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Guillet S, Corona C, Oppenheimer C, Lavigne F, Khodri M, Ludlow F, Sigl M, Toohey M, Atkins PS, Yang Z, Muranaka T, Horikawa N, Stoffel M. Lunar eclipses illuminate timing and climate impact of medieval volcanism. Nature 2023; 616:90-95. [PMID: 37020006 PMCID: PMC10076221 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05751-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Explosive volcanism is a key contributor to climate variability on interannual to centennial timescales1. Understanding the far-field societal impacts of eruption-forced climatic changes requires firm event chronologies and reliable estimates of both the burden and altitude (that is, tropospheric versus stratospheric) of volcanic sulfate aerosol2,3. However, despite progress in ice-core dating, uncertainties remain in these key factors4. This particularly hinders investigation of the role of large, temporally clustered eruptions during the High Medieval Period (HMP, 1100-1300 CE), which have been implicated in the transition from the warm Medieval Climate Anomaly to the Little Ice Age5. Here we shed new light on explosive volcanism during the HMP, drawing on analysis of contemporary reports of total lunar eclipses, from which we derive a time series of stratospheric turbidity. By combining this new record with aerosol model simulations and tree-ring-based climate proxies, we refine the estimated dates of five notable eruptions and associate each with stratospheric aerosol veils. Five further eruptions, including one responsible for high sulfur deposition over Greenland circa 1182 CE, affected only the troposphere and had muted climatic consequences. Our findings offer support for further investigation of the decadal-scale to centennial-scale climate response to volcanic eruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Guillet
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Christophe Corona
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- GEOLAB, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Franck Lavigne
- Laboratoire de Géographie Physique, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Thiais, France
| | - Myriam Khodri
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentations et Approches Numériques, IPSL, Sorbonne Université/IRD/CNRS/MNHN, Paris, France
| | - Francis Ludlow
- Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities, Department of History, School of Histories & Humanities, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael Sigl
- Climate and Environmental Physics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Toohey
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Paul S Atkins
- Department of Asian Languages & Literature, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zhen Yang
- Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities, Department of History, School of Histories & Humanities, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tomoko Muranaka
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nobuko Horikawa
- Department of Asian Languages & Literature, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Markus Stoffel
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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2
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Rodiouchkina K, Rodushkin I, Goderis S, Vanhaecke F. A comprehensive evaluation of sulfur isotopic analysis (δ 34S and δ 33S) using multi-collector ICP-MS with characterization of reference materials of geological and biological origin. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1240:340744. [PMID: 36641153 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.340744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sulfur isotope ratios are often used as biogeochemical tracers to gain understanding of abiotic and biological processes involved in the sulfur cycle in both modern and ancient environments. There is however a lack of matrix-matched well-characterized isotopic reference materials that are essential for controlling the accuracy and precision. This study therefore focused on expanding and complementing the currently available sulfur isotope ratio data by providing the bulk sulfur isotopic composition, as determined using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), for a comprehensive set of commercially and/or readily available biological and geological reference materials. A total 7 isotopic reference materials and 41 elemental reference materials were studied. These reference materials include standards of terrestrial and marine animal origin, terrestrial plant origin, human origin, and geological origin. Different sample preparation protocols, including digestion and subsequent chromatographic isolation of S, were evaluated and the optimum approach selected for each matrix type. For achieving enhanced robustness, the sample preparation and sulfur isotope ratio measurements were done at two different laboratories for selected reference materials, while at one of the laboratories the measurements were additionally performed using two different MC-ICP-MS instruments. Determined δ34SVCDT and δ33SVCDT values compared well between the different laboratories, as well as between the different generation MC-ICP-MS instruments, and for standards that were previously characterized, our data are similar to literature values. The δ34SVCDT ranges determined for the different categories of the reference materials - terrestrial animal origin: +2 to +9‰, marine animal origin: +15 to +20‰, human origin: +6 to +10‰, terrestrial plant origin: -20 to +7‰, and geological origin: -12 to +21‰ - fit the expected values based on previous studies of similar types of matrices well. No significant mass-independent fractionation is observed when considering the expanded uncertainties for Δ33SV-CDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Rodiouchkina
