Rainer Thomas and Adolf Rericha

ABSTRACT

The Variscan Ehrenfriedersdorf tin deposit (Germany) is a classic example of extreme enrichment of Sn and associated elements in granite–pegmatite systems. This study investigates the statistical distributions of major and trace elements derived from melt and fluid inclusion data, with particular emphasis on Gaussian, Lorentzian, Voigt, and idealized Dirac-like distributions. These distributions provide quantitative insight into the physicochemical processes governing ore formation. A key result is the identification of weakly asymmetric pseudobinary solvus curves in the silicate melt–H?O (±B?O?) system, defined by water concentration versus temperature. Both granite- and pegmatite-related solvus curves exhibit closely similar critical points (?25–30 % H?O), despite differences in bulk composition. The region around these critical points coincides with pronounced enrichment of economically important elements, whose concentrations follow characteristic Gaussian, Lorentzian, or mixed (Voigt) distributions when plotted against water content of the melt inclusion glass