Antimony in Mantle-Derived Rocks: Constraints on Earth Evolution from Moderately Siderophile Elements

Investigations of moderately siderophile and incompatible elements, such as W, Mo, P, Sn and Sb, are useful to constrain Earth evolution, because these elements have participated in both of the major differentiation processes of the Earth, the segregation of the core and the segregation of the crust. During these processes, their 'doubly incompatible' geochemical properties cause them to be partitioned into metal/sulphide as well as into silicate liquids. However, little is known about some of these elements (e.g. Sb) in mantle-derived rocks, mainly because of analytical difficulties.