- Ghent University, Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) Research Group, Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281 - S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium; Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Chemistry; Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC) Research Group, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- ALS Scandinavia AB, ALS Laboratory Group, Aurorum 10, S-977 75, Luleå, Sweden
| | - Steven Goderis
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Chemistry; Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC) Research Group, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frank Vanhaecke
- Ghent University, Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) Research Group, Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281 - S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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3
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Dasari S, Paris G, Charreau J, Savarino J. Sulfur-isotope anomalies recorded in Antarctic ice cores as a potential proxy for tracing past ozone layer depletion events. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac170. [PMID: 36714879 PMCID: PMC9802080 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the cosmic-ray background of the Earth can impact the ozone layer. High-energy cosmic events [e.g. supernova (SN)] or rapid changes in the Earth's magnetic field [e.g. geomagnetic Excursion (GE)] can lead to a cascade of cosmic rays. Ensuing chemical reactions can then cause thinning/destruction of the ozone layer-leading to enhanced penetration of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation toward the Earth's surface. However, observational evidence for such UV "windows" is still lacking. Here, we conduct a pilot study and investigate this notion during two well-known events: the multiple SN event (≈10 kBP) and the Laschamp GE event (≈41 kBP). We hypothesize that ice-core-Δ33S records-originally used as volcanic fingerprints-can reveal UV-induced background-tropospheric-photochemical imprints during such events. Indeed, we find nonvolcanic S-isotopic anomalies (Δ33S ≠ 0‰) in background Antarctic ice-core sulfate during GE/SN periods, thereby confirming our hypothesis. This suggests that ice-core-Δ33S records can serve as a proxy for past ozone-layer-depletion events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guillaume Paris
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Julien Charreau
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 54000 Nancy, France
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4
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Kim Y, Lee I, Farquhar J, Kang J, Villa IM, Kim H. Multi isotope systematics of precipitation to trace the sources of air pollutants in Seoul, Korea. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 286:117548. [PMID: 34438485 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sulfur (δ34Ssulfate, Δ33Ssulfate, & Δ36Ssulfate), nitrogen and oxygen (δ15Nnitrate & δ18Onitrate) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope compositions of precipitation collected from Seoul, South Korea were analyzed to study the sources, transportation and deposition of air pollutants in East Asia. The δ34Ssulfate values (from 1.9 to 14.6‰ with a median of 4.7‰) and the δ15Nnitrate values (from -2.0 to 13.3‰ with a median of 1.0‰) suggest that fossil fuel use (emission from coal combustion and vehicle exhaust) is a predominant source for sulfur and nitrogen, but other natural sources including biogenic contributions of DMS also add to their total budget. The seasonal variations are observed in δ34Ssulfate and δ15Nnitrate values (both higher in winter season), which is likely to result from the increase of coal use for domestic heating in China. The δ18Onitrate values also varied seasonally depending on the NOx oxidation pathway, being about 20‰ higher in winter than in summer season. The Δ33Ssulfate and Δ36Ssulfate values are not anomalous, showing the absence of MIF signals in precipitation of Seoul. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of the precipitation samples range from 0.70988 to 0.71487 with a median of 0.71073, indicating the influence of at least three end-member (silicate dust, carbonate dust and anthropogenic emission). Ionic ratios such as (K++NH4+)/(Ca2++Mg2+) and Cl-/Na+ suggest the overwhelming effect of anthropogenic input rather than carbonate dust on the end-member with lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeongmin Kim
