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Solomatova NV, Caracas R. Earth's volatile depletion trend is consistent with a high-energy Moon-forming impact. COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 4:38. [PMID: 38665183 PMCID: PMC11041689 DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00694-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The abundance of volatile elements in the silicate Earth relative to primitive chondrites provides an important constraint on the thermochemical evolution of the planet. However, an overabundance of indium relative to elements with similar nebular condensation temperatures is a source of debate. Here we use ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to explore the vaporization behavior of indium from pyrolite melt at conditions of the early magma ocean just after the Moon-forming impact. We then compare this to the vaporization behavior of other minor elements. When considering the volatility of the elements from the magma ocean in the absence of the solar nebula gas, we find that there is no overabundance of indium. On the contrary, there is a slight deficit in the abundance of indium, which is consistent with its moderately siderophile nature. Thus, we propose that a high-energy Moon-forming impact may have had a more significant contribution to volatile depletion than previously believed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V. Solomatova
- CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGLTPE UMR5276, Centre Blaise Pascal, 46 allée d’Italie, Lyon, 69364 France
| | - Razvan Caracas
- Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS, 1, rue Jussieu, Paris, 75005 France
- The Center for Planetary Habitability (PHAB), University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
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2
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Lozano-Bilbao E, Lozano G, Gutiérrez ÁJ, Hardisson A, Rubio C, Paz S, Weller DG. The influence of the degassing phase of the Tagoro submarine volcano (Canary Islands) on the metal content of three species of cephalopods. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 182:113964. [PMID: 35870355 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Underwater volcanic eruptions are a type of natural contamination that affect all marine organisms at a local level. These eruptions usually begin and end a degassing stage of the volcano that, although they do not affect the magnitude of magma emanation, affect organisms to a lesser degree locally, such as cephalopods that due to their metabolism and trophic level, are good bioindicators of contamination. A total of 180 samples of three species of cephalopods were collected for the study: sixty Sepia officinalis, sixty Octopus vulgaris and sixty Loligo vulgaris in the area of the submarine volcano in El Hierro, Tenerife and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands (twenty samples per species in each location), and the metal concentrations (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Ni, Pb and Zn) in each of the samples were analyzed. All species showed significant differences for all metals in El Hierro compared to Tenerife and Lanzarote. All the analyzed species from El Hierro had higher concentrations of the nine studied metals, this is due to the fact that they were caught near the Tagoro submarine volcano, which at the time was in a state of degassing and discharged many metal-rich compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Lozano-Bilbao
- Grupo interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Ecología Marina Aplicada y Pesquerías, i-UNAT, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus Universitario de Tafira, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Lozano
- Grupo interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Biología Animal y Edafología y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ángel J Gutiérrez
- Grupo interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Arturo Hardisson
- Grupo interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carmen Rubio
- Grupo interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Soraya Paz
- Grupo interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Dailos González Weller
- Grupo interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Servicio Público Canario de Salud, Laboratorio Central, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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3
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Dinter TC, Gerzabek MH, Puschenreiter M, Strobel BW, Couenberg PM, Zehetner F. Heavy metal contents, mobility and origin in agricultural topsoils of the Galápagos Islands. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 272:129821. [PMID: 35534959 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
While the Galápagos Islands have been renowned for their unique flora and fauna since the time of Charles Darwin, the soils of the isolated island chain have been mostly overlooked and little information on their heavy metal contents is available. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the total heavy metal (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, U, Zn) contents of soils from the agricultural areas on islands Isabela, Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal, and identify trends with duration of exposure to weathering processes. Additionally, the mobility of these elements was assessed using ammonium nitrate extraction. In general, levels of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn were high compared to other world locations, while Pb levels were low and U levels were similar. Ni, Co, Cr, and to a lesser extent Pb and U tended to accumulate with increasing weathering duration. Soil concentrations of Cd, Zn, Cu, and possibly Pb and U, may have been influenced by use of agrochemicals, particularly on Santa Cruz Island. Mobility of Cd displayed an increasing trend with soil age, while Ni mobility decreased. Many soils had total contents of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn above threshold values indicating possible ecological or health risks. Systematic examination of trace element contents in soils from pristine national park areas would further assist in the delineation of background levels and the development of soil quality standards to ensure crop quality, animal and human health on this unique island chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara C Dinter
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin H Gerzabek
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Puschenreiter
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bjarne W Strobel
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Paulina M Couenberg
- Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Franz Zehetner
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Galápagos National Park Directorate, Galápagos, Ecuador.
