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Geochemical diagram guide

Generic XY: geochemical scatter plots and element ratios

Not every question fits a classification diagram. Generic XY plots any imported variable, or an expression built from them, against another, while keeping derived values out of your original data.

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Kaligeos Community is free for Windows 10 and 11. Your account includes 50 vector exports (SVG or PDF).

Generic XY geochemical scatter plot of element ratios in Kaligeos
Generic XY plot exported from Kaligeos as SVG.

Variables and expressions

  • Any numeric column from your table, recognized or not.
  • Sums such as Na₂O + K₂O or A + B + C, and division or multiplication by a constant such as Hf/3.
  • Ratios between any two variables, with ready-made La/Nb, La/Sm, Ba/La, Ba/Ta, La/Ta, Nb/Yb and Th/Yb.
  • Normalized ratios (A/B)c to C1 chondrite and (A/B)m to primitive mantle, both after Sun & McDonough (1989), and Yb(n) and (La/Yb)n normalized to Nakamura (1974) chondrite.
  • The “+ Razón” (add ratio) dialog builds a new ratio from two trace elements, optionally normalized to chondrite or primitive mantle.
  • Derived values are calculated for the plot and never written back into your samples.

Plotting and export

  • Automatic or manual X and Y ranges on linear axes, with 2 to 20 grid divisions.
  • Axis, tick and legend typography, annotations and an optional calibrated reference image.
  • For logarithmic axes or fields from a published figure, use the Custom XY Builder.
  • Import CSV or Excel (.xlsx, .xlsm) tables. Kaligeos recognizes common oxide and element headers regardless of case, accents or punctuation, for example FeOt, FeO*, “La ppm” or “La (ppm)”.
  • Group samples with reusable legend schemes, keep several diagrams linked to the same selection and save views inside a .kaligeos project.
  • Export the figure as SVG or PDF for papers, theses and posters. Kaligeos Community includes 50 vector exports per account.

Frequently asked questions

Does Generic XY support logarithmic axes?
Not yet; its axes are linear. Logarithmic axes are available in Custom XY templates and in the Pearce diagrams.

References

  • Nakamura, N. (1974). Determination of REE, Ba, Fe, Mg, Na and K in carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 38, 757–775.
  • Sun, S.-s. & McDonough, W. F. (1989). Chemical and isotopic systematics of oceanic basalts: implications for mantle composition and processes. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 42, 313–345.

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