- Research Center for Geochronology and Isotope Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju, 28119, Republic of Korea
| | - Insung Lee
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - James Farquhar
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Jisuk Kang
- Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 3, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Igor M Villa
- Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 3, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland; Centro Universitario Datazioni e Archeometria, Università di Milano Bicocca, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - Hyoungbum Kim
- Department of Earth Science Education, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, Republic of Korea
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5
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Marciszuk K, Pieńkos T, Gontarz P, Pelc A. Negative Ion Formation by Thermal Surface Ionization of Sulfur Dioxide. Chemphyschem 2020; 21:1695-1702. [DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Marciszuk
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 1 20-031 Lublin Poland
| | - Tomasz Pieńkos
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 1 20-031 Lublin Poland
| | - Patryk Gontarz
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 1 20-031 Lublin Poland
| | - Andrzej Pelc
- Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics Maria Curie-Skłodowska University Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 1 20-031 Lublin Poland
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6
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Large mass-independent sulphur isotope anomalies link stratospheric volcanism to the Late Ordovician mass extinction. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2297. [PMID: 32385286 PMCID: PMC7210970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16228-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Volcanic eruptions are thought to be a key driver of rapid climate perturbations over geological time, such as global cooling, global warming, and changes in ocean chemistry. However, identification of stratospheric volcanic eruptions in the geological record and their causal link to the mass extinction events during the past 540 million years remains challenging. Here we report unexpected, large mass-independent sulphur isotopic compositions of pyrite with Δ33S of up to 0.91‰ in Late Ordovician sedimentary rocks from South China. The magnitude of the Δ33S is similar to that discovered in ice core sulphate originating from stratospheric volcanism. The coincidence between the large Δ33S and the first pulse of the Late Ordovician mass extinction about 445 million years ago suggests that stratospheric volcanic eruptions may have contributed to synergetic environmental deteriorations such as prolonged climatic perturbations and oceanic anoxia, related to the mass extinction. Identification of stratospheric volcanic eruptions in the geological record and their link to mass extinction events during the past 540 million years remains challenging. Here, the authors report unexpected, large mass-independent sulphur isotopic compositions of pyrite in Late Ordovician sedimentary rocks, which they suggest originates from stratospheric volcanism linked to the first pulse of the Late Ordovician mass extinction.
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7
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Thiemens MH, Lin M. Use of Isotope Effects To Understand the Present and Past of the Atmosphere and Climate and Track the Origin of Life. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201812322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark H. Thiemens
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
| | - Mang Lin
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
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8
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Thiemens MH, Lin M. Use of Isotope Effects To Understand the Present and Past of the Atmosphere and Climate and Track the Origin of Life. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:6826-6844. [PMID: 30633432 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201812322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Stable isotope ratio measurements have been used as a measure of a wide variety of processes, including solar system evolution, geological formational temperatures, tracking of atmospheric gas and aerosol chemical transformation, and is the only means by which past global temperatures may be determined over long time scales. Conventionally, isotope effects derive from differences of isotopically substituted molecules in isotope vibrational energy, bond strength, velocity, gravity, and evaporation/condensation. The variations in isotope ratio, such as 18 O/16 O (δ18 O) and 17 O/16 O (δ17 O) are dependent upon mass differences with δ17 O/δ18 O=0.5, due to the relative mass differences (1 amu vs. 2 amu). Relations that do not follow this are termed mass independent and are the focus of this Minireview. In chemical reactions such as ozone formation, a δ17 O/δ18 O=1 is observed. Physical chemical models capture most parameters but differ in basic approach and are reviewed. The mass independent effect is observed in atmospheric species and used to track their chemistry at the modern and ancient Earth, Mars, and the early solar system (meteorites).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H Thiemens
