GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 266

RECENT ESTIMATES OF THE 

ABUNDANCES OF THE ELEMENTS 

IN THIS EARTH'S CRUST

u. Q. r

PUBLIC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Douglas McKay, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. E. Wrather, Director

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 285

RECENT ESTIMATES OF THE ABUNDANCES OF THE ELEMENTS

IN THE EARTH'S CRUST

By Michael Fleischer

Washington, D. C., 1953

Free on application to the Geological Survey, Washington 25, D. C.

RECENT ESTIMATES OF THE ABUNDANCES OF THE ELEMENTS

IN THE EARTH'S CRUST

By Michael Fleischer

CONTENTS 

Page

Abstract.... 

Introduction.

References for 

tables 2 and 3.

Page 

3

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

Figure 1. Abundances of elements of atomic numbers 1 to 48.......................................... 2

2. Abundances of elements of atomic numbers 47 to 93......................................... 2

TABLES

Page

Table 1. Weight percents of the 25 most abundant elements in the earth's crust........................ 3

2. Estimates of abundances of elements arranged in order of atomic number..................... 4

3. Estimates of abundances of elements arranged alphabetically................................ 6

ABSTRACT

This is a compilation of estimates of the abundances of the elements, taken from nine papers published between 1924 and 1952. They are arranged 

in three tables: (1) weight percents of the 25 most 

abundant elements, (2) abundances of the first 92 

elements arranged in order of atomic number, 

and (3) abundances of the first 92 elements arranged 

alphabetically.

INTRODUCTION

The U. S. Geological Survey receives many 

requests for information on the abundances of the 

elements. Data on this subject are scattered 

through the literature and are not always readily 

accessible. I have therefore assembled nine estimates of abundances of all the elements, published 

during the past 30 years and they are given in three 

tables: The first table gives the 25 most abundant 

elements, the second and third list the first 92 elements, arranged in the second table in order of 

atomic number and in the third in alphabetical order. 

The data are plotted in figures 1 and 2. No data 

are listed for the elements of atomic numbers 93 to 

98, neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, 

berkelium, and californium. Neptunium and 

plutonium have been shown to occur naturally in 

exceedingly small concentrations, probably less

than 10-is percent. It is not known at present whether 

the other elements listed above occur in nature; likewise there are no published data on the occurrence 

of the elements of atomic numbers 43, 61, 85, and 

87 technetium, promethium, astatine, and francium.

It should be noted that the nine estimates are 

not strictly comparable. Three of them (nos. 2, 5, 

and 9) refer to abundances in igneous rocks only; 

that is, they ignore the sedimentary rocks and the 

oceans. This has very little effect on the data given 

for most elements because the igneous rocks are 

estimated to constitute 95 percent of the earth's 

crust down to a 10-mile depth; it does, however, 

have a marked effect on the estimates of hydrogen, 

oxygen, and chlorine which are so abundant in the oceans.

It is not practicable here to discuss the data in 

detail. It should be noted that since the estimates 

of column 9, tables 2 and 3, were made in 1924, 

advances in spectrographic methods of analysis 

have resulted in much higher estimates of the 

abundances of elements such as gallium, germanium, 

indium, and thallium, for which almost no quantitative determinations were available 25 years ago.

The methods by which the estimates were made 

are explained in detail in reference 9, also more 

briefly in references 1 and 2. It should be emphasized that many assumptions have to be made 

and that the accuracy of the figures given for the
100

-12

20 30 

Atomic number

Figure 1. Abundances of elements of atomic numbers 1 to 48.

40 48

10-

c m-4

Sm

CD

o

CD CL

10-

10-6

.£ I0-8

O)

o

c 

-D o

JD

lO-'O

10-12

H2

V ft HO V

Eu Tu

10,-2

10-4

10-6

-8 10

,0-io

io-|Z

H2

50 60 70 

Atomic number

80 90

Figure 2. Abundances of elements of atomic numbers 47 to 93.

2
Table 1. Weight percents of the 25 most abundant elements in the earth's crust (Mason, 

1952, p. 41).

