Mahan, Brandon (2021) Element Partitioning (Mineral-Melt, Metal-/Sulfide-Silicate) in Planetary Sciences. In: UNSPECIFIED, (ed.) Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. Oxford Research Encyclopedias . Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

Element partitioning—at its most basic—is the distribution of an element of interest between two constituent phases as a function of some process. Major constituent elements generally affect the thermodynamic environment (chemical equilibrium) and therefore trace element partitioning is often considered, as trace elements are present in minute quantities and their equilibrium exchange reactions do not impart significant changes to the larger system. Trace elements are responsive to thermodynamic conditions, and thus they act as passive tracers of chemical reactions without appreciably influencing the bulk reactions themselves. In planetary sciences, the phase pairs typically considered are mineral-melt, metal-silicate, and sulfide-silicate, owing largely to the ubiquity of their coexistence in planetary materials across scales and context, from the micrometer-sized components of meteorites up to the size of planets (thousands of kilometers).

Item ID:	73108
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	9780190647926
Copyright Information:	© Oxford University Press 2022
Date Deposited:	02 Jun 2022 00:07
FoR Codes:	37 EARTH SCIENCES > 3703 Geochemistry > 370302 Inorganic geochemistry @ 50% 37 EARTH SCIENCES > 3705 Geology > 370507 Planetary geology @ 50%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280107 Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences @ 100%
Downloads:	Total: 4
	More Statistics