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
| | - Mang Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
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9
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Gautier E, Savarino J, Hoek J, Erbland J, Caillon N, Hattori S, Yoshida N, Albalat E, Albarede F, Farquhar J. 2600-years of stratospheric volcanism through sulfate isotopes. Nat Commun 2019; 10:466. [PMID: 30692536 PMCID: PMC6349899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08357-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
High quality records of stratospheric volcanic eruptions, required to model past climate variability, have been constructed by identifying synchronous (bipolar) volcanic sulfate horizons in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores. Here we present a new 2600-year chronology of stratospheric volcanic events using an independent approach that relies on isotopic signatures (Δ33S and in some cases Δ17O) of ice core sulfate from five closely-located ice cores from Dome C, Antarctica. The Dome C stratospheric reconstruction provides independent validation of prior reconstructions. The isotopic approach documents several high-latitude stratospheric events that are not bipolar, but climatically-relevant, and diverges deeper in the record revealing tropospheric signals for some previously assigned bipolar events. Our record also displays a collapse of the Δ17O anomaly of sulfate for the largest volcanic eruptions, showing a further change in atmospheric chemistry induced by large emissions. Thus, the refinement added by considering both isotopic and bipolar correlation methods provides additional levels of insight for climate-volcano connections and improves ice core volcanic reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Gautier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble INP, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE), 54 rue Molière, 38058, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - J Savarino
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble INP, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE), 54 rue Molière, 38058, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
| | - J Hoek
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - J Erbland
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble INP, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE), 54 rue Molière, 38058, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - N Caillon
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble INP, Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE), 54 rue Molière, 38058, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - S Hattori
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, G1-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8502, Japan
| | - N Yoshida
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, G1-17, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8502, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - E Albalat
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS and University of Lyon, 9 rue du Vercors, 69364, Lyon Cedex 7, France
| | - F Albarede
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS and University of Lyon, 9 rue du Vercors, 69364, Lyon Cedex 7, France
| | - J Farquhar
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
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Volcanic Plume Impact on the Atmosphere and Climate: O- and S-Isotope Insight into Sulfate Aerosol Formation. GEOSCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences8060198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Le Gendre E, Martin E, Villemant B, Cartigny P, Assayag N. A simple and reliable anion-exchange resin method for sulfate extraction and purification suitable for multiple O- and S-isotope measurements. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2017; 31:137-144. [PMID: 27766703 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The O- and S-isotope compositions of sulfates can be used as key tracers of the fate and sink of sulfate in both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial environments. However, their application remains limited in those geological systems where sulfate occurs in low concentrations. Here we present a simple and reliable method to extract, purify and concentrate sulfate from natural samples. The method allows us to take into account the separation of nitrate, which is known to be an issue in O-isotope analysis. METHODS The separation and concentration of sulfate from other anions in any aqueous solution are performed within a few hours via anion-exchange resin. The possible O- (δ18 O and Δ17 O) and S- (δ34 S, Δ33 S and Δ36 S) isotope exchanges, fractionations and/or contaminations are for the first time monitored during the whole procedure using initial O- and S-mass-dependent and mass-independent sulfate solutions. RESULTS After elution in HCl, pure sulfate is fully