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Aarons SM, Reimink JR, Greber ND, Heard AW, Zhang Z, Dauphas N. Titanium isotopes constrain a magmatic transition at the Hadean-Archean boundary in the Acasta Gneiss Complex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/50/eabc9959. [PMID: 33298445 PMCID: PMC7725461 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc9959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plate subduction greatly influences the physical and chemical characteristics of Earth's surface and deep interior, yet the timing of its initiation is debated because of the paucity of exposed rocks from Earth's early history. We show that the titanium isotopic composition of orthogneisses from the Acasta Gneiss Complex spanning the Hadean to Eoarchean transition falls on two distinct magmatic differentiation trends. Hadean tonalitic gneisses show titanium isotopic compositions comparable to modern evolved tholeiitic magmas, formed by differentiation of dry parental magmas in plume settings. Younger Eoarchean granitoid gneisses have titanium isotopic compositions comparable to modern calc-alkaline magmas produced in convergent arcs. Our data therefore document a shift from tholeiitic- to calc-alkaline-style magmatism between 4.02 and 3.75 billion years (Ga) in the Slave craton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Aarons
- Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jesse R Reimink
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Nicolas D Greber
- Institute for Geological Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andy W Heard
- Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicolas Dauphas
- Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Righter K. Volatile element depletion of the Moon-The roles of precursors, post-impact disk dynamics, and core formation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaau7658. [PMID: 30746461 PMCID: PMC6357731 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau7658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The compositional and isotopic similarity of Earth's primitive upper mantle (PUM) and the Moon supports the derivation of the Moon from proto-Earth, but the Moon's inventory of volatile lithophile elements-Na, K, Rb, and Cs-is lower than Earth's PUM by factors of 4 to 5. The abundances of 14 other volatile elements exhibit siderophile behavior [volatile siderophile elements (VSEs); i.e., P, As, Cu, Ag, Sb, Ga, Ge, Bi, Pb, Zn, Sn, Cd, In, and Tl] that can be used to evaluate whether the Moon was derived from proto-Earth and if core formation or volatility controlled their depletion. At lunar core formation conditions, As, Sb, Ag, Ge, Bi, and Sn are siderophile, whereas P, Cu, Ga, Pb, Zn, Cd, In, and Tl are weakly siderophile or lithophile. VSEs may help to discriminate between physical and chemical processes that formed the Moon such as low- versus high-energy impacts and gas-melt interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Righter
- Mailcode XI2, NASA-JSC, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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6
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Aoyama S, Ueno Y. Multiple sulfur isotope constraints on microbial sulfate reduction below an Archean seafloor hydrothermal system. GEOBIOLOGY 2018; 16:107-120. [PMID: 29243877 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial sulfate reduction is among the most ubiquitous metabolic processes on earth. The oldest evidence of microbial sulfate reduction appears in the ca. 3.5 Ga Dresser Formation in the North Pole area of Pilbara Craton in Western Australia. That evidence was found through analysis of quadruple sulfur isotopes of sulfate and sulfide minerals deposited on the seafloor. However, the activity of microbial sulfate reduction below the Archean seafloor remains poorly understood. Here, we report the quadruple sulfur isotopic compositions of sulfide minerals within hydrothermally altered seafloor basalt and less altered basaltic komatiite collected from the North Pole Dome area. The Δ33 S values of the sulfide minerals were nonzero negative, suggesting that sulfate reduction occurred below the Archean seafloor. To constrain the substrate sulfate sources and sulfate reduction processes, we constructed a numerical model. Comparing the modeled and observed sulfur isotopes, we show that the substrate sulfate comprises seawater sulfate with a negative Δ33 S anomaly and 34 S-enriched sulfate with no anomalous Δ33 S. The latter component probably represents sulfate produced by local hydrothermal processes. The maximum sulfur isotopic fractionation between the putative substrate sulfate and the observed sulfide minerals within the altered basalt and basaltic komatiite is 35‰, which is consistent with a microbial origin. Alternatively, thermochemical sulfate reduction may also produce sulfide. However, considering the hydrothermal temperature inferred from the metamorphic grade of the altered basalt, the sulfur isotopic fractionation produced by inorganic sulfate reduction is probably below 20‰. Collectively, larger fractionations imply the involvement of biological sulfate reduction processes, both in the hydrothermal system below the seafloor and in less altered subsurface settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinnosuke Aoyama
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ueno
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Subsurface Geobiological Analysis and Research (D-SUGAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Wang Z, Becker H. Ratios of S, Se and Te in the silicate Earth require a volatile-rich late veneer. Nature 2013; 499:328-31. [PMID: 23868263 DOI: 10.1038/nature12285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The excess of highly siderophile (iron-loving) elements (HSEs) and the chondritic ratios of most HSEs in the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) may reflect the accretion of a chondritic 'late veneer' of about 0.5 per cent of Earth's mass after core formation. The amount of volatiles contained in the late veneer is a key constraint on the budget and the origin of the volatiles in Earth. At high pressures and temperatures, the moderately volatile chalcogen elements sulphur (S), selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) are moderately to highly siderophile; thus, if depleted by core formation their mantle abundances should reflect the volatile composition of the late veneer. Here we report ratios and abundances of S, Se and Te in the mantle determined from new isotope dilution data for post-Archaean mantle peridotites. The mean S/Se and Se/Te ratios of mantle lherzolites overlap with CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrite values. The Se/Te ratios of ordinary and enstatite chondrites are significantly different. The chalcogen/HSE ratio of the BSE is similar to that of CM (Mighei-type) carbonaceous chondrites, consistent with the view that the HSE signature of the BSE reflects a predominance of slightly volatile-depleted, carbonaceous-chondrite-like material, possibly with a minor proportion of non-chondritic material. Depending on the estimates for the abundances of water and carbon in the BSE, the late veneer may have supplied 20 to 100 per cent of the budget of hydrogen and carbon in the BSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaicong Wang
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Malteserstrasse 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany.
