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Wang W, Walter MJ, Brodholt JP, Huang S, Petaev MI. Chalcogen isotopes reveal limited volatile contribution from late veneer to Earth. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh0670. [PMID: 38055829 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh0670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The origin of Earth's volatile elements is highly debated. Comparing the chalcogen isotope ratios in the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) to those of its possible building blocks, chondritic meteorites, allows constraints on the origin of Earth's volatiles; however, these comparisons are complicated by potential isotopic fractionation during protoplanetary differentiation, which largely remains poorly understood. Using first-principles calculations, we find that core-mantle differentiation does not notably fractionate selenium and tellurium isotopes, while equilibrium evaporation from early planetesimals would enrich selenium and tellurium in heavy isotopes in the BSE. The sulfur, selenium, and tellurium isotopic signatures of the BSE reveal that protoplanetary differentiation plays a key role in establishing most of Earth's volatile elements, and a late veneer does not substantially contribute to the BSE's volatile inventory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhong Wang
- Deep Space Exploration Lab/School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Michael J Walter
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - John P Brodholt
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre of Planetary Habitability, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Shichun Huang
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Michail I Petaev
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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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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Carbon in Mineralised Plutons. GEOSCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences12050202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Paleoproterozoic schists of the Leverburgh Belt, South Harris and the Neoproterozoic carbonaceous metasediments of the Dalradian Supergroup were deposited during the two most significant periods of black shale deposition globally. Hosted within these metasedimentary rocks are graphite-bearing mineralised plutons, formed during orogenic events. The assimilation of carbonaceous lithologies during magmatic pluton emplacement is a commonly recognised mechanism in the formation of many metal and semi-metal-enriched deposits. Graphite mineralisation as a result of carbon assimilation is a feature often associated with these mineral deposits, though the source of the carbon and any associated metal deposits is not always understood. In this study, carbon and sulphur isotope analyses demonstrate that the crustal assimilation of the Paleoproterozoic host rocks took place during magmatic emplacement and provided the source of carbon and sulphur during mineralisation of the plutons. Minor enrichments of trace elements are present in the South Harris plutonic lithologies, indicating that mobilisation and enrichment occurred during assimilation of the schists. Petrographic and elemental analysis of a Dalradian-hosted Ordovician pluton indicates a similar but more substantial enrichment of these trace elements during crustal assimilation. The timing and depth of assimilation appear to play key roles in the extent of graphite and associated trace element enrichments.
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4
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Saal AE, Hauri EH. Large sulfur isotope fractionation in lunar volcanic glasses reveals the magmatic differentiation and degassing of the Moon. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabe4641. [PMID: 33627430 PMCID: PMC7904258 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur isotope variations in mantle-derived lavas provide important constraints on the evolution of planetary bodies. Here, we report the first in situ measurements of sulfur isotope ratios dissolved in primitive volcanic glasses and olivine-hosted melt inclusions recovered from the Moon by the Apollo 15 and 17 missions. The new data reveal large variations in 34S/32S ratios, which positively correlates with sulfur and titanium contents within and between the distinct compositional groups of volcanic glasses analyzed. Our results uncover several magmatic events that fractionated the primordial sulfur isotope composition of the Moon: the segregation of the lunar core and the crystallization of the lunar magma ocean, which led to the formation of the heterogeneous sources of the lunar magmatism, followed by magma degassing during generation, transport, and eruption of the lunar lavas. Whether the Earth's and Moon's interiors share a common 34S/32S ratio remains a matter of debate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto E Saal
- Department of Earth Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Erik H Hauri
- The Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Sciences, Washington, DC 20015, USA
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5
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Yierpan A, König S, Labidi J, Schoenberg R. Recycled selenium in hot spot-influenced lavas records ocean-atmosphere oxygenation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/39/eabb6179. [PMID: 32967831 PMCID: PMC7531878 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb6179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Oxygenation of Earth's oceans and atmosphere through time has consequences for subducted surface signatures that are now stored in the mantle. Here, we report significant mass-dependent selenium isotope variations in modern hot spot-influenced oceanic lavas. These variations are correlated with tracers of mantle source enrichment, which can only be explained by incorporation of abyssal pelagic sediments subducted from a redox-stratified mid-Proterozoic ocean. Selenium geochemical signatures of these sediments have mostly been preserved during long-term recycling and may therefore complement the global surface sediment record as ancient oxygen archives. Combined deep mantle and surface perspectives, together with emerging models for atmospheric oxygen based on selenium systematics, further imply a significantly oxygenated ocean-atmosphere system throughout the mid-Proterozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aierken Yierpan
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Stephan König
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Jabrane Labidi
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ronny Schoenberg
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, 2092 Johannesburg, South Africa
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6
