REE patterns of eucrites and their genetic implications

Abstract

Rare earth element (REE) abundances in eucrites were precisely determined on Juvinas, Pasamonte, Cachari, Stannem and Antarctic eucrites Y-74450,63,D+G; Y-75015,20,E+F; Y-75011,73; Y-790007,61,F; Y-75011,84,D-1 and Y-790007,61,E-4. The last two samples are eucrite clasts from polymict eucrites. The other Antarctic eucrite samples are matrix from polymict eucrites. Like the Stannern eucrite, all of the Antarctic eucrites have relatively high REE abundances. REE abundances in two clast samples are higher than those in the Stannern and matrix samples of the Antarctic eucrites. When REE abundances in the Antarctic eucrites and the Stannem eucrite are normalized by the REE abundance suite of the Juvinas or Pasamonte eucrites, highly linear REE patterns are obtained. For the Juvinas- or Pasamonte-normalized REE patterns of the Antarctic and Stannern eucrites, the inclination of the linear REE patterns increases with increasing REE abundances. These observations suggest that the eucrites with larger REE abundances such as the Stannern and Antarctic eucrites were produced as residual liquid in a fractional crystallization process from the main group of eucrites ( e.g., the Juvinas eucrite). On the other hand, the Moore County cumulate eucrite is considered to be a solid phase formed in this process.