A chemical method for major element determination in calcite coexisting with other carbonates and its bearing on geothermometry

Abstract

A chemical method based on differential attack enables a complete major element analysis of calcite coexisting with other carbonates to be performed. The temperature deduced from the chemically-determined Mg-content of calcite is usually lower than that derived from X-ray method; this is explained by the influence of other ions, e.g.Fe2+ and Mn2+, on the calcite lattice. The limitations of the use of the MgCO3 solid solution in calcite as a geothermometer are pointed out.