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Hutchison W, Babiel RJ, Finch AA, Marks MAW, Markl G, Boyce AJ, Stüeken EE, Friis H, Borst AM, Horsburgh NJ. Sulphur isotopes of alkaline magmas unlock long-term records of crustal recycling on Earth. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4208. [PMID: 31527587 PMCID: PMC6746797 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12218-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Earth’s surface and mantle sulphur reservoirs are connected via subduction, crustal recycling and volcanism. Although oceanic hotspot lavas currently provide the best constraints on the deep sulphur cycle, their restricted age range (<200 Ma) means they cannot reveal temporal variations in crustal recycling over Earth history. Sulphur-rich alkaline magmas offer the solution because they are associated with recycled sources (i.e. metasomatized lithospheric mantle and plumes) and, crucially, are found throughout the geological record. Here, we present a detailed study of sulphur isotope fractionation in a Mesoproterozoic alkaline province in Greenland and demonstrate that an enriched subduction-influenced source (δ34S of +1 to +5‰) can be reconstructed. A global δ34S compilation reveals secular variation in alkaline magma sources which support changes in the composition of the lithospheric mantle and/or Ga timescales for deep crustal recycling. Thus, alkaline magmas represent a powerful yet underutilized repository for interrogating crustal recycling through geological time. Sulphur isotopes track recycling of subducted crustal material, yet few igneous rocks preserve these signals over Earth history. Here, the authors investigate a billion-year-old alkaline province in Greenland and are able to reconstruct a recycled mantle source, thus alkaline rocks can be used to reveal crustal recycling through geological time.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Hutchison
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK.
| | - Rainer J Babiel
- Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, FB Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Adrian A Finch
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
| | - Michael A W Marks
- Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, FB Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gregor Markl
- Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, FB Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Adrian J Boyce
- Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
| | - Henrik Friis
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, PO 1172 Blindern, 0318, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anouk M Borst
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
| | - Nicola J Horsburgh
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
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7
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Varas-Reus MI, König S, Yierpan A, Lorand JP, Schoenberg R. Selenium isotopes as tracers of a late volatile contribution to Earth from the outer Solar System. NATURE GEOSCIENCE 2019; 12:779-782. [PMID: 31485262 PMCID: PMC6726489 DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0414-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The origin of Earth's volatiles has been attributed to a late addition of meteoritic material after core-mantle differentiation. The nature and consequences of this 'late veneer' are debated, but may be traced by isotopes of the highly siderophile, or iron-loving, and volatile element selenium. Here we present high-precision selenium isotope data for mantle peridotites, from double spike and hydride generation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These data indicate that the selenium isotopic composition of peridotites is unaffected by petrological processes, such as melt depletion and melt-rock reaction, and thus a narrow range is preserved that is representative of the silicate Earth. We show that selenium isotopes record a signature of late accretion after core formation and that this signature overlaps only with that of the CI-type carbonaceous chondrites. We conclude that these isotopic constraints indicate the late veneer originated from the outer Solar System and was of lower mass than previously estimated. Thus, we suggest a late and highly concentrated delivery of volatiles enabled Earth to become habitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Isabel Varas-Reus
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University
of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stephan König
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University
of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Aierken Yierpan
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University
of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Jean-Pierre Lorand
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique
à Nantes, CNRS UMR 6112, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Ronny Schoenberg
- Isotope Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University
of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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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. [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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9
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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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10
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Smit KV, Shirey SB, Hauri EH, Stern RA. Sulfur isotopes in diamonds reveal differences in continent construction. Science 2019; 364:383-385. [PMID: 31023922 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw9548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Neoproterozoic West African diamonds contain sulfide inclusions with mass-independently fractionated (MIF) sulfur isotopes that trace Archean surficial signatures into the mantle. Two episodes of subduction are recorded in these West African sulfide inclusions: thickening of the continental lithosphere through horizontal processes around 3 billion years ago and reworking and diamond growth around 650 million years ago. We find that the sulfur isotope record in worldwide diamond inclusions is consistent with changes in tectonic processes that formed the continental lithosphere in the Archean. Slave craton diamonds that formed 3.5 billion years ago do not contain any MIF sulfur. Younger diamonds from the Kaapvaal, Zimbabwe, and West African cratons do contain MIF sulfur, which suggests craton construction by advective thickening of mantle lithosphere through conventional subduction-style horizontal tectonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen V Smit
- Gemological Institute of America, 50 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036, USA.
