Concentrations of Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Th, U and Cs have been determined in samples of igneous rocks representing the diabase-granophyre suites from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, and Great Lake, Tasmania.

Niobium and tantalum have a three to fourfold increase with differentiation in each of the suites. The chilled margin of the Great Lake intrusion contains half the niobium and tantalum content (5.3 ppm and 0.4 ppm, respectively) of the chilled basalt from Dillsburg (10 ppm and 0.9 ppm, respectively). The twofold difference between the suites is correlated with differences in their titanium content. The average NbTa ratios for each suite are similar: 13.5 for the Great Lake suite, and 14.4 for the Dillsburg suite.

The zirconium content of the two suites is essentially the same and increases from 50 to 60 ppm in the chilled margins to 240–300 ppm in the granophyres. Hafnium is low in the early formed rocks (0.5 –1.5 ppm and achieves a maximum in the granophyres (5–8 ppm). The ZrHfratio decreases from 68 to 33 with progressive differentiation.

In the Dillsburg suite thorium and uranium increase from 2.6 ppm and 0.6 ppm, respectively, in the chilled samples to 11.8 ppm and 3.1 ppm in the granophyres. The chilled margin of the Great Lake suite contains 3.2 ppm thorium and 9.8 ppm uranium; the granophyre contains 11.2 ppm thorium and 2.8 ppm uranium. The average ThU ratios of the Dillsburg and Great Lake suites are nearly the same—4.1 and 4.4, respectively. Within each suite the ThU ratio remains quite constant.

Cesium and the KCs ratio do not vary systematically in the Dillsburg suite possibly because of redistribution or loss of cesium by complex geologic processes. Except for the chilled margin of the Great Lake suite, the variation of Cs and the KCs ratio are in accord with theoretical considerations. Cesium increases from about 0.6 ppm in the lower zone to 3.5 ppm in the granophyre; the KCs ratio varies from 10 × 10³ in the lower zone to 6 × 10³ in the granophyre.

A comparison of the abundance of some of these elements is made with those reported on oceanic tholeiites from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Trace elements with large ionic radii (Th, U, Cs) are present in significantly greater concentrations in the two continental tholeiitic series than in the oceanic tholeiites. However, this does not seem to be true for lithophilic elements of smaller ionic radii (Zr and Nb). These trace element distribution patterns, when considered with other minor element and isotopic studies, indicate that

1. crustal contamination does not entirely account for differences between continental and oceanic tholeiites, and

2. the oceanic tholeiites do not necessarily delimit the geochemical characteristics of the mantle.