Oxide and Cation Compositions of Olivine Grains from Drill Core in the Duluth Complex, Minnesota

The table contains oxide and cation compositions of olivine grains from drill core of the Duluth Complex, Minnesota. The oxides were determined by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and are reported in weight percent (wt%). The cations were calculated based on the oxide compositions and are reported in mole percent (mol%). Olivine is a magnesium iron orthosilicate mineral with the formula (Mg2+, Fe2+)2SiO4. Olivine forms a solid solution series with magnesium (Mg) at one end and iron (Fe) at the other. Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) is the magnesium endmember and fayalite (Fe2SiO4) is the iron endmember. Minor elements can substitute into the crystal structure, such as manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni). To better understand the chemical composition of the measured olivine grains, the percent forsterite (Fo), also known as the magnesium number (Mg#), and the percent fayalite (Fa) were calculated.