Host: Japan Association of Mineralogical Sciences
Accessory minerals play an important role as a sink mineral of trace elements in the continental crust. Above all, the accessory mineral whose trace element concentration governed by stoichiometry is important, as it may buffer the trace element concentration in other coexisting minerals. Following may be considered as end member cases of trace element redistribution when the sink mineral breaks down. (i) New accessory mineral works as a sink of the trace element concerned. (ii) No new sink mineral is formed, and the trace element concerned is redistributed among major rock-forming minerals. (iii) The trace element concerned is redistributed among melt and fluid only. Accessory minerals enable us to observe new geological phenomenon, and is important in future petrological studies.