retrieved and precipitated into BaSO4 , which is suitable for O- and S-isotopic measurements using established techniques. The analysis of retrieved barite presents no variation within 2σ uncertainties: ±0.5‰ and ±0.1‰ in O- (δ18 O, Δ17 O) and ±0.2‰, ±0.02‰ and ±0.09‰ in S- (δ34 S, Δ33 S and Δ36 S) isotope ratios, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that the resin method for sulfate extraction and purification, in addition to being cheap, simple and quick, is applicable for the measurements of all O- and S-isotopic ratios in sulfates (including the Δ17 O, Δ33 S and Δ36 S values). Therefore, this method can be easily used for a high range of natural samples in which sulfate occurs in low concentration including aerosols, ice cores, sediments, volcanic deposits, (paleo)soils and rainwater, and thus it can be a key to our understanding of the sulfur cycle on Earth. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwann Le Gendre
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP), 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, Université Versailles St.-Quentin, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, Paris, France
| | - Erwan Martin
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP), 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Benoit Villemant
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP), 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Cartigny
- Laboratoire de Géochimie des Isotopes Stables, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS UMR 7154, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 1 rue de Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Nelly Assayag
- Laboratoire de Géochimie des Isotopes Stables, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS UMR 7154, Sorbonne Paris-Cité, 1 rue de Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
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12
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Multiple sulfur-isotope signatures in Archean sulfates and their implications for the chemistry and dynamics of the early atmosphere. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7432-7. [PMID: 27330111 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1520522113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfur isotopic anomalies (∆(33)S and ∆(36)S) have been used to trace the redox evolution of the Precambrian atmosphere and to document the photochemistry and transport properties of the modern atmosphere. Recently, it was shown that modern sulfate aerosols formed in an oxidizing atmosphere can display important isotopic anomalies, thus questioning the significance of Archean sulfate deposits. Here, we performed in situ 4S-isotope measurements of 3.2- and 3.5-billion-year (Ga)-old sulfates. This in situ approach allows us to investigate the diversity of Archean sulfate texture and mineralogy with unprecedented resolution and from then on to deconvolute the ocean and atmosphere Archean sulfur cycle. A striking feature of our data is a bimodal distribution of δ(34)S values at ∼+5‰ and +9‰, which is matched by modern sulfate aerosols. The peak at +5‰ represents barite of different ages and host-rock lithology showing a wide range of ∆(33)S between -1.77‰ and +0.24‰. These barites are interpreted as primary volcanic emissions formed by SO2 photochemical processes with variable contribution of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) shielding in an evolving volcanic plume. The δ(34)S peak at +9‰ is associated with non-(33)S-anomalous barites displaying negative ∆(36)S values, which are best interpreted as volcanic sulfate aerosols formed from OCS photolysis. Our findings confirm the occurrence of a volcanic photochemical pathway specific to the early reduced atmosphere but identify variability within the Archean sulfate isotope record that suggests persistence throughout Earth history of photochemical reactions characteristic of the present-day stratosphere.
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Lost cold Antarctic deserts inferred from unusual sulfate formation and isotope signatures. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7579. [PMID: 26119082 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The Antarctic ice cap significantly affects global ocean circulation and climate. Continental glaciogenic sedimentary deposits provide direct physical evidence of the glacial history of the Antarctic interior, but these data are sparse. Here we investigate a new indicator of ice sheet evolution: sulfates within the glaciogenic deposits from the Lewis Cliff Ice Tongue of the central Transantarctic Mountains. The sulfates exhibit unique isotope signatures, including δ(34)S up to +50‰ for mirabilite evaporites, Δ(17)O up to +2.3‰ for dissolved sulfate within contemporary melt-water ponds, and extremely negative δ(18)O as low as -22.2‰. The isotopic data imply that the sulfates formed under environmental conditions similar to today's McMurdo Dry Valleys, suggesting that ice-free cold deserts may have existed between the South Pole and the Transantarctic Mountains since the Miocene during periods when the ice sheet size was smaller than today, but with an overall similar to modern global hydrological cycle.
