Geochemistry and cosmochemistry of lithium. Utility of the Li isotopes as a geochemical tracer.

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  • MORIGUTI Takuya
    Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University
  • NAKAMURA Eizo
    Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University
  • ISHIKAWA Tsuyoshi
    Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington

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Other Title
  • リチウムの地球・宇宙化学　Ｌｉ同位体のトレーサーとしての可能性と課題
  • リチウム ノ チキュウ ウチュウ カガク Li ドウイタイ ノ トレーサ -
  • Utility of the Li isotopes as a geochemical tracer
  • Li同位体のトレーサーとしての可能性と課題

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Abstract

Geochemical and cosmochemical studies on lithium are reviewed and the potential of lithium isotope systematics as a geological tracer is discussed in this article.<br> Lithium, the smallest of the alkaline elements, possesses two stable isotopes, 6Li and 7Li. It also displays the following unique physicochemical characteristics: (1) an extremely high cross-section of the lithium isotope 6Li for thermal neutrons; (2) high incompatibility in the mafic silicate minerals in the magmatic processes; (3) high solubility in fluid phases; and (4) large isotopic variations in the 6Li/7Li ratio of natural samples exceeding 30‰. The content and isotopic composition of lithium in meteoritic and terrestrial materials may provide important clues <br>to understanding nucleosynthesis theories and many geological phenomena including water/rock interactions, metamorphic and magmatic processes.<br> However, the isotopic behavior of lithium in geologic processes is still not well understood, since only a few reliable isotopic measurements of lithium are available for natural samples due essentially to analytical difficulties; derived from the extremely large mass difference between the two isotopes and no internally-derived correction for the mass fractionation in mass spectrometry. In order to apply lithium isotope systematics for understanding geochemical and water-related processes in the Earth and other planets, the development of a high precision technique for lithium isotope analysis is urgently required so as to accumulate the much needed fundamental data set of natural samples.

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