| | - Steven B Shirey
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - Erik H Hauri
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - Richard A Stern
- Canadian Centre for Isotopic Microanalysis, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
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11
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Beaudry P, Longpré MA, Economos R, Wing BA, Bui TH, Stix J. Degassing-induced fractionation of multiple sulphur isotopes unveils post-Archaean recycled oceanic crust signal in hotspot lava. Nat Commun 2018; 9:5093. [PMID: 30504764 PMCID: PMC6269480 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07527-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mantle source regions feeding hotspot volcanoes likely contain recycled subducted material. Anomalous sulphur (S) isotope signatures in hotspot lavas have tied ancient surface S to this deep geological cycle, but their potential modification by shallow magmatic processes has generally been overlooked. Here we present S isotope measurements in magmatic sulphides, silicate melt inclusions and matrix glasses from the recent eruption of a hotspot volcano at El Hierro, Canary Islands, which show that degassing induces strongly negative δ34S fractionation in both silicate and sulphide melts. Our results reflect the complex interplay among redox conditions, S speciation and degassing. The isotopic fractionation is mass dependent (Δ33S = 0‰), thus lacking evidence for the recycled Archaean crust signal recently identified at other hotspot volcanoes. However, the source has an enriched signature (δ34S ~ + 3‰), which supports the presence of younger 34S-rich recycled oceanic material in the Canary Island mantle plume. Mantle-sourced magmas erupted at hotspot volcanoes can provide clues to the sulphur cycle over geological timescales. In this work, sulphur isotopes were analysed in crystal-hosted inclusions entrapped at depth, and reveal the presence of post-Archaean recycled material in the Canary Island mantle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Beaudry
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, City University of New York, Queens, NY, 11367, USA. .,Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Marc-Antoine Longpré
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, City University of New York, Queens, NY, 11367, USA.,Earth and Environmental Sciences, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Rita Economos
- Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, 75275, USA
| | - Boswell A Wing
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 0E8, Canada.,Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Thi Hao Bui
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 0E8, Canada
| | - John Stix
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 0E8, Canada
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12
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Atmospheric sulfur is recycled to the crystalline continental crust during supercontinent formation. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4380. [PMID: 30348984 PMCID: PMC6197212 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06691-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The sulfur cycle across the lithosphere and the role of this volatile element in the metasomatism of the mantle at ancient cratonic boundaries are poorly constrained. We address these knowledge gaps by tracking the journey of sulfur in the assembly of a Proterozoic supercontinent using mass independent isotope fractionation (MIF-S) as an indelible tracer. MIF-S is a signature that was imparted to supracrustal sulfur reservoirs before the ~2.4 Ga Great Oxidation Event. The spatial representation of multiple sulfur isotope data indicates that successive Proterozoic granitoid suites preserve Δ33S up to +0.8‰ in areas adjacent to Archean cratons. These results indicate that suturing of cratons began with devolatilisation of slab-derived sediments deep in the lithosphere. This process transferred atmospheric sulfur to a mantle source reservoir, which was tapped intermittently for over 300 million years of magmatism. Our work tracks pathways and storage of sulfur in the lithosphere at craton margins. The long-term evolution of the sulfur budget in the lithosphere is poorly constrained. Here, using mass independent isotope fractionation as an indelible tracer, the authors track the pathway of sulfur from the Earth’s surface to punctuated episodes of granitoid magmatism during collisional orogenesis.
