Incompatible element 1948939 208779991 2008-04-28T16:27:23Z Smalljim 100426 Disambiguate [[Fractional crystallization]] to [[Fractional crystallization (geology)]] using [[:en:Wikipedia:Tools/Navigation_popups|popups]] '''Incompatible element''' is a term used in [[petrology]] and [[geochemistry]]. During the [[Fractional crystallization (geology)|fractional crystallization]] of [[magma]], and magma generation by the partial melting of [[Mantle (geology)| the Earth's mantle]] and crust, elements that have difficulty in entering cation sites of the minerals are concentrated in the melt phase of magma (liquid [[Phase (matter)|phase]]). An '''incompatible element''' is an element that is unsuitable in size and/or charge to the [[cation]] sites of the [[minerals]], and is defined by the [[partition coefficient]] between rock-forming minerals and [[magma|melt]] being much smaller than 1. Two groups of elements that have difficulty entering the solid phase are known by acronyms. One group includes elements having large [[ionic radius]], such as [[potassium]], [[rubidium]], [[caesium]], [[strontium]], [[barium]], [[rare earth elements]], [[thorium]], and [[uranium]] (called '''LILE''', or large-ion lithophile elements), and the other group includes elements of large ionic valences such as [[zirconium]], [[niobium]], [[hafnium]], and [[tantalum]] (called '''HFSE''', or high field strength elements). [[Category:Geochemistry]] [[Category:Petrology]] [[nl:Incompatibel element]]