Abstract
This chapter covers the basic concepts of trace element geochemistry. We document the shortcomings of the existing bivariate and ternary trace element diagrams for tectonic discrimination. The need for normalization in multi-element diagrams is made clear. This is followed by quantitative applications of trace elements in multi-element normalised diagrams. A worldwide compilation of the Nb and Ta anomalies is presented and its importance for the petrogenesis of areas having conflicting or complex tectonic settings, such as the Mexican Volcanic Belt, is pointed out. The chapter ends with the presentation and usefulness of combined ratio parameters for drastically reducing the number of bivariate or ternary diagrams and providing a better innovative geochemometric alternative for the handling of geochemical data. It is interesting to see how all these quantititative parameters are useful for solving geological problems.
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Verma, S.P. (2020). Trace Element Geochemistry. In: Road from Geochemistry to Geochemometrics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9278-8_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9278-8_3
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