Triangle diagrams in Excel!

This example is for the Streckhesen (1967) Quartz-Alkali feldspar-Plagioclase igneous rock classification
diagram, shown to the right. Follow the steps downward.

Step 1. Get the coordinates for the discriminant lines (omit this part if you have no lines to plot).
Many coordinate lines available here: http://minerva.union.edu/hollochk/c_petrology/discrim.html

Step 2. Note that the row sums are 100.

Step 3. Calculate the X coordiate from P and Q, as in the equations belo
Discriminant line coordinates Modified coordinates Step 4. Plot X and Y as a scatter graph, with s
P Q A Sum X Y
0 90 10 100 45.0 90.0 100.0
10 90 0 100 55.0 90.0
40 60 0 100 70.0 60.0 90.0
0 60 40 100 30.0 60.0
80.0
0 20 80 100 10.0 20.0
80 20 0 100 90.0 20.0 70.0
95 5 0 100 97.5 5.0
0 5 95 100 2.5 5.0 60.0
0 0 100 100 0.0 0.0
50.0
10 0 90 100 10.0 0.0
4 60 36 100 34.0 60.0 40.0
36 60 4 100 66.0 60.0
90 0 10 90.0 0.0 30.0
100
65 0 35 100 65.0 0.0 20.0
26 60 14 100 56.0 60.0
65 0 35 100 65.0 0.0 10.0
35 0 65 100 35.0 0.0
0.0
28 20 52 100 38.0 20.0 0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0

Step 5. Oops! You need the triangle, too. Make the triangle the same way as steps 2-4.
Step 6. Modify the coordinates, as above.
Step 7. Add the triangle to the graph.
Triangle coordinates Modified coordinates
P Q A Sum X Y 120.0
100 0 0 100 100.0 0.0
0 100 0 100 50.0 100.0
100.0
0 0 100 100 0.0 0.0
100 0 0 100 100.0 0.0
80.0

60.0

40.0

20.0

0.0
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.
Step 8. Get your data.
 Step 9. Notice that the row sums are not 100.
Step 10. Convert your coordinates so the row sums are 100, as shown b
Step 11. Now the sums are 100.
Step 12. Modify the P and Q

Raw sample data Sample coordinates Modified coordinates

P Q A Sum P Q A Sum X
26.9 0.4 5.6 32.9 81.7 1.3 17.0 100.0 82.4
41.7 5.1 6.4 53.1 78.5 9.5 12.0 100.0 83.2
36.3 9.6 22.3 68.3 53.2 14.1 32.7 100.0 60.2
47.1 9.7 11.3 68.0 69.2 14.2 16.6 100.0 76.3
14.3 3.6 3.7 21.6 66.3 16.8 17.0 100.0 74.7
14.6 5.4 3.4 23.4 62.4 23.2 14.4 100.0 74.0
32.1 17.9 22.1 72.2 44.5 24.8 30.6 100.0 56.9
37.4 17.5 9.4 64.3 58.1 27.2 14.7 100.0 71.7
8.4 5.8 3.0 17.2 49.0 33.5 17.5 100.0 65.8
26.5 0.0 37.1 63.6 41.6 0.0 58.4 100.0 41.6
65.0 0.0 14.1 79.1 82.2 0.0 17.8 100.0 82.2
55.3 0.0 6.0 61.3 90.1 0.0 9.9 100.0 90.1

Step 14. Pretty-up your graph using the formatting tools.

100.0
Quartz

90.0
There, wasn't that easy? See the other tab for a template.

80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0
Gran

40.0 Granite

30.0

20.0
Quartz
monzonite Q
10.0
m
Alkali Monzonite
feldpar
0.0
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0
es to plot).
/discrim.html

nd Q, as in the equations below. The Y coordinate is simply a copy of Q.

nd Y as a scatter graph, with straight lines between the data points, but suppress the points.

.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0

e triangle to the graph.

0.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0

row sums are 100, as shown below.
he sums are 100.
Step 12. Modify the P and Q coordinates the same way as above.
Step 13. Add your data to the graph.
Modified coordinates
120.0
Y
1.3
9.5 100.0
14.1
14.2
16.8 80.0
23.2
24.8
27.2 60.0
33.5
0.0
40.0
0.0
0.0
20.0

