrites.

The differences between the Mg/Si ratios for the 

different classes of chondrites were first pointed out 

by Urey (1961), and were further discussed by 

Ahrens (1964). These differences are illustrated in 

a simple plot of weight percent Si02 against weight 

percent MgO (fig. 7). The significance of this fractionation remains to be fully elucidated. The close approach to unity of the Mg/Si ratio for the carbonaceous and the common chondrites is consistent with 

their derivation from relatively unfractioned material that still retained the Mg/Si ratio established 

by nucleosynthesis. The fractionation shown by the 

enstatite chondrites may be related to the high degree of reduction shown by these meteorites, one of 

the features being the presence of elemental silicon 

in solid solution in their metal phase. Magnesium 

is not reduced to the elemental state in any class of 

meteorites. Thus, the enstatite chondrites may actually be enriched in silicon (incorporated in the metal 

phase) rather than depleted in magnesium, relative 

to the common and carbonaceous chondrites.

The calcium-poor achondrites show a considerable 

range of Mg/Si ratios. Since the enstatite achondrites consist almost entirely of enstatite, MgSi03 , 

this ratio should be close to unity; the exact figure 

in the table is coincidental owing to the balancing of 

the contribution of magnesium and silicon by minor 

minerals such as plagioclase and forsterite. The 

lower Mg/Si ratio for the hypersthene achondrites 

results from the introduction of ferrous iron partly 

replacing magnesium in the pyroxene. The chassignite and the ureilites show an enhancement of the 

Mg/Si ratio because of their high content of olivine, 

(Mg, Fe) 2Si04 .

The calcium-rich achondrites are notably depleted
TABLE 22. Magnesium in stony meteorites 

[Modified from Mason, 1971, and additional data]

Clas s Number Range Mean 

analyzed (weight percent) (weight percent

A

Chondr ites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E3.4

E 5,6

3

9

6

36

68

14

3

5

9

10

13

13

14

14

10

11

.44

.79

.31

.25

.05

.48

-9.7

-14.

-14.

-14.

-15.

-15.

.05-11.

.62

Calcium-poor

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

4

5

1

3

22

15

22

.49

.55

19

.02

-14.

0

19

66

97

99

75

49

01

9

11

14

14

15

15

10

13

.56

.80

.53

.20

.19

.29

.70

.31

achondr ites

-24.

-17.

.80

-23.

58

03

49

23

16

22

.20

. 16

.60

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

11

6.06

7.52

7.48-12. 13

3.54-6.85

--

10.36

4.60
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B31

44

42

40

38

5 36

O 

DC 

UJQ- 34

h32

30

O 

CO

28

26

24

22

I I T I \ I

i i i i i i i i

14 16 18 20 22 24 26 

MgO, IN WEIGHT PERCENT

28

FIGURE 7. SiO2 plotted against MgO (weight percentages) 

for chemical analyses of chondrites; the diagonal lines are 

for Si/Mg atomic ratios of 1.0 and 1.1. A is the field for 

36 analyses of bronzite (H) chondrites, B the field for 68 

analyses of hypersthene (L and LL) chondrites, the black 

squares being the means for each group. The analyses of 

carbonaceous chondrites (1-23) and enstatite chondrites 

(24-34) are plotted individually. Reprinted from Mason 

1967b) and published with permission.

in magnesium relative to the chondrites. The 

howardites and the eucrites form a sequence in which 

the silicon and ferrous iron contents remain practically constant and the magnesium content decreases (fig. 3), hence the marked diminution in the 

Mg/Si ratio. Among the stony-irons, the mesosiderite silicates are essentially similar to those in 

the howardites, hence the similarity in Mg/Si ratios 

between these two classes. The silicate material in 

the pallasites is magnesium-rich olivine, hence the 

Mg/Si ratio is much higher than in other classes of 

meteorites and approaches 2:1.

Magnesium is usually considered to be entirely 

lithophilic in character; however, in the extremely 

reduced and sulfide-rich enstatite chondrites, a small 

amount of the total magnesium is present in solid 

solution in alabandite, (Mn,Fe)S, or as niningerite, 

(Mg,Fe)S. In most classes of meteorites the magnesium is combined almost entirely in the minerals 

olivine and (or) pyroxene. The Cl and C2 carbonaceous chondrites are unique in having much of their 

magnesium present as the hydrated magnesium-iron 

silicate serpentine (or related layer-lattice silicates); 

Cl carbonaceous chondrites also contain notable 

amounts of hydrated magnesium sulfate.

ALUMINUM

Aluminum is a minor constituent in all stony and 

stony-iron meteorites (except the pallasites, in which 

it is present in trace amounts only). It has therefore 

been determined in all complete chemical analyses 

of these meteorites. However, many of the data in 

the literature are unreliable, because the accurate 

determination of small amounts of aluminum (especially in the presence of much iron, as in meteorites) 

is extremely difficult by standard wet-chemical procedures. To obviate these difficulties, Loveland, 

Schmitt, and Fisher (1969) applied neutron-activation analysis to the determination of this element in 

some 120 stony meteorites, and their results are used 

in table 23, along with selected data for a few classes 

which they did not analyze.

Loveland, Schmitt, and Fisher reported that their 

average aluminum abundances were lower, in general, than those previously reported, and that the 

individual determinations showed a much smaller 

dispersion around the mean value for each class than 

earlier determinations. For the common chondrites 

(H, L, LL) they reported relative standard deviations of 6 percent, 7 percent, and 6 respectively, considerably less than earlier dispersion values of 25 

percent, 28 percent, and 28 percent. Their low dispersion values indicate that, within specific chondrite classes, aluminum concentrations are remarkably uniform from one meteorite to another. This 

has been confirmed by Von Michaelis, Ahrens, and 

Willis (1969), who used X-ray fluorescence to analyze 

for aluminum and other elements in 69 meteorites.

The data for the chondrites show that the Al/Si 

ratio (atomic) is uniform at 0.061-0.062 for the common chondrites, whereas it is much greater for the 

carbonaceous chondrites (average 0.087), and somewhat lower for the enstatite chondrites (0.048). The 

lower ratio for the latter parallels a corresponding 

diminution of the Mg/Si ratio from the common
B32 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

chondrites to the enstatite chondrites, and can probably be ascribed to an absolute enhancement of Si 

in the enstatite chondrites. The higher Al/Si ratios 

for the carbonaceous chondrites are significant. The 

site of the aluminum in Cl and C2 chondrites is 

poorly known, but it is probably combined in the serpentine or other layer-lattice silicates that form the 

matrix of these meteorites. The C3 chondrites contain a variety of aluminum-rich minerals, the commonest being aluminous pyroxene, spinel (MgAl2 04 ), 

anorthite (CaAl2Si2 08 ), and melilite (Ca2 (Mg,Al) 

(Si,Al)o07 , which are rarely found in other classes 

of chondrites. Loveland, Schmitt, and Fisher pointed 

out that the Al/Na ratio increases progressively 

from 1.42 to 2.40 to 3.29 through the Cl, C2, C3 carbonaceous chondrites, whereas this ratio is very 

uniform at about 1.45 in the ordinary chondrites.

The calcium-poor achondrites are somewhat lower 

in aluminum than the chondrites, especially the 

enstatite achondrites and the ureilites; this can be 

correlated with their lower content of plagioclase 

feldspar. The calcium-rich achondrites (except the 

nakhlite) are notably enriched in aluminum; in the 

angrite this element is present in an aluminumrich pyroxene, and in the howardites and eucrites as 

plagioclase.

Ahrens and others (1969) have pointed out that 

for all the chondrite classes, and for the eucrites and 

howardites, the Ca/Al ratio is remarkably uniform 

at 1.00-1.19 (by weight), and averages 1.10.

As far as is known, aluminum is entirely lithophilic in meteorites, and lacks chalcophilic or siderophilic tendencies; Fisher (1969b) has shown by 

activation analysis of 11 iron meteorites that they

TABLE 23. Aluminum in stony meteorites 

[Modified from Loveland and others, 1969; and additional data]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(weight percent)

Mean 

(weight percent)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E3,4

E5,6

3

7

7

15

23

13

2

2

0.80-.87

.98-1.21

1.27-1.64

.89-1.12

1.00-1.31

1.07-1.20

.71-. 84

.76-. 93

0.85

1.08

1.37

1.01

1.10

1.12

.79

.85

85,000

84,000

92,000

61,000

61,000

62,000

48,000

48,000

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

5

5

1

3

.10-1.40

.27-1.04

.19

.17-. 46

.50

.55

.30

20,000

23,000

17,000

16,000

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

11

4.62

.77

2.57-5.27

6.11-6.88

3.71

6.62

233,000

36,000

164,000

302,000
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B33

contain less than 10 ppm Al. In most meteorites, 

aluminum is present almost entirely in plagioclase 

feldspar; meteoritic pyroxenes [except in the angrite 

and in Allende (C3)] contain only small amounts of 

aluminum, and olivine only trace amounts. As mentioned above, C3 carbonaceous chondrites are noteworthy for containing aluminum-rich minerals rarely 

found in other meteorites.

SILICON

Silicon is a major element in stony and stony-iron 

meteorites, in which it is present in the common 

silicate minerals olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase, 

and some rarer species. The rare minerals perryite, 

(Ni,Fe) 5 (Si,P) 2 and sinoite, Si2N20, are known as 

minor constituents in a few enstatite chondrites (and 

for perryite, in enstatite achondrites also). The concentration and distribution of silicon in meteorites 

has been thoroughly covered by C. B. Moore (in 

Mason, 1971); a selection of his data is provided in 

table 24.

Because of its high and relatively constant abundance and the availability of high-quality analytical 

data, silicon is extensively used as the basis for 

comparison of atomic abundances in stony meteorites. Most of the lithophile elements show relatively small variations with respect to the silicon 

abundances, but careful evaluation of the data indicates significant fractionation between chondrite 

classes. The extent of Mg/Si fractionation is illustrated in figure 7. Ahrens and Von Michaelis (1968) 

discussed the variation in the Mg/Si, Ca/Si, Al/Si, 

and Ti/Si ratios between the different chondrite 

classes.

Class

Ae 

Ah 

Ac 

Au

TABLE 24. Silicon in stony meteorites 

[In weight percent. From C. B. Moore, In Mason, 1971; and additional data]

Number 

analyzed

Range

Chondrites

Calcium-poor achondrites

27.2-28. 1 

24. 1-25.6

17.3 

18.6-19.6

Mean

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

9

6

36

68

1

3

2

6

2

9

1

1

1

1

.

2

4

6

7

18

1

1

1

5

7

8

7-

.7

.9

.0

1

-

-

-

.8-

. 1

.6

.2

.0

-

-

-

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

.

3

5

7

9

9

7

7

0

5

.7

.9

.7

.5

.3

.7

. 7

.5

10

13

15

17

18

18

16

17

19

.3

. 1

.5

. 1

.7

.8

.6

.4

.4

27.7

24.6

19. 1

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

11

20.5

22.5

23.0-24.2

22.5-23.2

 -

 

23.6

22.8
B34 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

Silicon is an entirely lithophile element in most 

meteorites, but in the highly reduced enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites minor amounts of 

the element are present in the metal phase. Detailed 

investigation of the enstatite chondrites by Keil 

(1968) showed that the E4, E5, and E6 chondrites 

have an average of 3.2 3.3, and 1.3 weight percent 

silicon in their nickel-iron. Most iron meteorites contain only trace amounts of silicon; Moore (in Mason, 

1971) reported that of 93 irons, 8 percent contained 

more than 10 ppm, 10 percent contained 5-10 ppm,

and 2 percent less than 5 ppm; the median value was 

3 ppm.

PHOSPHORUS

Phosphorus is a ubiquitous element in meteorites, 

present in minor to trace amounts (tables 25 and 26). 

Collections of analyses of chondrites, especially older 

ones, show a considerable variability for this element, which is negated by recent work; the data of 

Von Michaelis, Ahrens, and Willis (1969), reported

TABLE 25. Phosphorus in stony meteorites 

[From VonMichaelis and others, 1969; and additional data]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(weight percent)

Mean Atoms/10 Si 

(weight percent)

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

1

3

4

12

20

4

2

1

4

0.080

.089-. 093

.102-. 107

.104-. 113

.081-. 112

.044-. 13

.196-. 209

.193

.105-. 134

 

0.091

.105

.108

.095

.087

.203

 

.117

7,000

6,200

6,400

5,800

4,800

4,200

11,200

10,200

5,600

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

1

4

1

4

0.008

.001-. 006

.018

.030-. 040

 

.003

 

.034

290

110

940

1,600

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

11

0.057

.054

.017-. 039

.016-. 048

 

 

.024

.037

2,500

2,200

920

1,500
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B35

in table 25, show that within individual chondrite 

classes the variability is quite small. Achondrites, 

especially the calcium-poor achondrites, are notably 

depleted in phosphorus relative to the chondrites; 

the nonmetallic part of the mesosiderites appears to 

be relatively enriched in this element.

Phosphorus is a significant constituent of iron 

meteorites, but its true abundance is difficult to determine. Much of the phosphorus is present as 

schreibersite, (Fe,Ni) 3P, frequently as macroscopicinclusions; when an iron meteorite is sampled for 

analysis these inclusions are usually avoided, so the 

analyses are not representative of the whole meteorite but only of the metallic component (and microscopic inclusions). This selectivity is reflected by the 

data in table 26. The amount and size of schreibersite 

inclusions depend on both the bulk phosphorus content and the cooling history, since most if not all 

schreilbersite in iron meteorites has formed by solidstate diffusion during cooling. Doan and Goldstein 

(1969) showed that the phosphorus solubility in a 

(kamacite) and y (taenite) nickel-iron decreases 

from 2.7 and 1.4 weight percent at 1,000°C to 0.25 

and 0.08 weight percent at 550°C; the exsolved phosphorus combines with nickel and iron to form 

schreibersite. Doan and Goldstein estimated the total 

amount of phophorus in a number of iron meteorites 

from measurements of the percentage of screibersite, 

and obtained a range of 0.50-1.3 percent P.

Besides schreibersite, the common phosphorus 

minerals of meteorites are chlorapatite, Ca5 (P04 ) 3C1,

and merrillite, Ca9MgNa(P04 )7. Merrillite has been 

generally identified with the terrestrial mineral 

whitlockite, but Prewitt and Rothbard (1975) produced evidence indicating that the two minerals are 

distinct but closely related species, being compositional and structural variants of /3-Ca3 (P04 ) 2 . Merrillite and chlorapatite commonly occur together in 

stony meteorites, and their relative amounts are 

probably controlled by the available chlorine. The 

state of combination of phophorus in carbonaceous 

chondrites is not well known. In the common chondrites, phosphorus is present as merrillite and 

chlorapatite; schreibersite is absent or present only 

in traces, and the metal is essentially phosphorus 

free (<45 ppm in five chondrites, according to Reed 

(1969)). The enstatite chondrites contain no phosphates, the phosphorus being present as schreibersite and in solid solution in the nickel-iron (Keil, 

1968). Some iron meteorites contain assemblages of 

schreibersite and phosphate minerals, and Olsen and 

Fuchs (1967) deduced that these metallic meteorites 

represent approximately the same degree of oxidation as the ordinary chondrites; the enstatite chondrites clearly are much more highly reduced.

Ahrens (1970) pointed out that phosphorus shows 

a slight but consistent enrichment in H chondrites 

relative to L chondrites, and noted that this indicated a positive Fe-P correlation, which also applied 

to the E chondrites. He commented, "Perhaps P was 

associated with Fe in the early stages of the formation of the common chondrites and later events,

TABLE 26. Phosphorus in iron meteorites 

[In weight percent. From Moore, Lewis, and Nava, 1969]

Meteorite 

group

IIA

IIB

I

IIIA

IIIB

IIIAB

IVA

IVB

IIC

I ID

Number 

analyzed

7

2

6

13

2

2

10

2

1

2

Range

0.39-0.46

.18-. 24

.15-. 34

.09-. 36

.20-. 63

.51-. 52

.02-. 16

.04-. 10

 

.61-. 65

Mean

0.44

.21

.20

.15

.41

.52

.05

.05

.30

.63
B36 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

whatever they may be, produced minerals in which 

P was associated with oxygen" (p. 346). The fact 

that achondrites, which are almost or entirely metal 

free, are relatively depleted in phosphorus, and mesosiderites, which contain large amounts of metal, are 

relatively enriched in this element, further supports 

Ahrens' concept. Fuchs (1969) noted that the phosphate minerals in the mesosiderites are closely associated with the metal phase, and suggested that 

they originated by reaction of phosphorus in solid 

solution in the metal with the silicate minerals. 

These observations suggest that phosphorus was 

taken up originally in solid solution in nickel-iron, 

and was redistributed during later reequilibration.

SULFUR

Sulfur is ubiquitous in meteorites, most of it occurring as troilite (FeS), although a considerable

variety of sulfide minerals is known from them. In 

Cl and C2 carbonaceous chondrites this element is 

mainly present as free sulfur and inorganic sulfates, 

with small amounts of organic sulfur compounds; in 

C3 carbonaceous chondrites pentlandite, (Ni,Fe) 9S8, 

is an important sulfide phase. Troilite is the principal 

sulfide in the enstatite chondrites and enstatite 

achondrites, but these meteorites may contain a variety of unusual sulfides, such as oldhamite, CaS; 

niningerite, (Mg,Fe)S; alabandite, (Mn,Fe)S; 

daubreelite, FeCr2S4 ; sphalerite, (Zn,Fe)S; djerfisherite, K3CuFe1Q Si4, and heideite, (Fe,Cr)i+a; 

(Ti,Fe) 2S4 .

The data in table 27 show marked depletion of 

sulfur in the sequence Cl-C2-C3-ordinary chondrites; a similar depletion is evident in the sequence E4-E5-E6 chondrites. For the ordinary chondrites the range in values for individual analyses

TABLE 27. Sulfur in stony meteorites

[From C. B. Moore in Mason, 1971; and additional data]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(weight percent)

Mean 

(weight percent)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

5

9

9

87

110

32

3

2

6

5.01-6.70

2.80-5.44

1.31-2.66

1.30-2.64

1.73-2.74

1.08-5.47

5.65-6.12

5.50-5.82

2.62-4.44

5.90

3.42

2.19

2.00

2.22

2.34

5.85

5.66

3.32

502,000

229,000

124,000

102,000

104,000

109,000

301,000

283,000

149,000

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

3

5

4

.14-. 70

.13-. 63

.19-. 63

.45

.38

.50

14,000

13,000

23,000

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

Aho

Aeu

1

6

5

.46

.25-. 40

.02-. 26

 

.34

.13

20,000

13,000

4,900
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B37

may be largely due to analytical error and inadequate 

sampling; however, the mean values are probably 

good approximations, although inadequate to tell 

whether the small difference between H and L, LL 

means is significant.

Achondrites contain considerably less sulfur than 

the chondrites. The figures for sulfur in pallasites 

and mesosiderites range widely, because of both 

heterogeneous distribution of sulfide minerals and 

sampling problems; no attempt has been made to 

derive means for these meteorites.

Moore, Lewis, and Nava (1969) determined sulfur 

in 93 different iron meteorites (the samples selected 

to avoid visible inclusions of troilite) and found a 

range of 0.001-0.50 percent. Most figures are between 0.001 and 0.01 percent, and the median is 

0.004 percent. This is a measure of the solubility of 

sulfur in the metal phase. The sulfur content in

iron meteorites is best determined by planimetric 

analysis of large slices; determinations by Buchwald (1975) on 64 irons gave sulfur contents ranging from 0.02 to 5.0 percent, with two exceptionally 

S-rich meteorites, Mundrabilla (8 percent) and 

Soroti (12 percent).

The isotopic composition of sulfur in meteoritic 

troilite is remarkably uniform, the S32/S34 ratio being 

22.22. Kaplan and Hulston (1966) studied the isotopic composition of sulfur in compounds from carbonaceous chondrites and found a variation from 

+2.5 to 5.5 parts per thousand for the 8S34 content 

with respect to troilite.

CHLORINE (17)

The chlorine content of stony meteorites (table 28) 

has been studied by a number of investigators, and 

the results have been collated and discussed by G. W.

TABLE 28. Chlorine in stony meteorites 

[From Q. W. Reed, In Mason, 1971]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

2

2

2

24

8

2

2

1

3

720-840

190-510

260-288

7-210

27-212

121-131

570-750

210

160-250

773

335

273

80

76

126

660

 

210

5,700

2,050

1,350

370

320

530

3,150

960

860

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

1

1

1

3.8

13

35 

12

41

150

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aho 

Aeu

14.9 

8-34.5 20

51

69
B38 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

Reed, in Mason (1971). The results are rather 

sparse, sometimes conflicting, and difficult to interpret. Great variations are found in different samples 

of the same meteorite; for example, six samples of 

the Bruderheim chondrite measured by Goles, Greenland, and Jerome (1967) gave figures from 66 ppm 

to 130 ppm, and six samples of the same meteorite 

measured by Reed and Alien (1966) gave figures 

from 2.5 ppm to 50.0 ppm. The widely varying results suggest an inhomogeneous distribution of 

chlorine within the meteorites. Reed and Alien found 

that considerable amounts of the chlorine in enstatite 

and carbonaceous chondrites were leachable in hot 

water, whereas little was leachable from the ordinary chondrites. Clorapatite is an accessory mineral in the ordinary chondrites, and the amount of 

P2 05 shown by analyses is more than sufficient to 

bind all chlorine as this mineral. Lawrencite, 

(Fe,Ni)Cl2 , may account for some of the chlorine; 

although its validity as a meteorite mineral has been 

questioned, most recently by Buchwald (1975), its 

presence is suggested by the rapid rusting of grains 

of nickel-iron in some freshly fallen chondrites. Keil 

(1968) has presented evidence, including microprobe 

data, for the occurrence of lawrencite as a primary 

mineral in enstatite chondrites. Lawrencite would 

account for the small amounts of water-soluble 

chloride found by Reed and Alien in the ordinary 

chondrites, and possibly for the larger amounts in 

carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites. Fuchs (1966)

TABLE 29. Potassium in stony meteorites 

[From Edwards, 1955; Klrsten and others, 1963; and additional data]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10b Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

10

5

17

28

5

2

1

5

380-570

270-490

250-420

710-920

720-998

855-950

822-905

757

670-874

500

370

370

800

870

910

860

 

730

3,500

2,000

1,700

3,400

3,300

3,500

3,700

3,200

2,700

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

5

5

1

2

70-550

3-80

270

60-97

330

29

 

80

860

85

1,100

300

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

7

9

12.9

810

165-470

236-600

 

 

290

400

45

2,600

910

1,250
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B39

described djerfisherite, a potassium copper iron sulfide, as an accessory mineral in some enstatite chondrites; the microprobe analyses show 1 percent Cl, 

which Fuchs believed may be in the structure. 

Sodalite, Na4Al3Si3Oi2Cl, has been recorded as an 

accessory mineral in the Allende (C3) chondrite. 

Some of the chlorine in carbonaceous chondrites may 

be present in organic compounds; Mueller (1953) 

recorded 4.8 percent Cl in the organic material extracted by solvents from Cold Bokkeveld.

Berkey and Fisher (1967) studied the abundance 

and distribution of chlorine in irons. Chlorine content of finds is usually profoundly influenced by terrestrial weathering. In falls, they obtained figures 

from <0.1 to 20 ppm; the chlorine is inhomogeneously distributed in the metal phase, being strongly depleted in kamacite and being concentrated at 

grain boundaries and around inclusions. Mason and 

Graham (1970) measured chlorine in the metal 

phases of the Modoc and St. Severin chondrites, obtaining 74 ppm and 52 ppm respectively; they suggested that this was due to occluded lawrencite.

POTASSIUM

Potassium is present in trace to minor amounts in 

meteorites, the concentration seldom exceeding 0.1 

percent. On this account many of the older gravimetric analyses for this element are unreliable. The 

data in table 29 are mostly taken from the analyses 

of Edwards (1955), who used flame-spectrophotometry, and Kirsten, Krankowsky, and Zahringer 

(1963), who used isotope dilution. The common chondrites show slightly increasing K contents in the 

sequence H-L-LL, but in terms of atoms/106Si the 

abundances are not significantly different, and are 

equal to that in Cl chondrites. Carbonaceous chondrites show a marked diminution in K content in the 

sequence C1-C2-C3, as do the enstatite chondrites to 

a lesser degree in the sequence E4-E5-E6. The 

achondrites are depleted in potassium relative to the 

chondrites, especially the feldspar-free diogenites 

and angrite. The data in table 29 omit some anomalous figures for LL meteorites; Kirsten, Krankowsky, 

and Zahringer (1963) recorded 199 ppm in Ensisheim, and Zahringer (1968) found a dark inclusion 

in Krahenberg with 1.2 percent K.

In most chondrites (and other stony meteorites), 

the potassium is contained in plagioclase feldspar. 

The potassium-iron silicate merrihueite was discovered in the Mezo-Madaras (L3) chondrite, and 

the potassium-magnesium silicate roedderite and 

the complex potassium-bearing sulfide djerfisherite 

are rare accessories in some enstatite chondrites.

Small amounts of potassium feldspar have been recorded in silicate inclusions in iron meteorites.

CALCIUM

Calcium is a minor element in most classes of 

stony and stony-iron meteorites, being present at 

about the 1 percent level; exceptions are the calciumrich achondrites and mesosiderites, which contain 

considerably greater amounts, and the pallasites, in 

which this element is present in trace amounts only. 

Calcium is determined in all complete analyses of 

these meteorites, so the data on this element in the 

literature are very extensive; however, the quality 

is not good, as has been demonstrated by Von 

Michaelis, Ahrens, and Willis (1969). Classical wetchemical analysis for calcium at the 1 percent level, 

especially in the presence of much magnesium (as in 

meteorites), may produce poor results unless great 

care is taken. An extensive series of X-ray fluoresence analyses by Nichiporuk and others (1967) 

and Von Michaelis, Ahrens, and Willis has shown 

very uniform calcium concentrations within the 

specific chondrite classes; their results are extremely 

consistent, and those of Von Michaelis, Ahrens, and 

Willis are used in table 30, except for the carbonaceous chondrites and the amphoterites (LL), for 

which a broader cover of reliable analyses is obtainable from the literature.

The Ca/Si ratios are remarkably uniform and 

distinctive for the three major groups of chondrites, 

as follows: carbonaceous, 0.073; ordinary (hypersthene, bronzite, amphoterite), 0.048; enstatite, 

0.036. For the classes within these major groups the 

differences in this ratio are small and probably not 

significant. In the C3 chondrites the enrichment in 

calcium is manifested by the presence of calciumrich minerals such as anorthite and melilite, not 

found in other classes of chondrites.

The calcium-poor achondrites, as their name implies, are notably depleted in calcium in relation to 

the chondrites, whereas the calcium-rich achondrites 

show a notable enrichment; the individual calcium 

values for many meteorites in these groups are illustrated in figure 3. The two meteorites richest 

in calcium are the angrite Angra dos Reis and the 

nakhlite Nakhla; in both of these the calcium is 

present as a calcium-rich pyroxene. In the other 

meteorites of these groups most of the calcium is 

present as calcic plagioclase. In the stony-irons, the 

pallasites contain only traces of calcium, in solid 

solution in olivine; the mesosiderite silicates resemble those of the howardites, and have comparable 

calcium contents.
B40 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

Calcium is usually considered to be entirely lithophilic in character; however, in the extremely reduced and sulfide-rich enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites, some of the calcium is present 

as the sulfide oldhamite. In the common chrondites 

the calcium is distributed over a number of minerals as the calcium phosphates chlorapatite and 

(or) merrillite, as the pyroxene diopside, and in 

solid solution in orthopyroxene and sodic plagioclase. 

As mentioned above, the C3 chondrites are characterized by the presence of some calcium-rich minerals; the distribution of calcium in the Cl and 

C2 chondrites is not well known, but gypsum, calcite, 

and dolomite have been recorded from some meteorites in these classes.

