Trace element characteristics and origin of intergranular components in mantle peridotites

Leaching experiment has been carried out on mantle xenoliths with different petrographic features in order to directly characterize the nature of intergranular components. ICP-MS analyses of leachates show that they are characterized by high LREE concentrations with strong depletion of Ta. The total REE contents and whether the negative Rb, Ba and Nb anomalies are present or not in intergranular components are largely dependent upon the nature of mantle metasomatism experienced by its host rock. It is proposed that intergranular components may represent residues of small volume metasomatic melts.