1

2 

3

4 

5

6

7 

8

9 

10

11 

12 

13

Element

Oxygen 

mil r>nn

Aluminum 

Sodium -------

Potassium 

MagnesiumTotal of 

first 10 

Phosphorus 

Sulfur 

Weight 

percent

46.60 

27.72 

8.13 

5.00 

3.63

2.83 

2.59 

2.09 

.44 

.14

99.17

.118 

i on .052

14 

15

16

17 

18

19 

20

21 

22

23

24

25

r

Element

Carbon - 

Chlorine 

Rubidium 

Fluor ine-- 

StrontiumBarium 

ZirconiumChromium 

Vanadium 

Zinc 

Nickel 

Copper 

Potal of 

Q-] -] pc;

Weight 

percent

0.032 

.031

.031 

.030 

.030 

.025 

.022

.020 

.015 

.013 

,008 

.00?

99-70

various elements varies greatly. For example, the 

figures given for antimony and bismuth are based 

on very few determinations and are to be regarded as 

good guesses; in contrast, the figures for niobium 

and tantalum are based on many careful analyses. 

However, considering the many uncertainties involved, 

it is likely that only 2 significant figures for the more 

abundant elements (such as silicon) and only 1 significant figure for the less abundant elements (such 

as samarium) are meaningful.

For further details on the individual elements and 

on methods of estimating abundances, references 1 

to 9 should be consulted, especially 2 and 9; for data 

on the oceans, the reader is referred to "The oceans, 

their physics, chemistry, and general biology, " by 

H. U. Sverdrup, M. W. Johnson, and R. H. Fleming,

Prentice-Hall, New York, 1087 p. (1946); and for 

data on the relative abundances of the isotopes of the 

elements to "Relative isotopic abundances of the 

elements, " by K. T. Bainbridge and A. O. Nier, 

National Research Council Preliminary Report 9, 

59 p. (1950).

REFERENCES FOR TABLES 2 AND 3

Column

no.

Mason, Brian, 1952, Principles of geochemistry, 276 p., New York, John Wiley and 

Sons. (For crust.)

Rankama, K., and Sahama, T. G., 1950, Geochemistry, p. 39-40, The University of 

Chicago Press. (For igneous rocks.)

Polanski, A,, 1948, A new essay of evaluation 

of the chemical composition of the earth: 

Soc. des Amis des Sci. Lettres de Poznan, 

Ser. B, v. 9, p. 39-40. (For 35 km-crust.)

Anderson, J. S., 1945, Chemistry of the 

earth: Royal Soc. New South Wales Jour. 

andProc., v. 76, p. 329-345. (For crust.)

Goldschmidt, V. M., 1937, The laws of the 

geochemical distribution of the elements: IX. 

The abundance of the elements: Norske vidensk. - 

akad. Oslo, Mat.-Nat. Klasse, no. 4, p. 1-148 

[in German]. (For igneous rocks.)

Fersman, A. E., 1933, Geokhimia, Leningrad [in 

Russian], quoted by Wells, R. C., 1937, U. S. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 878, p. 4-5. (For 10-mile crust.)

Schneiderhohn, H., 1934, Die ausnutzungsmoglichkeiten der deutschen Erzlagerstatten: 

Metallwirtschaft 13, p. 151-157. (For 

16 km-crust.)

Berg, G., 1929, Vorkommen und Geochemie 

der Mineralischen Rohstoffe, p. 11, Leipzig.

Clarke, F. W., and Washington, H. S., 1924, The 

composition of the earth's crust: U. S. Geol. 

SurveyProf. Paper 127,p. 1-117. (For igneous 

rocks.)
Table 2. Estimates of abundance of the elements in the earth's crust, arranged in order of 

[Column numbers indicate references on page 3]

Atomic Element 

no.

1. 

2. 

3.

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9- 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14.

15. 

16.

17. 

18.

19. 

20. 

21. 

22. 

23. 

24.

25- 

26.

27. 

28.

29. 

30. 

31. 

32. 

33- 

34. 

35. 

36. 

37. 

38. 

39. 

40. 

41. 

42.

43.

44.

45. 

46.

VT.

Helium 

G-i-il -P-M-K* __ .. _.,_

fhl rtvSn*a . ..-.-- _____________-_____--_---

TiH r>lri=1 --_-_---_-_--_-_______---_-------------

Yttrium 

Composition in weight per

1

0.14" 

IxlO-7 

.0065 

.0006 

.0003 

.032 

.0046 

46.60 

.030

2.83 

2.09 

8.13 

27.72 

.118 

.052 

.0314 

4x10-6 

2.59 

3.63

.0005 

.44 

.015 

.020 

.100 

5.00 

.0023 

.008. 