SCANDIUM

Scandium is a dispersed trace element in stony 

meteorites. A very extensive set of data has been 

provided by Schmitt and others (1972), who analyzed 180 stony meteorites by instrumental neutronactivation analysis; their results are summarized in 

table 31. The total range of variability over all 

chondrite classes is small, and the atomic abundances 

(effectively, Sc/Si ratios) are indistinguishable from 

one another on a rigorous statistical basis. Abundances in the calcium-poor achondrites are comparable with those in the chondrites; the calciumrich achondrites are notably enriched in this element 

relative to the chondrites.

TABLE 30. Calcium in stony meteorites 

[From Von Michaelis and others, 1969; and additional data]

Class Number Range Mean Atoms/10 Si 

analyzed (weight percent) (weight percent)

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E6

3

9

6

12

19

9

2

5

0.87-1.34

1.11-1.63

1.40-1.87

1.15-1.22

1.22-1.35

1.07-1.43

.81-. 87

.94-1.24

1.06

1.34

1.70

1.19

1.28

1.25

.84

1.07

72,100

71,900

74,300

49,800

48,400

46,400

35,700

38,600

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

4

5

1

3

.47-1.16

.52-1.27

.54

.31-0.97

.80

.79

 

.62

21,000

22,000

22,000

23,000

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

11

17.52

10.78

2.94-5.76

6.49-7.63

 

 

4.16

7.23

598,000

336,000

124,000

222,000
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B41

In terrestrial rocks, scandium is enriched in 

pyroxene, and this appears to be true of meteorites 

also. The calcic pyroxenes of the calcium-rich achondrites evidently contain more scandium than the 

orthopyroxenes of the calcium-poor achondrites. 

The highest content in any meteorites is in Angra 

dos Reis, which consists almost entirely of a titanian 

fassaite. Most of the scandium in chondrites is 

evidently present in the pyroxenes; Alien and Mason 

(1973) recorded 96 ppm Sc in diopside and 12.1 

ppm in orthopyroxene from the Modoc chondrite, 

and relatively little in the other minerals.

TITANIUM

Titanium is a minor element in stony and stonyiron meteorites, usually in the range of 500-5,000

ppm by weight. It is normally determined by standard colorimetric methods in complete analyses of 

these meteorites, but was frequently omitted in 

older analyses. Moore and Brown (1962), by spectrographical analysis of a large number of chondrites, found a rather constant titanium content. 

For 19 bronzite chondrite falls, the mean was 620 

ppm Ti, equivalent to 0.103 percent TiO2 ; for 23 

hypersthene chondrite falls, the mean was 660 ppm 

Ti, equivalent to 0.110 percent Ti02 . These figures 

are in agreement with recent wet-chemical analyses 

of ordinary chondrites.

The data on titanium classes of stony meteorites 

are summarized in table 32. These determinations 

have been made by standard wet-chemical procedures (usually colorimetric), except for the figures

TABLE 31. Scandium in stony meteorites 

[From Schmitt and others, 1972]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

3

7

9

46

50

21

2

4

4.8-8.1

6.0-10.6

5.8-14.0

5.0-11.6

5.4-12.1

5.9-11.6

6.2-7.5

5.5-10.8

5.1

7.4

9.1

7.6

8.2

7.8

6.7

7.6

31

35

36

28

28

26

25

24

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

5

2

1

2

5.0-8.5

9.8-14

5.6

6.8-8.8

6.4

11.9

 

7.9

16

30

20

26

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

8

20

57

47-53

15-26

14-41

 

49

20

29

170

140

53

79
642 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

for the bronzite and hypersthene chondrites, which 

are spectrographic. This table shows a fairly uniform level of titanium in the chondrites at 2,000- 

3,000 atoms/106Si, although the data suggest a 

moderate degree of enrichment in the C3 chondrites. 

Titanium contents are somewhat lower in the calcium-poor achondrites than in the chondrites, except for the enstatite achondrites, which show a 

marked depletion; in the latter meteorites, the titanium resides almost entirely in the troilite, which 

is small in amount and irregularly distributed. The 

calcium-rich achondrites show a marked enrichment 

in titanium, both absolutely and relative to silicon. 

The unique meteorite Angra dos Reis shows extreme 

enrichment; this meteorite consists almost entirely 

of a calcium-rich aluminous pyroxene, in which titanium is present in atomic substitution, probably 

as the component CaTiAl2 06 . Among the stonyirons, the pallasites are notably deficient in titanium, 

because this element does not readily enter olivine, 

the silicate mineral; the mesosiderites contain silicates similar to the howardites, and the titanum content is comparable in these two classes.

In most meteorites, titanium is mainly lithophile, 

but it also has moderate chalcophile affinity; in 

enstatite chrondites and enstatite achondrites, however, it is almost completely chalcophile. Titanium is 

considered to have little or no siderophile tendency, 

and is seldom looked for in analyses of meteoritic 

iron; A.A. Moss (oral commun., 1965) reported it to 

be below the limit of detection «5 ppm) in several 

irons.

TABLE 32. Titanium in stony meteorites 

[From Mason, 1971; and additional data]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

3

9

6

19

23

11

3

7

400-450

480-700

600-1,400

510-780

460-810

540-1,300

400-800

300-900

430

540

870

620

660

840

570

620

2,400

2,900

3,600

2,100

2,100

2,600

2,000

1,900

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

4

5

1

3

160-480

340-720

400

720-1,100

340

460

 

880

750

1,100

1,350

2,700

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

11

14,300

1,700

1,400-2,930

1,000-5,880

 

 

1,990

3,820

41,000

4,400

4,900

9,800
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B43

Titanium may be present in several phases in a 

single meteorite. The only meteoritic minerals in 

which this element is an essential constituent are 

ilmenite (FeTi03 ), rutile (Ti02 ), perovskite 

(CaTi03 ), rhonite (CaMg2TiAl2Si010 ), osbornite 

(TiN), and heideite [(Fe,Cr) UJ.)Ti,Fe) 2S4 ] Ilmenite is not uncommon as an accessory mineral; 

Ramdohr (1963, p. 2028) reported, "It was observed 

in more than 50 percent of all the stony meteorites 

examined. It appears to be absent in some of the 

strongly reduced chondrites and in carbonaceous 

chondrites. Usually it occurs in very small quantities, 

only a few grains being found in sections of normal 

size." Th ecomposition of meteoritic ilmenite is reported by Snetsinger and Keil (1969). Rutile is a

rare accessory mineral (in some meteorites as exsolution lamellae in ilmenite and chromite), in a few 

chondrites and some mesosiderites (Buseck and 

Keil, 1966). Osbornite was described many years 

ago from the Bustee enstatite achondrite, and may 

occur in other enstatite achondrites and enstatite 

chondrites in trace amounts. Perovskite and rhonite 

occur as accessory minerals in calcium-rich inclusions in C3 chondrites, along with pyroxene containing up to 17.7 percent Ti02 (Mason, 1974). However, 

most of the titanium in meteorites is dispersed in 

the more abundant minerals in substitution for the 

major elements. Olivine contains little titanium, 

probably in the 10-100 ppm range. Orthopyroxene 

contains about 1,000 ppm (except for enstatite from

TABLE 33. Vanadium in stony meteorites 

[From Walter Nichiporuk in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Baedecker and Wasson, 1975, and Jerome, 1970]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

1

2

6

32

49

7

3

1

4

41-57

56-71

50-117

44-88

45-94

53-93

56-58

55

64-80

49

64

88

61

65

74

57

68

254

270

312

196

193

217

189

176

193

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

4

3

1

3

14-21

133-260

50

78-147

17

180

110

34

393

159

318

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

7

9

150

169-210

105-178

84-115

 

190

140

95

393

466

327

230
B44 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites, which 

contains less than 100 ppm), whereas the clinopyroxenes diopside and pigeonite can take up considerably larger amounts, usually up to about 5,000 

ppm; the clinopyroxene from the Angra dos Reis 

meteorite is exceptional with 15,000 ppm. Plagioclase may contain a little titanium, but no measurements in meteoritic plagioclase have been reported; 

in terrestrial plagioclase, the maximum appears to 

be about 400 ppm. Chromite (FeCr2 04 ) is an accessory mineral in stony meteorites, usually in the 

0.1-0.5 percent range, and it contains significant 

amounts of titanium; in the common chondrites it 

contains 2-4 percent Ti02 (Snetsinger and others, 

1967). In the enstatite chondrites and enstatite 

achondrites, almost all the titanium is present in 

solid solution in troilite; usually about 0.5 percent 

is present in enstatite chondrites (Keil, 1968), but 

as much as 4.1 percent was recorded in troilite from 

the Norton County enstatite achondrite (Keil and 

Fredriksson, 1963), and up to about 10 percent in 

this mineral from the Khor Temiki enstatite achondrite (Keil, 1969). In the common chrondites Moss 

and others (1967) found 192, 100, and 132 ppm Ti 

in troilite from three hypersthene chondrites, and 

398 ppm in troilite from a bronzite chondrite. 

Titanium has not been recorded from other sulfide 

minerals except daubreelite (FeCr2S4 ), in which 

Keil (1968) found up to 1,500 ppm.

Titanium is clearly a dispersed element in stony 

meteorites, but the major amount is probably contained in the pyroxenes, except in the enstatite 

chondrites and enstatite achondrites.

VANADIUM

Vanadium is a trace element in stony meteorites. 

Its distribution has been discussed by Walter Nichiporuk (in Mason, 1971), and his summary of the 

data is presented in table 33, supplemented by additional determinations on enstatite chondrites by 

Baedecker and Wasson (1975) and on achondrites 

by Jerome (1970). Vanadium is unusual in showing 

little fractionation between the different classes of 

chondrites, and even between chondrites and achondrites, except for the enstatite achondrites, which are 

considerably depleted in this element. Bunch, Keil, 

and Snetsinger (1967) showed that in the ordinary 

chondrites much of the vanadium is concentrated 

in the chromite, which contains an average of 4,800 

ppm V; most of the remainder is probably in the 

pyroxenes (Mason and Graham, 1970). Meteoritic 

ilmenite contains little V (<100 ppm, according to 

Snetsinger and Keil, 1969). In the enstatite chondrites, which contain no chromite, vanadium is 

probably in a sulfide phase, most likely daubreelite 

(FeCr2S4 ); Alien and Mason (1973) recorded 

>0.1 percent V in sulfide in the Khairpur enstatite 

chondrite. The depleted nature of the enstatite 

achondrites may be ascribed to the small amount of 

sulfide in these meteorites.

Vanadium has essentially no siderophile affinity; 

Linn, Moore, and Schmitt (1968) analyzed five iron 

meteorites and found less than 0.2 ppm in the metal 

phase; coexisting troilite contained vanadium in concentrations ranging from 0.62 to 44.5 ppm.

CHROMIUM

Chromium is a minor constituent in most stony 

meteorites and a trace constituent in irons. The 

analytical data are very extensive. Schmitt, Linn, 

and Wakita (1972) determined chromium in 120 

stony meteorites by instrumental neutron-activation analysis, and their results are summarized in 

table 34. Bunch and Olsen (1975) provided a comprehensive discussion of the geochemistry of chromium in meteorites.

In most stony meteorites, chromium is present 

partly as chromite and partly in atomic substitution in pyroxenes. The conditions governing this 

partition are not well known. In ordinary chrondrites, Mason and Graham (1970) recorded ~800 

ppm in orthopyroxene and ~4,000 ppm in clinopyroxene; however, in the Shaw chondrite Fredriksson and Mason (1967) recorded 6,000 ppm in 

orthopyroxene and 8,000 ppm in clinopyroxene, and 

orthopyroxene in the Johnstown achondrite contains 

5,600 ppm. The high Cr contents in the pyroxenes in 

Shaw and Johnstown may reflect unusually high 

temperatures of equilibration. Olivine in meteorites 

usually contains 300-500 ppm Cr, and troilite about 

the same amount. The metal phase in chondrites 

contains less than 100 ppm, except in the C2 and C3 

chondrites, in which as much as 1.0 percent has 

been recorded (Bunch and Olsen, 1975). Chromium 

is thus lithophile in most stony meteorites, and has 

little chalcophile or siderophile affinity. However, in 

the highly reduced enstatite chondrites and enstatite 

achrondites, chromium is present not as chromite 

but as the sulfospinel daubreelite, FeCr2S4, and as 

heideite, (Fe,Cr) u, (Ti,Fe) 2S4 .

Chromium is generally in trace concentration in 

the metal phase of iron meteorites. Levering and 

others (1957) measured this element in 88 irons and 

found a range of < 1-2,360 ppm and an average of 

37 ppm; Smales, Mapper, and Fouche (1967) measured 66 irons and found a range of < 5-2,441 ppm,
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B45

with an average of 115 ppm. The averages tend to be 

weighted by a few very high values: Tucson, 2,360; 

Nedagolla, 2,441; and Clark County, 1,565 ppm. Some 

of this chromium may be present as minute inclusions of daubreelite or carlsbergite (CrN). Scott 

(1972) plotted Cr versus Ni content for many irons, 

and found a negative correlation for groups IIAB, 

IIIAB, and IVA; groups IIC, IIC, and IVB cluster 

well on the Cr-Ni plot.

MANGANESE

Manganese is a minor element in stony meteorites, 

and is always determined in a complete analysis. 

Extensive series of measurements have been made 

by spectrographic (Moore and Brown, 1962) and 

neutron-activation analysis (Schmitt and others, 

1972) ; the latter data have been used in the compilation of table 35. Manganese shows a remarkably 

small degree of variation between the different 

classes of stony meteorites. Although of comparable 

abundance to chromium, it differs from this element 

in not occurring as specific manganese minerals, except as alabandite, (Mn,Fe)S, in enstatite chondrites 

and enstatite achondrites; in other chondrites most 

of it is present in solid solution in olivine and pyroxenes, Mason and Graham (1970) recording ~3,000 

ppm in olivine, ~3,000 ppm in orthopyroxene, and 

~2,000 ppm in diopside. A small amount (~5,000 

ppm) is contained in accessory chromite, and trace 

amounts (~200 ppm) in troilite. The chief feature 

of the meteorite geochemistry of manganese is the 

very close coherence with ferrous iron, a consequence 

of the similarity in ionic radius between Fe+2 and 

Mn+2 ; this coherence extends to both lunar and terTABLE 34. Chromium in stony meteorites 

[From Schmitt and others, 1972]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

3

7

9

40

47

17

2

5

2,

2,

2,

2,

3,

3,

3.

2,

,010-2,

,830-3,

, 160-3,

,240 -4

,000-4,

,230-4,

,050-3,

,800-4,

720

770

900

,410

900

980

240

160

2,

3,

3,

3,

3,

3.

3,

3,

,430

,070

,530

,430

,780

,690

,210

,290

12,

12,

12,

10,

10,

10,

10,

9,

700

400

300

900

900

600

100

600

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

5

4

1

2

180-730

5,000-16,500

5,700

4,430-5,060

460

10, 100

 

4,890

1,000

22,000

17,800

13,800

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

7

19

1,700

1,580-1,820

2,720-5,380

1,350-3,920

 _

1,680

4,470

2, 280

4,500

4,000

10,200

5,400
B46 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

restrial rocks, as illustrated by Laul and Schmitt 

(1973).

Few data are available on manganese in the metal 

phases of meteorites. Bauer and Schaudy (1970) 

determined the contents of carefully selected metal 

phases in 21 iron meteorites and found a range of 

9.8-22 ppm.

IRON

Iron is a major element in all classes of meteorites 

except the enstatite achondrites, and as a consequence the abundance data are very extensive. The 

standard procedures of analytical chemistry, when 

carefully applied, give reliable results for total iron. 

Von Michaelis, Ahrens, and Willis (1969) have 

shown that the older data on chondrites summarized

by Urey and Craig (1953) show a greater spread 

of values than more recent analyses, indicating an 

improvement in overall quality in recent years. The 

figures in table 36 are derived as far as possible 

from recent analyses of observed falls.

As discussed in the introduction to this report, 

the individual classes of chondrites can be distinguished by their total iron content, and by the relative proportion of iron in oxidic compounds (mainly ferromagnesian silicates) and in nickel-iron and 

troilite (fig. 2). Urey and Craig (1953) utilized the 

total iron content to divide the chondrites into H 

(high-iron) and L (low-iron) groups. Bronzite chondrites are all H, averaging 27.6 percent, whereas 

hypersthene chondrites are all L, averaging 21 percent; the amphoterites are sometimes considered a

TABLE 35. Manganese in stony meteorites 

[From Schmitt and others, 1972]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

3

7

9

40

47

17

3

5

1,740-2,300

1,540-1,740

1,280-1,650

1,860-2,800

2,210-2,780

2,330-2,830

1,800-2,500

1,480-2,540

1,880

1,630

1,490

2,260

2,460

2,560

2,200

1,790

9,300

6,200

4,900

6,700

6,700

7,000

6,800

5,000

Calcium-rich achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

5

5

1

2

830-2,550

3,570-4,390

4,100

2,860-2,910

1,400

3,990

 

2,890

2,800

8,300

12,000

7,700

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

8

20

700

3,520-3,860

3,460-4,000

2,440-5,810

 

3,700

3,800

4,000

1,700

8,200

8,200

9,000
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B47

subclass of hypersthene chondrites, denoted LL, and 

averaging 20.0 percent. Carbonaceous chondrites 

seem to be all H, since on a volatile-free basis they 

contain 25-27 percent, and their Fe/Si ratio is similar to or somewhat greater than that for the bronzite chondrites. Enstatite chondrites show a wide 

range of total iron contents, and designation as H 

or L types is of doubtful utility.

Urey (1961) pointed out the significance of the 

Fe/Si ratio in chondrites, both for the recognition of 

different classes and subclasses, and as an indication of chemical fractionations between different 

classes. The data in table 36 show small but consistent differences between the three types of carbonaceous chondrites, the Fe/Si ratio being 0.901 for 

Cl, 0.841 for C2, and 0.816 for C3. The latter figure

is essentially identical with that for the bronzite 

chondrites (0.812). The lower iron content of the 

hypersthene chondrites and the amphoterites is reflected in the Fe/Si ratios of 0.577 and 0.536 respectively. Enstatite chondrites show a wide range 

of Fe/Si ratios, and those that are most iron-rich 

have ratios slightly exceeding one.

The interpretation of this range of Fe/Si ratios 

in terms of iron-silicate fractionation in the chondrites has been cogently discussed by Anders (1964). 

He came to the following conclusions: (1) The 

metal-silicate fractionation in chondrites involved 

loss of metal from primordial matter with Fe/Si^ 

0.8-1.0. (2) At the time of fractionation, the material had gone through a high-temperature stage 

and contained individual metal and silicate grains.

TABLE 36. Iron in stony meteorites 

[From Mason, 1971; and additional data]

Class Number Range Mean Atoms 10 Si 

analyzed (weight percent) (weight percent)

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4,5

E6

3

9

6

36

60

13

4

5

17.76-19.01

20.85-23.78

24.04-25.94

24.57-30.88

20.15-23.61

18.56-21.30

30.35-35.02

22.17-29.03

18.40

21.90

25.15

27.61

21.81

20.03

32.96

25.46

901,000

841,000

816,000

812,000

577,000

536,000

975,000

657,000

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

4

5

1

3

.47-1.55

11.57-13.48

21.34

11.31-16.40

1.02

12.42

 

14.45

19,000

254,000

620,000

381,000

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

11

7.45

16.04

11.92-14.02

12.58-17.74

 

 

13.22

14.63

182,000

359,000

282,000

322,000
B48 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

(3) The fractionation probably occurred while the 

material was in a dispersed state.

At the time Anders wrote, a serious objection to 

his postulate of primordial matter with Fe/Si^ 

0.8-1.0 was the apparent low abundance of iron in 

the Sun Fe/Si=0.12, according to Goldberg, Miiller, and Aller (1960). This seemed to require that 

primordial matter was low in iron, and that highiron chondrites must have been enriched in this 

element. However, this apparent impasse has been 

resolved by a reevaluation of the spectrographic 

data for the solar abundance of iron (Garz and 

Kock, 1969). This reevaluation has led to an increase in the figure for the solar abundance of iron 

by a factor of ~10 compared to that given by Goldberg, Miiller, and Aller, the Fe/Si ratio now being 

given as 1.0. Thus, it now appears that the highiron chondrites, specifically the Cl carbonaceous 

chondrites, are closely akin to original solar matter.

Relative to the chondrites, all the achondrites (except the unique chassignite) show marked depletion in iron and correspondingly lower Fe/Si ratios. 

To a considerable extent, this is due to marked impoverishment of these meteorites in nickel-iron and 

troilite, which are present in very small amounts 

(except in the ureilites). The enstatite achondrites 

are extremely depleted; they consist essentially of 

almost iron-free enstatite

The iron meteorites consist essentially of nickeliron, and minor to trace amounts of accessory 

minerals such as troilite, schreibersite, and graphite. 

Samples for analysis are generally selected to avoid 

the accessory minerals as far as possible, and the 

resulting data thus correspond more closely to the 

metal phase than to the overall composition of the 

meteorite. The metal phase is essentially a threecomponent system Fe-Ni-Co; the cobalt content is 

uniformly low, ranging from 0.3-1.0 percent, so 

the iron and nickel contents are inversely related. 

The range of iron content in iron meteorites can 

thus be derived directly from a plot of nickel contents (fig. 9).

Buddhue (1946) compiled the analytical data for 

the different classes of iron meteorites, and calculated average compositions, after eliminating those 

analyses that appeared unreliable. His results are 

given in table 37.

In stony and stony-iron meteorites the principal 

iron-bearing minerals are nickel-iron, troilite, and 

the ferromagnesian silicates olivine and pyroxene. 

Small amounts of the accessory minerals chromite 

(FeO2 04 ) and ilmenite (FeTi03 ) are usually 

present. The Cl and C2 carbonaceous chondrites 

are unique in having much of their iron present as 

the hydrated magnesium-iron silicate serpentine (or 

chlorite), and in having magnetite (Fe3 04 ) and 

pentlandite ((Fe,Ni) 9S8 ) as accessory minerals.

TABLE 37. Mean iron content of individual classes of iron meteorites 

[From Buddhue, 1946]

Class Number of meteorites Weight percent

Hx

Ogg

Og

Om

Of

Off

D

34

18

34

92

37

10

38

93.59

92.33

91.22

90.67

90.53

86.75

79.63

All irons 327 89.70

Including metal in pallasites, mesosiderites, and chondrites; the 

average for the metal from these groups is very close to the overall 

average.
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B49

COBALT

Cobalt is a ubiquitous element in meteorites, being present in amounts up to 1 percent in irons. 

Schmitt and others (1972) made extensive measurements by instrumental neutron-activation analysis 

in most classes of stony meteorites, and their results, 

along with some additional data, are reported in 

table 38. The concentration of cobalt shows a 

close correlation with the amount of metallic nickeliron in a meteorite; the distinction between H and L 

(+LL) classes of chondrites is clearly seen, and the 

low Co contents of the achondrites is related to their 

low metal contents.

Levering and others (1957) found cobalt in 88 

iron meteorites to range from 0.38 to 0.92 percent 

with an average of 0.51 percent. Moore, Lewis, and 

Nava (1969) analyzed 100 irons and found a range 

of 0.32-1.02 percent. The relationship between cobalt 

and nickel content of iron meteorites is illustrated 

in figure 8. In the two metal phases of meteorites, 

cobalt is concentrated in kamacite, which usually 

contains two to five times as much Co as the associated taenite.

Cobalt is a strongly siderophile element in meteorites, generally with little or no chalcophile or lithophile affinity. For example, in the Sikhote-Alin iron

TABLE 38. Cobalt in stony meteorites

[From Schmitt and others, 1972 ; and additional data from Laul and others, 1972 ; Case and others, 1973; Binz, Kurimoto, and Lipschutz,

1974 ; Binz and others, 1975, 1976; and Baedecker and Wasson, 1975]

Clas s Number 

analyz ed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

3

7

9

46

50

21

2

4

460-550

460-700

480-740

440-1,260

290-870

250-870

810-870

680-1,000

480

530

620

820

570

460

860

820

2,200

1,900

1,900

2,300

1,450

1,200

2,40p

2, 100

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

5

2

1

6

2. 1-57

18-19

141

65-172

14

19

_ 

112

26

37

390

280

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

8

20

20.4

43-47

10-34

2-22

___

45

20

7

47

90

43

14
B50 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

Yavnel (1950) found 0.47 percent in the kamacite, 

0.03 percent in the schreibersite, 0.01 percent in the 

troilite, and 0.01 percent in the chromite. Mason and 

Graham (1970) have shown that in stony meteorites 

the metal phase contains up to 1 percent Co, whereas 

the silicates (olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase) contain 

1-50 ppm and the troilite 40-60 ppm. The Cl and C2 

carbonaceous chondrites contain little or no free 

metal, and the state of combination of the cobalt 

is not known; in the C3 chondrites, Fuchs and Olsen 

(1973) have found up to 6.9 percent in kamacite, 

up to 2.0 percent in taenite, 0.8 percent in pentlandite, brt less than 0.05 percent in troilite.

LLJ 

O 

DC 

LU 

CL

1.0

0.8

0.6

: 0.5

0.4

03

VB

--' IVA

7 10

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

EXPLANATION

15 20

> -Anl 

<I-An2

IlA 

IIB

*nc

*IID 

oIIIA

 me

 IIIAB

 me

OIVA

 IVB

 Anomalous

FIGURE 8. Co-Ni distribution in iron meteorites. Most 

chemical groups are well resolved (as indicated by shortdashed outlines), but they are scattered on either side of 

the Co/Ni ratio for Cl chondrites (dashed line). In group 

IIIAB, Co content correlates positively with Ni content. 

Reprinted from Scott (1972) and published with permission.

NICKEL

The extensive data on nickel in meteorites were 

comprehensively reviewed by C.B. Moore, in Mason 

(1971); the data for stony meteorites are summarized in table 39. Nickel in chondrites shows a 

fairly constant relationship to total iron, the ratio 

Fe/Ni (atomic) ranging from 18 to 20. In the ordinary (H, L, LL) chondrites, essentially all the nickel 

is contained in the metal phase; the mean content of 

metal in each of these classes, in weight percent, is:

H, 18.5; L, 7.4; LL, 2.6, and the nickel concentrations 

reflect these metal contents. However, the nickel 

concentration does not diminish proportionally with 

the metal content. This was noted many years ago 

by Prior (1916), who established certain chemical 

and mineralogical regularities within the chondrites, 

which have been codified as Prior s rules, as follows:

1. The smaller the amount of nickel-iron in a chondrite, the higher the Ni/Fe ratio in the nickeliron.

2. The smaller the amount of nickel-iron in a

chondrite, the higher the FeO/MgO ratio in the

ferromagnesian silicate minerals. 

The carbonaceous chondrites contain little or no 

nickel-iron. In the Cl and C2 chondrites most of the 

nickel is probably contained in the layer-lattice silicates that form the matrix of these meteorites; the 

C3 chondrites contain a little metal, with up to 66 

percent Ni, and pentlandite, with up to 19 percent 

Ni (Fuchs and Olsen, 1973) coexisting troilite contains less than 0.05 percent Ni.

Most achondrites are practically metal free, and 

nickel is then present only in trace amounts. Even 

in the ureilites, which contain 3-6 percent nickeliron, the nickel content is only about 0.1 percent, a 

notable depletion relative to chondritic abundances.

In the pallasites, which consist of approximately 

equal amounts of nickel-iron and olivine, the nickel 

content of the metal ranges from 7.9-16.4 percent, 

with a mean of 10.5 percent, and the coexisting olivine contains 40-70 ppm (Buseck and Goldstein, 

1969).

The nickel content of iron meteorites is illustrated 

in figure 9. The vast majority contain between 5 

percent and 11 percent nickel. Those with the very 

lowest nickel contents are hexahedrites made up 

primarily of kamacite that has lost nickel to adjacent schreibersite [(Fe,Ni) 3P] inclusions.

