A Comparative Study of the Geochemistry of Zinc and Cadmium in the Skaergaard Intrusion

Being group lIb elements, both Zn and Cd show similar chemical properties. The chemical analysis of a suite of rocks and separated minerals from the Skaergaard intrusion, East Greenland has enabled a detailed comparison to be made of the geochemistry of Zn with that of Cd.

Both Zn and Cd show an affinity for ferromagnesian minerals, A study of their mode of entry into structural sites however, points to the fact that while Zn shows a definite preference for Fe²⁺ sites in all the minerals studied, Cd shows a lesser tendency to substitute for the Fe²⁺ sites, except in the case of pyroxene. While Zn shows a very weak tendency to substitute for Ca²⁺ sites, Cd displays a much stronger affinity for the Ca²⁺ sites.