The lithium partition coefficients increase with pyroxene Al₂O₃ content and olivine FeO content, and decrease with plagioclase An content. Isotopic fractionation between clinopyroxene and fluid, ΔLi_cpx–fluid, between 900 and 1100 °C ranges from − 0.3 to − 3.5‰ (± 1.4‰).

Quantitative modeling of the evolution of lithium concentration and isotopic composition in slab-derived fluids during transport to the arc melt source indicate that fluids migrating by porous flow rapidly exchange lithium with the mantle, effectively buffering the fluid composition close to ambient mantle values, and rapidly attenuating the slab lithium signature. Fluid transport mechanisms involving fracture flow would be required to propagate a slab-like lithium signature (both elemental and isotopic) from the slab to the melt source of island arc basalts.