COPPER

Copper is a trace element in meteorites, being 

present in irons usually at the 100-200 ppm level, 

in chondrites at about 100 ppm, and being significantly depleted in achondrites at about 1-20 ppm. 

The data for the stony meteorites are summarized in 

table 40. Some fractionation is evident between the 

chondrite classes, the copper concentration decreasing in the order C1-C2-C3 (H, L, LL).

Smales, Mapper, and Fouche (1967) reported on 

copper in 67 irons and found a range of 74-360 ppm 

(mean 172 ppm), with four exceptions (Hoba 1.3, 

Nedagolla 1.5, Santa Catharina 850, San Cristobal
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B51

1,016 ppm). Moore, Lewis, and Nava (1969) obtained similar results in analyses of 70 irons: range 

60-360 ppm, mean 170 ppm, with exceptions Dayton 

(510 ppm), Tlacotepec (10 ppm), and Weaver Mountains (10 ppm).

It is remarkable that, in spite of its low concentration, copper generally occurs in meteorites as minute grains of native copper. Ramdohr (1973) recorded native copper in more than half of the 350 

meteorites he examined, and noted that many of his 

polished sections were so small that one of the rare 

copper grains would not likely be exposed. He commented: "The occurrence of copper is very surprising, because copper is rather soluble in the structure 

of y-(Fe,Ni), and because taenite is always so plentiful that all the copper present ought to be dissolved 

in it" (p. 26). Ramdohr noted that the native copper 

is commonly found in taenite-rich plessite, which 

suggests formation by exsolution at relatively low 

temperatures during the very slow cooling that most 

meteorites have undergone.

Hey and Easton (1968) studied the distribution of 

copper in the different minerals of four chondrites, 

with the following results in parts per million: 

kamacite 22-65, taenite 1,610-2,610, troilite < 1-114, 

olivine 17.8-41.5, pyroxene 6.0-22.3; these data show 

that most of the copper in these meteorites must reside in the taenite.

TABLE 39. Nickel in stony meteorites 

[From C. B. Moore in Mason, 1971; and additional data]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range Mean Atoms/10 6 Si

Chondrites (weight percent)

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

10

7

2 7

0

1

1

1

29

1

3

2

6

2 .

1

1

1

.97

.17

.24

.38

98-

68-

-

-

-

1

1

1

1

1

1

.

.66-1

.62

. 11

- 1

1

.09

.34

.50

.99

57

28

 95

.81

.96

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

.03

.23

.33

.70

.27

.91

.81

.71

.53

47,

44,

41,

47,

32,

23,

52,

47,

37,

800

900

100

600

500

200

200

000

700

Calcium-poor achondrites (ppm)

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

3

4

1

6

80-270

5-90

475

900-2,300

190

33

 

1,300

330

64

1,310

3,300

Calcium-rich achondrites (ppm)

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

6

6

40

990

8-88

5-12

_. 

___

48

7

93

2, 100

97

15
B52 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

10 12 14 16 18 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

20 25 30 35

FIGURE 9. Histogram of the nickel content of analyzed 

iron meteorites, plotted at 0.25-percent Ni intervals. No 

analyzed iron meteorite contains less than 5 percent Ni, 

and only seven contain more than 20 percent; Dermbach 

(42 percent) and Oktibbeha County (61 percent) lie 

outside the histogram. Copyright © 1975 by the Regents 

of the University of California; reprinted from Buchwald (1975) by permission of the University of California Press.

ZINC

The data on zinc in meteorites have been comprehensively reviewed by C.B. Moore, in Mason (1971). 

Zinc abundances in stony meteorites are summarized 

in table 41. Zinc in chondrites is a strongly depleted 

element in terms of the criteria of Anders (1971b); 

the atomic ratio Cl :C2:C3 is 1.00:0.48:0.26, and the 

ordinary (H, L, LL) chondrites are more depleted 

than the C3 class. Within the ordinary chondrites, 

the different types (3, 4, 5, 6) show no significant 

fractionation of zinc (Binz and others, 1976). Enstatite chondrites show strong fractionation, with 

E3,4 meteorites having zinc abundances comparable 

to Cl chondrites, whereas E5, 6 meteorites average 

even lower than the ordinary chondrites, although 

the range is large. The achondrites, except for the 

ureilites and nakhlites, are notably depleted in zinc 

relative to the chondrites.

Zinc abundances in stony meteorites are comparable to those of copper. However, in contrast to copper, which is siderophile, zinc is lithophile in most 

meteorites. Nishimura and Sandell (1964) showed 

that in the ordinary chondrites very little zinc is 

contained in the metal or troilite phases; it is distributed in subequal amounts in the acid-soluble 

(olivine and phosphate) and acid-insoluble (pyroxene, plagioclase, and chromite) fractions. In the 

enstatite chondrites, on the contrary, most of the 

zinc is in the sulfide phases. This is consistent with 

mineralogical observations; enstatite chondrites contain sphalerite and zincian daubreelite, (up to 5.5

percent Zn (Keil, 1968), but these phases have not 

been recorded from ordinary chondrites. Meteoritic 

chromite may show considerable concentration of 

zinc, up to 2.31 percent ZnO (Bunch and others, 

1970).

Zinc is present at very low concentration in the 

metal phase of iron meteorites, except for group I 

(table 42). The data confirm that zinc has little 

or no siderophile affinity in meteorites; chromite, 

sphalerite, and zincian daubreelite have been recorded from irons, and inclusions of these minerals 

may contribute to the higher zinc values of some 

iron meteorites.

GALLIUM

Gallium is a trace element in meteorites, seldom 

exceeding 10 ppm in stony meteorites and 100 ppm 

in irons. The data were assembled and evaluated by 

P.A. Baedecker and J.T. Wasson, in Mason (1971), 

and additional determinations since that time have 

confirmed the earlier work. The information on 

stony meteorites is summarized in table 43. Gallium 

shows moderate depletion in the sequence C1-C2- 

C3 ordinary chondrites, the relative atomic ratio 

being 1.00:0.66:0.45:0.29. Enstatite chrondrites 

have gallium abundances comparable to those in the 

carbonaceous chondrites, and show moderate depletion in the sequence E4-E5-E6. Ordinary chondrites 

show no significant variation of gallium content between the different types (Case and others, 1973). 

Achondrites are notably depleted in gallium relative 

to the chrondrites.

Fouche and Smales (1967a) studied the distribution of gallium in 27 chondrites belonging to the H, 

L, and E classes, by separating each into magnetic 

(that is, metal-phase) and nonmagnetic fractions 

and analyzing each fraction separately. The average 

values in parts per million for the H chondrites are: 

metal 11.3, nonmagnetic 3.8, bulk 5.3; for the L 

chondrites: metal 11.4, nonmagnetic 5.3, bulk 5.6. 

They found that in the enstatite chondrites practically all the gallium is in the metal phase. Moss and 

others (1967) found 2.4-2.8 ppm in the silicate fraction of four ordinary chondrites, and 2-9 ppm in the 

sulfide fraction. These results were confirmed by Alien and Mason (1973), who also measured this element in separated minerals; in the nonmetallic 

phases gallium is notably concentrated in plagioclase 

(up to 18 ppm) and chromite (up to 90 ppm). Gallium is mainly siderophile in the ordinary chondrites, but does show chalcophile and lithophile affinities. Chou, Baedecker, and Wasson (1973) found 

that metal/silicate concentration ratios for Ga and
GOSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B53

Ge were lower in type 3 ordinary chondrites than in 

types 4-6; they commented: "Apparently appreciable fractions of these elements condensed from the 

nebula in oxidized form and entered the metal 

during later thermal events" (p. 2159).

The abundance of gallium in iron meteorites has 

been extensively studied since Levering and others 

(1957) demonstrated a wide range in gallium contents (<2-93 ppm) and a quantization into four 

groups. This work has been greatly extended by Wasson and his coworkers, and was comprehensively 

discussed by Scott and Wasson (1975) ; their results are summarized in table 7 and figure 10. They 

concluded that each of these discrete groups probably 

formed in a separate parent body.

GERMANIUM

Germanium is almost exclusively siderophile in 

meteorites, being present in the metal phases kamacite and taenite. The extensive data have been assembled and discussed by P.A. Baedecker and J.T. 

Wasson, in Mason (1971). On the whole, the data 

from different investigators are remarkably consistent. The information on stony meteorites is summarized in table 44, largely from the results of 

Fouche and Smales (1967a), with some additional 

data. This table shows that Ge is strongly fractionbetween the different chondrite classes, being relatively depleted in the sequence C1-C2-C3-H (L, 

LL) in the ratio (atomic) 1.00:0.57:0.39:0.25:0.15. 

Enstatite chondrites have Ge concentrations comTABLE 40. Copper in stony meteorites 

[Prom Schmitt and others, 1972; and additional data from Laul and others, 1972; and Binz and others, 1974]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

3

7

10

24

32

15

2

4

106-137

90-129

85-138

48-137

52-132

60-107

172-193

87-202

127

116

108

90

94

80

185

110

540

390

300

230

220

190

430

260

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

5

1

2

1-24

7

11-22

13

 

11

22

13

25

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

5

7

10

3.7-5.0

.8-18.2

.9-8.5

 

4.4

6.7

3.0

22

8.6

13

5.8
B54 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

parable to those in Cl and C2 chondrites (Baedecker 

and Wasson 1975). Data are very sparse for Ge in 

achondrites, but the figures show extreme depletion, 

as would be expected from the absence or near absence of nickel-iron in most of these meteorites. 

(The ureilites analyzed contain as much as ~6 percent nickel-iron, and the mean Ge content is similar 

to that of the ordinary chondrites.)

Chou and Cohen (1973) and Chou, Baedecker, and 

Wasson (1973) have studied the distribution of Ge 

between metal and silicates in the different petrologic types (3, 4, 5, 6) of the ordinary chondrites. 

They find that, as for Ga, the metal/silicate concentration ratio of Ge is lower in type 3 chondrites 

than in types 4-6; they ascribe this to a redistribution of the element from oxidized to reduced form 

during postcondensation thermal events.

Levering and others (1957) discovered that germanium shows a remarkable variation in iron meteorites, and, like gallium, the values are quantized 

into discrete groups. This work has been greatly extended by Wasson and his coworkers, and was comprehensively reviewed by Scott and Wasson (1975) ; 

their results are summarized in table 7 and figure 

11. Table 7 shows a range of Ge content over the 

different groups of iron meteorites from 0.03 to

TABLE 41. Zinc in stony meteorites

[From C. li. Moore, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Keays and others, 1971; Laul and others, 1972; 

Laul and Schmitt, 1973; Case and others, 1973; Krahenbuhl and others, 1973; Binz and others, 1974, 1975; 

and Rosman and de Laeter, 1974]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E3,4

E5,6

3

3

6

8

15

11

4

6

295-310

175-187

105-130

28-89

8-102

44-82

90-519

7.5-86

303

183

120

51

58

68

400

29

1,260

600

330

130

130

150

1,040

64

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

2

2

6

5-25

3-63

35-280

15

34

186

24

60

420

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

5

7

2.1

42-71

.35-30

.78-20

 

57

5.8

4.8

4.4

110

11

9.0
OOSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B55

TABLE 42. Zinc in iron meteorites

[Data from Kelly and Moore, 1973, except for group I, which are from Smales, Mapper,

and Fouchg, 1967]

Group

I

HA

IIB

IIC

IID

IIIA

IIIB

IVA

IVB

Number 

Analyzed

10

5

3

4

5

8

4

5

4

Range

12-42

.34-1.5

.25-. 39

.23-2.2

2.1-3.7

.40-2.8

1.2-2.1

.1-12

.45-16

Median

27

.5

.3

.4

2.9

.6

1.5

.5

2.5

520 ppm, but some anomalous irons contain even 

higher concentrations; one exceptional iron, Butler, a 

finest octahedrite with 16 percent Ni, contains 2,000 

ppm.

ARSENIC

Arsenic is a trace element in meteorites, in 

amounts ranging up to about 30 ppm. The data have 

been assembled and discussed by M.E. Lipschutz, in 

Mason (1971), and are summarized in table 45. 

Arsenic concentrations show relatively small variations between the different chondrite classes. The 

H, L, LL classes show a consistent relationship between As and metal content, the As content diminishing as the metal content decreases in the sequence 

H-L-LL. Enstatite chondrites, which usually have 

higher metal content than ordinary chondrites, also 

show higher As concentrations; the high content for 

the E5 chondrite, St. Marks, may be due to an unusually high metal content in the sample analyzed. 

Data for achondrites are too sparse to be worth tabulating; Wanke and others (1972) recorded 0.092 

ppm in the Kapoeta howardite and 0.18 ppm in the 

Juvinas eucrite, thus showing strong depletion for 

these meteorites relative to the -chondrites.

Onishi and Sandell (1955) claimed As to be both 

siderophile and chalcophile in chondrites on the basis 

of their analyses of As contents in separated metal, 

sulfide, and silicate portions of two composites, each 

consisting of 7 H and L group meteorites; their results in parts per million were 11, 8, 0.4 and 13,

11, 0.2 espectively. However, Fouche and Smales 

(1967) found As in chondrites to be contained almost entirely in the metal phase, and this was confirmed by Mason and Graham (1970). The explanation of this discrepancy perhaps lies in incomplete 

separation of metal from sulfide in the material 

analyzed by Onishi and Sandell.

Smales, Mapper, and Fouche (1967) determined 

As in 67 irons and found a range from 0.43 to 30.7 

ppm, with a mean of 8.8 ppm. Cobb (1967) analyzed 

33 irons and found a range of <1-30 ppm, with a 

mean of 9 ppm. Scott (1972) correlated these and 

other data with Ni content (fig. 12).

SELENIUM

The data for selenium in meteorites have been 

assembled and critically evaluated by I. Pelly and 

M.E. Lipschutz, in Mason (1971). The information 

in table 46 has been extracted from their compilation, 

and additional data taken from other sources. Selenium shows relative depletion in the sequence C1-C2- 

C3 H, L, LL), the atomic ratio being 1.00:0.48:0.27: 

0.24; the concentrations in enstatite chondrites are 

comparable to those in Cl and C2 chondrites. Pelly 

and Lipschutz pointed out that selenium concentrations in chondrites are independent of petrologic 

type, and that the Se/S ratio is relatively uniform 

throughout. (For the different classes of chondrites 

the atomic ratio Se/S ranges from 14xlO'5 to 19x 

10'5 .) Mason and Graham (1970) found that selenium is concentrated in meteoritic troilite, and was not 

detectable in other phases. Thus, selenium is entirely
B56 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

TABLE 43. Gallium in stony 'meteorites

[From Baedecker and Wasson, in Mason, 1971 ; and additional data from Keays and others, 1971 ; Laul and others, 

1972; Baedecker and Wasson, 1975; Case and others, 1973; Binz and others, 1974, 1975, and 1976; Chou, 

Baedecker, and Wasson, 1973 and 1976a, b; Ikramuddin and Lipschutz, 1975; and Ikramuddin and others, 1976]

Class Number

analyzed

Range

(ppm)

Mean

(ppm)

Atoms/ 10 Si

Chondrites

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

Ae

Au

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

2 

2

6

7

26

5

3

1

5

Calcium-poor

1

6

Calcium-rich

1

1

5

8

9.2-10.0 

8.1-8.2

4.9-8.1

4.9-5.8

3.6-6.2

2.9-6.0

13.5-17.5

14.9

8.5-12.0

achondrites

0.056

.95-5.0

achondrites

0.36

2.70

.72-1.34

1.26-1.51

9.6 

8.2

6.4

5.3

5.2

4.6

16.0

 

10.5

 

2.5

 

 

1.08

1.42

38 

25

17

12

11

10

39

35

22

0.08

5.3

0.71

4.4

1.8

2.5
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B57

100

cc10

LU 

O_

C/5

CC

D 1

0.1

EZB

7 10 14 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

20 25

FIGURE 10. Logarithmic plot of Ga against Ni for iron 

meteorites, showing quantization into the different groups. 

Apart from IA and IIICD, the groups show very limited 

ranges of Ga contents, less than ± 20 percent about the 

mean. IB is very sparsely populated with only eight 

meteorites and is shown in short-dashed outline. About 14 

percent of known iron meteorites are anomalous and are 

not shown. The straight dashed line through groups IA, 

1C, and IIAB shows the Ga/Ni ratio for Cl chondrites. 

Reprinted from Scott and Wasson (1975); copyrighted by 

American Geophysical Union.

CC. in

100

10

D 

Z

CC 

LU 0.1

1 I I I I I

nAB

mAB

HEF

CZ:A

nz:B

10 14 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

20 25

FIGURE 11. Logarithmic plot of Ge against Ni for iron 

meteorites; note the similarity to figure 10. Most groups 

except IAB and IICD show very small Ge variations in 

comparison with the total range of more than four orders 

of magnitude. Group IB is very sparsely populated with 

only eight meteorites and is shown in short-dashed outline. 

The straight dashed line through groups IIAB and IA is 

the Ge/Ni ratio for Cl chondrites. Reprinted from Scott 

and Wasson (1975); copyrighted by American Geophysical 

Union.

chalcophile in stony meteorites and is camouflaged 

in troilite and other sulfur-bearing minerals. The 

extreme depletion of Se in achondrites is due to the 

paucity of troilite in these meteorites.

Relatively few data exist for Se in iron meteorites. 

Seitner and others (1971) analyzed 10 irons, and 

found an upper limit of 0.01 ppm in 6 of them. 

Kiesl and Hecht (1969) analyzed troilite from three 

irons, and found Se contents ranging from 128 to 

300 ppm. These data confirm the highly chalcophile 

character of this element.

BROMIME

The abundance of this element has been the subject of several investigations, but the results are 

confusing and difficult to interpret. For example, 

the following figures in parts per million have been

published for Bruderheim, a hypersthene (L6) chondrite: 0.97, 1.56 (Wyttenbach and others, 1965) ; 

0.05, 0.13, 0.20, 0.23, 0.24 (Reed and Alien, 1966) ; 

0.18, 0.18, 0.15, 0.16, 0.11, 0.12 (Goles and others, 

1967) ; 0.030, 0.026 (Lieberman and Ehmann, 1967). 

If this spread in figures is not the result of experimental error or of contamination, it indicates that 

bromine is distributed very inhomogeneously within this meteorite, and that sampling is a major 

problem. Reed and Alien found that much of the 

bromine in Bruderheim and other meteorites was 

leachable in hot water.

The data in table 47 have been selected from the 

compilation by G.W. Reed, in Mason (1971), and 

additional information on C3 chondrites from Anders and others (1976), and on the achondrites 

from Laul and others (1972). Bromine shows strongrelative depletion in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, L), 

the atomic abunrdance ratios being 1.00:0.48:0.24:-
B58 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

TABLE 44. Germanium in stony meteorites

[From Fouche and Smales, 19G7; and additional data from Krahenbuhl and others, 1978; Chou and others, 1973 and 1976a, b;

Baedecker and Wasson, 1975; and Anders and others, 1976]

Class Numb er

analyzed

Range

(ppm)

Mean

(ppm)

Atoms/10 6 Si

Chondr i tes

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

Ae

Au

An

Aho

Aeu

3 

3

7

7

9

4

3

1

4

Cal

1

5

Cal

1

1

1

27.8-34.9 

19.6-24.9

18.2-24.0

11.3-13.4

4.6-12.4

6.9-1 1.6

42-51

45

21-36

cium-poor achondrites

0.21

2.0-29.5

cium-rich achondrites

2.6

.31

.06

31.2 

22.8

21. 1

12.7

8.7

8.4

47

___

30

___

11

--

___

 

117 

67

52

29

18

17

110

100

60

0.29

22

4.5

.51

. 10

TABLE 45. Arsenic in chondritic meteorites

[From M. B. Lipschutz, in Mason, 1971 ; and additional data from Case and others, 1973; and Binz and others, 1974 and 1976]

Class

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

Number 

analyzed

2

3

5

6

10

4

3

1

5

Range 

(ppm)

1

1

1

2

1

2

2

.6-

.9-

.5-

. D 

92-

. 1-

o _

5.

.6-

2

2

2

3

3

1

4

5

5

.0

.0

.4

.3

.5

.3

.8

. 1

Mean 

(ppm)

1

2

1

2

1

1

3

3

.7

.0

.8

.6

.6

.2

.2

 -

.4

Atoms /

6.

5.

4.

5.

3.

2.

7.

12

6.

10 6 Si

2

7

4

7

2

4

2

5
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B59

TABLE 46. Selenium in stony meteorites

[From I. Z. Pelly and M. E. Lipschutz, in Mason, 1971; and additional data on carbonaceous chondrites from Krahenbiihl and others, 1973, 

and Anders and others, 1976; on enstatite chondrites from Binz and others, 1974 ; on ureilites from Binz and others, 1975 ; and on other 

achondrites from Laul and others, 1972]

Class Number Range 

analyzed (ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/ 1

0 6 Si

Chondrites

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3 

3

7

6

6

8

3

1

5

19. 1-21.1 

11.3-12.3

5.7-10.8

7.0-9.5

5.9-12

5.6-14

28-41

30

14-24

19.5 

11.8

8.0

7.9

8.4

10

34

___

19

67 

32

18

16

16

19

73

62

35

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Au

1

4

1.78-2.09

.68-1 .24

1.9

.92

2.

1.

4

7

Calcium-rich achondrites

An

Aho

Aeu

1

3

5

0.088

.118-. 603

.078-. 396

 _

.42

.25

0- 14

63

39
B60 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

20

10

DC 

UJ 

Q_

(2

DC

UJ (/)

DC

0.5

IIAB

me

10 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

EXPLANATION

20

Al

< I-An2

vI-An3

oUA 

 IIB

A IIC

*IID

DlIIA

 IIIB 

" IIIAB

OlIIC

f IVA

*IVB

 Anomalous

FIGURE 12. As-Ni distribution in iron meteorites. The dashed 

line is the As/Ni ratio for Cl chondrites; group I and 

IIIC meteorites contain these elements in this ratio. In 

groups I, IIAB, IIIAB, and IVA, As content correlates 

positively with Ni content. Short-dashed lines enclose 

well-resolved groups. Reprinted from Scott (1972) and 

published with permission.

0.24:0.04. Bromine also shows relative depletion 

with petrologic type in ordinary chondrites; Keays, 

Ganapathy, and Anders (1971) demonstrated a decrease of average Br concentrations of 3.1, 2.7, 0.50, 

and 0.40 ppm in the sequence L3-L4-L5-L6. Enstatite chondrites have comparable abundances to 

the carbonaceous chondrites.

No obvious correlation exists between bromine and 

any of the major elements in meteorites. However, 

as shown in table 47, the chondrites show a fairly 

consistent Cl/Br relationship. Reed and Alien 

(1966) found 40 ppm Br in chlorapatite from the 

Mt. Sterling iron meteorite; this suggests that

chlorapatite may be the principal host of bromine in 

meteorites.

RUBIDIUM

A considerable number of rubidium determinations have been made on stony meteorites, many 

with a view to 87Rb-87Sr dating. The data have been 

assembled and discussed by G.G. Goles, in Mason 

(1971), and are summarized in table 48, along with 

additional determinations. Rubidium shows a rather 

narrow abundance range in chondrites, with some 

exceptions, notably among the LL and E classes. 

Three different samples of Soko-Banja (LL) gave 

0.580, 4.880, and 0.515 ppm Rb (Gopalan and Wetherill, 1969); Krahenberg (LL) has light and dark 

areas, and a light area contained 1.94 ppm and a 

dark area 50.8 ppm Rb (Kempe and Miiller, 1969). 

The low value of 0.8 ppm Rb in the E5 chondrite St. 

Marks has been established by two independent 

analyses (Gopalan and Wetherill, 1970; Laul and 

others, 1973). For most chondrites, the K/Rb weight 

ratio is in the range 200-400.

Selective solution experiments on Abee (E4) and 

Bruderheim (L6) chondrites by Shima and Honda 

(1967) showed that Rb is contained almost entirely 

in the HF-soluble fraction, hence probably in 

plagioclase. This was confirmed by Mason and Graham (1970), who found up to 28 ppm Rb in chondrite plagioclase. El Goresy (1967) identified some 

grains of potassium feldspar in troilite nodules in 

the Odessa iron, and found that they have remarkably high Rb contents, 0.2-0.6 percent; the K/Rb 

ratio is of the order of 30, implying a high degree of 

fractionation.

Rubidium, unlike lithium, sodium, and potassium, 

appears to show little or no chalcophile affinity in 

the enstatite chondrites.

STRONTIUM

The data on strontium in stony meteorites are 

quite extensive, and have been assembled and discussed by K. Gopalan and G.W. Wetherill, in Mason 

(1971); a selection of the data is provided in table 

49. Strontium abundances show relatively small 

variations between different chondrite classes; the 

somewhat higher concentration in C3 chondrites is 

linked with the higher calcium content of these 

meteorites, frequently in the form of chondrules and 

inclusions consisting largely of melilite and calic 

pyroxene. Strontium in chondrites and many achondrites shows a close coherence with calcium, as can
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B61

TABLE 47. Bromme in stony meteorites 

[From G. W. Reed, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Anders and others, 1976; and Laul and others, 1972]

Class

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E6

Ae

Ah

Au

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

Number

analyzed

2 

3

7

8

10

3

2

2

.

2

1

1

1

1

5

6

Range

(ppm)

Chond

3.3-5. 1 

.8-4.8

.81-2.24

. 14-. 78

. 12-. 39

. 18-. 87

1.8-6.5

1.0-1 .5

Calcium-poor

0.01-.28

. 11

.55

Cal cium-r ich

0.41

.44

.04-. 37

.03-. 29

Mean Atoms/10 6 Si

(ppm)

rites

4.0 

2.5

1.5

.26

.23

.57

3.9

1.3

achondri tes

0. 14

___

 

achondr it es

___

___

. 13

. 11

14 

6.7

3.4

.53

.43

1. 1

8.3

2.4

0. 18

. 16

1.0

0.70

.69

.19

. 17

Cl/Br

( atoms )

410 

310

400

700

740

480

380

360

67

260

150

___

 _

270

410
B62 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

TABLE 48. Rubidium in stony meteorites

[From G. G. Goles in Mason, 1971 ; and additional data from Keays and others, 1971; Laul and others, 1972 aud 1973; Krahenbiihl and

others, 1973; Anders and others, 1976; and Higuchi and others, 1976]

Clas s Number Range 

analyzed (ppm)

Mean Atoms/ 

(ppm)

10 6 Si

Chondr i tes

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

3

7

11

20

11

4

1

5

1.42-2 .33

1 .20-1 .85

1.04-1 .36

2.0-3.5

1 .9-4.0

.5-5.5

1.4-2.5

.8

.8-1 .9

1 .

1.

1 .

2.

3.

2.

2.

--

1.

88

25

21

9

1

3

2

-

4

6.

3.

2.

5.

5.

4.

4.

1.

2.

0

1

6

6

4

0

4

5

5

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

2

1

1

4

1.65-2.00

.14

.4

.016-. 076

1.

--

81

-

-

035

2. 1

19

76

06

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aeu

1

2

9

0.031

2. 4-2.8

.05-. 70

--

2.

-

6

28

0.

3.

05

4

40
TABLE 49. Strontium in stony meteorites

I From K. Gopalan and G. W. Wetherill in Mason, 1971; and additional data from McCarthy and others, 1972 and 1973; Tera and others, 1970; 

Mittlefehldt and Wetherill, 1977]

Clas s Numb er 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 6 Si 

Chondr ites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5,6

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

2

5

4

15

15

12

3

5

1

1

1

1

1

1

4

10

7.1-7.6

8.6-10.6

12-17

9.3-1 1.

10. 1-1 1.

10.5-11.

6.5-7.6

7.5-8.5

Calcium-poor

1.4 .

2. 1

7.2

.7

Calcium-rich

133

58

27-59

51-92

7.

9.

14

1 10.

9 11.

9 11.

7.

8.