.007 

.0132 

.0015 

.0007 

.0005 

9x10-6 

.00016

.031 

.030 

.0028 

.022 

.0024 

.0015

lxlO-9(?) 

LxlO-9 

LxlO-e 

IxlO-5

2

Present 

3xlO-7 

0.0065 

.0006 

.0003 

.032 

.00463 

46.60 

.06-. 09 

7x10-9 

2.83 

2.09 

8.13 

27.72 

.118 

.052 

.0314 

4x10-6 

2.59 

3.63 

.0005 

.44 

.015 

.02 

.100 

5.00 

.0023 

.008 

.007 

.0132 

.0015 

.0007 

.0005 

9x10-6 

. 000162

.031 

.03 

.00281 

.022 

.0024 

.00025- 

.0015 

Presence 

unsettled. 

Present 

1x10-7 

1x10-6 

IxlO"5

* 3

0.44 

7xlO- 8 

.0065 

.0006 

. 00056 

.055 

.0079 

47.9 

.029

1.2xlO-7 

2.76 

2.04

7-9 

27.0 

.78 

.55 

.1 

.0013 

2.52 

3.54 

.0005 

4.3 

.15 

.019 

.097 

4.87 

.004 

.01 

.01 

.004 

.015 

.0007 

.0005

.00001 

.0004 

3x10-8 

.029 

.015 

.0028 

.021 

.002 

.0015

2x10-6 

IxlO-7 

IxlO-6 

IxlO-5

4

0.87 

8xio-7 

.004 

.0005

.001 

.08 

.030

49.5 

.027

5xlO~7 

2.63 

1.93 

7-5 

25-7 

.12 

.06

 19 

3.5xlO-4 

2.40 

3.39 

.0006 

.58 

.016 

.033 

.09 

4.7 

.0012 

.018 

.010 

.02 

. 00002 

.0001 

.00045 

.00008 

.0006 

1.9xlO- 8 

.0033 

.017 

.007

.023 

. 00006 

.00075

1x10-7

5x10-6 

IxlO-6 

, 5xlO-6 

4x10-6

5

0.0065 

.0006 

.0003 

.032

46.60 

.03

2.83 

2.09 

8.13 

27.72 

.080 

.052 

.048

2.59 

3.63 

.0005 

.44 

.015 

.02 

.10

5.00

.004 

.01 

.01 

.004 

.0015 

.0007 

.0005 

9xlO-6

.031 

.015 

.0028 

.022 

.002 

.0015

1x10-7 

IxlO-6 

IxlO"5

1

49

2

2

7

26

2

3

4
48.

*9. 

50. 

51. 

52. 

53. 

54. 

55. 

56. 

57. 

58. 

59. 

60. 

61. 

62. 

63. 

64.

65. 

66.

67. 

68. 

69- 

70. 

71. 

72. 

73- 

7^.

75. 

76. 

77. 

78. 

79. 

80.

81.

82. 

83. 

84.

85. 

86. 

87. 

88. 

89- 

90. 

91- 

92.

Tj_n____ _____________________________ _ _______

Astatine (no data) .

Francium (no data) .

1.5xlCr 5 

IxlO-5 

.004 

lxlO-4 (?) 

2xlO- 7 (?) 

3xlO-5

.0007 

.025 

.0018 

.0046 

.00055 

.0024

.00065 

.00011 

.00064 

9x10-5 

.0004-5 

.00012 

.00025 

2x10- 5 

.00027 

8xlO-5 

.00045 

.00021 

.0069

IxlO-7

1x10-7(7):

1x10-7

5xio-7

5x10-7 

5xlO-5

6xlO"5 

.0016

2xlO-5 

 

