Lecture Notes - Norm Calculations

• The mineralogy and texture of an igneous rock are a complex function of its chemistry and
crystallization history. Cooling rate, “humidity,” nucleation and growth kinetics, diffusion,
chemical zoning of minerals, and many other factors contribute to the final product viewed in a
thin section. To help see through all of these trees to the forest of igneous petrology, a
procedure was developed to reduce all igneous rocks to the same basis — a basis that depends
on chemistry only. The result of this procedure is a mineralogic norm, so named to indicate a
“normal mineralogy” for an igneous rock. Most geologists calculate CIPW norms, named
after Whitman Cross, Joseph P. Iddings, Louis V. Pirsson, and Henry S. Washington who
devised the procedure 90 years ago.

• In many respects the norm calculation is simply a change of the chemical components used to
represent a particular bulk composition from the usual oxide components of the analyst to
components that coincide in chemical composition with ideal mineralogical end members. For
example, instead of the oxide components FeO, Fe2 O3 , and TiO2 , a norm might use the ideal
mineral compositions of hematite (Fe2 O3 ), magnetite (Fe3O4), and ilmenite (FeTiO3 ). By using
mineral compositions as components for the norm, the relative proportions of the “normal”
minerals may be read directly from the “normalized” chemical analysis.

• The actual recipe for the norm calculation is more complicated than one might expect for a
simple change of components. This is because not all rocks have the same minerals in their
norms. To see this, examine the composition triangle TiO 2
for FeO, Fe2 O3 , and TiO2 . For bulk compositions that
fall within the triangle containing the “Y” the
normative minerals magnetite, ilmentite, and hematite
work very well. However, if a rock has a composition
3
falling within the triangle containing the “Z”, the TiO
•Z
Fe

normative amount of magnetite is negative. Therefore,

the norm for this rock is expressed in terms of
ilmenite, hematite (Fe2 O3 ), and rutile (TiO2 ).
Similarly, if a rock has a composition falling within •X •Y

the triangle containing the “X”, the normative amount FeO Fe2 O3
Fe3 O4
of hematite is negative. The norm for this rock is
expressed in terms of ilmenite, magnetite, and wustite.

• In some instances, it is not possible to foresee that the normative amount of a mineral will be
negative. Thus, for some rocks it is necessary to backtrack and modify the calculated amounts
of normative minerals when negative amounts of normative minerals are encountered. This is
most commonly true if the rock does not have quartz in the norm because quartz is generally the
last mineral to be calculated.

• Norms are always expressed in terms of anhydrous minerals. Because the amount of water in
an igneous rock may reflect the physical conditions of crystallization (e.g. volcanic vs. plutonic)
rather than an intrinsic property of the magma, the amount of water in an analysis is ignored.
The norm approximates the mineral composition of an igneous rock that crystallized to an
equilibrium mineral assemblage at one atmosphere pressure and at a temperature of about
800°C. If we knew the Gibbs energies of all compositions of the common minerals at 800°C
and 1 atmosphere pressure, it would be possible to calculate from the chemical analysis the
equilibrium mineralogy for any chemical composition at these conditions. However, the results
of such a calculation might not be as useful as a CIPW norm for comparing the chemistries of
different igneous rocks due to the variety of mineral compositions that would be found.
Norm Calculations 2

• In the CIPW procedure, the final tally of normative minerals is expressed in mass units (weight
percentage). Because the bulk of the norm calculation procedure is carried out in mole units,
the only useful reason for converting back to mass units may be to check one’s arithmetic. The
sum of the mass units of normative minerals should equal the anhydrous mass sum of the
original analysis. Converting to mass units is especially tedious for the pyroxenes and other
ferromagnesian minerals (see below). I consider it more helpful to know the volume
proportions of the normative minerals for comparison with rock modes. The simplest way to
get approximate volume proportions is to express the norm in oxygen units.

• Although pyroxene compositions are commonly expressed in terms of the three components
Wo (CaSiO3 ), En (MgSiO3 ), and Fs (FeSiO3 ), only two pyroxenes are found together in
igneous rocks: orthopyroxene (or pigeonite) and clinopyroxene. To approximate this feature of
pyroxene petrology, the CIPW norm recipe calls for “diopside” and “hypersthene” rather
than simply Wo, En, and Fs. This approach is not consistent with the treatment of feldspar
minerals. Although only two feldspars (alkali and plagioclase) are found in most igneous
rocks, the CIPW norm recipe calls for the three feldspar components.

