The “North American shale composite”: Its compilation, major and trace element characteristics

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(84)90298-9

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Volume 48, Issue 12, December 1984, Pages 2469-2482

https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(84)90298-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

The compilation and major element composition of the “North American shale composite” (NASC) are reported for the first time, along with redeterminations for the REE and selected other elements by modern, high precision analytical methods. The NASC is not strictly of North American origin; 5 of the constituent samples are from Africa and Antarctica, and 15 are from unspecified locations. The major element composition of the NASC compares quite closely with other average shale compositions. New analyses of the NASC document that significant portions of the REE and some other trace elements are contained in minor phases (zircon and possibly other minerals) and that their uneven distribution in the NASC powder appears to have resulted in heterogeneity among analyzed aliquants. The results of this study show that the REE distributions of detrital sediments can be dependent to some extent on their minor mineral assemblages and the sedimentological factors that control these assemblages. Consequently, caution should be exercised in the interpretation of the REE distributions of sediment samples as they may be variable and biased relative to average REE distribution of the crustal rocks supplying detritus. These effects appear to be largely averaged out in sediment composites, with the result that their REE distributions are more likely to be representative of their provenances.

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^∗: Present Address: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130.

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ArticleThe “North American shale composite”: Its compilation, major and trace element characteristics

Abstract

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Chem. Geol.

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Phys. Chem. Earth

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Chem. Geol.

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

The effect of climate and facies environment on the fractionation of the rare earths during sedimentation

Geochem. Int.

The 1.7 to 1.8 b.y. old trondhjemites of southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico: geochemistry and depths of genesis

Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull.

Petrology and geochemistry of clastic metasedimentary rocks of the Isua Supracrustal Belt, West Greenland

Early crustal evolution: constraints from variable REE patterns in metasedimentary rocks from the 3800 Ma Isua Supracrustal Belt, West Greenland

Petrology and rare earth element geochemistry of clastic metasedimentary rocks from the Isua Supracrustal Belt, West Greenland

Geol. Surv. Greenland Bull.

New England Granites: trace element evidence regarding their origin and differentiation

Contrib. Mineral. Petrol.

The data of geochemistry

U.S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 770

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Nature and origin of orthopyroxene megacrysts from the St. Urbain anorthosite massif, Quebec

Can. Mineral.

Average sedimentary rock rare earth element patterns and crustal evolution: some observations and implications from the 3800 Ma Isua Supracrustal rocks, West Greenland

Article
The “North American shale composite”: Its compilation, major and trace element characteristics