Abundance of tin in the Yakushima granitic complex, southern Japan

Abstract

The Yakushima granitoids contain 3.1-9.2ppm tin yielding an average of 5.1ppm (n=14), which is slightly higher than that of the Outer Zone granitoids. The tin content of gneissic xenoliths in the granitoids is 4.5 ppm (1.2-9.8 ppm, n=10) in an average, of mafic inclusions is 5.1ppm (3.0-7.5ppm, n=14), and of hornfels is 3.2ppm (2.8-3.5ppm, n=3). Because granitic magmas that bring tin-rich granites may have been originated in tin-rich source materials, then gneissic rocks must be underlain in the studied area underneath the Shimanto Supergroup.