.0012 

.0004

1.5xlO-5 

IxlO-5 

.0040 

.0001 

1.8x10-7 

3x10-5

.0007 

.025 

.00183 

.00461 

.000553 

.00239

.000647 

.000106 

.000636 

9.1x10-5 

.000447 

.000115 

.000247 

2xlO-5 

.000266 

7.5xlO- 5 

.00045 

.00021 

.00015- 

.0069 

1x10-7

1x10-7 

5x10-7 

5x10-7 

7.7xlO-6 - 

5xlQ-5 

.00003- 

.0003 

.0016 

2x10-5

JxlO-14

1.3xlO- 10 

3xlO-14 

.00115 

8x10-11 

.0004

5xlO'5 

IxlO-5 

.004 

.0001 

2x10-7 

3x10-5 

4.6xlO-9 

.0007 

.024 

.0018 

.0046 

.00055 

.0024

.00064 

.00011 

.00064 

9xio-5 

.00045 

.00011 

.00025 

2x10-5 

.00027 

7.5x10-5 

.00045 

.00021 

.0069

1x10-7 

IxlO-6 

IxlO-7 

5x10-7 

5xlO-7 

5x10-5

3x10-5

.0016 

2x10-5 

1.4xlO- 14

5x10-16

6.6X10-11 

2.6x10-1* 

. 00073 

2.4xlO-ii 

.0002

IxlO-5 

IxlO-5 

.0006 

3x10-5 

1x10-6 

7x10-6 

2.9x10-9 

.00007 

.04 

.'0005 

.0022

.00035

.0012 

IxlO-5 

.0005 

.000014 

.0005 

7x10-5 

.0005 

.00007 

.0004 

7x10-5 

.0005 

.0001 

.0025 

2x10-5 

.005

IxlO-7 

5x10-6 

IxlO-6 

5x10-6 

1.5x10-7 

3x10-6

IxlO-s

.002 

3x10-6 

1. 4x10-15

4x10-17

7xlO-i2 

2.3xlO-i4 

.002 

2.6xlO-i2 

.00002

5x10- 5 

IxlO-5 

.004 

.0001 

2xlO-7 

3x10-5

.0007 

.025 

.0018 

.0046 

.00055

.0024

.0006 

.0001 

.0006 

9x10-5 

.00045 

.0001

.00025 

2x10-5 

.0003 

8x10-5 

.00045 

.0015 

.0069

1X10'7

IxlO'7 

5x10-7 

5xlO-7 d 

5x10-5

3x10-5

.0016 

2x10-5 

3xlO-i4

1.3x10-1° 

3x10- i4 

.0012 

8x10-11 

.0004

2

5x

1.

Some of these figures appear to be one order of magnitude too high, perhaps because of misplaced 

decimal points.

& Yttrium plus cerium plus all other rare earths.

'Niobium plus tantalum. 

Value is misquoted in Wells.
Table 3, Estimates of abundances of the elements in the earth's crust, arranged alpha

[Column numbers indicate references on page 3 J

Element

Columbium (see niobium) .

Gold 

WiVlri=1 _____ __ _____ __ __ _ -

Composition in weight percen

1

8.15 

.000l(?) 

4x10-6 

.0005 

.025 

.0006 

2x10-5 

.0003 

.00016 

1.5x10-5 

3.6? 