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9
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Halliday AN. A young Moon-forming giant impact at 70-110 million years accompanied by late-stage mixing, core formation and degassing of the Earth. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2008; 366:4163-81. [PMID: 18826916 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2008.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
New W isotope data for lunar metals demonstrate that the Moon formed late in isotopic equilibrium with the bulk silicate Earth (BSE). On this basis, lunar Sr isotope data are used to define the former composition of the Earth and hence the Rb-Sr age of the Moon, which is 4.48+/-0.02Ga, or 70-110Ma (million years) after the start of the Solar System. This age is significantly later than had been deduced from W isotopes based on model assumptions or isotopic effects now known to be cosmogenic. The Sr age is in excellent agreement with earlier estimates based on the time of lunar Pb loss and the age of the early lunar crust (4.46+/-0.04Ga). Similar ages for the BSE are recorded by xenon and lead-lead, providing evidence of catastrophic terrestrial degassing, atmospheric blow-off and significant late core formation accompanying the ca 100Ma giant impact. Agreement between the age of the Moon based on the Earth's Rb/Sr and the lead-lead age of the Moon is consistent with no major losses of moderately volatile elements from the Earth during the giant impact. The W isotopic composition of the BSE can be explained by end member models of (i) gradual accretion with a mean life of roughly 35Ma or (ii) rapid growth with a mean life of roughly 10Ma, followed by a significant hiatus prior to the giant impact. The former assumes that approximately 60 per cent of the incoming metal from impactors is added directly to the core during accretion. The latter includes complete mixing of all the impactor material into the BSE during accretion. The identical W isotopic composition of the Moon and the BSE limits the amount of material that can be added as a late veneer to the Earth after the giant impact to less than 0.3+/-0.3 per cent of ordinary chondrite or less than 0.5+/-0.6 per cent CI carbonaceous chondrite based on their known W isotopic compositions. Neither of these on their own is sufficient to explain the inventories of both refractory siderophiles such as platinum group elements and rhenium, and volatiles such as sulphur, carbon and water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex N Halliday
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PR, UK.
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Langmuir CH, Bézos A, Escrig S, Parman SW. Chemical systematics and hydrous melting of the mantle in back-arc basins. BACK-ARC SPREADING SYSTEMS: GEOLOGICAL, BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, AND PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/166gm07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Wood BJ, Halliday AN. Cooling of the Earth and core formation after the giant impact. Nature 2005; 437:1345-8. [PMID: 16251962 DOI: 10.1038/nature04129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2005] [Accepted: 08/09/2005] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Kelvin calculated the age of the Earth to be about 24 million years by assuming conductive cooling from being fully molten to its current state. Although simplistic, his result is interesting in the context of the dramatic cooling that took place after the putative Moon-forming giant impact, which contributed the final approximately 10 per cent of the Earth's mass. The rate of accretion and core segregation on Earth as deduced from the U-Pb system is much slower than that obtained from Hf-W systematics, and implies substantial accretion after the Moon-forming impact, which occurred 45 +/- 5 Myr after the beginning of the Solar System. Here we propose an explanation for the two timescales. We suggest that the Hf-W timescale reflects the principal phase of core-formation before the giant impact. Crystallization of silicate perovskite in the lower mantle during this phase produced Fe(3+), which was released during the giant impact, and this oxidation resulted in late segregation of sulphur-rich metal into which Pb dissolved readily, setting the younger U-Pb age of the Earth. Separation of the latter metal then occurred 30 +/- 10 Myr after the Moon-forming impact. Over this time span, in surprising agreement with Kelvin's result, the Earth cooled by about 4,000 K in returning from a fully molten to a partially crystalline state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Wood
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK.
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Münker C, Pfänder JA, Weyer S, Büchl A, Kleine T, Mezger K. Evolution of planetary cores and the Earth-Moon system from Nb/Ta systematics. Science 2003; 301:84-7. [PMID: 12843390 DOI: 10.1126/science.1084662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 330] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
It has been assumed that Nb and Ta are not fractionated during differentiation processes on terrestrial planets and that both elements are lithophile. High-precision measurements of Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf reveal that Nb is moderately siderophile at high pressures. Nb/Ta values in the bulk silicate Earth (14.0 +/- 0.3) and the Moon (17.0 +/- 0.8) are below the chondritic ratio of 19.9 +/- 0.6, in contrast to Mars and asteroids. The lunar Nb/Ta constrains the mass fraction of impactor material in the Moon to less than 65%. Moreover, the Moon-forming impact can be linked in time with the final core-mantle equilibration on Earth 4.533 billion years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Münker
- Institut für Mineralogie, Corrensstrasse 24, Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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