Chondrite Earth composition

Marti, K. (1967) Isotopic composition of trapped krypton and xenon in chondrites. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 3, 243-8. 

As regards the rock-forming elements, the bulk composition of the Earth is basically chondritic (i.e., solar) with approximately equal abundances of magnesium, sihcon, and iron atoms. In detail, however, there are some variations in chemistry among chondritic meteorites, and from a detailed comparison with meteorites it is concluded that the bulk Earth composition has similarities with the chemical composition group of carbonaceous chondrites. 

The compositions of the planets in the solar system and those of chondritic meteorites provide a guide to the bulk Earth composition (see Chapter 2.01). However, the rich compositional diversity of these bodies presents a problem insofar as there is no single meteorite composition that can be used to characterize the Earth. The solar system is compositionally zoned planets with lesser concentrations of volatile elements are closer to the Sun. Thus, as compared to Mercury and Jupiter, the Earth has an intermediate uncompressed density (roughly a proportional measure of metal to rock) and volatile element inventory, and is more depleted in volatile elements than CI-chondrites, the most primitive of all of the meteorites. 

Developing a model for the composition of the Earth and its major reservoirs can be established in a four-step process. The first involves estimating the composition of the silicate Earth (or primitive mantle, which includes the crust plus mantle after core formation). The second step involves defining a volatility curve for the planet, based on the abundances of the moderately volatile and highly volatile lithophile elements in the silicate Earth, assuming that none have been sequestered into the core (i.e., they are truly lithophile). The third step entails calculating a bulk Earth composition using the planetary volatility curve established in step two, chemical data for chondrites, and... 

Data for the content of lithophile elements in the Earth plus knowledge of the iron content of the mantle and core together establish a bulk Earth compositional model (McDonough, 2001). This model assumes chondritic proportions of Fe/Ni in the Earth, given limited Fe/Ni variation in chondritic meteorites (see below). This approach yields... 

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