HR: 1340h
AN: MR13C-1397 [Abstracts]
TI: REE Diffusion in Olivine
AU: * Cherniak, D J
EM: chernd@rpi.edu
AF: Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St.,
Troy, NY 12180, United States
AB:
Diffusion of rare earth elements has been characterized in synthetic forsterite and natural olivine (Fo90) under dry
conditions. The source of diffusant was a mixture of REE aluminate garnet powder and synthetic forsterite powder
in 3:1 proportions. Experiments were prepared by enclosing source material and polished forsterite in platinum
capsules, which were crimped shut. For experiments on natural olivine, samples were placed with the source in
AgPd capsules, which were sealed under vacuum in silica glass ampoules with a solid buffer to buffer at NNO.
Prepared capsules were then annealed in 1 atm furnaces for times ranging from an hour to several weeks, at
temperatures from 850 to 1300„aC. REE distributions in the olivine were profiled by Rutherford Backscattering
Spectrometry (RBS).
The following Arrhenius relation is obtained for Dy diffusion in forsterite:
D = 2.3x10-10 exp(-273 kJ mol-1/RT) m2sec-1.
Diffusivities of Yb and La in forsterite appear similar, and preliminary results for Dy diffusion in natural olivine also
suggest similar diffusivities.
REE diffusivities in forsterite are about an order of magnitude faster than those of REE+3 in enstatite
(Cherniak and Liang, 2007). However, if the Arrhenius relation above is extrapolated up to 1450C, it yields
diffusivities about three orders of magnitude smaller than those determined for REE diffusion in olivine by
Spandler et al. (2007). Work is currently underway in further characterizing diffusion in Fe-bearing olivine. If an
Arrhenius relation similar to that for forsterite is found to apply, timescales for preservation of REE signatures in
olivine-hosted melt inclusions may be relatively long.
Cherniak and Liang (2007) GCA 71, 1324-1340; Spandler et al. (2007) Nature 447, 303-306.
DE: 1043 Fluid and melt inclusion geochemistry
DE: 1065 Major and trace element geochemistry
DE: 3620 Mineral and crystal chemistry (1042)
DE: 3999 General or miscellaneous
DE: 5139 Transport properties
SC: Mineral and Rock Physics [MR]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting