Volatile fractionation and tektite source material

Abstract

The arguments used by Love and Woronow (1988) to assess the role played in the origin of bediasites by extensive volatile fractionation are critically examined. Using the ratios of 'refractory' oxides, CaO, Al2O3, and MgO, to the 'volatile' oxides, Na2O and K2O, these authors concluded that vapor fractionation did not play a significant role. In this paper, experimental evidence is presented that shows that the assumption of volatility for the alkali elements (as least with respect to silica) to be not valid under the conditions under which tektites formed. It is shown that the results of vapor fractionation in experiments on glasses of tektite composition are approximately parallel the trends seen in bediasite analysis.