Garnet/high-silica rhyolite trace element partition coefficients measured by ion microprobe

Garnet/liquid trace element partition coefficients have been measured in situ by ion microprobe in a rhyolite from Monache Mountain, California. Partition coefficients are reported for La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Dy, Er, Yb, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Sr, Y, and Zr. The in situ analyses avoid the problem of contamination of the garnet phase by trace element-rich accessory minerals encountered in traditional bulk phenocryst/matrix partitioning studies. The partitioning pattern for the rare earth elements (REEs, excluding Eu) is smooth and rises steeply from the light to the heavy REEs with no sharp kinks or changes in slope, unlike patterns for garnet /silicic liquid REE partitioning determined by bulk methods. This difference suggests that the previous determinations by bulk methods are in error, having suffered from contamination of the phenocryst separates.