MINSQ - a least squares spreadsheet method for calculating mineral proportions from whole rock major element analyses

MINSQ is a spreadsheet adaptation of the least squares method that utilizes the Solver tool in Microsoft ExcelTM to quantitatively estimate the proportions of constituent minerals in rocks from whole rock lithogeochemical data. It is simple to use and easily and interactively adaptable to observed mineral or normative assemblages. The structure facilitates input of actual mineral analyses for individual rock samples. The spreadsheet format and the numerical Solver tool in Microsoft ExcelTM put the user in a powerful position to adapt this method to a wide range of numerical problems in geochemistry.