Abundances In this table values are given in units of ppb (parts per billion; 1 billion = 109), both in terms of weight and in terms of numbers of atoms. Values for abundances are difficult to determine with much certainty, so all values should be treated with some caution, especially so for the less common elements. Local concentrations of any element can vary from those given here by orders of magnitude.
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Abundance
ppb by weight
ppb by atoms
Universe
2
0.01
Sun
1
0.01
Meteorite (carbonaceous)
180
20
Crustal rocks
2800
340
Sea water
0.0008
0.000029
Stream
0.05
0.0003
Human
no data
no data
Notes
Ytterbium is never found in nature as the free element. Ytterbium is found in the ore monazite sand [(Ce, La, etc.)PO4] and an ore containing small amounts of all the rare earth metals. It is also found in the ores euxenite and xenotime. It is difficult to separate from other rare earth elements.