4

9

0

1

1

2

2

23

24

29

19

19

19

14

14

achondrites 

--

 

-

-

-

1.6

2.7

13

1.2

achondrites

_ _

--

40

76

_

-

208

83

54

107
B64 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

be seen from the relative constancy of the Ca/Sr 

ratios in table 49; a few achondrites, notably the 

aubrites, diogenites, and ureilites are strongly depleted in strontium relative to calcium.

As might be expected, most of the strontium in 

meteorites resides in the calcium minerals plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and phosphates (chlorapatite 

and merrillite). The data of Mason and Graham 

(1970) and Alien and Mason (1973) on separated 

minerals demonstrated that Sr shows a marked 

preference for plagioclase over clinopyroxene. Gray, 

Papanastassiou, and Wasserburg (1973) recorded 

the following Sr contents in parts per million in the 

Peace River (L6) chondrite: total meteorite 11.18, 

plagioclase 92.86, phosphate 75.49. Shima and Honda 

(1967) in in selective solution experiments showed 

that in Bruderheim, in L6 chondrite, practically 

all the Sr was contained in the HF-soluble fraction 

(plagioclase and pyroxene), whereas in Abee, an E4 

chondrite, about half was in the sulfide fraction, 

which dissolved in bromine water. Thus, strontium 

resembles calcium and magnesium in showing chalcophile affinity in enstatite chondrites.

The calcium-rich achondrite Angra dos Reis is 

notable for having the highest Sr content and the 

most primitive 87Sr/8(iSr ratio (0.69884) ; this primitive ratio is due to this meteorite's extremely low 

Rb content, which has thus contributed essentially 

no radiogenic Sr. Slightly lower 87Sr/8G Sr ratios, 

down to 0.69877, have been recorded in meliliteclinopyroxene chondrules from the Allende (C3) 

meteorite (Gray, Papanastassiou, and Wasserburg, 

1973). In chondrites this ratio ranges up to 1.001 

(Gopalan and Wetherill, 1970).

YTTRIUM

The data on the abundance of yttrium in meteorites are comparatively sparse. However, Haskin 

and others (1966) have provided figures for meteorites representing all the chondrite classes, and 

for the principal classes of achondrites; their data 

are summarized in table 50, along with additional 

data on the howardites and the eucrites.

The figures show that yttrium is relatively unfractionated between the different classes of chondrites. In terms of the Y/Si atomic ratio, there is 

a small but systematic decrease from the carbonaceous chondrites through the ordinary (H, L, LL) 

chondrites to the enstatite chondrites. The Ca/Y 

atomic ratio is relatively uniform at 13,000-17,000.

Among the calcium-poor achondrites, the single 

enstatite achondrite analyzed (Norton County) is

comparable in Y/Si ratio to the enstatite chondrites, 

and the two hypersthene achondrites give rather 

divergent figures, but appear significantly lower in 

yttrium than the chondrites. The calcium-rich 

achondrites are enriched in this element, moderately for the nakhlites, and quite markedly for the 

howardites and eucrites. Angra dos Reis, a unique 

calcium-rich achondrite, has the highest Y/Si ratio 

so far found for meteorites, and also has the highest 

calcium content of any meteorite.

Yttrium is essentially lithophilic in meteorites. 

Mason and Graham (1970) analyzed mineral separates of two chondrites (Modoc and St. Severin) 

and found yttrium to be highly enriched in the 

calcium phosphate minerals, being present in them 

at concentrations about 200 ppm; it was not detected in metal or olivine, and was present at about 1 

ppm in plagioclase, pyroxene, and troilite. The only 

mineral besides the phosphates enriched in yttrium 

was calcic clinopyroxene (diopside and pigeonite), 

which contained about 20 ppm. Yttrium is very 

similar to calcium in ionic radius, and this evidently 

conditions its tendency to concentrate in calciumrich minerals.

ZIRCONIUM

Zirconium (and hafnium) were determined by 

neutron-activation analysis in 28 chondrites and 7 

achondrites by Ehmann and Rebagay (1970), who 

also reviewed earlier meteorite analysis for these 

elements; the data for achondrites were revised and 

extended by Ehmann and others (1976). Their results are summarized in table 51, together with additional data on the calcium-rich achondrites and 

on chondrites by Palme (1974) Ehmann and Chyi 

(1974), and Ganapathy, Papia, and Grossman, 

(1976). Zirconium shows a rather uniform concentration in all classes of chondrites. The calcium-poor 

achondrites are depleted in Zr relative to the chondrites, whereas the calcium-rich achondrites are 

notably enriched.

The location of the zirconium within the meteorite phases is not revealed by the chemical analyses. However, Marvin and Klein (1964) discovered 

zircon as an accessory mineral in the Vaca Muerta 

mesosiderite and in troilite nodules of the Toluca 

iron (the latter confirming a report by Laspeyres 

and Kaiser as long ago as 1895). They recovered 

about 2 mg of zircon from 125 g of the mesosiderite. 

P. Ramdohr (written commun., 1965) has identified 

a crystal of zircon in a section of the Muizenberg 

chondrite. In stony meteorites, zirconium (and hafnium) are probably contained largely in small,
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B65

sporadically distributed crystals of zircon; 10 ppm 

zirconium corresponds to 20 ppm (0.002 percent 

zircon. In Angra dos Reis, the achondrite with the 

highest Zr content, Keil and others (1976) identified 

baddeleyite, Zr02 .

NIOBIUM

Information on the abundance and distribution of 

niobium in meteorites is extremely sparse. Graham 

and Mason (1972) analyzed 6 chondrites and 6 achondrites for this element by spark-source mass spectrometry, and Erlank and others (1972) analyzed 

10 achondrites by X-ray fluorescence. These data are 

summarized in table 52; they show niobium at a 

fairly uniform concentration in all the chondrites

analyzed, and a relative enrichment in the calciumrich achondrites.

Niobium is remarkably concentrated in meteoritic 

rutile; El Goresy (1971) determined Nb in rutile 

from three irons and one mesosiderite, and reported 

No02 1.63-2.93 percent in rutile from the irons and 

0.04-0.38 percent in rutile from the mesosiderite. 

Graham and Mason (1972) noted a remarkably linear 

covariance of Nb and Zr both in the meteorites and 

in lunar rocks, and this was also established by 

Erlank and others (1972). Marvin (1975) noted that 

the marked coherence of Nb and Zr in lunar rocks 

does not extend to the constituent minerals; niobium 

is concentrated in titanium minerals, especially 

rutile, not in zirconium minerals. It is, therefore,

TABLE 50. Yttrium in stony meteorites

[From Haskin and others, 1966; and additional data on howardites from McCarthy and others, 1972; and on eucrites from McCarthy and

others, 1973]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

2

2

3

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

.4-

.8-

2.

. 1-

.0-

.9-

.0-

1.

1.

2.

4

2.

2.

2.

1 .

74

7

1

2

1

0

5

1

2

2

2

2

2

1

.6

.0

.4

.2

. 1

.0

.3

 

4.

4.

4.

3.

3.

3.

2.

3.

8

6

9

9

4

2'

1

2

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah 

Ac

2.09

.22-1.22 

.64

.7

2.6

.9

1.2

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

4

8

35

3.2-4.4

4.4-12

14-26

___

3.8

7.6

17

54

5.2

10

24
B66 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

somewhat paradoxical that the Ti/Nb ratio in the 

rocks is much more variable than the Zr/Nb ratio.

MOLYBDENUM

Information on the abundance and distribution of 

molybdenum in meteorites is rather limited. For 

stony meteorites, no data are available for achondrites; Case and others (1973) analyzed 26 chondrites for this element, and their data are summarized in table 53. They are in agreement with the 

earlier work of Kuroda and Sadwell (1954). Molybdenum shows a somewhat higher concentration (in 

terms of atoms/106Si) in the carbonaceous chondrites than in the ordinary chondrites; among the

latter, the concentration decreases in the sequence 

H-L-LL, which is also the sequence of decreasing 

metal content. This is to be expected in view of the 

siderophile nature of molybdenum. In composites of 

the chondrites they analyzed, Kuroda and Sanwell 

(1954) found the metal to contain an average of 

8.0 ppm, the troilite 5.7 ppm, and the silicate 0.6 

ppm. Mason and Graham (1970) analyzed metal and 

troilite separates from two chondrites, and found 

that the metal contained 7-10 ppm, the troilite 3 

ppm Mo. The siderophile nature of molybdenum in 

chondrites has been strikingly confirmed by the discovery by Wark and Levering (1976) of minute 

grains of Mo-rich alloy (Mo as high as 26 percent) 

in the Allende (C3) chondrite.

TABLE 51. Zirconium in stony meteorites

I From Knmann und Kebaguy, 1970, and Khniann and others, 1976; and additional data on calcium-rich achondrites from McCarthy 

and others, 1972 and 1973; on chondrites by Palme, 1974, Ehniann and Chyi, 1974, and Ganapthy and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

1

3

1

5

9

2

2

1

2

4

4

3

5

3

4

.6

5

.8

.9

.2

3.

.6

. 1

-5.

.9

-7.

-8.

-6.

8-6

7

-7.

8

5

9

5

7

-

5

-

6

5

5

4

-

5

--

.2

--

.3

.9

.9

.9

.2

9

9

9

8

1

1

1

1

.

.

.

1

2

1

2

1

7

7

1

3

4

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

2

2

1

1

0.64-1 .2

1.0-2.2

1.5

3.9

0.9

1.5

___

 

1.0

1.9

2.7

6.4

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

4

8

100

8.1

15-36

36-87

___

___

24

52

150

11

31

70
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B67

Smales, Mapper and Fouche (1967) determined 

molybdenum in 67 irons, and found a narrow range, 

2.2-24.5 ppm, with a mean of 7.2 ppm. Fifty-eight of 

these meteorites were in the restricted range 4.1- 

8.6 ppm, and there appear to be no systematic differences between the different classes. These results 

are in agreement with the more limited data of 

Murthy (1963) and Wetherill (1964); however, 

Wetherill found one iron, Weaver Mountains (an 

ataxite with 18 percent Ni), with 30.1 ppm.

RUTHENIUM

The data on the abundance of ruthenium in 

chondrites have been assembled and discussed by 

W. Nichiporuk, in Mason (1971), and are summarized in table 54. They show a relatively small 

range over the different chondrite classes, and a 

notable correlation between diminishing metal content and diminishing Ru concentration in the sequence H-L-LL. Kara and Sandell (1960) prepared 

two composite samples of six and nine chondrites

(H and L), and separated and analyzed the metal 

and the troilite phases; the metal contained 4.3 and 

5.3 ppm, the troilite 6.3 and 5.2 ppm Ru. This indicates that Ru is about equally siderophile and chalcophile in ordinary chondrites. However, Mason and 

Graham (1970) found Ru to be concentrated in the 

metal phase of chondrites, and did not detect this 

element in troilite, which suggests that Ru may be 

completely siderophile in these meteorites.

The only analysis for Ru in an achondrite is for 

the diogenite Johnstown, for which a concentration 

of 0.0029 ppm has been recorded (Bate and Huizenga, 1963).

The most extensive data in Ru in iron meteorites 

are those of Crocket (1972), who analyzed for this 

element in 46 irons. He found a range of 0.16-36 

ppm, and an average of 7.32 ppm. Scott and Wasson 

(1975) have plotted the data on a Ru-Ni diagram 

(fig. 13); negative correlations are present within 

the major groups, excluding I A. They noted many 

similarities to the Ir-Ni plot, although the total

TABLE 52. Niobium, in meteorites 

[From Graham and Mason, 1972; Erlank and others, 1972]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

1

2

1

1

1

0.3 

.5-. 6 0.6

.7 

.4 

.4 

0.

1.

1.

9

2

3

7

7

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ac 0.3 0.6

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

Aho

Aeu

1

5

8

5

1.0-2.9

2. 1-6.3

___

1.9

3.5

6.5

2.4

4.6
B68 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

TABLE 53. Molybdenum in stony meteorites 

[From Case and others, 1973]

Class Numb er 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Me an 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondr ites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

2

3

6

7

3

5

1

1

1

1

1

.2-1

.2-1

.7-2

.3-2

.1-1

.8-1

.5

.8

.4

.0

.6

.4

1.

1.

2.

1.

1.

1.

4

5

0

7

3

1

4.

3.

3.

2.

2.

1.

0

4

8

9

0

7

TABLE 54. Ruthenium in stony meteorites 

[From Walter Nichlporuk, In Mason, 1971]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Me an 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

3

3

1

14

11

1

2

0.58-0

.69-

1.0-

.82-

.60-

.5

.92-

.

1

1

.

0

1

.78

88

. 1

.4

82

.1

0. 6 9

.83

1.

1 .

.

--

1.

0

1

7

-

0

5

1

1

1

1

1

1

.9

.8

.8

.8

. 1

.7

.6

4

variation of Ru is only 102, in contrast to 104 for Ir. 

Wark and Levering (1976) have identified micronsized metallic grains containing as much as 49 percent Ru in Ca, Al-rich inclusions in the Allende (C3) 

chondrite.

RHODIUM

The data on rhodium in meteorites have been 

assembled and discussed by W. Nichiporuk, in Mason 

(1971). They indicate that this element is the least 

abundant of the platinum group. The sparse data

for the stony meteorites are presented in table 55. 

No analyses are available for the carbonaceous chondrites. For the other classes of chondrites Rh concencentrations do not range widely; however, it may 

be significant that the single LL meteorite (Benton) 

has the largest Rh concentration and the smallest 

content of metallic nickel-iron of any of the analyzed 

chondrites. Nichiporuk and Brown (1965) separated 

the metal phase from five chondrites and found this 

metal to contain 0.9-1.1 ppm Rh and to account for 

the total rhodium content of these meteorites. This
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B69

20-

I 10

DCs

z 2

UJ ^

I

D 

DC

0.5

EXPLANATION 

oIAB 

oED 

vHF 

S3EZB 

 Anomalous

nrcD

i i i i i

7 8 9 10 12 14 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

16 18 20

FIGURE 13. Logarithmic plot of Ru against Ni for iron 

meteorites. Most groups are shown only in outline; this is 

short dashed when only a few data points define a group. 

The straight dashed line shows the Ru/Ni ratio for Cl 

chondrites. Reprinted from Scott and Wasson (1975), 

copyrighted by American Geophysical Union.

indicates that the rhodium is probably entirely 

siderophile in chondrites.

The data on Rh in iron meteorites indicate a range 

of 0.14-5.5 ppm. Rhodium concentration shows a 

generally inverse relationship to nickel concentration, although there are some exceptions.

PALLADIUM

The date on palladium in meteorites have been 

assembled and discussed by W. Nichiporuk, in Mason 

(1971). The information on stony meteorites is given 

in table 56; this table includes data from Keays, 

Ganapathy, and Anders (1971) on L and LL chondrites, and omits the data of Greenland (1967), 

which are inconsistently high for this element. 

Palladium concentrations are comparable with and 

a little lower than those for ruthenium. Fouche and 

Smales (1967b) analyzed separated magnetic 

(nickel-iron) and nonmagnetic fractions of 20 

chondrites and found Pd to be concentrated in the 

magnetic fraction at 28 to 360 times that in the nonmagnetic fraction; thus palladium is siderophile with 

little or no chalcophile or lithophile affinity.

Nichiporuk and Brown (1965) measured palladium 

in 24 irons, Smales, Mapper, and Fouche (1967) in 

67, and their results are in good agreement. Smales 

and his coworkers found a range from 1.6 to 19.7 

ppm with a mean of 4.3 ppm; only two irons contained more than 10 ppm, San Cristobal (13.8) and 

Santa Catharina (19.7), both of these being ataxites 

having more than 20 percent Ni. Scott (1972) correlated the Pd-Ni relationship in iron meteorites with

TABLE 55. Rhodium in stony meteorites 

[From Walter Nichiporuk, in Mason, 1971]

Clas s Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

H

L

LL

E

4

4

1

1

0.20-0.40

. 15-. 31

.48

.25

0.25

.22

 _

 _

0.40

.31

.70

.36
B70 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

the chemical groupings (fig. 14) ; he pointed out 

that Pd, unlike the other platinum metals, shows 

positive correlations with Ni in several groups, 

specifically I, IIAB, IIIAB, and IVA.

SILVER

Silver is an element of notably low abundance in 

meteorites, seldom as high as 1 ppm and usually 

much less. P. R. Buseck, in Mason (1971), assembled 

and reviewed the data available at that time, but 

since then several papers have been published on 

the abundance of silver in different classes of stony 

meteorites, and these data are summarized in 

table 57. Individual values within the different

classes are notably variable, and this variation is 

sometimes seen in different samples of the same 

meteorite. However, the mean values show some 

significant trends, notably a depletion in the sequence 

C1-C2-C3-(H, L, LL) and in the sequence E4- 

E5-E6. The achondrites are depleted in silver relative to the chondrites. Silver shows a fairly good 

correlation with sulfur in the chondrites, the S/Ag 

ratio (atomic, x 10~6 ) showing a relatively small 

range, from 0.45 to 1.24, suggesting that this element 

is chalcophile in behavior. Greenland (1967) found 

fairly uniform Se/Ag ratios in the chondrites he 

analyzed, which supports this hypothesis. Little 

direct information is available on the distribution of

TABLE 56. Palladium in stony meteorites 

[From Walter Nichiporuk, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Keays and others, 1971]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E6

3

4

3

6

11

3

2

2

0.33-0.62

.59-. 79

.66-1 .0

.52-1 .4

.38-. 78

.48-. 60

.44-1.08

.67-. 69

0.49

.68

.77

.91

.56

.54

.80

.68

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.4

.78

.76

1.3

.93
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B71

10

oc 5

HI 3 

Q_

\fj

fe 4

ID 

Q

i i I i i I r

'IIIAB

IIAB

10 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

EXPLANATION

> I-Anl 

<J I-An2 

v I-An3

oUA 

 IIB

OIVA

*IVB

 Anomalous

20

A UC

 IID

DlIIA

 HIB

 IIIAB

FIGURE 14. Pd-Ni distribution in iron meteorites; the 

dashed line is the Pd/Ni ratio for Cl chondrites. Solid 

lines indicate positive Pd-Ni correlation within groups; 

short-dashed lines enclose well-resolved groups. Reprinted from Scott (1972) and published with permission.

silver in meteorites. Mason and Graham (1970) 

noted that this element was detected in troilite 

separated from chondrites, but not in other minerals. 

Anders and others (1975) found 1.48 and 1.66 ppm 

Ag in HC1, HF-insoluble fractions (largely chromite 

and spinel) of the Allende meteorite, and 0.090 

ppm in the buk meteorite; however, treatment of 

these fractions with nitric acid reduced the silver 

content to 0.08 and 0.03 ppm, which suggests that the 

silver was probably contained in pentlandite rather 

than the chromite and spinel.

Several investigations have been made of silver in 

iron meteorites, the most extensive being that of 

Smales, Mapper, and Fouche (1967). In 67 irons

they found 28 having less than 0.01 ppm, and the 

concentration in the remainder ranged up to 0.1 

ppm. Thus, the concentrations in the irons is notably 

lower than in the chondrites, indicating that silver 

has relatively little siderophile affinity.

CADMIUM

The data on cadmium abundances in meteorites 

were assembled and discussed by P. R. Buseck, in 

Mason (1971). However, since then a considerable 

number of papers with data on cadmium in stony 

meteorites have been published and table 58 is compiled from these sources. The data are extensive, 

but where the same meteorite has been analyzed by 

different investigators the agreement is frequently 

poor. Different samples of the same meteorite may 

give markedly different results (Keays and others, 

1971), suggesting that Cd is inhomogeneously distributed, and sampling may be a problem. The data 

in table 58 show that Cd concentrations may be 

extremely variable within a single class. However, 

significant trends can be distinguished in the means. 

Carbonaceous and E4 chondrites have much higher 

Cd concentrations than other classes of stony meteorites. Cadmium is clearly a strongly depleted element as defined by Anders (1971b), the relative 

depletion in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, L, LL) being 1.00:0.58:0.16:0.03. The Zn/Cd ratio (atomic) 

is fairly constant for the carbonaceous and enstatite 

chondrites at 700-1,100, whereas in the ordinary 

(H, L, LL) chondrites this ratio is 2,600-3,300, indicating a considerable depletion in Cd relative to Zn 

in the (H, L, LL) classes. In general, the achondrites 

are depleted in Cd relative to the chondrites.

Iron meteorites have even lower Cd abundances 

than stones. Rossman and de Laeter (1974) analyzed 

19 irons, and found Cd contents ranging from 0.1 to 

22.3 ppb, the mean being 5.2 ppb. They note a strikingly different abundance pattern of Cd and Zn in 

irons; for example, Zn abundances in group I irons 

are tightly clustered, whereas Cd abundances range 

widely.

Cadmium is chalcophile in terrestrial rocks and 

presumably also in meteorites, although no analyses 

for cadmium on separated minerals have been found 

in the literature.

INDIUM

The abundance data for indium in meteorites were 

assembled and discussed by P. A. Baedecker, in 

Mason (1971), but since then a large number of 

publications dealing with this element has appeared
B72 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

and table 59 has been compiled from these sources. 

The data for chondrites show that indium is a strongly depleted element, the relative depletion in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, L) being 1.00:0.48:0.25:0.04; 

a similar depletion is evident in the sequence E4- 

E5-E6. Table 59 shows the extreme variability in 

indium concentrations within the H, L, and LL 

groups. This was first established by Tandon and 

Wasson (1968) in a suite of L chondrites, and they 

found a significant correlation with petrological type, 

indium concentrations diminishing in the sequence 

L3-L4-L5-L6; they also establshed a strong correlation between indium concentrations, total C, and 

concentrations of primordial 3(iAr and 182Xe. These 

findings stimulated a great interest in the abundance

and distribution of indium in meteorites, hence the 

large number of recent publications. Other investigators have confirmed Tandon and Wasson's findings, 

and extended them to the other chondrite classes. 

The geochemical behavior of indium is evidently 

linked with its volatility; along with Bi and Tl, it 

has the lowest condensation temperature of any of 

the metallic elements (^460°K from a solar gas at 

10"n atmosphere, according to Laul and others, 1973). 

Accordingly, it is also an element likely to be volatilized and lost from a meteorite undergoing mild 

thermal metamorphism; Ikramuddin and Lipschutz

(1975) and Ikramuddin, Binz, and Lipschutz (1976) 

demonstrated this experimentally in the Allende

(C3) and Abee (E4) meteorites.

TABLE 57. Silver in stony meteorites

[F'rom P. R. Buseck, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Keays and others, 1971; Laul and others, 1972 and 1973; Krahenbiihl and others, 1973; Bin/ and others, 1975; Anders and others, 1976; and Higuchi and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

3

7

22

11

11

4

1

5

118-238

33-172

81-158

22-240

36-1,350

29-554

220-377

189

14-167

182

115

111

91

163

137

304

 _

91

0.46

.23

.19

. 14

.23

.19

.48

.29

.12

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Au

1 

6

13-74 

4.4-89

44 

32

0.04 

.04

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa 

An 

Aho

Aeu

18

40-58 

3.1-214

49

44

34

0.02 

.06 

.05

0.04

1 Omitting one value of 2,100 ppb.
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B73 

TABLE 58. Cadmium in stony meteorites

[From P. R. Buseck, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Laul and others, 1972 and 1973; Krahenbiihl and others, 1973; Binz and 

others, 1974, 1975 and 1976; Rosman and de Laeter, 1974; Chou and others, 1976a; and Anders and others, 1976]

Class Number Range

analyzed (ppb)

Mean

(ppb)

Atoms/10 6 Si

Chondrites

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3 

3

7

11

12

11

4

1

5

434-686 

379-610

4-485

1-152

7-129

3-96

85-918

42

4-220

639 

470

155

30

41

37

640

___

72

1.55 

.90

.25

.04

.05

.05

.96

.06

.09

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

2

1

4

2-14

14

12-85

8

___

38

0.007

.014

.050

Calcium-rich achondrites

An

Aho

Aeu

2

5

5

71-92

1.6-88

1.7-8.7

82

23

4.4

0.091

.024,

.005
B74 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

Indium is evidently strongly chalcophile in chondrites. Fouche and Smales (1967a) separated six 

H and L chondrites into magnetic (metal phase) and 

nonmagnetic fractions and analyzed each fraction 

separately; an upper limit of 0.0005 ppm was found 

in the metal phase, whereas in the nonmagnetic 

fractions the In concentration ranged up to 0.10 

ppm. They also found that 90 percent of the indium 

in the nonmagnetic fractions of the Abee (E4), Daniel's Kuil (E6), and Bruderheim (L6) meteorites 

could be leached out with bromine water, which dissolves troilite and other sulfides.

Smales, Mapper, and Fouche (1967) measured 

indium in 67 iron meteorites; for 38 they recorded 

<0.01 ppm, and for the remainder the range is 

0.0003-0.041 ppm.

TIN

The rather sparse data on tin in meteorites were 

assembled and discussed by P. R. Buseck, in Mason 

(1971). He noted the variability of the results obtained on the same meteorite by different analysts, 

and sometimes in replicates of the same meteorite 

by a single analyst, and remarked, "It is unclear 

whether the spread is a reflection of the difficulties 

of the analyses or whether it indicates a lack of tin 

homogeneity in these meteorites" (p. 377). De 

Laeter, McCulloch, and Rosman (1974) analyzed 18 

chondrites and 2 achondrites; their results are summarized in table 60. They pointed out that Sn is a 

strongly depleted element in chondrites, the ratio 

(atomic) in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, L) being

TABLE 59. Indium in stony meteorites

[From P. A. Baedecker, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Keays and others, 1971; Laul and others, 1972 and 1973; Krahenbuhl 

and others, 1973 ; Binz and others, 1974, 1975, and 1976; Baedecker and Wasson, 1975 ; Ikramuddin and Lipschutz, 1975 ; Ikramuddin and others, 1976; Chow and others, 1976a, b; Wasson and others, 1976; and Anders and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 6 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

3

7

22

10

11

4

1

5

72-88

46-51

23-45

.054-103

.06-25.5

.59-81

13-87

22

.39-5.7

5.

5.

11

68

___

3.

80

49

30

5

7

2

0. 19

.091

.047

.008

.007

.014

.10

.031

.004

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

2

1

5

0.22-0.29

.50

1.2-2.5

0.26

 -

1.7

0.0002

.0005

.002

Calcium-rich achondrites

An

Aho

Aeu

20.3-24.4

1.67-13.8

.52-4.04

22.4 

5.2 

1.5

0.024

.005

.002
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B75

1.00:0.46:0.24:0.12; the limited data for the enstatite chondrites shows a comparable depletion from 

E4 to E6.

Tin appears to be siderophile in chondrites. Onishi and Sandell (1957) and Shima (1964) found 

this element to be essentially confined to the magnetic (nickel-iron) fraction of these meteorites. Its 

concentration in the metal phase may account for 

the variable analytical results, owing to sampling 

problems.

De Laeter and Jeffery (1967) analyzed 14 irons 

for Sn, and compared their results with those of 

previous investigators. They found a range from 

0.1 to 7.6 ppm, in good agreement with prior results; 

however, Winchester and Aten (1957) recorded two 

irons with higher values, Tocopilla (20.2 ppm) and 

Muonionalusta (10.7 ppm). De Laeter and Jeffery's 

mean is 1.9 ppm; they observed that this mean is 

raised by a high mean (5.8 ppm) for the coarse 

octahedrites, and that the other classes of iron 

meteorites appear to be relatively impoverished in 

tin. Scott (1972) correlated Sn contents with the

Ga-Ge groups; he noted that the highest abundances 

(4-8 ppm) are found in group I.

ANTIMONY

The data on antimony in meteorites were assembled and discussed by W. D. Ehmann, in Mason 

(1971). Since then, however, a considerable amount 

of new data has been published, and this has been 

used in the preparation of table 61; in general these 

new data are in good agreement with earlier work. 

Antimony shows moderate depletion in the sequence 

C1-C2-(H, L, LL), the ratio (atomic) being 1.00: 

0.61:0.32 (the mean figure for C3 chondrites seems 

anomalously high). Among the enstatite chondrites 

the E6 class is significantly depleted with respect to 

E4 and E5. The limited data on achondrites show 

that most of them are depleted relative to the chondrites.