0.0
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0

Quartz

Grano-diorite
Granite

Quartz Diorite
monzonite Quartz
monzodiorite
Monzonite
Monzodiorite Plagiolcase
30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0
Triangle diagrams in Excel! Template.
Change only these three columns Don't change these columns
Preliminary values go in these columns Intermediate calcs
Raw coordinates Makes sure sum = 100
Discriminant line coordinates P Q A Sum P Q A
" 0 90 10 100.0 0 90 10
" 10 90 0 100.0 10 90 0
" 40 60 0 100.0 40 60 0
" 0 60 40 100.0 0 60 40
" 0 20 80 100.0 0 20 80
Add or remove " rows to fit 80 20 0 100.0 80 20 0
"
your discriminant lines, or 95 5 0 100.0 95 5 0
eliminate these " 0 5 95 100.0 0 5 95
altogether if"you don't 0 0 100 100.0 0 0 100
need them. " 10 0 90 100.0 10 0 90
" 4 60 36 100.0 4 60 36
" 36 60 4 100.0 36 60 4
" 90 0 10 100.0 90 0 10
" 65 0 35 100.0 65 0 35
" 26 60 14 100.0 26 60 14
" 65 0 35 100.0 65 0 35
" 35 0 65 100.0 35 0 65
" 28 20 52 100.0 28 20 52
Triangle outline coordinates 100 0 0 100.0 100 0 0
Keep these. " 0 100 0 100.0 0 100 0
" 0 0 100 100.0 0 0 100
" 100 0 0 100.0 100 0 0
Sample coordinates 26.9 0.4 5.6 32.9 81.7 1.3 17.0
" 41.7 5.1 6.4 53.1 78.5 9.5 12.0
" 36.3 9.6 22.3 68.3 53.2 14.1 32.7
" 47.1 9.7 11.3 68.0 69.2 14.2 16.6
" 14.3 3.6 3.7 21.6 66.3 16.8 17.0
Add or remove " rows as 14.6 5.4 3.4 23.4 62.4 23.2 14.4
necessary for your
" 32.1 17.9 22.1 72.2 44.5 24.8 30.6
data.
" 37.4 17.5 9.4 64.3 58.1 27.2 14.7
" 8.4 5.8 3.0 17.2 49.0 33.5 17.5
" 26.5 0.0 37.1 63.6 41.6 0.0 58.4
" 65.0 0.0 14.1 79.1 82.2 0.0 17.8
" 55.3 0.0 6.0 61.3 90.1 0.0 9.9
More sample coordinates 37.9 20.0 7.0 64.9 58.4 30.8 10.8
" 44.8 28.5 8.3 81.6 54.9 34.9 10.2
" 25.1 29.4 28.8 83.3 30.1 35.3 34.6
" 37.3 31.4 16.9 85.6 43.6 36.7 19.7
" 42.8 25.0 8.3 76.1 56.3 32.9 10.9
Add or remove " rows as 36.2 24.4 7.8 68.4 53.0 35.6 11.4
necessary for " your 43.6 29.7 12.5 85.7 50.8 34.6 14.5
data. " 41.7 31.0 16.5 89.3 46.7 34.7 18.5
" 21.1 22.9 4.7 48.8 43.2 47.0 9.7
" 19.0 27.8 5.3 52.0 36.5 53.4 10.1
" 28.4 28.3 21.8 78.5 36.2 36.0 27.8
" 44.1 39.0 11.5 94.7 46.6 41.2 12.1
" 30.8 29.1 4.4 64.3 47.9 45.2 6.9
" 16.4 31.1 38.7 86.2 19.0 36.1 44.9
" 29.5 28.7 21.4 79.6 37.1 36.0 26.9
" 46.5 25.4 9.1 80.9 57.4 31.4 11.2
Add more data sets as
necessary.
 Don't change these columns either
Plot these columns
Modified coordinates
Sum X Y
100 45.0 90.0
100 55.0 90.0
100 70.0 60.0
100 30.0 60.0
100 10.0 20.0
100 90.0 20.0 100.0
100 97.5 5.0
100 2.5 5.0
100 0.0 0.0 90.0
100 10.0 0.0
34.0 60.0
Get the idea?
100
100 66.0 60.0 80.0
100 90.0 0.0
100 65.0 0.0
100 56.0 60.0
70.0
100 65.0 0.0
100 35.0 0.0
100 38.0 20.0
100 100.0 0.0 60.0
100 50.0 100.0
100 0.0 0.0
100 100.0 0.0 50.0
100 82.4 1.3
100 83.2 9.5
100 60.2 14.1 40.0
100 76.3 14.2
100 74.7 16.8
100 74.0 23.2
30.0
100 56.9 24.8
100 71.7 27.2
100 65.8 33.5
41.6 0.0 20.0
100
100 82.2 0.0
100 90.1 0.0
100 73.8 30.8 10.0
100 72.4 34.9
100 47.8 35.3
100 62.0 36.7 0.0
72.7 32.9 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0
100
100 70.8 35.6
100 68.2 34.6
100 64.1 34.7
100 66.8 47.0
100 63.2 53.4
100 54.2 36.0
100 67.3 41.2
100 70.5 45.2
100 37.1 36.1
100 55.1 36.0
100 73.1 31.4
.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0