• Most silicate minerals that contain Fe+2 can also CaSiO

contain Mg+2 and do not have a strong preference for
3

one over the other. The value of Fe+2 /(Fe+2+ Mg+2)

for these minerals depends more on the value of
Fe+2/(Fe+2+ Mg+2) for the rock as a whole than it does
on some intrinsic property of the mineral. Therefore, "Di"
it is assumed in the norm calculation that each
•X
ferromagnesian mineral contains the rock value of
Fe+2/(Fe+2+ Mg+2). For the pyroxenes, a rock with a
bulk composition “X” (after removal of FeO for
"Hyp"
ilmenite and magnetite and removal of CaO for MgSiO3 FeSiO3
apatite), the minerals Di and Hyp in the norm will have
compositions on a line radiating from Wo and passing through “X”. Calculating the mass
units of Di and Hyp from their molar proportions is complicated by the need to calculate the
gram formula weight of the particular Di and Hyp obtained ( — and may be best left to a
computer!).

• Many real igneous rocks do contain water bound in hydrous minerals such as micas or
amphiboles. These minerals are not used in the CIPW recipe, but other recipes can be devised
to include micas and amphiboles. If a rock is peraluminous (Al2 O3 > K2 O + Na2 O + CaO),
there will be corundum and no Wo (=> no Di) in the norm. In a wet rock, muscovite would
appear instead of corundum and biotite instead of hypersthene. If a rock is peralkaline (Al2 O3 <
K2 O + Na2 O), there will be acmite and no anorthite in the norm. In a wet rock that is
peralkaline, amphibole (arfvedsonite or riebekite) may occur along with an aegirine-augite and
alkali feldspar (no plagioclase!).

Readings on CIPW Norms

• Blatt and Tracy (1996) 66-68, 489-494.

• Hyndman (1985) 677-680.
• Morse (1980) Chapter 2.
• Philpotts (1989) 93-98.
• Raymond (2002) Appendix B.
• Winter (2001) 135-136, Appendix.
 Norm Calculations

Analysis Title Average Crust

Date

Oxide Wt. % GFW

SiO2 60.00 60.085
TiO2 1.20 79.899
Al2O3 15.30 101.961
Fe2O3 3.10 159.692
FeO 3.80 71.876
MnO 0.00 70.937
MgO 3.50 40.311
CaO 5.10 56.079
Na2O 3.80 61.979
K2O 3.10 94.203
P2O5 0.00 141.945
H2O+ 1.10 18.015
H2O- 0.00 18.015
------
Totals 100.00

Mole proportions of norm minerals

Oxygen proportions of norm minerals
Oxygen percentage of norm minerals

GFW of norm minerals

Mass of norm minerals
Weight proportions of norm minerals
 Norm Calculation Example

Analysis Title Average Crust

Date 4-Feb-03

Oxide Wt. % GFW Mole # Ap Il Or Ab An Mt Wo En Fs Qz

SiO2 60.00 60.085 0.99859 .19745 .36787 .11168 .03510 .08682 .01844 .18123
TiO2 1.20 79.899 0.01502 .01502
Al2O3 15.30 101.961 0.15006 .03291 .06131 .05584
Fe2O3 3.10 159.692 0.01941 .01941
FeO 3.80 71.876 0.05287 .01502 .01941 .01844
MnO 0.00 70.937 0.00000
MgO 3.50 40.311 0.08682 .08682
CaO 5.10 56.079 0.09094 .00000 .05584 .03510
Na2O 3.80 61.979 0.06131 .06131
K2O 3.10 94.203 0.03291 .03291
P2O5 0.00 141.945 0.00000 .00000
H2O+ 1.10 18.015 0.06106
H2O- 0.00 18.015 0.00000
------- -------
Totals 100.00 1.56899
Mole proportions of norm minerals .00000 .01502 .06582 .12262 .05584 .01941 .03510 .08682 .01844 .18123
Oxygen proportions of norm minerals .00000 .04506 .52652 .98098 .44671 .07765 .10531 .26047 .05531 .36246
Oxygen percentage of norm minerals 0.00 1.58 18.41 34.29 15.62 3.39 3.68 9.11 1.93 12.67