Antimony appears to be siderophile in stony 

meteorites. Fouche and Smales (1967b) analyzed 

separately the metallic phase and the nonmagnetic

TABLE 60. Tin in.stony meteorites 

[From de Laeter and others, 1974J

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

E4

E6

1

2

2

8

3

1

1

1.64

.88-1.02

.42-. 78

.08-. 57

.27-. 37

1.65

.67

___

0.95

.58

.31

.34

___

 

3.7

1.7

.89

.43

.43

2.2

.82

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 0.04-0. 12 0.08 0.07

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aeu 0.37-0.42 0.39 0.41
B76 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

material in 20 chondrites, and found that most of the 

antimony was in the metal phase. For the H chondrites, the metal contained an average of 0.39 ppm 

and nonmagnetic fraction 0.034 ppm; for the L 

chondrites, 0.81 ppm and 0.031 ppm; for the E 

chondrites, 0.67 ppm and 0.055 ppm. The antimony 

not in the metal phase is probably in troilite rather 

than silicates, since this element is strongly chalcophile in terrestrial environments.

Smales, Mapper, and Fouche (1967) measured 

antimony in 67 irons, finding a range from 0.003 to 

2.2 ppm, with a mean of 0.21 ppm. Except for San 

Cristobal (2.2) and Santa Catharina (1.56), all 

figures were less than 0.7 ppm, and they suggested

that the two high values may be due to the presence 

of troilite inclusions in the samples of these meteorites. Scott (1972) correlated these data with Ni 

content and Ga-Ge grouping (fig. 15); groups I, 

IIIAB, and IVA are clearly resolved, with a positive 

correlation plainly visible in IIIAB.

TELLURIUM

Fairly extensive data exist for the abundance of 

tellurium in stony meteorites, but very little for 

tellurium in iron meteorites. The data available to 

1970 were assembled and discussed by I. Pelly and 

M. E. Lipschutz, in Mason (1971). However, since 

then, extensive new data have been published on

TABLE 61. Antimony in stony meteorites

[Data for chondrites from Krahenbiihl and others, 1973; Binz and others, 1974 and 1976; Anders and others, 1976; 

for achondrites from Tanner and Ehmann, 1967, and Higuchi and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

2

7

7

5

3

3

2

4

124-184

103-107

41-203

59-130

58-110

64-88

138-241

232-345

87-301

138

105

126

79

82

74

215

289

156

0.31

.19

.19

.11

.10

.091

.30

.38

.19

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

2

2

4

15-38

6-36

8-28

27

21

14

0.022

.020

.017

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aho 

Aeu

62-230 

24

146 0.14

.024
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B77

0.1

DC 

LJJ 

Q_

(2

DC

O 0.01 5 

p

0.001

*/'

y

me

i i l l I I I I I_L

10 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

EXPLANATION

20

AI

> I-Anl 

< I-An2

v J-An3

ollA 

 IIB

A IIC

*IID

DIIIA

 IIJB 

 IIIAB

* IIIC

0 IVA

*IVB

 Anomalous

FIGURE 15. Sb-Ni distribution in iron meteorites; all iron 

meteorites fall below the Sb/Ni ratio for Cl chondrites, 

dashed in upper left corner. Solid line indicates positive 

Sb-Ni correlation within group IIIAB; short-dashed lines 

enclose well-resolved groups. Reprinted from Scott (1972) 

and published with permission.

chondrites, and these have been used in the preparation of table 62. Tellurium is a normally depleted 

element in chondrites, according to Case and others 

(1973) and Krahenbuhl and others (1973); in the 

sequence C1-C2-C3-H the relative concentration 

(atomic) of tellurium decreases in the proportion 

1.00:048:0.20:0.06, and a similar depletion is evident in the sequence E4-E5-E6.

Little is known about the distribution of tellurium 

among different phases of meteorites. Mason and 

Graham (1970) recorded that this element shows 

approximately equal concentration in metal and

troilite of chondrites and is absent from the other 

phases; this indicates that tellurium is both siderophile and chalcophile in these meteorities. In iron 

meteorites, however, tellurium appears to be almost 

exclusively chalcophile, according to Goles and Anders (1962); they recorded 5 ppm in Canyon 

Diablo troilite, 0.09 ppm in the metal, and 1.7 ppm 

in Toluca troilite, 0.05 ppm in the metal. The 

equilibrium conditions in iron meteorites, however, 

may have been considerably different from those in 

the chondrites.

IODINE

The data on iodine in meteorites were assembled 

and discussed by G. W. Reed, in Mason (1971). 

Since then, no additional data have been published. 

The information for chondrites are summarized in 

table 63. The data are rather sparse, and are frequently variable for the same meteorite analyzed by 

different investigators, and for different samples of 

the same meteorite analyzed by the same investigator. Thus, for Bruderheim (L6) the following 

values (ppb) have been recorded: 16, 27, 5 (Goles 

and Anders, 1962); 450, ^74 (Reed and Alien, 

1966); 6, 7 (Goles and others, 1967); 18, 27 (Clark 

and others, 1967). The figures for Cl carbonaceous 

chondrites are somewhat more consistent: Orgueil 

400 (Goles and others), 230 (Reed and Alien); 

Ivuna 500, 1040, 1210 (Reed and Alien). Goles and 

Anders (1962) and Reed and Alien (1966) have 

shown that a significant amount of the iodine in 

chondrites is water leachable, which may account for 

much of the variability shown by different samples 

of the same meteorite. Iodine behaves as a strongly 

depleted element in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, 

L), the ratio (atomic) being 1.00:0.57:0.26:0.08; a 

similar depletion is evident in the sequence E4- 

E5-E6.

Clark and others (1967) determined iodine in a 

considerable number of achondrites, the results ranging from 14 to 1,000 ppb, and most were less than 

100 ppb. Goles and Anders (1962) and Goles and 

others (1967) measured iodine in troilite and metal 

from several iron meteorites, with the following 

results (in ppb, the first figure for metal, the second 

for troilite) : Grant 11, 24; Toluca 250, 1,030; Canyon Diablo 28, 62; Sardis 99, 3,590. The higher 

figure for iodine in some of the troilites suggests 

that this element is chalcophile; however, both 

Toluca and Sardis are finds, and the latter is strongly 

weathered, so the high iodine contents may be a 

terrestrial effect. Reed and Alien (1966) found 1,700 

ppb I in chlorapatite from the Mt. Stirling iron.
B78 DATA OP GEOCHEMISTRY

CESIUM

Cesium is an element of low abundance in meteorites. The only record greater than 1 ppm is 2.8 

ppm in the dark part of the Krahenberg (LL5) 

chondrite; the light part contained 0.08 ppm. The 

data available to 1970 were assembled and discussed 

by G. G. Goles, in Mason (1971). However, since 

then, many additional determinations have been 

made, and these have been used in the compilation of 

table 64. Cesium is a depleted element in chondrites; 

in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(HL5, 6) the atomic 

ratio is 1.00:0.54:0.28:0.12, and a similar depletion 

is seen in the sequence E4-E5, 6. However, the 

figures for the ordinary (H, L, LL) chondrites show

a high degree of variability. The H3,4 and L3,4 

chondrites are notably enriched in Cs relative to the 

(5,6) types of these classes. This trend is not evident in the data for the LL class (Laul and others, 

1973), in which Jelica (LL6) has the highest Cs 

content, except for the light part of Krahenberg 

mentioned above. Since Cs is the most volatile of the 

alkali metals, the erratic behavior of this element in 

chondrites can be ascribed, at least in part, to this 

factor (Goles, 1971).

The only information on the distribution of Cs 

over the different minerals of meteorites has been 

provided by Mason and Graham (1970), who found 

0..3-0.4 ppm Cs in plagioclase from the Modoc (L6),

TABLE 62. Tellurium in stony meteorites

[Data on chondrites from Keays and others, 1971; Krahenbiihl and others, 1973; and Binz and others, 1974, 1976; on achondrltes, from

Clark and others, 1967, and Binz and others, 1975]

Clas s Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

3

6

3

10

2

3

2

4

2.89-3. 14

1.75-2.02

. 15-1.4

.22-. 43

.14-. 97

.41-. 61

1.5-3.0

.25-1 .3

.25-. 52

3.04

1.86

.90

.30

.48

.55

2.4

.78

.41

6

3

1

3

.5

. 1

.3

.39

.57

.64

.2

.99

.46

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

3

1

5

0.22-2.3

. 12

.023-. 093

0.93

 _

.050

0.74

.11

.059

Calcium-rich achondrites

An

Aho

Aeu

0. 15 

.16 

.16-.36 .25

0. 15 

.15 

.24
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B79

St. Severin (LL6), and Winona (E?) meteorites. 

This would account for the major part of the Cs in 

these meteorites.

The achondrites are generally depleted in Cs relative to the chondrites, with the notable exception of 

the nakhlites; it should be noted that the nakhlites 

are also notably rich in Rb relative to the other 

achondrites.

BARIUM

The data on barium in meteorites were assembled 

and discussed by C. C. Schnetzler, in Mason (1971). 

Since then, additional information has been published and has been incorporated in table 65. Although the data on stony meteorites are quite extensive, for many of them, especially finds, values tend 

to be high and erratic, probably the result of terrestrial contamination; for example, Moore and 

Brown (1963) found a range from 3 to 290 ppm in 

45 chondrite finds. On this account, considerable 

selectivity has been used in assembling the data for 

table 65, finds being omitted; where different figures 

are available for the same meteorite, the lowest 

value has generally been taken. The table shows 

that the abundance of barium is fairly uniform 

over the different chondrite classes, and ranges from 

2 to 6 ppm, with no significant fractionation between the different classes. Hubbard and Gast 

(1971) analyzed a chondrite composite and found 

3.8 ppm. The calcium-poor achondrites have Ba 

abundances comparable with those in the chondrites, 

whereas the calcium-rich achondrites are relatively 

enriched in this element. Mason and Graham (1970)

found that most of the Ba in stony meteorites is contained in plagioclase (40-72 ppm), and minor 

amounts in calcium phosphate minerals (11-16 

ppm). In a melilite-clinopyroxene chondrule from 

the Allende meteorite, Mason and Martin (1974) 

found 66 ppm in the melilite and 18 ppm in the 

pyroxene. In the angrite Angra dos Reis, the 21.5 

ppm Ba probably resides in the accessory mineral 

celsian, BaAl2Si2 08 .

THE LANTHANIDES

Prior to 1960, our knowledge of the abundance of 

the lanthanides in meteorites was limited to a single 

determination by Noddack (1935), using X-ray spectroscopy, of these elements in a composite mixture 

(12 parts chondrite, 1 part achondrite). Beginning 

in 1960, however (Schmitt and others, 1960), a 

large amount of data has been accumulated, mainly 

by the techniques of neutron activation, isotope dilution, and spark-source mass spectrographic analysis. 

An extensive account was provided by Haskin and 

others (1966), and their data are summarized in 

table 66, together with additional information from 

table 84 on a chassignite, a ureilite, an angrite, and 

two howardites.

The lanthanides are a unique group of elements, 

strongly coherent geochemically because of the filling of the 4-/ electron shell. The ionic radius decreases gradually from 1.14A (La+3 ) to 0.85A 

(Lu+3 ) the lanthanide contraction and chemical 

fractionation of the individual elements is thereby 

inhibited (as was demonstrated by the century-long 

struggle to separate and characterize the individual

TABLE 63. Iodine in chondrites 

[From O. W. Heed, in Mason, 1971]

Class

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

E4

E5

E6

Number

analyzed

2

2

2

2

3

2

1

1

Range

(ppb)

230-1,210

300-480

170-260

67-120

30-76

140-300

64-100

17-89

Mean

(ppb)

580

390

215

68

53

220

82

53

Atoms/ 106Si

1.16

.66

.30

.09

.07

.29

.10

.06
B80 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

elements). This geochemical coherence may be somewhat modified for Ce by its having a stable Ce+4 ion, 

and for Eu by its existence as Eu+2 under reducing 

conditions.

Table 66 shows that the abundances of the individual elements vary little over the different classes 

of chondrites, especially when the figures for atoms/ 

106Si are compared (which eliminates the effect of 

the combined water content of Cl and C2 chondrites). Cerium shows greater variability than the 

other lanthanides; Masuda, Nakamura, and Tanaka

(1973) noted anomalous Ce abundances in some 

chondrites. Among the chondrite classes, lanthanide 

abundances are consistently highest in the C3 chondrites. This has been investigated intensively in the 

Allende meteorite, and shown to be due to the 

presence therein of Ca,Al-rich chondrules and aggregates containing concentrations of lanthanides 

up to 20 and more times the chondritic average (for 

example, Cast and others, 1970; Tanaka and Masuda, 1973; Martin and Mason, 1974). Enstatite 

chondrites show consistently lower lanthanide abunTABLE 64. Cesium in stony meteorites

[From Keays and others, 1971; Laul and others, 1972 and 1973; Krahenbiihl and others, 1973; Blnz and others, 1975; Anders and

others, 1976; and Hlguchi and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H3,

H5,

L3,

L5,

LL

E4

E5

E6

4

6

4

6

3

3

7

7

15

8

4

11

4

1

5

178-211

121-137

59-98

22-188

53-110

110-619

4.0-72

36-590

110-241

35

36-147

192

131

81

101

38

307

40

202

202

___

90

0.39

.21

.11

.12

.046

.35

.045

.23

.26

.043

.098

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

1

1

4

60

7.6

1.9-6.3

_-_

 _

3.5

0.046

.0064

.0039

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

5

7

1.9

287-288

2. 3-28

2.1-43.5

___

288

9.6

14

0.0020

.27

.0086

.013
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B81

dances than the other chondrite classes. The calciumpoor achondrites have abundances similar to those in 

chondrites, except for the ureilite, which is strongly 

depleted in these elements. The calcium-rich achondrites show strong enrichment in the lanthanides, 

the highest concentrations being in Angra dos Reis 

(Aa), a unique meteorite which also has the highest 

Ca concentration of any meteorite. It can be predicted that calcium would be the only major element 

for which the lanthanides could be expected to proxy, 

since its ionic radius falls within the lanthanide 

series, being close to that of Nd.

Although the lanthanides proxy for calcium, they 

are quite selective in the phases that they enter. 

Mason and Graham (1970) have shown that in the 

Modoc (L6) and St. Severin (LL6) chondrites practically all the lanthanides are contained in the accessory phosphate minerals, and very little in other 

calcium minerals (except Eu, which is enriched in 

plagioclase as Eu+2 ). In the calcium-rich achondrites, 

which contain little or no phosphate, the lanthanides 

are distributed between the calcium-rich pyroxene 

and the calcium-rich plagioclase in a complementary 

fashion, the pyroxene being relatively enriched in 

the heavier elements and strongly depleted in Eu, 

whereas the plagioclase is enriched in the lighter 

elements and shows a strong positive Eu anomaly 

(Schnetzler and Philpotts, 1969). A similar distribution pattern between calcium-rich pyroxene and 

melilite in a chondrule from the Allende (C3) meteorite has been established by Mason and Martin 

(1974).

TABLE 65. Barium in stony meteorites

[From C. C. Schnetzler, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from McCarthy and others, 1972 and 1973; Nakamura and Masuda, 1973;

and Nakamura, 1974]

Clas s Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10°Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E6

1

2

1

4

4

2

2

1

2

3

3

2

2

.5

4

.2

.3

3.

.3

2

.4

-3.

.4

-5.

-3.

5-6

-2.

.8

1

3

9

8

--

2.

4.

3.

4.

2.

 

8

1

7

8

6

4

4

5

4

4

5

3

3

.8

.4

.8

.9 ,

.0

.2

.2

.0

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah 

Ac

2

2.5-4 

7.1

3.3

1.5 

2.7 

8.4

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

4

8

21.5

32.5

10-22

18.6-53.0

___

___

15

30.7

21

30

13

28
TABLE 66. Lanthanides in stony meteorites 

[Figures In parentheses are number of meteorites analyzed in each class. From Haskln and others, 1966, and additional data from 

Absolute abundances,

La 

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

La 

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Cl(2)

0.19 

.63

.094

.42

.133

.053

.24

.044

.22

.056

.14

.022

.13

.023

0.37 

1.2

.18

.79

.24

.094

.42

.076

.37

.092

.23

.035

.20

.035

C2(3)

0.31 

.91

.12

.60

.20

.074

.31

.046

.34

.072

.23

.033

.18

.030

0.48 

1.4

.18

.89

.29

.10

.42

.062

.45

.094

.30

.042

.22

.037

C3(3)

0.39 

1.15

.14

.82

.29

.100

.42

.064

.41

.093

.26

.041

.22

.036

0.51 

1.5

.18

1.0

.35

.12

.48

.072

.46

.10

.28

.043

.23

.037

H(4)

0.32 

.63

.12

.60

.22

.080

.34

.053

.33

.074

.23

.039

, .19

.034

0.38 

.74

.14

.68

.24

.087

.36

.055

.33

.073

.23

.038

.18

.030

L(3)

0.36 

1.5

.14

.67

.23

.083

.36

.053

.33

.085

.25

.035

.20

.036

0.33 

1.6

.15

.70

.23

.081

.34

.049

.30

.077

.22

.032

.17

.030

LL(2)

0.28 

.88

.10

.65

.22

.073

.29

.053

.34

.078

.21

.034

.18

.031

Atoms/ 10

0.30 

.94

.11

.67

.22

.072

.28

.049

.31

.070

.19

.030

.16

.026

E(3)

0.20 

.58

.10

.32

.13

.046

.20

.031

.18

.046

.14

.020

.12

.023

6Si

0.22 

.65

.11

.35

.13

.048

.20

.030

.17

.044

.13

.018

.11

.021

in ppm

Ae(l)

0.21 

.81

.11

.63

.22

.022

.38

.061

.40

.100

.25

.036

.22

.039

0.17 

.64

.086

.48

.16

.016

.27

.042

.27

.066

.16

.023

.14

.024

Ah(l)

0.44 

.4

 

 

.080

.0089

 

 

.14

.036

.14

.021

.15

.033

0.35 

.32

 

 

.060

.0067

 

 

.097

.024

.094

.014

.097

.021

Ac(l)

0.39 

1.12

.13

.54

.11

.038

.11

.02

.12

.03

.09

 

.10

 

0.45 

1.3

.15

.61

.12

.041

.11

.021

.12

.030

.087

 

.094

 

Au(l)

0.070

.019

 

.014

.0041

.025

 

.022

.0054

.018

 

.025

.0085

0.075

.020

 

.014

.0041

.023

 

.021

.0048

.016

 

.021

.0072

Aa(l)

8.3 

19

3.7

17

5.5

1.6

7.6

1.1

8.7

2.0

4.6

.56

4.2

.7

8.2 

19

3.6

16

5.0

1.4

6.6

.95

7.3

1.7

3.8

.45

3.3

.55

A
TABLE 67. Lanthanide abundances in chondrite composites

[In parts per million. A. Haskin and others, 1966; B. Haskin and others, 1968; C. Hubbard and Gast, 1971; D. Nakamura, 1974; B. Osborn and othe

theses, number of chondrites analyzed; leaders indicate no data]

Composite

La 

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

A(20)

0.30 

.84

.12

.58

.21

.074

.32

.049

.31

.073

.21

.033

.17

.031

B(9)

0.330 

.88

.112

.60

.181

.069

.249

.047

 

.070

.200

.030

.200

.034

C

0.325 

.798

 

.567

.186

.0692

.255

 

.305

 

.209

 

.231

.0349

D(10)

0.329 

.865

 

.630

.203

.0770

.276

 

.343

 

.225

 

.220

.0339
B84 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

10

1.0

DC 

LU 

Q_

0.1

0.01

Aeu

C1

Aeu

La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu

FIGURE 16. Lanthanide abundances in Cl chondrites, C3 chondrites, and the eucrites (calciumrich achondrites); note the regularity of the even-odd elemental pattern and the gradual decrease in abundance with increasing atomic number.
OOSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B85

50

20

10

E 

o

z 

o I 

o

LLJ

E 

OLLJ

H

S2

LLJ

0.5

0.2

La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu

FIGURE 17. Chondrite-normalized lanthanide abundances in achondrites. A, Norton County (Ae); B, 

Zmenj (Aho); C, Estherville silicates (M); D, Bununu (Aho); E, Moore County (Aeu); F, Juvinas 

(Aeu); G, Stannern (Aeu); H, Angra dos Reis (Aa).

The lanthanide distribution in meteorites provides the clearest example of the validity of the 

Oddo-Harkins rule, which states that elements of 

even atomic number are more abundant than those 

of odd atomic number on either side. This is illustrated in figure 16, which compares the lanthanide 

abundances in the Cl, C3, and Aeu meteorites 

(from table 66). The close parallelism of these patterns, covering practically the full range of anthanide 

abundances in stony meteorites, is quite remarkable.
B86 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

The figure also illustrates the gradual decrease in 

abundance with increasing atomic number, although 

Sm shows a somewhat lower abundance than would 

be predicted from a smooth curve.

To aid in the comparison of lanthanide distribution paterns not only in meteorites, but also in lunar 

and terrestrial rocks, the convention of normalization to mean chondritic abundances has been widely 

adopted. This procedure, in which the abundance of 

each element is divided by the mean chondritic 

abundance of that element and the quotient then 

plotted (usually on a logarithmic scale, as in fig. 17), 

eliminates the sawtooth pattern of figure 16 and 

facilitates the interpretation of lanthanide distributions. A number of chondrite composites have been 

analyzed by different researchers to provide the 

normalizing abundances; these are given in table 

67. As can be seen, good agreement exists between 

the different sets of figures, especially when the 

figures for Gd and Yb in set A are eliminated.

Figure 17 presents normalized lanthanide distributions for a variety of achondrites. (The numerical 

data for these meteorites are given in table 84.) A 

notable feature is the relative flatness and parallelism of most of the curves, indicating" a lack of f ractionation between individual elements. The lanthanide abundances increase in the sequence Norton 

County (Ae), Zmenj (Aho), Estherville (silicates 

from a mesosiderite), Bununu (Aho), Moore County, 

Juvinas, Stannern (Aeu), Angra dos Reis (Aa). 

The anomalous behavior of Eu is clearly seen in 

Moore County and Norton County, and to a lesser 

extent in Stannern. The positive Eu anomaly in 

Moore County has been plausibly ascribed to the 

presence of cumulus plagioclase enriched in this 

element (Schnetzler and Philpotts, 1969). The negative Eu anomalies in Norton County and Stannern 

can correspondingly be considered evidence for the 

possible removal of plagioclase from the parent 

material of these meteorites.

The Eu anomalies in meteorites were for a long 

time considered unique to this element among the 

lanthanides. However, Tanaka and Masuda (1973) 

discovered Yb anomalies (both positive and negative) in components of the Allende meteorite, and 

these have been confirmed by Martin and Mason

(1974) and others. Conrad, Schmitt, and Boynton

(1975) and Mason and Martin (1977) found strong 

positive Tm anomalies in Ca,Al-rich aggregates 

from the Allende meteorite. Therefore, although in 

general the lanthanides behave as a very coherent 

group in meteorites, individual components in these 

meteorites may show marked f ractionations between 

adjacent elements.

Haskin and others (1966) reported that partial 

analyses of two irons for lanthanides show these 

elements to be present in very low concentrations of 

the order of 10-4-10-5 ppm, confirming their lithophile 

character.

HAFNIUM

Hafnium (and zirconium) were determined by 

neutron activation analysis in 28 chondrites and 7 

achondrites by Ehmann and Rebagay (1970) ; the 

data for achondrites were revised and extended by 

Ehmann and others (1976). Additional data have 

been provided by Jerome (1970), Ehmann and Chyi 

(1974), and Ganapathy, Papia, and Grossman 

(1976). The more recent data have tended to revise 

earlier determinations for both elements downwards, 

and to lower the Zr/Hf weight ratio; Ehmann and 

Rebagay (1970) gave an average value of approximately 38 for this ratio in 28 chondrites, and 

Ganapathy, Papia, and Grossman (1976) gave 31.3 ± 

2.2 (on the basis of analyses of 4 chondrites). The 

information summarized in table 68 indicates that 

a weight ratio in the 30-35 range is reasonable; it 

is probably significant that this ratio is shown by 

the calcium-rich achondrites, in which both Zr and 

Hf are strongly enriched relative to the chondrites. 

Values deviating from the 30-35 range are based 

on few data points and very low values for Hf in 

the calcium-poor achondrites. The evidence favors 

close geochemical coherence of Zr and Hf in stony 

meteorites, and no fractionation between these 

elements in different classes.

TANTALUM

The data on tantalum abundance in meteorites are 

rather sparse, being essentially those of Atkins and 

Smales (1960) and Ehmann (1965), with two determinations by Wanke, Baddenhausen, Balacescu, and 

others (1972) Kapoeta (Aho), 0.10 ppm; Juvinas 

(Aeu), 0.12 ppm. The data are summarized in table 

69. They indicate a rather uniform abundance in the 

different chondrite classes, and relative depletion in 

the calcium-poor achondrites and enrichment in the 

calcium-rich achondrites a pattern characteristic 

of many nonvolatile lithophile elements. Graham 

and Mason (1972) noted that the Nb/Ta weight ratio 

in stony meteorites ranged from 14 to 30, but in 

view of the paucity of data for both these elements, 

no significance can be deduced from the range of 

this ratio; for the calcium-rich achondrites, in 

which both Nb and Ta have been determined in the 

same meteorites, this ratio is 29 (Kapoeta), 23 

(Juvinas), and 30 (Pasamonte).

The few determinations of Ta in iron meteorites
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B87

give concentrations of the order of 1 ppb, confirming 

the lack of siderophile affinity of this element.

TUNGSTEN

The most extensive data on tungsten in meteorites 

have been provided by Atkins and Smales (1960) 

and Amiruddin and Ehmann (1962), and their results are in excellent agreement. Rieder and Wanke 

(1969) measured this element in 10 chondrites, but 

their results are approximately 50 percent higher 

than those reported by the other two groups, and 

have not been used in compiling table 70. Wanke, 

Baddenhausen, Balacescu, and others (1972) provided data on two calcium-rich achondrites: Kapoeta 

(Aho), 36 ppb; Juvinas (Aeu), 41 ppb. Hintenberger, Jochum, and Seufert (1973) analyzed 11

stony meteorites; their results for comparable meteorites are somewhat higher than those of Amiruddin and Ehmann, but have been used in table 70 for 

the Cl and E chondrites.

Amiruddin and Ehmann noted a correlation between tungsten abundances and metal-phase content 

in stony meteorites. This is reflected in the high 

abundance in the E chondrites, which are relatively 

enriched in metal phase, and in the low abundances 

in the LL chondrite and the achondrites, which contain little or no metal (except the ureilite). Tungsten 

is evidently a strongly siderophile element; Mason 

and Graham (1970) noted the presence of this element in metal separates from chondrites, and were 

unable to detect it in other phases. Iron meteorites 

are notably enriched in this element relative to

TABLE 68. Hafnium, in meteorites

[From Ehmann and Rebagay, 1970; and additional data from Ehmann and others, 1976; Jerome, 1970; Ehmann and Chyi,

1974; and Ganapathy and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Calcium-poor achondrites

Zr/Hf 

(weight)

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

1

1

1

5

8

2

3

0.11

.14

.19

.09-. 38

.07-. 32

.14-. 15

.07-. 21

 

 

 

0.18

.17

.15

.14

0.17

.17

.19

.17

.14

.13

.12

28

33

31

35

35

48

36

Ae

Ah

Au

2

2

1

0.01-0.03

.01-. 05

.055

0.02

.03

 

0.01

.02

.05

45

50

71

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

5

9

3

.25

.50-. 92

.61-2.88

 

 

.70

1.50

2.30

.17

.47

1.04

33

32

34

35
B88 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

chondrites. In five irons, Amiruddin and Ehmann 

(1962) recorded 0.78-1.45 ppm; in a sample of 

troilite from the Canyon Diablo iron they recorded 

0.020, 0.013 ppm, and remarked that these figures 

were upper limits because of the possibility of inclusions of metal.