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14
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Atmospheric record in the Hadean Eon from multiple sulfur isotope measurements in Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt (Nunavik, Quebec). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:707-12. [PMID: 25561552 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1419681112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass-independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes (S-MIF) results from photochemical reactions involving short-wavelength UV light. The presence of these anomalies in Archean sediments [(4-2.5 billion years ago, (Ga)] implies that the early atmosphere was free of the appropriate UV absorbers, of which ozone is the most important in the modern atmosphere. Consequently, S-MIF is considered some of the strongest evidence for the lack of free atmospheric oxygen before 2.4 Ga. Although temporal variations in the S-MIF record are thought to depend on changes in the abundances of gas and aerosol species, our limited understanding of photochemical mechanisms complicates interpretation of the S-MIF record in terms of atmospheric composition. Multiple sulfur isotope compositions (δ(33)S, δ(34)S, and δ(36)S) of the >3.8 billion-year-old Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt (Ungava peninsula) have been investigated to track the early origins of S-MIF. Anomalous S-isotope compositions (Δ(33)S up to +2.2‰) confirm a sedimentary origin of sulfide-bearing banded iron and silica-rich formations. Sharp isotopic transitions across sedimentary/igneous lithological boundaries indicate that primary surficial S-isotope compositions have been preserved despite a complicated metamorphic history. Furthermore, Nuvvuagittuq metasediments recorded coupled variations in (33)S/(32)S, (34)S/(32)S, and (36)S/(32)S that are statistically indistinguishable from those identified several times later in the Archean. The recurrence of the same S-isotope pattern at both ends of the Archean Eon is unexpected, given the complex atmospheric, geological, and biological pathways involved in producing and preserving this fractionation. It implies that, within 0.8 billion years of Earth's formation, a common mechanism for S-MIF production was established in the atmosphere.
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Large sulfur-isotope anomaly in nonvolcanic sulfate aerosol and its implications for the Archean atmosphere. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:11979-83. [PMID: 25092338 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1406315111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfur-isotopic anomalies have been used to trace the evolution of oxygen in the Precambrian atmosphere and to document past volcanic eruptions. High-precision sulfur quadruple isotope measurements of sulfate aerosols extracted from a snow pit at the South Pole (1984-2001) showed the highest S-isotopic anomalies (Δ(33)S = +1.66‰ and Δ(36)S = +2‰) in a nonvolcanic (1998-1999) period, similar in magnitude to Pinatubo and Agung, the largest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century. The highest isotopic anomaly may be produced from a combination of different stratospheric sources (sulfur dioxide and carbonyl sulfide) via SOx photochemistry, including photoexcitation and photodissociation. The source of anomaly is linked to super El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (1997-1998)-induced changes in troposphere-stratosphere chemistry and dynamics. The data possess recurring negative S-isotope anomalies (Δ(36)S = -0.6 ± 0.2‰) in nonvolcanic and non-ENSO years, thus requiring a second source that may be tropospheric. The generation of nonvolcanic S-isotopic anomalies in an oxidizing atmosphere has implications for interpreting Archean sulfur deposits used to determine the redox state of the paleoatmosphere.
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Franz HB, Kim ST, Farquhar J, Day JMD, Economos RC, McKeegan KD, Schmitt AK, Irving AJ, Hoek J, Dottin J. Isotopic links between atmospheric chemistry and the deep sulphur cycle on Mars. Nature 2014; 508:364-8. [PMID: 24740066 DOI: 10.1038/nature13175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The geochemistry of Martian meteorites provides a wealth of information about the solid planet and the surface and atmospheric processes that occurred on Mars. The degree to which Martian magmas may have assimilated crustal material, thus altering the geochemical signatures acquired from their mantle sources, is unclear. This issue features prominently in efforts to understand whether the source of light rare-earth elements in enriched shergottites lies in crustal material incorporated into melts or in mixing between enriched and depleted mantle reservoirs. Sulphur isotope systematics offer insight into some aspects of crustal assimilation. The presence of igneous sulphides in Martian meteorites with sulphur isotope signatures indicative of mass-independent fractionation suggests the assimilation of sulphur both during passage of magmas through the crust of Mars and at sites of emplacement. Here we report isotopic