Oceanic basalts and peridotite xenoliths have similar Mg isotopic compositions, with average values of δ25Mg = −0.13 ± 0.05 (2SD) and δ26Mg = −0.26 ± 0.07 (2SD) for global oceanic basalts (n = 110) and δ25Mg = −0.13 ± 0.03 (2SD) and δ26Mg = −0.25 ± 0.04 (2SD) for global peridotite xenoliths (n = 29). The identical Mg isotopic compositions in oceanic basalts and peridotites suggest that equilibrium Mg isotope fractionation during partial melting of peridotite mantle and magmatic differentiation of basaltic magma is negligible. Thirty-eight chondrites have indistinguishable Mg isotopic compositions, with δ25Mg = −0.15 ± 0.04 (2SD) and δ26Mg = −0.28 ± 0.06 (2SD). The constancy of Mg isotopic compositions in all major types of chondrites suggest that primary and secondary processes that affected the chemical and oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrites did not significantly fractionate Mg isotopes.
Collectively, the Mg isotopic composition of the Earth’s mantle, based on oceanic basalts and peridotites, is estimated to be −0.13 ± 0.04 for δ25Mg and −0.25 ± 0.07 for δ26Mg (2SD, n = 139). The Mg isotopic composition of the Earth, as represented by the mantle, is similar to chondrites. The chondritic composition of the Earth implies that Mg isotopes were well mixed during accretion of the inner solar system.