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13
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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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14
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Marin-Carbonne J, Remusat L, Sforna MC, Thomazo C, Cartigny P, Philippot P. Sulfur isotope's signal of nanopyrites enclosed in 2.7 Ga stromatolitic organic remains reveal microbial sulfate reduction. GEOBIOLOGY 2018; 16:121-138. [PMID: 29380506 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial sulfate reduction (MSR) is thought to have operated very early on Earth and is often invoked to explain the occurrence of sedimentary sulfides in the rock record. Sedimentary sulfides can also form from sulfides produced abiotically during late diagenesis or metamorphism. As both biotic and abiotic processes contribute to the bulk of sedimentary sulfides, tracing back the original microbial signature from the earliest Earth record is challenging. We present in situ sulfur isotope data from nanopyrites occurring in carbonaceous remains lining the domical shape of stromatolite knobs of the 2.7-Gyr-old Tumbiana Formation (Western Australia). The analyzed nanopyrites show a large range of δ34 S values of about 84‰ (from -33.7‰ to +50.4‰). The recognition that a large δ34 S range of 80‰ is found in individual carbonaceous-rich layers support the interpretation that the nanopyrites were formed in microbial mats through MSR by a Rayleigh distillation process during early diagenesis. An active microbial cycling of sulfur during formation of the stromatolite may have facilitated the mixing of different sulfur pools (atmospheric and hydrothermal) and explain the weak mass independent signature (MIF-S) recorded in the Tumbiana Formation. These results confirm that MSR participated actively to the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur during the Neoarchean and support previous models suggesting anaerobic oxidation of methane using sulfate in the Tumbiana environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Marin-Carbonne
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
- Univ Lyon- UJM St Etienne, Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, UCA, CNRS, IRD, UMR 6524, Saint Etienne, France
| | - L Remusat
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux, et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), UPMC, UMR CNRS 7590, UMR IRD 206, Sorbonne Universités - Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - M C Sforna
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
- Department of Geology, Palaeobiogeology-Palaeobotany-Palaeopalynology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - C Thomazo
- UMR CNRS/uB6282 Biogéosciences, UFR Sciences Vie Terre Environnement Université de Bourgogne Franche Comté, Dijon, France
| | - P Cartigny
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - P Philippot
- Institut de Physique du Globe - Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Paris Cedex 05, France
- Géosciences Montpellier, CNRS-UMR 5243, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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Sleep NH. Asteroid bombardment and the core of Theia as possible sources for the Earth's late veneer component. GEOCHEMISTRY, GEOPHYSICS, GEOSYSTEMS : G(3) 2016; 17:2623-2642. [PMID: 35095346 PMCID: PMC8793101 DOI: 10.1002/2016gc006305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The silicate Earth contains Pt-group elements in roughly chondritic relative ratios, but with absolute concentrations <1% chondrite. This veneer implies addition of chondrite-like material with 0.3-0.7% mass of the Earth's mantle or an equivalent planet-wide thickness of 5-20 km. The veneer thickness, 200-300 m, within the lunar crust and mantle is much less. One hypothesis is that the terrestrial veneer arrived after the moon-forming impact within a few large asteroids that happened to miss the smaller Moon. Alternatively, most of terrestrial veneer came from the core of the moon-forming impactor, Theia. The Moon then likely contains iron from Theia's core. Mass balances lend plausibility. The lunar core mass is ~1.6 × 1021 kg and the excess FeO component in the lunar mantle is 1.3-3.5 × 1021 kg as Fe, totaling 3-5 × 1021 kg or a few percent of Theia's core. This mass is comparable to the excess Fe of 2.3-10 × 1021 kg in the Earth's mantle inferred from the veneer component. Chemically in this hypothesis, Fe metal from Theia's core entered the Moon-forming disk. H2O and Fe2O3 in the disk oxidized part of the Fe, leaving the lunar mantle near a Fe-FeO buffer. The remaining iron metal condensed, gathered Pt-group elements eventually into the lunar core. The silicate Moon is strongly depleted in Pt-group elements. In contrast, the Earth's mantle contained excess oxidants, H2O and Fe2O3, which quantitatively oxidized the admixed Fe from Theia's core, retaining Pt-group elements. In this hypothesis, asteroid impacts were relatively benign with ~1 terrestrial event that left only thermophile survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman H Sleep
- Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Early inner solar system origin for anomalous sulfur isotopes in differentiated protoplanets. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:17749-54. [PMID: 25453079 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1418907111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Achondrite meteorites have anomalous enrichments in (33)S, relative to chondrites, which have been attributed to photochemistry in the solar nebula. However, the putative photochemical reactions remain elusive, and predicted accompanying (33)S depletions have not previously been found, which could indicate an erroneous assumption regarding the origins of the (33)S anomalies, or of the bulk solar system S-isotope composition. Here, we report well-resolved anomalous (33)S depletions in IIIF iron meteorites (<-0.02 per mil), and (33)S enrichments in other magmatic iron meteorite groups. The (33)S depletions support the idea that differentiated planetesimals inherited sulfur that was photochemically derived from gases in the early inner solar system (<∼2 AU), and that bulk inner solar system S-isotope composition was chondritic (consistent with IAB iron meteorites, Earth, Moon, and Mars). The range of mass-independent sulfur isotope compositions may reflect spatial or temporal changes influenced by photochemical processes. A tentative correlation between S isotopes and Hf-W core segregation ages suggests that the two systems may be influenced by common factors, such as nebular location and volatile content.
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Day JMD, Moynier F. Evaporative fractionation of volatile stable isotopes and their bearing on the origin of the Moon. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:20130259. [PMID: 25114311 PMCID: PMC4128272 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2013.0259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The Moon is depleted in volatile elements relative to the Earth and Mars. Low abundances of volatile elements, fractionated stable isotope ratios of S, Cl, K and Zn, high μ ((238)U/(204)Pb) and long-term Rb/Sr depletion are distinguishing features of the Moon, relative to the Earth. These geochemical characteristics indicate both inheritance of volatile-depleted materials that formed the Moon and planets and subsequent evaporative loss of volatile elements that occurred during lunar formation and differentiation. Models of volatile loss through localized eruptive degassing are not consistent with the available S, Cl, Zn and K isotopes and abundance data for the Moon. The most probable cause of volatile depletion is global-scale evaporation resulting from a giant impact or a magma ocean phase where inefficient volatile loss during magmatic convection led to the present distribution of volatile elements within mantle and crustal reservoirs. Problems exist for models of planetary volatile depletion following giant impact. Most critically, in this model, the volatile loss requires preferential delivery and retention of late-accreted volatiles to the Earth compared with the Moon. Different proportions of late-accreted mass are computed to explain present-day distributions of volatile and moderately volatile elements (e.g. Pb, Zn; 5 to >10%) relative to highly siderophile elements (approx. 0.5%) for the Earth. Models of early magma ocean phases may be more effective in explaining the volatile loss. Basaltic materials (e.g. eucrites and angrites) from highly differentiated airless asteroids are volatile-depleted, like the Moon, whereas the Earth and Mars have proportionally greater volatile contents. Parent-body size and the existence of early atmospheres are therefore likely to represent fundamental controls on planetary volatile retention or loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M D Day
- Scripps Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory, Geosciences Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA 92093-0244, USA
| | - Frederic Moynier
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
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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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Kida Y, Class CA, Concepcion AJ, Timko MT, Green WH. Combining experiment and theory to elucidate the role of supercritical water in sulfide decomposition. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:9220-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp00711e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Supercritical water is observed to react with alkyl sulfides, forming H2S, CO, and alkanes. Quantum chemistry calculations show this occurs via a multistep mechanism involving both free radical and pericyclic reactions, with water acting as both a reagent and a catalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Kida
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Cambridge, USA
| | - Caleb A. Class
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Cambridge, USA
| | - Anthony J. Concepcion
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Cambridge, USA
| | - Michael T. Timko
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Worcester, USA
| | - William H. Green
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Cambridge, USA
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