GFW of norm minerals 986.625 151.775 278.337 262.225 278.21 231.568 116.164 100.396 131.961 60.085
Mass of norm minerals 0 2.2795 18.3188 32.1546 15.5349 4.49528 4.07788 8.71688 2.43303 10.8891
Weight proportions of norm minerals 0.00 2.30 18.52 32.51 15.71 4.55 4.12 8.81 2.46 11.01

Weight Total = 98.90

with water = 100.00
 Diopside-Hypersthene Version

Analysis Title Average Crust

Date 4-Feb-03

Oxide Wt. % GFW Mole # Ap Il Or Ab An Mt Di Hy Qz SUMS

SiO2 60.00 60.085 0.99859 .19745 .36787 .11168 .07021 .07018 .18121 0.0000
TiO2 1.20 79.899 0.01502 .01502 0.0000
Al2O3 15.30 101.961 0.15006 .03291 .06131 .05584 0.0000
Fe2O3 3.10 159.692 0.01941 .01941 0.0000
FeO 3.80 71.846 0.05289 .01502 .01941 .00615 .01230 0.0000
MnO 0.00 70.937 0.00000 0.0000
MgO 3.50 40.311 0.08682 .02895 .05788 0.0000
CaO 5.10 56.079 0.09094 .00000 .05584 .03510 0.0000
Na2O 3.80 61.979 0.06131 .06131 0.0000
K2O 3.10 94.203 0.03291 .03291 0.0000
P2O5 0.00 141.945 0.00000 .00000 0.0000
H2O+ 1.10 18.015 0.06106 -0.0611
H2O- 0.00 18.015 0.00000 0.0000
------- -------
Totals 100.00 1.56901

Mole proportions of norm minerals .00000 .01502 .06582 .12262 .05584 .01941 .03510 .07018 .18121 0.5652
Mole percentage of norm minerals 0.00 2.66 11.64 21.70 9.88 3.43 6.21 12.42 32.06 100.00
Oxygen proportions of norm minerals .00000 .04506 .52652 .98098 .44671 .07765 .10531 .21054 .36241 2.7552
Oxygen percentage of norm minerals 0.00 1.64 19.11 35.60 16.21 2.82 3.82 7.64 13.15 100.00

GFW of norm minerals 986.625 151.745 278.337 262.225 278.21 231.538 222.089 105.925 60.085
Weight proportions of norm minerals 0.00 2.28 18.32 32.15 15.53 4.49 7.80 7.43 10.89 98.90

Fe = 0.01846
Mg = 0.08682 Fe/(Fe+Mg) = 0.17533 Weight Total = 98.90
with water = 100.00
 Gram-Formula Weights of Oxides and Normative Minerals

Oxide GFW Component Formula GFW

SiO2 60.085 Qz SiO2 60.085

TiO2 79.899 Or KAlSi3O8 278.337
Al2O3 101.961 Ab NaAlSi3O8 262.224
Fe2O3 159.692 An CaAl2Si2O8 278.210
FeO 71.846 Wo CaSiO3 116.164
MnO 70.937 En MgSiO3 100.396
MgO 40.311 Fs FeSiO3 131.931
CaO 56.079 Mt Fe3O4 231.539
Na2O 61.979 Il FeTiO3 151.745
K2O 94.203 Fo Mg2SiO4 140.708
P 2O 5 141.945 Fa Fe2SiO4 203.778
ZrO2 123.219 Ne NaAlSiO4 142.055
Cr2O3 151.990 Le KAlSi2O6 218.252
NiO 74.709 Kp KAlSiO4 158.167
BaO 153.339 Ac NaFeSi2O6 231.006
SrO 103.619 Co Al2O3 101.961
Li2O 29.877 Ap Ca9P6O24.CaF2 "986.625"
H2O 18.015 Ft CaF2 78.077
CO2 44.010 Tt CaTiSiO5 196.063
F 18.998 Pf CaTiO3 135.978
Cl 35.453 Ru TiO2 79.899
Zr ZrSO4 183.304
Py FeS2 119.975
Cc CaCO3 100.089