analyses of 40 Martian meteorites that represent more than half of the distinct known Martian meteorites, including 30 shergottites (28 plus 2 pairs, where pairs are separate fragments of a single meteorite), 8 nakhlites (5 plus 3 pairs), Allan Hills 84001 and Chassigny. Our data provide strong evidence that assimilation of sulphur into Martian magmas was a common occurrence throughout much of the planet's history. The signature of mass-independent fractionation observed also indicates that the atmospheric imprint of photochemical processing preserved in Martian meteoritic sulphide and sulphate is distinct from that observed in terrestrial analogues, suggesting fundamental differences between the dominant sulphur chemistry in the atmosphere of Mars and that in the atmosphere of Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather B Franz
- 1] Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA [2] Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Sang-Tae Kim
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - James Farquhar
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - James M D Day
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Rita C Economos
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Kevin D McKeegan
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Axel K Schmitt
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Anthony J Irving
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Joost Hoek
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - James Dottin
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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SO2 photoexcitation mechanism links mass-independent sulfur isotopic fractionation in cryospheric sulfate to climate impacting volcanism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:17656-61. [PMID: 23417298 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1213153110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural climate variation, such as that caused by volcanoes, is the basis for identifying anthropogenic climate change. However, knowledge of the history of volcanic activity is inadequate, particularly concerning the explosivity of specific events. Some material is deposited in ice cores, but the concentration of glacial sulfate does not distinguish between tropospheric and stratospheric eruptions. Stable sulfur isotope abundances contain additional information, and recent studies show a correlation between volcanic plumes that reach the stratosphere and mass-independent anomalies in sulfur isotopes in glacial sulfate. We describe a mechanism, photoexcitation of SO2, that links the two, yielding a useful metric of the explosivity of historic volcanic events. A plume model of S(IV) to S(VI) conversion was constructed including photochemistry, entrainment of background air, and sulfate deposition. Isotopologue-specific photoexcitation rates were calculated based on the UV absorption cross-sections of (32)SO2, (33)SO2, (34)SO2, and (36)SO2 from 250 to 320 nm. The model shows that UV photoexcitation is enhanced with altitude, whereas mass-dependent oxidation, such as SO2 + OH, is suppressed by in situ plume chemistry, allowing the production and preservation of a mass-independent sulfur isotope anomaly in the sulfate product. The model accounts for the amplitude, phases, and time development of Δ(33)S/δ(34)S and Δ(36)S/Δ(33)S found in glacial samples. We are able to identify the process controlling mass-independent sulfur isotope anomalies in the modern atmosphere. This mechanism is the basis of identifying the magnitude of historic volcanic events.
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Harris E, Sinha B, Hoppe P, Ono S. High-precision measurements of (33)S and (34)S fractionation during SO2 oxidation reveal causes of seasonality in SO2 and sulfate isotopic composition. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:12174-12183. [PMID: 24079753 DOI: 10.1021/es402824c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This study presents high-precision isotope ratio-mass spectrometric measurements of isotopic fractionation during oxidation of SO2 by OH radicals in the gas phase and H2O2 and transition metal ion catalysis (TMI-catalysis) in the aqueous phase. Although temperature dependence of fractionation factors was found to be significant for H2O2 and TMI-catalyzed pathways, results from a simple 1D model revealed that changing partitioning between oxidation pathways was the dominant cause of seasonality in the isotopic composition of sulfate relative to SO2. Comparison of modeled seasonality with observations shows the TMI-catalyzed oxidation pathway is underestimated by more than an order of magnitude in all current atmospheric chemistry models. The three reactions showed an approximately mass-dependent relationship between (33)S and (34)S. However, the slope of the mass-dependent line was significantly different to 0.515 for the OH and TMI-catalyzed pathways, reflecting kinetic versus equilibrium control of isotopic fractionation. For the TMI-catalyzed pathway, both temperature dependence and (33)S/(34)S relationship revealed a shift in the rate-limiting reaction step from dissolution at lower temperatures to TMI-sulfite complex formation at higher temperatures. 1D model results showed that although individual reactions could produce Δ(33)S values between -0.15 and +0.2‰, seasonal changes in partitioning between oxidation pathways caused average sulfate Δ(33)S values of 0‰ throughout the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Harris