Wanke and others (1974) noted the remarkably 

high concentration of 1.84 ppm W in a Ca, Al-rich 

chondrule from the Allende (C3) meteorite, approximately 20 times the concentration in the bulk 

meteorite. Similar enrichment was noted for many 

other refractory elements, and this is consistent with 

the interpretation of these chondrules as high-temperature condensates. Wark and Levering (1976) 

have found up to 2 percent tungsten in metal grains 

included in these Allende chondrules. Scott (1972) 

pointed out that tungsten has the highest condensation temperature of the elements, 1,960K at 10"* 

atm.

RHENIUM

The data on rhenium in meteorites have been assembled and discussed by J.W. Morgan, in Mason 

(1971). Additional information has been provided 

by Case and others (1973), Krahenbiihl and others 

(1973), Hintenberger, Jochum, and Seufert (1973), 

Herman and Wichtl (1974), Anders and others 

(1976), and Higuchi and others (1976). These additional figures are in good agreement with earlier determinations, except for the data of Hintenberger, 

Jochum, and Seufert (1973), which tend to be considerably higher than other measurements on the 

same meteorites; the discrepancy may lie in the 

technique used, since Hintenberger and coworkers 

utilized spark-source mass spectrometry, whereas 

all other determinations were made by neutron-activation analysis. The results are summarized in table 

71. Rhenium is a strongly siderophile element, and 

the data in table 71 reflect this. Atomic abundances

TABLE 69. Tantalum in stony meteorites

[Data from Atkins and Smales, 1960; Ehmann, 1965; Wanke, Baddenhausen, Balacescu, and others, 1972; and

Ma and others, 1977]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

C2

H

L

1

4

8

17

18-29

17-31

 

23

23

0.020

.021

.019

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah .005

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

Aho

Aeu

370

100

120

0.28

.066

.082
GOSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES 689

in the Cl, C2, C3, H, and E chondrites are essentially the same, but the L and LL classes are depleted 

relative to the H chondrites, which correlates with 

their lower metal contents. The achondrites (essentially metal free except the ureilites) are strongly 

depleted relative to the chondrites. Fouche and 

Smales (1967b) analyzed magnetic (metal) and 

nonmagnetic fractions of a number of chondrites, 

and found the metal phase to contain 36-360 times 

the Re concentration of the nonmagnetic fraction. 

Wanke and others (1974) have recorded a notable 

enrichment (0.73 ppm) of Re in a Ca,Al-rich 

chondrule from the Allende (C3) meteorite, about 

20 times the concentration in the bulk meteorite. 

Most iron meteorites are notably enriched in Re 

relative to the chondrites, although the concentration range is large, 0.002-4.8 ppm. Scott (1972) plotted Re against Ni and demonstrated a correlation 

with the chemical groups (fig. 18). Group IIAB

spans the total range of Re concentrations, and 

groups IIIAB and IVA are fractionated by factors 

of at least 100 and 50. Group I forms a tight cluster 

lying on the cosmic Re/Ni ratio line. The limited 

data show a clustering for groups IIC, IID, and 

IVB.

OSMIUM

The data on osmium in meteorites were assembled 

and discussed by J. W. Morgan, in Mason (1971), 

and table 72 provides a summary. Additional information has been provided by Vinogradov and 

others (1972, 1973), Hintenberger, Jochum, and 

Seufert (1973), and Herman and Wichtl (1974). 

The results of these more recent investigations are 

generally in good agreement with previous determinations, although the figures given by Hintenberger 

and coworkers for chondrites are consistently higher

TABLE 70. Tungsten in stony meteorites 

[From Atkins and Smales, 1960; Amlruddln and Ehmann, 1962; and additional data]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

1

2

1

7

13

1

2

200

130-150

150

100-170

70-190

80

320-370

 

140

 

140

120

 

350

0.30

.16

.15

.13

.10

.065

.32

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

3

1

1

20-120

50-80

180

80

65

 

0.044

.040

.14

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aho 

Aeu

36

41

0.023

.028
B90 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

than those for the same meteorites analyzed by 

other investigators. The pattern of Os abundances 

in chondrites shows marked depletion in the sequence H-L-LL, paralleling a decrease in the metal 

content; achondrites are strongly depleted in Os 

relative to the chondrites. This pattern is typical of 

a siderophile element. Wark and Lovering (1976) 

found microscopic metallic grains in the Allende 

(C3) chondrite that contain 38 percent Os, although 

the meteorite contains the normal concentration of 

Os (~0.9 ppm) for a C3 meteorite. In the ordinary 

chondrites one would expect to find most of the osmium in the metal phase; however, the data of Vinogradov and others (1972, 1973) on separated phases 

of chondrites indicate that appreciable amounts may 

be present in the troilite.

Osmium is present in iron meteorites in concentrations ranging from 0.009 to 58 ppm, with an 

average of 5.36 ppm (Crocket, 1972). Figure 19 

shows the relationship between Os, Ni, and the 

chemical groupings of iron meteorites; the distribution pattern is similar to that for Re and Ir. Crocket 

(1972) discussed the high degree of correlation between Os, Ir, and Ru in iron meteorites.

IRIDIUM

The data on iridium abundances in meteorites 

were assembled and discussed by P. A. Baedecker, 

in Mason (1971). Since then, however, a large 

number of new analyses have been made on stony 

meteorites, and these have been used in the compilation of table 73. Iridium abundances in specific 

classes are closely similar to those for osmium (table

TABLE 71. Rhenium in stony meteorites

[From J. W. Morgan, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Case and others, 1973 ; Krahenbiihl and others, 1973 ; 

Hintenberger and others, 1973; Herman and Wichtl, 1974 ; Anders and others, 1976; and Higuchi and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

3

3

7

12

16

4

7

25-43

43-49

50-59

60-100

23-67

16-25

51-68

35

46

55

67

37

22

60

0.051

.053

.052

.059

.030

.018

.050

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

1

2

4

0.25

.06-1.3

6.8-38.6

 

.4

20

0.00014

.00024

.016

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

1

1

0.07

.08

.07

.06

0.000051

.000054

.000045

.000039
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B91

10

z 

o

cr LU 

o_

cr 0.1

z

LU

£? 0.01

0.001

IVA *

100

< I-An2 

v I-An3

QUA 

 IIB

10 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

EXPLANATION

A nc * me 

* no o IVA

IIIA * IVB

 Anomalous

20

HIB

FIGURE 18. Re-Ni distribution in iron meteorites; the dashed 

line represents the Re/Ni ratio in Cl chondrites. Solid lines 

indicate correlations within groups; short-dashed lines 

enclose well-resolved groups. Reprinted from Scott (1972) 

and published with permission.

Z 10 O

cr LU

Q_ I 1

c/)

O 0.1

0.01

IVB

IIIAB

> I-Anl

o IIA 

 IIB

A IIC

10 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

EXPLANATION

D IIIA 0 IVA

 HIB

 IIIAB

« IIIC

20

Anomalous

FIGURE 19. Os-Ni distribution in iron meteorites; the dashed 

line represents the Os/Ni ratio in Cl chondrites. Solid 

lines indicate correlations within groups. Reprinted from 

Scott (1972) and published with permission.

72), which is perhaps surprising, in view of the 

usually lower abundance of an odd-numbered element than its even-numbered neighbors (the OddoHarkins rule). Like Os, Ir abundances in chondrites 

show a marked depletion in the sequence H-L-LL, 

paralleling a decrease in metal content; achondrites 

are strongly depleted in Ir relative to the chondrites. 

This pattern is typical of a siderophile element. 

Wark and Levering (1976) found microscopic metallic grains in the Allende (C3) chondrite containing 

up to 21 percent Ir.

Chou, Baedecker, and Wasson (1973) magnetically 

separated metal from 15 chondrites (H) and analyzed the metal and silicate fraction (leached with

bromine water to remove troilite) separately. They 

found 1.4-4.6 ppm Ir in the metal, 0.03-0.12 ppm 

Ir in the silicates. This confirms the siderophile 

nature of Ir; the small amount of Ir in the silicate 

fraction could be present as minute metal inclusions. Vinogradov and others (1972, 1973) analyzed 

metal, troilite, and silicate fractions from several 

chondrites, and found Ir concentrated in the metal 

and greatly depleted in the silicates, but the troilite 

showed Ir values up to those in the associated metal. 

However, Ehmann, Baedecker, and McKown (1970) 

found 10 to 30 times more Ir in meteoritic nickeliron than in coexisting troilite.

A large number of Ir determinations in iron
B92 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

meteorites have been made, most of them by J. T. 

Wasson and his coworkers. The data are summarized 

in figure 20, from Scott and Wasson (1975). Iridium 

concentrations range over 4 orders of magnitude, 

from 0.01 to nearly 100 ppm, with an average of 

,3.96 ppm (Crocket, 1972), and show a marked 

quantization within the individual chemical groups. 

The geochemioal behavior of Ir in meteorites is 

evidently conditioned largely by its high condensation temperature. Scott (1972) listed the following elements having the highest condensation temperatures (in K at 10'4 atm) : W, 1,960; Os, 1,840; 

Re, 1,775; Mo, 1,620; Ir, 1,550; Ru, 1,540. This group 

of elements shows a remarkable degree of geochemical coherence in meteorites, typified by similar distribution patterns in iron meteorites (Scott, 1972), 

and their concentration in the Ca,Al-rich inclusions 

in the Allende meteorite as microscopic alloy grains 

(Wark and Lovering, 1976).

PLATINUM

The rather sparse data on platinum abundances 

in meteorites were assembled and discussed by W. 

D. Ehmann, in Mason (1971). For stony meteorites 

these data have been superseded by the work of 

Ehmann and Gillum (1972) and Hintenberger, Joehum, and Seufert (1973). Their results are generally in good agreement, and since Ehmann and 

Gillum analyzed a larger number of meteorites, 

their data have been used in compiling table 74. 

Platinum shows a distribution pattern similar to 

those of Os and Ir, at about twice the absolute 

abundance level, and the discussion of the geochemical behavior of these elements applies equally to Pt. 

Wark and Lovering (1976) recorded up to 35 percent Pt in microscopic metallic grains in the Allende (C3) meteorite. Vinogradov and others (1972, 

1973) analyzed separated metal, troilite, and silicate 

fractions for several chondrites and found Pt concentrated in the metal, although in some meteorites

TABLE 72. Osmium in stony meteorites 

[From J. W. Morgan, in Mason, 1971]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/KTSi

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

3

5

3

8

8

4

6

0.34-0.61

.54-. 75

.69-. 85

.66-. 92

.43-. 63

.32-. 50

.63-. 85

0.48

.67

.78

.82

.51

.38

.70

0.69

.75

.74

.71

.40

.30

.57

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah

0.005 

.0006-.008 .004

0.002

.002

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa 

An 

Aho 

Aeu

0.00078 

.00070 

<.00017 

.00044-.0074 .004

0.0006

.0005

.003
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B93

TABLE 73. Iridium in stony meteorites

[Data as follows: Cl, C2, Krahenbuhl and others, 1973; C3, Anders and others, 1976; H, L, L.L, Muller, Baedecker, and 

Wasson, 1971; E, Baedecker and Waggon, 1975 ; Ae, Ah, Aho, Aeu, Chou, Baedecker, and Wasson, 1976; Au, Wasson 

and others, 1976; Aa, An, Laul and others, 1972; Ac, Boynton, Starzyk, and Schmitt, 1976]

Class Number

analyzed

Range

(ppm)

Mean

(ppm)

Atoms/10 6 Si

Chondrites

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

3 

3

7

18

17

10

8

0.49-0.56 

.61-. 66

.65-. 74

.51-. 83

.31-. 59

.18-. 44

.40-. 70

0.51 

.63

.69

.73

.46

.33

.56

0.72 

.70

.65

.62

.36

.26

.45

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

2

1

1

5

0.00034-0.00059

.0065

.006

.055-. 76

0.00047

 

 

.33

0.00025

.0038

.005

.25

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

6

3

0.0026

.00013-. 017

.0005-. 018

.00013-. 00065

 

.009

.015

.00032

0.0019

.0054

.0094

.00020
B94 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

100 rr

0.01

8 10 12 15 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

20 25

FIGURE 20. Ir-Ni distribution in iron meteorites; the dashed 

line represents the Ir/Ni ratio in Cl chondrites. The major 

groups, IIAB, IIIAB, and IVA are shown in heavier outline; groups IAB and IIICD are drawn with short-dashed 

lines to contrast them with the other groups. Reprinted 

from Scott and Wasson (1975), copyrighted by American 

Geophysical Union.

the troilite fraction contained approximately he 

same amounts as the metal.

The only determinations of Pt in achondrites are: 

Havero (Au), 0.41 ppm (Wanke, Baddenhausen, 

Spettel, and others, 1972); Yamato(b) (Ah), 0.005 

ppm; Johnstown (Ah), 0.019 ppm (Hintenberger, 

Jochum, and Seufert, 1973).

The data on Pt abundances in iron meteorites are 

summarized in figure 21. This shows a range of Pt 

values about 0.5 to 29 ppm, with an average of 

9.42 ppm (Crocket, 1972). Crocket pointed out that 

Pt is more strongly correlated with Ru than with the 

other platinum-group elements.

of additional data has been published, by Keays, 

Ganapathy, and Anders (1971) ; Crocket (1972) ; 

Ehmann and Gillum (1972) ; Laul and others

(1972) ; Case and others (1973) ; Krahenbuhl and 

others (1973); Hintenberger, Jochum, and Seufert

(1973) ; Hermann and Wichtl (1974) ; Binz, Kurimoto, and Lipschutz (1974) ; Binz, Ikramudden, and 

Lipschutz (1975) ; Binz and others (1976) ; Baedecker and Wasson (1975), Chou, Baedecker, and 

Wasson (1976b), Wasson and others (1976), Anders 

and others (1976), and Higuchi and others (1976). 

The results of different analysts on the same meteorites are usually in good agreement. Table 75 is 

compiled from a selection of these data. Gold is

50

20

10

QC 

LU 

CL

12

QC

I 2

0.5

IIAB

IVB

IIIAB

> I-Anl 

v I-An3

oIlA 

 IIB

10 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

EXPLANATION 

+ IID 0 IVA

20

o IIIA 

 IIIB

« IIIC

*IVB

GOLD

The data on gold in meteorites available to 1969 

were assembled and discussed by W. D. Ehmann, in 

Mason (1971). Since then, however, a large amount

FIGURE 21. Pt-Ni distribution in iron meteorites; the dashed 

line represents the cosmic Pt/Ni ratio in Cl chondrites. 

Solid lines indicate correlations within groups. Reprinted 

from Scott (1972) and published with permission.
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B95

TABLE 74. Platinum in chondrites 

[From Ehmann and Gillum, 1972]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

2

4

2

10

14

3

6

0.94-1.06

1.05-1.66

1.22-2.03

.91-2.36

0.70-1.61

.63-1.09

1.18-2.39

1.01

1.28

1.55

1.49

1.05

.85

1.71

1.41

1.41

1.44

1.25

.81

.65

1.37

considerably less abundant than any of the 

neighboring platinum metals, but shows the same 

distribution pattern, evidently because of a similar 

siderophile character. Fouche and Smales (1967b) 

separated a number of chondrites into magnetic 

(metal) and nonmagnetic (silicate+sulfide) fractions, and found that Au was present in metal fractions at 27-290 times the concentration in the nonmagnetic fractions, demonstrating the strong 

partition of this element into the metal phase. 

Vinogradov and others (1972, 1973) reported Au 

determinations on separated metal, troilite, and 

silicate fractions of several chondrites, and some of 

their analyses show more Au (up to 1.5 ppm) in 

troilite than in coexisting metal. This is inconsistent 

with the results of other investigators, who have 

found much lower values for Au in troilite; Herman 

and others (1971) found an average of 0.0046 ppm 

Au for six troilite samples. Ehmann, Baedecker, 

and McKown (1970) recorded 30-620 times as much 

Au in magnetic (metal) fractions of chondrites as 

in nonmagnetic (troilite plus silicate) fractions.

The numerous determinations of Au in iron meteorites have been assembled and discussed by Scott 

and Wasson (1975), and are presented in figure 22. 

The total range of Au values is about 0.05-5 ppm, or 

approximately 2 orders of magnitude; Crocket 

(1972) gave an average of 1.32 ppm for iron meteorites. Strong positive correlations between Au and 

Ni are visible within all chemical groups for which 

there are sufficient data, with the exception of TAB

and IICD. Scott (1972) noted that the distribution 

of Au is almost identical with that of As.

MERCURY

The data on mercury in meteorites were assembled 

and discussed by G. W. Reed, in Mason (1971), who 

commented: "The extremely large range observed 

within a given class of meteorites makes averaging 

meaningless. Even for a given meteorite large variations are obtained in the same laboratory. . . . 

These variations have nothing to do with the laboratory or the method used for analysis" (p. 488). Although many additional analyses for mercury in 

meteorites have since been reported, this situation 

has not changed. For example, the following values 

(in ppm) have been reported for the Orgueil (Cl) 

meteorite: 0.48, 40 (Case and others, 1973); 2.40, 

14.0, 213 (Reed and Jovanovic, 1967) ; 7.80 (Hintenberger, Jochum, and Seufert, 1973); 12.8 (Hermann and Wichtl, 1974) ; 17.3, 20.1, 20.8. 22.2, 114 

(Ehmann and Lovering, 1967); 500 (Ozerova and 

others, 1973). This is an extreme example, and may 

be unique to the Orgueil meteorite. However, other 

meteorites show similar, but less extreme variations; 

for example, the data for the Holbrook (L6) meteorite: 0.022 (Case and others, 1973); 0.17 (Ehmann 

and Lovering, 1967); 0.44 (Reed and Jovanovic, 

1967); 1.80 (Kiesl and others, 1967). On this account no attempt has been made to average the data 

in table 76, nor to calculate the mean atoms/106Si 

for the different classes. If one were to assume
B96 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

TABLE 75. Gold in stony meteorites

I Data as follows: Cl, C2, C3, H, L, LL, Ehmanri and Gillum, 1972; E4, E5, E6, Baedecker and Wasson, 1975; Ae, Ah, Chou, 

Baedecker, and Wasson, 1970b; Au, Wasson and others, 1978; Aa, An, Laul and others. 1972; Aho, Aeu, Laul and 

others, 1972, and Chou, Baedecker, and Wasson, 1976b; Ac, Boynton and others, 1976]

Class Number

analyzed

Range

(ppm)

Mean

(ppm)

Atoms/106 Si

Chondrites

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

2 

5

2

10

13

3

3

1

4

0.12-0.17 

.15-. 28

.18-. 22

.13-. 38

.10-. 24

.12-. 19

.32-. 44

.34

.18-. 29

0.15 

.19

.21

.21

.16

.15

.36

 

.23

0.21 

.21

.19

.18

.12

.11

.31

.28

.17

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

2

1

1

5

0.0005-0.0017

.0019

.006

.014-. 045

0.0011

 

 

.029

0.00057

.0011

.005

.021

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

10

7

0.0072

.00055

.0029-. 019

.0003-. 0067

 

 

.0065

.0025

0.0050

.00034

.0040

.0016
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B97

EXPLANATION 

oIB

EC 

A HE

 Anomalous

0.05

7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 

NICKEL, IN PERCENT

FIGURE 22. Au-Ni distribution in iron meteorites; the dashed 

line represents the Au/Ni ratio in Cl chondrites. Most 

groups are shown only in outline; this is short dashed 

when only a few data points define a group. Reprinted 

from Scott and Wasson (1975), copyrighted by American 

Geophysical Union.

similar abundance for Hg as for the neighboring 

even-numbered elements Pt and Pb, a mean abundance in Cl chondrites of ~1 ppm (equivalent to 

~1.4 atoms/106Si) would be reasonable.

Reed and Jovanovic (1967) investigated the progressive release of Hg from chondrites on heating, 

and found in many of them that a large part of the 

Hg was given off below 450°C. They interpreted the 

Hg released above 450°C as trapped in crystal lattices or present in solid solution, and released after 

diffusion to surfaces in a manner analogous to the 

escape of trapped gases. The most likely phase to 

contain Hg in solid solution is troilite, and Ozerova 

and others (1973) noted that troilite appears to be a 

good mercury concentrator in several meteorite classes, having a consistently higher mercury content 

than the meteorite as a whole. Thus, mercury in 

combination in meteorites is a chalcophile element, 

but much of it is in a labile form which is readily

released and transported by gentle heating. This 

ready release and transportation is probably responsible, at least in part, for the extreme variability 

in the Hg content of stony meteorites.

The limited data on Hg in iron meteorites show 

low concentrations and hence a lack of siderophile 

character. Ozerova and others (1973) reported analyses of 10 iron meteorites, the range of Hg concentration being 0.01-0.12 ppm, with a mean of 0.04 

ppm. Tanner (1968) analyzed 19 irons, and found 

a range from 0.03 to 1.25 ppm (all but three less 

than 0.4 ppm); he found troilite to be considerably 

enriched in Hg relative to the metal phase.

THALLIUM

The abundance data for thallium in meteorites 

were assembled and discussed by M. E. Lipschutz, in 

Mason (1971), but since then a considerable number 

of publications dealing with this element have appeared, and table 77 has been compiled from these 

sources. The data for chondrites show that Tl is a 

strongly depleted element, the relative depletion in 

the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, L, LL) being 1.00:- 

0.51:0.24:~0.02; a similar depletion is evident in 

the sequence E4-E5, 6. In some chondrite classes 

Tl abundances are extremely variable, particularly 

noteworthy in the H chondrites: if, out of the 22 

meteorites analyzed, Sharps (220 ppb), Tieschitz 

(53 ppb), and Supuhee (361 ppb) are omitted, the 

range is much less, 0.11-5.64 ppb. (Sharps and 

Tieschitz are type 3 chondrites, Supuhee a type 6.) 

The geochemical behavior of thallium in meteorites 

is very similar to that of indium, and a comparison 

of table 77 with table 59 shows that the atomic abundances of these two elements are remarkably similar 

in most meteorite classes. The geochemistry of Tl 

in meteorites is evidently related to its volatility; 

along with In and Bi, it has the lowest condensation 

temperature of any of the metallic elements 

(~430K from a solar gas at 10"6 atm, according to Laul and others, 1973). Accordingly, it is 

also an element likely to be volatilized and lost from 

a meteorite undergoing mild thermal metamorphism; Ikramuddin and Lipschutz (1975) and Ikramuddin, Binz, and Lipschutz (1976) demonstrated 

this experimentally in the Allende (C3) and Abee 

(E4) meteorites.

Tandon (1967) has shown that in iron meteorites 

the metal phase contains 0.1-10 ppb Tl, the troilite 

2-200 ppb, demonstrating that Tl is distinctly chalcophile in these meteorites. The same is probably 

true for the stony meteorites; indeed, the Cl and 

E4 meteorites, which show the highest mean Tl con-
B98 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

tents, are also those with the highest sulfur contents.

LEAD

Many studies have been made on lead in meteorites, but most of these have been concerned with 

its isotopic composition, and the abundance data 

are rather sparse. These data are summarized in 

table 78; they are taken from Virginia Oversby, in 

Mason (1971) and additional later sources. Lead is 

a relatively volatile element, and it condenses in the 

same temperature range as Bi, In, and Tl, as shown 

by Larimer and Anders (1967). Like these elements, 

it is a strongly depleted element in chondrites, the 

relative depletion in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, L) 

being 1.00:0.62:0.34:0.09. Abundance of Pb in achondrites are similar to those in ordinary chondrites; the one determination on the diogenite 

Johnstown (Ah) is anomalously high, and suggests 

terrestrial contamination, always a possible complication with Pb at the low levels in stony meteorites.

Most lead concentrations in the metal phase of 

iron meteorites range from 0.01 to 0.1 ppm; the 

coexisting troilite contains 2-10 ppm. Lead is thus 

a strongly chalcophile element. Because the troilite 

of iron meteorites contains a substantial amount of 

Pb but essentially no U and Th (which would add 

radiogenic Pb), the Pb in the troilite is considered 

to be the "primordial" Pb existing when the parent 

bodies of meteorites (and the Earth) accreted. The 

troilite from the Canyon Diablo iron has been inTABLE 76. Mercury in stony meteorites

[From G. W. Reed, in Mason, 1971 ; and additional data from Case and others, 1973 ; Reed and 

Jovanovic, 1967; Hintenberger and others, 1973; Hermann and Wichtl, 1974; Ehmann and 

Lovering, 1967; Ozerova and others, 1973; and Kiesl and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

2

4

5

13

16

2

3

0.18-500

.01-20

.06-7.3

.26-13.90

.015-5.99

.24-. 84

.16-1.4

Ae

Ah

Au

2

1

1

0.014-0.14

0.12

0.09

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa 

An 

Aho 

Aeu

2.51

0.23

0.015-0.66 

0.078-9.12
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B99

TABLE 77. Thallium in stony meteorites

[Data as follows: Cl, C2, Krahenbiihl and others, 1973; C3, Anders and others, 1976; H, LL, K, Laul and others, 1973; 

L, Ganapathy and Anders, 1971; Ah, Hintenberger and others, 1973; Au, Binz and others, 1975, Aa, An, Aho, Aeu, 

Laul and others, 1972]

Class Number Range

analyzed (ppb)

Mean

(ppb)

Atoms/ 106 Si

Chondrites

Cl 

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3 

3

7

22

10

11

4

1

5

124-188 

84-97

15-84

.11-361

.05-6.6

.75-31

85-115

3.7

1.2-8.6

145 

92

52

O T

1.9

7.2

103

 

5.0

0.19 

.096

.046

.0030

.0014

.0053

.085

.0029

.0035

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ah

Au

1

4

5.8

.31-5.31

 

1.6

0.0032

.0011

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

4

7

.86

3.1-7.2

.51-4.3

.12-1.97

 

5.2

1.8

.73

0.00058

.0030

.0010

.00044

Omitting high value of 221 and 361.
B100 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

tensively investigated by several research teams, 

and its Pb is the least radiogenic yet discovered. 

Tatsumoto, Knight, and Allegre (1973) gave the 

following isotope ratios for this Pb: 206/204, 

9.307; 207/204,10.294; 208/204, 29.476. These ratios 

have been modified in stony meteorites by the addition of radiogenic isotopes (206, 207, 208); the most 

radiogenic lead is that from the Nuevo Laredo 

achondrite (Aeu), which has the following isotopic 

ratios: 206/204, 222.38; 207/204, 140.05; 208/204, 

233.64 (Tatsumoto and others, 1973).

BISMUTH

Since 1970, a large amount of data on the abundance of Bi in stony meteorites has been published, 

and is summarized in table 79. Bismuth abundances 

are closely comparable with those of thallium for the 

same meteorite classes, and this geochemical coherence has been noted and discussed by several investigators (for example, Laul and others, 1973) ; 

it is evidently related to similar condensation 

histories. Bismuth is a strongly depleted element, 

the relative depletion in the sequence C1-C2-C3-(H, 

L, LL) being 1.00:0.55:0.31: ~0.08; similar depletion is seen in the sequence E4-E6, with the two 

E5 meteorites showing anomalously low abundances. 

Within the H, L, and LL classes, the abundance 

range is very great; high abundances are characteristic of, but not exclusive to, the type 3 meteorites. 

Achondrites are strongly depleted in Bi relative to 

the chondrites.

Because of its low condensation temperature 

(<-460K from a solar gas at 10'5 atm, according to 

Laul and others, 1973), Bi is an element likely to 

be volatilized and lost from a meteorite undergoing 

mild thermal metamorphism. Ikramuddin and LipTABLE 78. Lead in stony meteorites

[From Virginia Oversby, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Gale and others, 1972; Tatsumoto and others, 1973; Tilton, 1973; 

Hintenberger and others, 1973 ; Huey and Kohman, 1973 ; and Hutchison and others, 1975]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppm)

Mean 

(ppm)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

E4

1

3

2

6

7

2

1.

