Comment on “Effect of the vapor phase on the salinity of halite-bearing aqueous fluid inclusions estimated from the halite dissolution temperature”, by M. Steele-MacInnis and R.J. Bodnar

Recently Steele-MacInnis and Bodnar reported an experimental study on the estimation of the salinity of halite bearing fluid inclusions from dissolution temperatures of halite crystals, in the presence and absence of a vapour phase Steele-MacInnis and Bodnar (2013). The authors present new purely empirical equations to calculate fluid inclusion bulk salinity, which is mainly determined by dissolution temperature of halite (SLV→LV) with a minor correction due to presence of a vapour phase at higher temperatures, similar to the study of Bakker (2012). The experimental approach in their work is inappropriate, it does not provide experimental data, and it does not illustrate an estimate of uncertainty, accuracy and precision of the results. The mathematical modelling with purely empirical best-fit equations is insufficient, and partly erroneous. Comparison with the model from Bakker (2012) results in highly incorrect, inconsistent and imprecise statements about the quality of the results from Bakker (2012). Furthermore, the authors use “supplementary data” to continue a discussion without peer-review.