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United States
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Vibronic origin of sulfur mass-independent isotope effect in photoexcitation of SO2 and the implications to the early earth's atmosphere. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:17697-702. [PMID: 23836655 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1306979110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Signatures of mass-independent isotope fractionation (MIF) are found in the oxygen ((16)O,(17)O,(18)O) and sulfur ((32)S, (33)S, (34)S, (36)S) isotope systems and serve as important tracers of past and present atmospheric processes. These unique isotope signatures signify the breakdown of the traditional theory of isotope fractionation, but the physical chemistry of these isotope effects remains poorly understood. We report the production of large sulfur isotope MIF, with Δ(33)S up to 78‰ and Δ(36)S up to 110‰, from the broadband excitation of SO2 in the 250-350-nm absorption region. Acetylene is used to selectively trap the triplet-state SO2 ( (3)B1), which results from intersystem crossing from the excited singlet ( (1)A2/ (1)B1) states. The observed MIF signature differs considerably from that predicted by isotopologue-specific absorption cross-sections of SO2 and is insensitive to the wavelength region of excitation (above or below 300 nm), suggesting that the MIF originates not from the initial excitation of SO2 to the singlet states but from an isotope selective spin-orbit interaction between the singlet ( (1)A2/ (1)B1) and triplet ( (3)B1) manifolds. Calculations based on high-level potential energy surfaces of the multiple excited states show a considerable lifetime anomaly for (33)SO2 and (36)SO2 for the low vibrational levels of the (1)A2 state. These results demonstrate that the isotope selectivity of accidental near-resonance interactions between states is of critical importance in understanding the origin of MIF in photochemical systems.
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Tales of volcanoes and El-Nino southern oscillations with the oxygen isotope anomaly of sulfate aerosol. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:17662-7. [PMID: 23447567 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1213149110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of sulfate aerosols to reflect solar radiation and simultaneously act as cloud condensation nuclei renders them central players in the global climate system. The oxidation of S(IV) compounds and their transport as stable S(VI) in the Earth's system are intricately linked to planetary scale processes, and precise characterization of the overall process requires a detailed understanding of the linkage between climate dynamics and the chemistry leading to the product sulfate. This paper reports a high-resolution, 22-y (1980-2002) record of the oxygen-triple isotopic composition of sulfate (SO4) aerosols retrieved from a snow pit at the South Pole. Observed variation in the O-isotopic anomaly of SO4 aerosol is linked to the ozone variation in the tropical upper troposphere/lower stratosphere via the Ozone El-Niño Southern Oscillations (ENSO) Index (OEI). Higher (17)O values (3.3‰, 4.5‰, and 4.2‰) were observed during the three largest ENSO events of the past 2 decades. Volcanic events inject significant quantities of SO4 aerosol into the stratosphere, which are known to affect ENSO strength by modulating stratospheric ozone levels (OEI = 6 and (17)O = 3.3‰, OEI = 11 and (17)O = 4.5‰) and normal oxidative pathways. Our high-resolution data indicated that (17)O of sulfate aerosols can record extreme phases of naturally occurring climate cycles, such as ENSOs, which couple variations in the ozone levels in the atmosphere and the hydrosphere via temperature driven changes in relative humidity levels. A longer term, higher resolution oxygen-triple isotope analysis of sulfate aerosols from ice cores, encompassing more ENSO periods, is required to reconstruct paleo-ENSO events and paleotropical ozone variations.
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Schmidt A, Thordarson T, Oman LD, Robock A, Self S. Climatic impact of the long-lasting 1783 Laki eruption: Inapplicability of mass-independent sulfur isotopic composition measurements. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2012jd018414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Kunasek SA, Alexander B, Steig EJ, Sofen ED, Jackson TL, Thiemens MH, McConnell JR, Gleason DJ, Amos HM. Sulfate sources and oxidation chemistry over the past 230 years from sulfur and oxygen isotopes of sulfate in a West Antarctic ice core. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jd013846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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