1.51

.93

.08

.06

1.98

94

-1 .

-1 .

-.4

-.5

-2.

60

10

6

1

17

 

1.

1.

.

.

1.

-

54

02

24

37

08

2.6

1.6

.89

.19

.27

.88

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae 

Ah

0.36-0.57 

4.37

0.47 0.23 

2.4

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa 

An 

Aeu

0.55

352-.553 

193-.324

.48 

.26

0.36 

.29 

. 15
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B101

schutz (1975) and Ikramuddin, Binz, and Lipschutz 

(1976) demonstrated this experimentally for the Allende (C3) and Abee (E4) meteorites.

Few data exist on Bi in iron meteorites. Tanner 

(1968) analyzed 19 irons and found a range from 

0.5 to 7.9 ppb; 3 samples of troilite from these irons 

contained 61-68 ppb. Santoliquido and Ehmann 

(1972) found 1.6 ppb Bi in Canyon Diablo metal 

and 125 ppb in troilite from this meteorite. Bismuth 

is thus a strongly chalcophile element in these meteorites.

THORIUM

Most of the information on thorium abundances 

in meteorites has resulted from the analyses of J. 

W. Morgan and J. F. Lovering. Morgan, in Mason 

(1971), assembled and discussed the data available 

at that time. Additional information has since been 

published and the data are summarized in table 

80. Thorium shows a distribution pattern characteristic of refractory lithophile elements: relatively 

uniform abundances in the different chondrite classes, marked depletion in calcium-poor achondrites

TABLE 79. Bismuth in stony meteorites

[Data as follows: Cl, C2, Krahenbuhl and others, 1973; C3, Anders and others, 1976; H, LL, Laul and others, 1973; L, Keays and others, 

1971; E, Binz and others, 1974; Ee, Santoliquido and Ehmann, 1972; Ah, Ehmann and Huisenga, 1959; Au, Binz and others, 1975; 

Aa, An, Abo, Aeu, Laul and others, 1972]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 6 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E4

E5

E6

3

3

7

22

10

11

2

2

4

103-188

64-96

43-59

.17-100

.14-80

1.30-67

86-177

2.5-2.6

15.0-28.9

110

75

49

17

14

16

133

2.6

18

0. 14

.077

.043

.013

.010

.011

.11

.0020

.012

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Au

3

1

6

0.74-5.5

1.2-5.6

.96-10

2.8

2.8

3.3

0.0013

.0015

.0023

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

2

4

7

2.4

.50-5.64

.59-4.56

.37-7.0

___

3.1

2.6

3.9

0.0016

.0019

.0015

.0023
B102 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

(except for the chassignite), and marked enrichment in the calcium-rich achondrites; Angra dos 

Reis (Aa) has the highest concentration of any 

meteorite. This distribution pattern parallels those 

of the lanthanides.

Crozaz (1974) separated the phosphate mineral 

merrillite from the St. Sever in (LL6) chondrite 

and analyzed it for Th and U. The Th value, 

3.21 ppm, indicates strong concentration of the 

element in this mineral; the meteorite contains approximately 0.5 percent merrillite, which accounts 

for 16 ppb Th, about one-third of the total Th in the 

meteorite.

Bate, Potratz, and Huizenga (1958) analyzed two 

iron meteorites for Th, and found extremely low 

values, of the order of 10'11 g/g.

URANIUM

The data on uranium abundances in meteorites 

were assembled and discussed by J. W. Morgan, in 

Mason (1971), and additional information has since 

been published, and a summary is presented in 

table 81. The distribution pattern is similar to that 

for thorium. The Th/U ratio for chondrites is usually between 3 and 4, although Morgan and Levering 

(1968) recorded Th/U ratios ranging from 2.2 to 

7.1. Morgan and Lovering (1973) recorded Th/U 

ratios ranging from 1.0 to 10.0 for achondrites. In 

the chondrites, uranium is concentrated in the phosphate minerals merrillite and apatite. Pellas and 

Storzer (1975) found a range from 0.05 to 0.77 

ppm U in merrillite from 16 chondrites, with a mean 

of about 0.3 ppm, and a range from 1 to 5 ppm in

TABLE 80. Thorium in stony meteorites

[From 3. W. Morgan, in Mason, 1971; and additional data from Morgan and Lovering, 1973; Hintenberger and others, 1973; and

Tatsumoto, 1973]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean 

(ppb)

Atoms/10 Si

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

4

6

3

8

8

5

6

26-38

38-46

61-79

34-42

38-49

43-50

29-42

32

42

67

40

42

46

34

0.038

.039

.052

.028

.027

.029

.023

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

2

3

1

1

4-47

4-30

57

3

28

15

-__

 

0.012

.0074

.040

.0019

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

3

7

885

191

63-312

340-680

___

 _

167

450

0.52

.10

.086

.24
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES BIOS

apatite; compared to merrillite, uranium in apatite 

is always enriched by a factor between 6 and 13. 

Zircon, an extremely rare mineral in meteorites, acts 

as a sink for uranium; Fleischer and others (1965) 

found up to 4,000 ppm in this mineral from the 

Vaca Muerta mesosiderite, and the only coexisting 

mineral having more than 1 ppm U was merrillite 

(^90 ppm).

Tatsumoto, Unruh, and Desborough (1976) 

found the Ca,Al-rich inclusions in the Allende (C3) 

meteorite to be strongly enriched in U and Th, with 

up to 0.112 ppm U and 0.546 ppm Th; the Th/U 

ratio in these inclusions ranges from 3.5 to 10.6.

The metal phase of iron meteorites contains 

uranium at levels of 10-10 g/g or less (Reed and

others, 1958). Goles and Anders (1962) found a 

range from 3.5 to 17 ppb U in troilites from five 

iron meteorites, indicating that U has distinct chalcophile affinity in these meteorites.

CONCLUSIONS

As discussed in the introduction, agreement is 

now widespread that elemental abundances in chondrites, specifically the Cl carbonaceous chondrites, 

approximate those of the unfractionated nonvolatile 

matter of the solar system. In order to provide a 

compact summary, the data for the Cl chondrites 

are assembled in table 82, in ppm and as atoms/ 

106Si.

TABLE 81. Uranium in stony meteorites

[From J. W. Morgan, In Mason, 1971; and additional data from Gale and others, 1972; Fisher, 1972 and 1973; Hintenberger and others, 1973; Morgan and Lovering, 1973; Tatsumoto and others, 1973; Tilton, 1973; Krahenbiih] and 

others, 1973; Anders and others, 1976; and Higuchi and others, 1976]

Class Number 

analyzed

Range 

(ppb)

Mean Atoms/10 Si Th/U

Chondrites

Cl

C2

C3

H

L

LL

E

4

5

7

11

13

5

6

7.4-11.5

10.2-11.9

12.9-18.8

11-25 .

8-24

11-14

6-16

9.1

11.7

16.1

13

15

13

10

0.011

.010

.012

.0090

.0095

.0082

.0066

3.5

3.6

4.2

3.1

2.8

3.5

3.4

Calcium-poor achondrites

Ae

Ah

Ac

Au

2

3

1

4

3.7-5.2

1.5-11.6

21

£.9-6.9

4.5

8.2

 

~4

0.0019

.0039

.014

~.003

6.2

1.8

2.7

~1

Calcium-rich achondrites

Aa

An

Aho

Aeu

1

1

3

7

207

49

23-89

16-214

 

 

53

101

0.12

.026

.026

.052

4.3

3.9

3.2

4.5
B104 DATA OF GEOCHEMISTRY

This table brings out some well-established features of the elemental abundances. All the abundant 

elements (> 10,000 atoms/106Si) have low atomic 

numbers, 28 (Ni) or less. The abundances of elements of higher atomic number are uniformly low 

(only Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, Br, and Se have abundances 

greater than 10 atoms/106Si) and relatively constant ; the odd-even relationship is well marked, elements of odd atomic number being generally about 

10 times less abundant than those of even atomic 

number on either side. Elements of low atomic 

number (<28) show much greater variability in 

relative abundances than those of higher atomic 

number. The very low abundances of the lightest 

elements, Li, Be, and B, can be ascribed to the relative instability of their nuclei; Sc is also an element 

of unusually low abundance. The most abundant 

nonvolatile elements, Mg, Si, and Fe, have almost 

identical atomic abundances, and hence when completely oxidized will form olivine, (Mg,Fe) 2Si04, 

whereas if the iron is partly reduced to metal and/or

sulfide, olivine will be partly replaced by pyroxene, 

(Mg,Fe)Si03 , and if all the iron is reduced the silicate will be pure MgSi03 . This is the sequence we 

observe in the chondrites, from C3-L-H-E chondrites, although the sequence is not a continuous one 

and does not imply direct production of one class 

from another.

Also included in table 82 are the current solar 

abundances (Ross and Aller, 1976). Ross and Aller 

commented (p. 1228): "Except for lithium, beryllium, and boron, the non-volatile component of the 

solar atmosphere fits well with data from carbonaceous chondrites. There are a few exceptions, such 

as indium, but one can be skeptical of the abundance 

of an otherwise unremarkable metal whose solar 

abundance is alleged to differ markedly from the 

meteoritic value. The difference is almost certainly 

to be attributed to bad /-values or to blending or 

confusion with other lines, or both. Lithium, beryllium, and boron can be destroyed at the bottom of the 

solar convection zone."
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B105 

TABLE 82. Chondritic and solar abundances

[For Cl chondrites, except as noted. Solar abundances from Ross and Aller, 1976]

Element

Li

Be 1

B

F

Na

Mg

Al

Si

P

S

Cl

K

Ca

Sc

Ti

V

Cr

Mn

Fe

Co

Ni

Cu

Zn

Ga

Ge

As

Se

Br

Rb

Sr

Y

Zr

Nb

Mo

Ru

Rh 2

Pd

Ag

Cd

In

Sn

Sb

Cl 

ppm

1.6

.035

5.7

72

5,100

95,600

8,500

103,000

800

59,000

773

500

10,600

5.1

430

49

2,430

1,880

184,000

480

10,300

127

303

9.6

31.2

1.7

19.5

4.0

1.88

8.6

1.6

3.1

.3

1.4

.69

.25

.49

.18

.64

.080

1.64

.14

Cl 

atoms/106 Si

60

.81

144

1,000

60,000

1,060,000

85,000

10 6

7,000

502,000

5,700

3,500

72,000

31

2,400

254

12,700

9,300

901,000

2,200

47,000

540

1,260

14

117

6.2

67

14

6.0

27

4.8

9.1

.9

4.0

1.9

.40

1.3

.46

1.55

.19

3.7

.31

Sun 

atoms/10 Si

0.22

.32

<4

810

43,000

890,000

74,000

io 6

7,100

320,000

6,300

3,200

50,000

25

2,500

230

11,000

5,900

710,000

1,800

43,000

260

630

38

71

8.9

18

2.8

13

1.6

3.2

1.5

.56

.6

.16

1.6

1.0

2.0

.22
B106 DATA OP GEOCHEMISTRY 

TABLE 82. Chondritic and solar abundances Continued

Element

Te

I

Cs

Ba

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Hf

Ta 1

W

Re

Os

Ir

Pt

Au

Hg

Tl

Pb

Bi

Th

U

Cl

ppm

3.04

.58

.19

2.4

.19

.63

.094

.42

.133

.053

.24

.044

.22

.056

.14

.022

.13

.023

.11

.017

.20

.035

.48

.51

1.01

.15 ~1?

.145

1.94

.11

.038

.0086

Cl 

atoms/10 Si

6.5

1.16

.39

4.8

.37

1.2

.18

.79

.24

.094

.42

.076

.37

.092

.23

.035

.20

.035

.17

.020

.30

.051

.69

.72

1.4

.21

-1.4?

.19

2.6

.14

.045

.010

Sun 

atons/10 Si

__

<.6

2.8

.30

.79

.10

.38

.12

.1

.30

.13

.041

.16

.13

.1

__

1.0 ~.01

.1

.16

1.3

.13

.3

.18

1.9

<1.6

.03

<.l

Abundances for C2 chondrites. 

Abundances for H chondrites.
TABLE 83. The minerals of meteorites

Name

Alabandite

Andradite

Awaruite

Baddeleyite

*Barringerite

Bloedite 

*Brezinaite

*Brianite 

*Buchwaldite

Calcite

*Carlsbergite

Celsian

Chalcopyrite 

Chaoite 

Chlorite 

Chlorapatite

Chromite

Clinopyroxene

Cohenite

Copper

Cordierite

Cristobalite

*Daubreelite

Diamond

Formula

(Mn,Fe)S

Ca3Fe 2 Si 3°12

Ni 3Fe

Zr0 2

(Fe,Ni) 2P

Na 2Mg(S0 4 ) 2 .4H 20 

Cr3 S 4

CaNa 2Mg(P0 4 ) 2 

CaNaP0 4

CaCO

CrN

BaAl 2 S l208

CuFeS 2 

C 

See serpentine 

Ca5 (P04 ) 3Cl

FeCr 20 4

(Ca,Mg,Fe)Si03

(Fe,Ni) 3C

Cu

Mg2Al 4 Si 50 18

Si0 2

FeCr 2 S 4

C

Occurrence

Accessory in some enstatite chondrites and enst

Accessory in Allende (C3) .

Accessory in Odessa iron and Allende (C3) .

Accessory in Chassigny (Ac) .

Accessory in Ollague pallasite.

Accessory in Ivuna (Cl). 

Accessory in Tucson iron.

Accessory in some irons. 

Accessory in Cape York iron.

Accessory in Cl and C2.

Accessory in many irons.

Accessory in Angra dos Reis (Aa) .

Accessory in Karoonda (C3) . 

Rare, in ureilites.

Accessory in many meteorites.

Accessory in most meteorites.

Common in stones and stony-irons.

Accessory in many irons and in E chondrites.

Common as an accessory.

Accessory in Allende (C3).

Accessory, mainly in E chondrites.

Accessory in E, Ae, and many irons.

Present in ureilites.
TABLE 83. The minerals of meteorites Continued

Name Formula Occurre

Djerfisherite

Dolomite

Epsomite

*Farringtonite

2

*Gentnerite

Graftonite 

Graphite 

Grossular 

Gyp sum

*Haxonite 

Heazlewoodite

*Heideite

Hercynite

Hibonite

Ilmenite

Kaersutite

Kamacite

Kirschsteinite

*Krinovite

*Lawrencite

*Lonsdaleite 

Mackinawite 

Magnesite 

Magnetite

*Majorite

CaMg(C0 3 ) 2

(Fe,Mn) 3 (P04 ) 2

Fe 23C 6

(Fe,Cr) 1+x (Ti,Fe) 2 S 4 

(Fe,Mg)Al 20 4

FeTi03

NaCa2Fe4TiAl2 Si6 (0,OH) 24 

o-(Fe.Ni) 

CaFeSiO,

(Fe,Ni)Cl2 

C

FeS. 1-x

(Mg,Fe)CO,

Fe3°4 

Mg3 (MgSi)Si 30 12

Accessory in some E, Ae, 

Accessory in Cl.

Prominent in Cl.

Accessory in some pallas

Accessory in Odessa iron

Rare accessory in some i

Common accessory in iron

Accessory in Allende (C3

Accessory in Cl and C2.

Accessory in many irons.

Accessory in Odessa iron

Accessory in Bustee (Ae)

Accessory in some C3.

Accessory in some C2 and 

Accessory in many stones 

Accessory in Chassigny (

In irons, stony-irons, a

Accessory in Angra dos R

Rare accessory in a few 

Accessory in some meteor

Rare in ureilites.

Common as an accessory.

Accessory in Cl.

Accessory in carbonaceou

In Coorara and Tenham ch
COSMOCHEMISTRY PART 1. METEORITES B109

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TABLE 83. The minerals of meteorites Continued

Name

Schr eib er si te

Serpentine

(or chlorite)

*Sinoite

Sodalite

Sphaler ite

Spinel

*Stanf ieldite

Sulfur

Taenite

Tr idymite 

Troilite

*Ureyite

Whewellite

Whitlockite

Wollastonite

*Yagiite

Zircon

Formula

(Fe,Ni) 3 P

(Mg,Fe) 6 Si 4 0 10 (OH) 8

Si 2 N 2 0

Na 8 A1 6 Si 6°24 C1 2

(Zn,Fe)S

MgAl 2 0 4

Ca 4 (Mg,Fe) 5 (P0 4 ) 6

S

-(Fe,Ni)

Si0 2 

FeS

NaCrSi.O,

L O

CaC 2 0 4 .H 2 0

See Merrillite

CaSiO

(K,Na) 2 (Mg,Al) 5 (Si,Al) 12 0 30

ZrSiO . 

4

Occurrence

Accessory in irons, stony-irons, and 

Matrix of Cl and C2.

Rare in some E chondrites.

Accessory in some C3.

Accessory in E chondrites and some 

Accessory mainly in C chondrites

Accessory in some stony-irons.

Accessory in Cl.

As for kamacite.

Accessory in some stones, stony-iron

Present in most meteorites.

Rare accessory in some irons.

Accessory in Murchison (C2).

Accessory in Allende (C~).

Rare accessory in Colomera iron

Rare accessory .

1. Originally reported in the Abee meteorite by Dawson, Maxwell and Parsons 

(1960), but later identified as the closely related niningerite.

2. Disapproved by Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names, IMA,

because of inadequate characterization. 

* Not known to occur in terrestrial rocks.
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites 

[Results in parts per million, except as indicated]

Element

Li

Be

B

C (percent)

N

0 (percent)

F

Na (percent)

Mg (percent)

Al (percent)

Si (percent)

P

S (percent)

Cl

K

Ca (percent)

Sc

Ti

V

Cr (percent)

Mn (percent)

Fe (percent)

Co

Ni (percent)

Cu

Zn

Ga

Ge

As

Se

Br

Rb

Sr

Y

Zr

Nb

Mo

Ru

Ivuna 

Amt.

1.52

-

7.1

4.83

42.5

70

.46

9.70

.85

10.60

1,800

6.70

750

462

1.34

5.0

400

-

.22

.18

19.01

450

1.05

132

304

8.8

31.3

1.8

19.5

5.1

2.13

7.1

1.7

8.6

.3

1.3

.74

(Cl) 

Ref.

3

-

86

1

-

1

68

3

1

16

1

1

1

93

3

1

74

1

-

1

1

1

23

1

74

20

23

20

23

20

93

142

142

2

29

33

23

104

Orgueil 

Amt.

1.59

-

5.2

3.10

3,185

46.8

74

.53

9.53

.87

10.53

1,200

5.49

770

589

.87

5.2

400

41

.24

.15

18.42

370

1.02

106

303

9.9

31.3

1.6

19.2

3.5

2.29

7.6

1.4

3.1

1 _

1.4

.75

(Cl) 

Ref.

3

-

86

1

69

1

68

3

1

16

1

1

1

93

3

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

23

1

74

20

23

20

23

20

93

142

142

2

67

_

23

104

Mighei 

Amt.

1.62

-

-

2.48

1,299

41.8

66

.46

11.73

1.07

12.98

1,300

3.66

470

426

1.18

7.3

500

-

.24

.16

21.24

550

1.20

120

187

7.7

19.6

1.9

11.8

3.3

1.20

8.6

1.8

5.8

_

1.8

.85

(C2) 

Ref.

3

-

-

1

69

1

68

3

1

16

1

1

1

93

3

1

74

1

-

1

1

1

23

1

74

20

23

20

83

20

93

20

103

2

29

_

23

104

Murray 

Amt.

1.73

.035

9.40

2.78

1,905

41.9

_

.36

11.92

.98

13.39

1,400

2.80

200

373

1.36

9.1

540

71

.30

.16

21.25

490

1.18

119

187

6.4

24.9

2.0

12.3

.53

1.22

9

-

5.2

_

1.4

-

(C2) 

Ref.

3

82 .

40

1

69

1

_

3

1

16

1

1

1

93

3

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

23

1

74

20

23

20

23

20

20

20

77

-

29

_

23

-

Murchison 

Amt.

1.71

.041

-

2.18

1,550

41.1

65

.27

12.03

1.14

13.59

1,000

3.00

-

374

1.35

8.4

800

59

.33

.15

22.13

600

1.38

140

175

7.6

23.8

-

11.3

.42

1.32

10.5

1.9

4.6

.6

-

-

(C

Re

12

6

6

3

3

2

3

2

2

2

2

3

6

3
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Element

Rh

Pd

Ag (ppb)

Cd (ppb)

In (ppb)

Sn

Sb (ppb)

Te

I

Cs (ppb)

Ba

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Hf

Ta (ppb)

W

Re (ppb)

Os (ppb)

Ir (ppb)

Pt (ppb)

Au (ppb)

Hg (ppb)

Tl (ppb)

Pb

Bi (ppb)

Th (ppb)

U (ppb)

Ivuna 

Amt.

_

.54

150

677

82

-

134

3.08

.9

194

-

.19

.58

.090

.40

.134

.055

.24

.066

-

.058

.15

.022

.11

.024

.34

-

_

31

560

521

1,060

170

180

160

-

112

29

10.3

(Cl) 

Ref .

_

97

20

20

20

-

20

20

99

20

-

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

2

2

2

2

2

29

-

_

20

104

20

30

30

23

20

-

20

123

20

Orgueil 

Amt.

_

.56

200

661

76

1.64

130

2.99

.40

191

2.4

.19

.66

.097

.44

.131

.050

_

.022

.22

.054

.13

.022

.15

.022

.11

-

.20

38

610

515

980

130

480

134

2.43

107

28.6

8.2

(Cl) 

Ref.

_

97

20

20

20

124

20

20

93

20

116

2

2

2

2

2

2

_

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

67

-

127

20

104

20

30

30

23

20

140

20

140

140

Mighei 

.Amt.

_

.59

33

610

50

.7

231

1.75

.48

137

2.5

.29

.73

.13

.61

.20

.077

.38

.047

.36

.076

.20

.030

.17

.032

.14

-

_

47

730

657

1,070

170

200

97

1.5

96

46

17

(C2) 

Ref.

_

97

20

20

20

83

20

20

93

20

116

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

29

-

_

20

104

20

30

30

44

20

116

20

123

123

Murray 

Amt.

_

0.79

141

417

51

.89

103

2.02

.30

121

-

.39

1.04

.15

.62

.21

.072

.27

.049

.32

.079

.22

.037

.18

.030

.21

17

.14

49

685

633

1,050

150

550

94

1.51

66

45

12.8

(C2) 

Ref.

_

108

20

20

20

124

20

20

93

20

-

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

29

117

119

20

120

20

30

30

23

20

37

20

123

20

Murchison 

Amt.

_

-

172

379

46

1.0

107

1.80

-

135

3.1

.32

.88

.13

.56

.205

.079

.29

.056

.33

.084

.23

.039

.22

.037

.14

-

.14

43

-

607

1,320

190

-

84

1.60

64

-

14.5

(C

Ref

_

-

20

20

20

124

20

20

-

20

7

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

67

-

8

20

-

20

30

30

-

20

38

20

-

20
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Element

Li

Be

B

C (percent)

N

0 (percent)

F

Na (percent)

Mg (percent)

Al (percent)

Si (percent)

P

S (percent)

Cl

K

Ca (percent)

Sc

Ti

V

Cr (percent)

Mn (percent)

Fe (percent)

Co

Ni (percent)

Cu

Zn

Ga

Ge

As

Se

Br

Rb

Sr

Y

Zr

Nb

Mo

Ru

Mokoia 

Amt.

2.00

-

-

0.47

103

37.1

170

.38

14.46

1.55

15.59

1,600

2.46

370

282

1.82

10.0

600

75

.35

.15

24.04

600

1.29

96

64

19.7

-

9.39

1.94

1.10

15

2.4

: 10

-

-

'

(C3) 

Ref.

3

-

-

1

69

1

89

3

1

16

1

1

1

89

3

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

1

1

74

89

-

138

-

138

138

138

77

2

77

-

-

-

Allende 

Amt.

1.88

.050

1.0

.26

62

37.0

59

.34

14.9

1.74

16.0

1,100

2.10

220

268

1.85

12.7

900

93

.36

.15

23.6

610

1.42

130

120

5.9

17

3

7.4

1.48

1.1

13

3.1

5.9

.7

.2

.9

(C3) 

Ref.

3

125

9

9

69

9

68

9

9

9

9

9

9

9

3

9

17

9

17

9

9

9

9

9

9

9

131

9

9

54

54

140

140

9

67

9

9

9

Abee 

Amt.

2.1

.020

.77

.39

270

28.8

280

.75

11.48

.84

17.66

2,600

6.12

750

822

.74

7.5

500

58

.35

.20

30.35

920

1.66

200

320

17.7

48

4.74

34

3.3

2.4

6.9

1.0

3.8

-

-

.97

(E4) 

Ref.

84

82

40

10

88

10

89

10

10

16

10

10

10

93

15

10

74

10

17

17

10

10

17

10

18

18

17

17

97

18

93

21

53

2

29

_

-

104

Indarch 

Amt.

1.8

-

-

.43

204

29.0

220

.75

10.54

.77

16.47

2,200

5.18

570

905

.89

6.3

400

57

.31

.19

33.15

910

1.83

225

430

16.3

51

4.31

23

4.8

2.4

8

1.5

6

_

-

1.01

(E4) 

Ref.

84

-

-

1

69

1

89

1

1

16

1

1

1

93

15

1

74

1

17

17

1

1

17

1

18

18

17

17

97

.21

93

21

77

2

77

_

-

104

St. Marks 

Amt.

0.81

-

-

.36

180

28.9

140

.64

11.64

.76

17.14

390

5.50

210

960

.87

5.5

870

55

.34

.29

32.43

880

1.81

215

53

16.8

45

5.5

30

_

.8

6

1.7

7

-

-

-

Re
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued 

Element

Rh

Pd

Ag (ppb)

Cd (ppb)

In (ppb)

Sn

Sb (ppb)

Te

I

Cs (ppb)

Ba

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Hf

Ta (ppb)

W

Re (ppb)

Os (ppb)

Ir (ppb)

Pt (ppb)

Au (ppb)

Hg (ppb)

Tl (ppb)

Pb

Bi (ppb)

Th (ppb)

U (ppb)

Mokoia 

Amt.

_

1.3

158

315

32

-

41

1.02

-

82

-

.46

1.06

.16

.84

.31

.102

.40

.073

.42

.098

.26

.047

.24

.038

-

-

_

58

691

651

180

-

50

.93

44

61

18

(C3) 

Ref.

109

138

138

111

-

138

138

-

138

-

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

-

_

120

120

138

31

-

138

62

138

123

138

Allende 

Amt.

.69

90

460

41

68

80

.995

.5

82

4.8

.44

1.25

.20

.91

.29

.107

.43

.074

.42

.12

.31

.049

.32

.058

.19

-

.15

69

930

810

1,800

160

60

58

1.10

43

62

15

(C3) 

Ref.

54

54

54

54

124

54

54

9

54

7

. 43

43

43

43

43

43

43

43

43

43

43

43

43

43

67

-

8

54

54

131

30

131

44

54

37

54

37

37

Abee 

Amt.

.25

1.08

316

460

57

1.65

230

2.7

-

216

2.83

.15

.48

.054

.24

.095

.049

.16

.025

.16

.040

.131

.014

.094

.019

.10

-

.37

62

780

500

1,450

440

200

88

1.98

71

30

9

(E4) 

Ref.

105

97

21

4

17

124

18

18

-

21

32

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

29

-

127

97

104

17

30

17

122

18

127

24

123

123

Indarch 

Amt.

.86

377

800

78

1.5

240

2.9

.31

240

2.30

.21

.59

.11

.37

.14

.042

.21

.031

.18

.053

.15

.023

.122

.023

-

-

_

54

740

560

1,710

320

160

177

2.17

81

29

11

(E4) 

Ref.

97

21

18

17

83

18

18

93

21

32

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

-

_

97

104

17

30

17

122

18

116

24

123

123

St. Marks 

Amt.

