Highly siderophile elements (PGE, Re and Au) in mantle xenoliths from the West Eifel volcanic field (Germany)

2003

Abstract Mantle peridotite xenoliths ranging in modal composition between fertile lherzolites and modally metasomatized harzburgites, and magmatic pyroxenite xenoliths from the West Eifel and Vogelsberg volcanic fields (Germany) have been analyzed for their whole rock major and minor elements, six platinum-group elements PGE (PGE: Os, Ir, Pt, Ru, Rh, Pd), Re and Au, rare earth elements (REE), and several other trace elements (e.g., As, Ta). The bulk rock Ir concentrations range from 0.23 to 9.07 ng/g (total PGE contents range between 43.2 ng/g), exceeding the range previously found in mantle rocks. Two pyroxenite samples show large variabilities in their PGE concentrations, with Ir contents…