.032 

.0046 

.0007 

.0314 

.020 

.0023

.007 

. 00045 

.00025 

.00011 

.03 

A 00064 

.0015 

.0007 

5x10-7 

.00045 

3x10-7 

. 00012 

.14 P 

LxlO"5 

3x10-5 

1x10-7 

5.00

.0018 

.0016 

.0065 

8xlO-5 

2.09 

.10 

5x10-5

.0015 

.0024

.008

2

3x10- 14 

8.13 

.0001 

4x10-6 

.0005 

.025 

.0006 

2x10-5 

.0003 

. 000162 

1.5x10-5 

3.63 

.032 

.00461 

.0007 

.0314 

.02 

.0023

.007 

.000447 

.000247 

. 000106 

.06-. 09 

. 000636 

.0015 

.0007 

5x10-7 

.00045 

3x10-7 

.000115

IxlO'5 

3xlO-5 

1x10-7 

5.00

.00183 

.0016 

.0065 

7.5x10-5 

2.09 

.100 

7.7x10-6- 

5x10-5 

.00025- 

.0015 

.00239 

7x10-9 

.008

a 3

2.6x10-14

7.9 

.0001 

.0013 

.0005 

.024 

.0006 

2x10-5 

.00056 

.0004 

5x10-5 

3.5^ 

.055 

.0046 

.0007 

.1 

.019 

.004

.01 

.00045 

.00025 

.00011 

.029 

.00064 

.015 

.0007 

5x10-7 

. 00045 

7xlO-8 

.00011 

.44 

1x10-5 

3x10-5

1x10-7

4.87 

3x10-8

.0018 

.0016 

.0065 

7.5x10-5 

2.04

.097 

5x10-5

.0015

.0024 

1.2x10-7 

.01

4

?. 3x10- 14

7.5 

3xlO-5 

3.5x10-4 

.00045 

.04 

.0005 

3x10-6 

.001 

.0006 

1x10-5

3.39 

.08 

.0022 

.00007 

.19 

.033 

.0012

.010 

.0005 

.0004 

.000014 

.027 

.0005 

.00002 

.0001 

1.5x10-7 

.0025 

8xlO-7 

.00007

8T s 

lxlO'5

7xlO-6 

IxlO-6

4.7 

1.9x10-8

.0005

.002 

.004 

.0001 

1.93 

.09 

3x10-6

.00075

.0012 

5x10-7 

.018

5

3xlO-i4 

8.13 

.0001

.0005 

.025 

.0006 

2xlO-5 

.0003

5xio-5 

3-63 

.032 

.0046 

.0007 

.048 

.02 

.004

.01 

.00045 

. 00025 

.0001 

.03 

.0006 

.0015 

.0007 

5x10-7 

.00045

.0001

1X10'5 

3x10-5 

IxlO-7 

5.00

.0018 

.0016 

.0065 

8x10-5 

2.09 

.10 

5xio-5

.0015 

.0024 

.01

7

3

* 

1

4

2
Rubidium 

Terbium - --- 

Thulium 

Tin--------------- _ --------- _ - - _ __________________

Y++vt urn .

Zinc 

,002k

.0014-6

LxlO-7(?)

1+6.60

IxlO-6

-i -, Q

5x10-7

2.59 

nno's^

1x10-7

1x10-7

.031 

lxlO-7(?)

.00065

.0005

9xio-6

27.72

IxlO-5

2.83

.03

.052

.00021

2xlO-7 (?)

9xio~5

6xio-5

.0012

2xlO-5

.001+

M

.0069

nook

.015

.00027

.0132

.022

.0021+

.001+63

1+6.60

IxlO-6

1 T Q

5x10-7

3xlO- 14

2.59

.000553

8xlO-n

1.3x10-1°

1x10-7

IxlO-7

.031

.00061+7

nno^

9x10-6

27.72

IxlO-5

2.83

.03

.052

nnnon

unsettled.

9.1x10-5

nnnn^

.0003

.00115 

2x10-5

.001;

M

nnm *s

.0069

.0001+

.015

.000266

.00281

.0132

.022

nno

.0079

1x10-6

^7-9

1x10-6

>-7O

5x10-7

1.1+xlO- 14

2.52

.00055

2.1+xlO-n

6.6xlO-ii

1x10-7

IxlO-7

.029 

2x10-6

.00061+

nnn^

1x10' 5

27.0 

1x10-5

2.76

.015

.55

OOOOT

2x10-7

9x10-5

3x10-5

.00073

2x10-5

.001+

^.5

.0069

.0002

.15 

1+. 6x10-9

.00027

.0028

nnlj.

.021

nnnrw^

.030

5xio-6

^9.5

5x10-6

.12

5x10-6 

1.^x10- 15

2.^0

.00035 

1x10-5

2.6X10-12

7x10- 12

^xlO'17

IxlO-7

1x10-6

.0033 

5xio-6

norm

.0006

8x10-5

25.7

ItxlO-e

o C.1.

.017

/v;

2x10-5

1x10-7

7x10-5

1x10-5

.002

7x10-5 

nnrv^

C-Q

.005 

nnnno

.016

2.9x10-9

r\r\r\^

r\m

.02

.023

.002

^6.60

.080

5x10-7 

3x10-14

2.59

(WVS'S

8x10-11

1.3x10-1°

1x10-7

1x10-7

.031

.0006

.0005

9xlQ-6

27.72

1x10-5

2.83

.015

.052

.0015

2x10-7

9xio-5

3x10-5

.0012

2x10-5

OQl).

M

.0069

nnnk

.015

.0003

.0028

.00^

.022

.

1*9

.

2.3

7

3

.

.

.

26.0

2.^

.0

.

2A

.

.0

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Some of these figures appear to be one order of magnitude too high, perhaps because of misplaced 

decimal points.

& Value is misquoted in Wells.

Niobium plus tantalum.

Yttrium plus cerium plus all other rare ear