_

-

189

9.7

22

-

230

1.3

-

35

-

.25

.66

.13

.36

.14

.045

.20

.036

.21

.046

.14

.024

.134

.027

-

-

_

68

671

610

-

340

430

2.6

-

9.7

30

7

(E

Ref

_

-

2

1

1

1

1

2

12

12

1

1

12

1

2

12

12
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Element

Li

Be

B

C (percent)

N

0 (percent)

F

Na (percent)

Mg (percent)

Al (percent)

Si (percent)

P

S (percent)

Cl

K

Ca (percent)

Sc

Ti

V

Cr (percent)

Mn (percent)

Fe (percent)

Co

Ni (percent)

Cu

Zn

Ga

Ge

As

Se

Br

Pb

Sr

Y

Zr

Nb

Mo

Ru

Forest 

Amt.

2.0

-

-

.072

48

33.5

29

.73

14.24

1.11

17.31

1,500

1.90

-

841

1.24

6.0

900

57

.37

.22

27.20

800

1.65

91

39

4.6

4.45

2.48

5.5

_

3.5

10.1

2.2

5.6

« 

-

.94

City (H5) 

Ref.

84

-

-

87

88

1

139

1

1

1

1

1

1

-

15

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

74

1

74

1

95

96

97

98

_

77

53

2

29

_

-

106

Richardton 

Amt.

1.7

-

.37

.032

51

32.5

122

.71

13.38

1.40

16.01

2,300

2.19

140

812

1.00

6.3

600

61

.38

.28

29.79

980

1.57

97

72

6.95

-

7.7

_

1.2

9

-

6.1

_

-

.82

(H5) 

Pef .

84

-

40

87

88

1

90

1

1

1

1

1

1

40

15

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

74

1

74

1

-

96

-

21

_

21

77

-

29

_

-

106

Gu arena 

Amt.

1.6

-

.26

.024

41

32.5

-

.67

14.14

1.08

17.18

1,200

2.00

78

700

1.14

-

700

-

.38

.25

28.54

900

1.74

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

.4

-

-

(H6) 

Ref.

84

-

40

87

88

11

-

11

11

11

11

11

11

40

11

11

- .

11

-

11

11

11

11

11

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

33

-

-

Leedey 

Amt.

1.7

-

1.37

.054

33

36.2

-

.85

15.00

1.14

18.45

1,400

2.04

-

600

1.42

10.1

700

54

.37

.24

22.60

360

1.05

108

58

-

8.71

-

-

_

3.2

11.3

-

10

_

-

-

(L6) 

Ref.

84

-

40

87

88

1

-

1

1

16

1

1

1

-

1

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

74

1

74

1

-

96

-

-

_

77

53

-

77

_

-

-

Bruderheim 

Amt.

2.6

.034

.14

.040

32

35.5

32

.75

15.05

1.19

18.67

1,300

 2.32

80

667

1.24

8.9

700

62

.41

.26

22.75

422

1.30

74

35

4.0

10.1

1.52

5.9

.11

3.7

10.8

-

6.6

_

1.1

.71

(L

R

84

82

40

87

8

1

139

1

12

1

1

12

1

93

7

1

74

12

92

1

1

1

7

1

2

2

9

9

2

2

7

5

6

2

10
TABLE 84. Analytical data

Element

Rh

Pd

Ag (ppb)

Cd (ppb)

In (ppb)

Sn

Sb (ppb)

Te

I

Cs (ppb)

Ba

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Hf

Ta (ppb)

W

Re (ppb)

Os (ppb)

Ir (ppb)

Pt (ppb)

Au (ppb)

Hg (ppb)

Tl (ppb)

Pb

Bi (ppb)

Th(ppb)

U (ppb)

Forest 

Amt.

.21

1.14

130

-

1.0

.24

140

1.63

-

99

3.5

.33

-

.12

.62

.22

.088

.40

.057

-

.068

.25

.053

.19

-

.12

27

.17

99

850

780

1,280

170

45

4.7

.14

8.4

_

13

City (H5) 

Ref.

107

97

107

-

107

83

83

98

-

53

116

2

-

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

2

2

2

2

-

29

117

119

97

106

31

30

30

44

129

116

24

_

73

Richardton 

Amt.

_

-

5.1

20

.25

.46

93

2.31

-

79

3.2

.32

.48

.12

.61

.20

.080

.34

.053

.34

.068

.20

.033

.19

.033

.16

-

.13

81

814

730

2,020

270

360

2.5

.075

1.4

34

11

(H5) 

Pef .

_

-

21

110

21

96

112

98

-

21

115

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

29

-

119

120

120

31

30

30

121

21

37

21

123

123

for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Cuarena

Amt.

_

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

5.32

.541

1.440

-

1.045

.336

.1065

.457

-

.568

-

.357

_

.345

.0507

-

-

_

-

-

-

_

-

-

_

-

_

17

(H6) 

Ref.

_

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

7

7

7

-

7

7

7

7

-

7

-

7

_

7

7

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

73

Leedey 

Amt.

_

-

_

-

.3

.78

-

_

-

-

3.85

.378

.976

-

.716

.230

.087

.311

-

.390

-

.255

_

.249

.039

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

11

(L6) 

Ref.

_

-

_

-

Ill

96

-

_

-

-

114

22

22

-

22

22

22

22

-

22

-

22

_

22

22

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

73

Bruderheim 

Amt.

.25

.68

60

13

.07

.30

58

.9

.022

8

3.37

.378

1.031

-

.765

.247

.084

.335

.076

.418

.107

.271

_

.28

.039

.20

17

.13

37

530

490

1,390

220

44

.03

.061

.3

_

12

(L6

Re

105

26

26

4

26

124

23

79

79

26

114

22

22

-

22

22

22

22

78

22

78

22

_

78

22

67

117

119

23

104

136

30

30

122

129

38

26

_

38
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Element

Li

Be

B

C (percent)

N

0 (percent)

F

Na (percent)

Mg (percent)

Al (percent)

Si (percent)

P

S (percent)

Cl

K

Ca (percent)

Sc

Ti

V

Cr (percent)

Mn (percent)

Fe (percent)

Co

Ni (percent)

Cu

Zn

Ga

Ge

As

Se

Br

Rb

Sr

Y

Zr

Nb

Mo

Ru

Modoc 

Amt.

_

-

-

.17

40

36.3

-

.69

14.94

1.32

18.37

1,300

2.36

-

900

1.16

8.2

700

69

.38

.26

22.42

440

1.30

80

46

6.3

11.0

.92

12.9

.7

3.7

11

2.1

8

.4

-

-

(L6) 

Ref.

_

-

-

87

88

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

1

-

1

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

74

1

26

1

26

94

97

98

26

77

77

2

77

33

-

-

Manbhoom 

Amt.

 .

-

-

.26

39.0

-

.79

15.47

1.19

18.93

1,500

1.89

-

1,100

1.08

8.4

500

65

.44

.25

19. 11

250

.81

67

65

-

-

-

6.4

_

1.4

-

2.0

-

-

-

-

(LL6) 

Ref.

-

-

1

1

-

1

1

16

1

1

1

-

1

1

74

1

92

1

1

1

74

1

74

21

-

-

-

21

_

21

-

2

-

-

-

-

St. Severin (LL6) 

Amt. Ref.

1.42

.043

-

-

14

38.9

-

.74

15.22

1.25

18.19

1,000

2.12

121

900

1.37

8.2

660

54

.40

.25

20.17

430

1.05

71

-

5

-

-

-

-

.62

10

2

6

-

-

-

40

125

-

-

42

11

-

11

11

11

11

11

11

40

11

11

74

11

36

11

11

11

74

11

36

-

36

-

-

-

_

101

36

36

36

-

-

-

Norton 

Amt.

.33

.008

-

.040

44

46.3

11

.067

24.55

.097

25.40

80

.70

-

70

.69

9.6

340

-

.05

. 12

1.60

10

.036

1.5

.066

.087

-

-

.08

.20

1.4

2.09

.32

-

-

-

Co. (Ae) 

Ref.

85

82

-

72

72

1

91

130

1

16

1

77

1

-

15

1

74

77

-

1

1

1

130

130

4

134

134

-

-

133

102

77

2

141

-

-

-

Johnstown 

Amt.

2.20

.013

.34

.040

31

43.1

3.5

.030

15.6

.76

25.0

50

.43

13

9.9

1.00

14.0

720 

147

.57

.42

12.9

19

.006

7

.86

.23

.15

-

-

. 11

.139

2.07

1.22

1.27

-

-

-

(A

Ref

4

12

4

7

7

4

9

4

4

4

4

7

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

13

13

13

13

4

4

14
TABLE 84. Analytical data

Element

Rh

Pd

Ag (ppb)

Cd (ppb)

In (ppb)

Sn

Sb (ppb)

Te

I

Cs (ppb)

Ba

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Hf

Ta (ppb)

W

Re (ppb)

Os (ppb)

Ir (ppb)

Pt (ppb)

Au (ppb)

Hg (ppb)

Tl (ppb)

Pb

Bi (ppb)

Th (ppb)

U (ppb)

Modoc 

Amt.

.16

.57

110

10

.2

.28

63

.45

-

62

3.3

.34

1.5

.13

.63

.20

.080

.33

.048

.30

.084

.23

.033

.15

.036

-

-

_

23

-

520

~

120

-

-

.079

.3

59

19

(L6) 

Ref.

107

26

26

26

26

83

83

26

-

26

116

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

-

_

97

-

94

26

-

-

37

26

37

37

Manbhoom 

Amt.

_

-

85

63

69

-

-

_

-

128

-

.31

.90

.12

.65

.24

.079

.26

.059

.35

.089

.24

.036

.19

.033

-

-

_

-

-

270

-

-

.88

-

8.7

_

18

(LL6) 

Ref.

_

-

21

21

21

-

-

_

-

21

-

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

-

_

-

-

136

-

-

21

-

21

-

73

for a selection of stony

St. Severin (LL6) 

Amt. Ref.

_

-

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

6

.391

.940

-

.662

.217

.085

.295

-

.374

-

.246

_

.247

.039

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

_

16

_

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

36

22

22

-

22

22

22

22

-

22

-

22

_»

22

22

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

73

meteorites Continued

Norton 

Amt.

_

-

mm

27

.4

.08

15

.5

.10

-

-

.21

.81

.11

.63

.22

.022

.38

.061

.40

.100

.25

.036

.22

.039

.0036

4

.05

-

-

.59

1.7

14

.020

.0218

.74

3.9

3.7

Co. (Ae) 

Ref.

_

-

« »

4

110

124

112

79

79

-

-

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

141

117

119

-

-

134

134

44

129

27

24

19

19

Johnstown 

Amt.

_

-

14

.5

-

36

.12

.025

7.6

2.5

.044

.4

-

'

.080

.0089

-

-

.14

.036

.14

.021

.15

.033

.05

8

.006

.77

4

6.5

19

1.9

120

5.8

4.37

2.8

30

11.6

(Ah

Ref.

_

13

13

11

7

7

4

4

45

141

4

11

6

10

13

12

13

12

12

12

6

1

1
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Element

Li

Be

B

C (percent)

N

0 (percent)

F

Na (percent)

Mg (percent)

Al (percent)

Si (percent)

P

S (percent)

Cl

K

Ca (percent)

Sc

Ti

V

Cr (percent)

Mn (percent)

Fe (percent)

Co

Ni (percent)

Cu

Zn

Ga

Ge

As

Se

Br

Rb

Sr

Y

Zr

Nb

Mo

Ru

Havero 

Amt.

1.84

-

.5

1.81

27

39.5

1.6

.029

23.49

.14

18.80

340

.19

35

97

.08

4.9

400

78

.526

.29

14.94

140

.12

14

165

1.13

7.9

1.5

.618

.046

.017

.7

-

3.9

_

-

-

(Au) 

Ref.

48

-

49

48

42

48

49

48

48

48

48

48

48

49

48

48

49

48

48

48

48

48

48

48

48

45

49

49

49

137

137

137

49

-

49

_

-

-

Nakhla 

Amt.

-

-

-

-

40.9

120

.31

7.52

.77

22.5

540

.06

80

810

10.78

50

1,700

210

.29

.42

16.04

81

.099

5.03

42

2.70

2.6

-

-

4.37

2.8

58

4.4

8.1

-

-

-

(An) 

Ref.

.

-

-

-

-

46

80

46

46

46

46

46

46

128

46

46

74

46

80

46

46

46

25

80

25

25

25

80

-

-

25

25

81

2

141

_

-

_

Zmenj 

Amt.

-

-

-

-

42.7

-

.21

10.41

3.43

23.40

200

.31

_

160

3.89

-

1,920

-

.55

.405

13.39

-

.007

-

-

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

5.0

10.7

1.2

-

-

(Aho) 

Ref.

.

-

-

-

-

1

-

1

76

76

76

76

1

_

76

76

-

76

- 

76

76

76

-

1

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

132

132

132

-

-

Bununu 

Amt.

-

-

-

-

. 43.5

-

.25

8.57

4.69

22.75

-

.35

_

300

4.84

-

700

-

.38

.41

14.08

-

.06

-

1.3

1.2

.29

-

-

_

-

-

12.2

28

-

-

-

(Aho) 

Ref.

.

-

-

-

51

-

51

51

51

51

-

51

_

51

51

-

51

-

51

51

51

-

51

-

134

134

134

-

-

_

-

-

132

132,

-

-

-

Moore Co 

Amt.

2.95

-

-

-

-

42.9

79

.33

5.07

8.24

22.51

160

-

20

159

7.92

24

1,900

114

.30

.24

12.20

3

4

1.2

2

.007

-

.5

.014

.050

64

9

22

-

-

-

(Aeu) 

Ref.

53

-

-

-

-

52

80

52

52

52

52

75

-

91

53

52

74

52

47

52

52

52

74

-

47

144

55

144

-

144

144

53

53

55

55

-

-

-
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Element

Rh

Pd

Ag (ppb)

Cd (ppb)

In (ppb)

Sn

Sb (ppb)

Te

I

Cs (ppb)

Ba

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Hf

Ta (ppb)

W

Re (ppb)

Os (ppb)

Ir (ppb)

Pt (ppb)

Au (ppb)

Hg (ppb)

Tl (ppb)

Pb

Bi (ppb)

Th (ppb)

U (ppb)

Havero 

Amt.

_

.06

27

85

1.5

-

8.6

.051

-

1.4

-

.070

_

.019

-

.014

.0041

.025

-

.022

.0054

.018

_

.025

.0085

.055

-

.18

30

-

240

410

24

2.6

-

.9

_

6

(Au) 

Ref .

_

49

137

50

49

-

137

50

-

50

-

49

_

49

-

49

49

49

-

49

49

49

_

49

49

49

-

49

49

-

49

49

49

137

-

137

_

49

Nakhla 

Amt.

_

-

40

71

24

-

-

.15

.18

287

32.5

2.24

5.97

.67

3.11

.815

.249

.796

.109

.723

.140

.404

.057

.358

.0535

.25

-

_

.08

.7

17

-

.55

230

3.1

.476

.50

191

49

(An) 

Ref.

_

-

25

25

25

-

-

79

79

25

32

32

32

2

32

32

32

32

2

32

2

32

2

32

32

141

-

_

65

66

25

-

25

121

25

63

25

19

19

Zmenj 

Amt 

_

-

-

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

11.4

.71

2.12

.23

1.23

.39

.13

.50

.09

.64

.15

.46

.085

.49

.080

.34

-

_

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

100

-

(Aho) 

Ref.

_

-

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

56

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

-

_

-

-

-

-

_

-

-

-

-

132

-

Bununu 

Amt.

_

-

_

38

6

-

-

_

-

-

18.5

1.59

4.18

.53

2.77

.89

.32

1.09

.21

1.38

.34

.97

.16

1.00

.15

.85

-

_

-

-

17

-

4.8

-

-

-

-

240

420

(Aho) 

Ref.

-

_

134

134

-

-

_

-

-

41

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

132

-

_

-

-

134

-

134

-

-

-

-

132

132

Moore Co 

Amt.

_

-

3.17

7.1

6.52

-

1.09

.15

.14

.7

18.6

1.24

3.08

-

2.81

.938

.591

1.22

-

1.62

-

1.01

_

1.08

.20

.61

-

_

.06

.44

-

-

.225

2,740

.08

-

-

62

19.6

(Aeu) 

Ref.

_

-

144

144

144

-

144

79

79

53

53

47

56

-

56

56

56

56

-

56

-

56

_

56

47

47

-

_

65

66

-

-

144

121

144

-

-

19

19
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued

Element

Li

Be

B

C (percent)

N

0 (percent)

F

Na (percent)

Mg (percent)

Al (percent)

Si (percent)

P

S (percent)

Cl

K

Ca (percent)

Sc

Ti

V

Cr (percent)

Mn (percent)

Fe (percent)

Co

Ni (percent)

Cu

Zn

Ga

Ge

As

Se

Br

Rb

Sr

Y

Zr

Nb

Mo

Ru

Pasamonte 

Amt.

6.00

.039

1.08

.069

40

42.3

43

.33

4.08

6.72

22.72

400

.02

8

335

7.33

26

4,000

90

.23

.43

15.26

5.5

-

-

3.2

1.8

.040

-

-

_

.230

80

17

52

3. 6

-

-

(Aeu) 

Ref.

40

82

40

72

72

13

139

13

13

13

13

13

13

40

75

13

74

13

47

13

13

13

25

-

-

134

134

145

-

-

-

53

47

75

141

33

-

-

Nuevo 

Amt.

_

-

-

-

~

42.4

51

.42

3.29

6.24

23. 12

500

.08

-

400

7.43

38

5,700

-

.20

.43

15.75

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

_

.324

84

-

-

_

-

-

Laredo (Aeu) 

Ref.

_

-

-

-

13

91

13

13

13

13

13

13

-

13

13

74

13

-

13

13

13

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

_

53

47

-

-

' _

-

-

Stannern 

Amt.

7. 27

-

.78

-

42.6

76

.45

3.84

6.53

23.06

600

.26

34.5

550

7.56

32

5,800

86

.19

.39

14.41

7.3

-

1.04

1.2

1.7

.08

.30

.287

.061

.696

97

28

95

4.7

-

-

(Aeu) 

Ref.

40

-

40

-

13

139

13

13

13

13

13

13

40

75

13

74

13

47

13

13

13

25

-

25

25

145

135

64

25

25

53

47

2

141

33

-

-

Angra dos 

Amt.

2.02

-

-

-

41.6

-

.026

6.06

4.62

20.54

570

.46

-

12.9

17.52

57

14,300

150

.17

.07

7.45

20.4

.004

10

2. 1

.36

-

-

-

.413

.031

133

35

100

5

-

-

Reis (Aa) 

Ref.

53

-

-

-

57

-

53

57

57

57

57

57

-

53

57

58

53

58

58

58

58

25

58

58

25

25

-

-

-

25

53

53

58

58

58

-

-

Esthe
TABLE 84. Analytical data for a selection of stony meteorites Continued 

Element

Rh

Pd

Ag (ppb)

Cd (ppb)

In (ppb)

Sn

Sb (ppb)

Te

I

Cs (ppb)

Ba

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

Sm

Eu

Gd

Tb

Dy

Ho

Er

Tm

Yb

Lu

Hf

Ta (ppb)

W

Re (ppb)

Os (ppb)

Ir (ppb)

Pt (ppb)

Au (ppb)

Hg (ppb)

Tl (ppb)

Pb

Bi (ppb)

Th (ppb)

U (ppb)

Pasamonte 

Amt.

_

-

-

61

3.3

-

24

.3

.11

9.5

29.5

3.2

8.1

1.26

5.7

1.9

.68

2.7

-

3.1

.69

1 .7

.30

1.7

.40

1.01

120

_

-

-

.65

~

.52

-

-

-

1. 1

-

120

(Aeu) 

Ref.

_

-

-

134

134

-

112

79

79

53

53

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

2

2

2

2

2

2

141

117

_

-

-

134

~

134

-

-

-

24

-

60

Nuevo 

Amt.

_

-

-

-

-

-

-

_

-

13.8

39.3

4.0

10. 7

1.47

8.0

2.2

.74

2.4

.59

4.1

.84

2.8

.48

2.3

.30

-

-

_

-

7.5

-

~

-

78

.75

.324

-

480

130

Laredo (Aeu) 

Ref.

_

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

53

53

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

-

-

_

-

106

-

"

-

116

116

37

-

37

37

Stannern 

Amt.

_

-

40

1. 7

1.2

-

-

. 25

.88

14.2

53.0

4.9

12.9

2.0

10.0

3.2

.83

4.5

.71

4.9

1.07

3.0

.47

2.4

.38

1.26

-

_

-

-

. 13

~

1 .9

300

.58

-

.37

679

214

(Aeu) 

Ref.

_

-

25

25

25

-

-

79

79

53

53

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

141

-

_

-

-

134

~

134

64

25

-

25

19

19

Angra dos 

Amt.

_

-

18

-

1 .4

-

-

_

-

0.4

21.5

8.3

19

3.7

17

5 .5

1.6

7.6

1. 1

8.7

2.0

4.6

.56

4.2

.7

2.6

370

_

.07

.78

2.6

7.2

2,510

.86

.546

2.4

885

207

Reis (Aa) 

Ref.

_

-

25

-

25

-

-

_

-

53

53

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

58

143

143

_

65

66

25

" 

25

121

25

37

25

37

37

Esthe

.

1

1

.

.
COSMOCHEMISTKY PART 1. METEORITES B123

References cited in table 84

1. Wiik, 1969

2. Haskin and others, 1966

3. NicMporuk and Moore, 1974

4. Rosman and de Laeter, 1974

5. Jarosewich, 1971

6. Showalter, Wakita, and Schmltt, 1972

7. Nakamura, 1974

8. Ehmann, Gillum, and others, 1970

9. Mason, 1975

10. Dawson, Maxwell, and Parsons, 1960

11. Jarosewich and Mason, 1969

12. Baadsgaard and others, 1961

13. Duke and Silver, 1967

14. Mason and Wiik, 1961

15. Kirsten, Krankowsky, and Zahringer, 

	1963

16. Loveland, Schmitt, and Fisher, 1969

17. Baedecker and Wasson, 1975

18. Binz, Kurimoto, and Lipschutz, 1974

19. Morgan and Lovering, 1973

20. Krahenbiihl and others, 1973

21. Laul and others, 1973

22. Masuda, Nakamura, and Tanaka, 1973

23. Case and others, 1973

24. Santoliquido and Ehmann, 1972

25. Laul and others, 1972

26. Keays, Ganapathy, and Anders, 1971

27. Huey and Kohman, 1973

28. Laul, Case, and others, 1970

29. Ehmann and Rebagay, 1970

30. Ehmann and Gillum, 1972

31. Bhmann, Baedecker, and McKown,

	1970

32. Nakamura and Masuda, 1973

33. Graham and Mason, 1972

34. Erlank and others, 1972

35. Mason and others, 1976

36. Mason and Graham, 1970

37. Tatsumoto, Knight, and Allegre, 1973

38. Tilton, 1973

39. Lovering, Le Maitre, and Chappell,

	1971

40. Quijano-Rico and Wanke, 1969

41. Philpotts, Schnetzler. and Thomas, 

	1967

42. Kothari and Goel, 1974

43. Wakita and Schmitt, 1970

44. Ozerova and others, 1973

45. Mason and Jarosewich, 1971

46. McCarthy and others, 1974

47. Jerome, 1970

48. Wiik, 1972

49. Wanke and others, 1972

50. Binz, Ikramuddin, and Lipschutz,

	1975

51. Mason, 1967a

52. Hess and Henderson, 1949

53. Tera and others, 1970

54. Anders and others, 1975

55. Alien and Mason, 1973

56. Schnetzler and Philpotts, 1969

57. Ludwig and Tschermak, 1909

58. Smales and others, 1970

59. Nelen and Mason, 1972

60. Fisher, 1969a

61. Ehmann and Huizenga, 1959

62. Marshall, 1962

63. Hutchison, Gale, and Arden, 1975

64. Kiesl and others, 1967

65. Morgan, 1970

66. Morgan, 1965

67. Ganapathy, Papia, and Grossman,

	1976

68. Goldberg and others, 1974

69. Gibson, Moore, and Lewis, 19711)

70. Hermann and Wichtl, 1974

71. Boynton, Starzyk, and Schmitt, 1976

72. Gibson, Moore, and Lewis, 1971a

73. Fisher, 1972

74. Schmitt and others, 1972

75. McCarthy, Erlank, and Willis, 1973

76. McCarthy, Ahrens, and Erlank, 1972

77. VonMichaelis and others, 1969

78. Alien, 1970

79. Clark and others, 1967

80. Greenland, 1963

81. Gale, Arden, and Hutchison, 1975

82. Sill and Willis, 1962

83. Hamagucht and others, 1969

84. Nichiporuk and Moore, 1970

85. Balsiger and others, 1968

86. Mills, 1968

87. Moore and Lewis, 1967

88. Gibson and Moore, 1971

89. Greenland and Lovering, 1965

90. Reed, 1964

91. Reed and Jovanovic, 1969

92. Nichiporuk and Bingham, 1970

93. Goles, Greenland, and Jerome, 1967

94. Tandon and Wasson, 1968

95. Schaudy, Kiesl, and Hecht, 1968

96. Shima, 1964

97. Fouch6 and Smales, 1967b

98. DuFresne, 1960

99. Reed and Alien, 1966

100. Pinson and others, 1965

101. Gopalan and Wetherill, 1969

102. Bogard and others, 1967

103. Kaushal and Wetherill, 1970

104. Crocket and others, 1967

105. Sen Gupta, 1968a

106. Bate and Huizenga, 1963

107. Schindewolf and Wahlgren, I960

108. Rieder and Wanke, 1969

109. Greenland, 1967

110. Schmitt, Smith, and Olehy, 1963

111. Schmitt and Smith, 1968

112. Tanner and Ehmann, 1967

i!3. Smales and others, 1964

114. Eugster, Tera, and Wasserburg, 1969

115. Hamaguchi, Reed, and Turkevich, 

	1957

116. Reed, Kigoshi, and Turkevich, 1960

117. Ehmann, 1965

118. Atkins and Smales, 1960

119. Amiruddin and Ehmann, 1962

120. Morgan and Lovering, 1967

121. Ehmann and Lovering, 1967

122. Reed and Jovanovic, 1967

123. Morgan and Lovering, 1968

124. De Laeter, McCulloch, and Rosman. 

	1974

125. Quandt and Herr, 1974

126. Wanke, Baddenhausen, Balacesscu, and 

	others, 1972

127. Hintenberger, Jochum, and Senfert. 

	1973

128. Podosek, 1973

129. Huey and Kohman, 1972

130. Schmitt, Linn, and Wakita, 1970

131. Chou and others, 1976a

132. Taylor, S. R. written commun., 1976

133. Lieberman and Ehmann, 1967

134. Chou and others, 1976b

135. Wasson and Baedecker, 1970

136. Miiller, Baedecker, and Wasson, 1971

137. Higuchi and others, 1976

138. Anders and others, 1976

139. Alien and Clarke, 1977

140. Tatsumoto, Unruh, and Desborough, 

	1976

141. Ehmann and others 1976

142. Mittlefehldt and Wetherill, 1977

143. Ma, Murali, and Schmitt, 1977

144. Gros and others, 1976

145. Chou and others, 1976c

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank the following persons who helped 

me in the preparation of this compilation: P. R. 

Brett and Michael Fleischer, who read and commented on the entire manuscript; R. 0. Alien, P. A. 

Baedecker, W. D. Ehmann, M. E. Lipschutz, C. B. 

Moore, G. W. Reed, M Tatsumoto, and G. W. 

Wetherill, who reviewed specific sections; J. T. 

Wasson, E. R. D. Scott, and V. F. Buchwald, who 

provided illustrations; and S. R. Taylor, who provided the lanthanide and some other trace element 

data on the Bununu and Zmenj meteorites specifically for this publication.

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