SuChaMa · Sulfur and Chalcophile elements in the Mantle: An Experimental Investigation of the Sulfur Cycle in the Terrestrial Interior
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-11-01 → 2023-10-31
- EU contribution
- €174,806
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
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Results in brief
Sulfur and Chalcophile elements in the Mantle: An Experimental Investigation of the Sulfur Cycle in the Terrestrial Interior
The abundance and distribution of sulfur (S) is of key importance for the occurrence and interpretation of geochemical processes. For example, the abundance and distribution of S controls potential sulfide or sulfate precipitation from silicate melts and therefore the cycles of sulfide/sulfate-loving elements such as Se, Te, Bi, the composition and properties of volcanic gases and the composition of planetary metallic cores. On the other hand, the measurement of sulfur in ancient (extra)-terrestrial rocks provides important clues to the processes of volatile loss and delivery in the early solar system. Prior to the project, the distribution of S in the deep interior and in small planetesimals were not well constrained. The main objectives / research questions from the SuChaMa project were therefore: 1. How much S can be stored in the deep terrestrial interior? The project has successfully studied the potential of S storage in the deep Earth by sulfide liquids, by analyzing and interpreting previous experiments at pressures and temperatures relevant to the deep Earth. The sulfur content at sulfide saturation was quantified and used to assess whether sulfide liquid saturation during differentiation of the Earth would be a likely process. The interpretation of previous experimental data showed that it is unlikely that a sulfide liquid segregated from the terrestrial silicate magma ocean in its early history. 2. How much S is lost during planetary accretion from metal-rich planetesimals? Another important aspect of the project was to investigate the potential evaporative loss from S from metal-rich planetesimals. For this purpose, high-temperature evaporation experiments were performed in a furnace, at vacuum and room pressures. Geochemical analyses of the run products provided the first experimental constraints on S evaporation from metal melts. The experiments show that S behaves volatile, but significantly less so as commonly assumed. The geochemical interpretation of experiments and the conducted evaporation experiments were not only novel, they were thus critical in quantifying the flux of S in the terrestrial planets. The Institute for Mineralogy at the University of Münster provided the much-needed modern and reliable experimental and analytical equipment, as well as the outstanding technical and scientific personnel. The project was therefore an excellent match, and it is expected that the project results reinforce the reputation of the University of Münster as one of Europe’s leading institutes for application of experimental petrology to planetary science.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Sulfur (S) is a fundamental element in geo/biochemistry, due to its effects on atmosphere chemistry, its essential role for the origin and evolution of life and its importance for mantle chemistry. It is also a volatile element and thus provides key insights into how the Earth’s volatile flux developed through time. The terrestrial S cycle is governed by the initial amount of S present during Earth’s accretion, the extent to which S degassed and/or delivered during accretion, the amount of S that was/is recycled into the deep Earth by plate tectonics and the compatibility of S in the (deep) terrestrial interior (core, sulfide matte, minerals).Unfortunately, the potential reservoir role of minerals and deep sulfide mattes for S and chalcophile elements is as of yet not well constrained, prohibiting a full understanding of the terrestrial S cycle. Sulfide-loving (chalcophile) elements are important geochemical tracers of S due to their compatibility in these phases. The proposed research will investigate crucial aspects of the S cycle using experimental petrology. Novel high pressure-temperature experiments will be conducted at WWU Münster to constrain the reservoir potential of mantle and crustal phases in terms of S and chalcophile elements. Experiments will be chemically analyzed using micro-analytical methods, and these results will be used to obtain thermodynamic models describing their distribution between minerals, sulfides and melts at high pressure. The models will be used to fully constrain the terrestrial S and chalcophile element cycle. During his PhD research and first postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution for Science (USA), he has worked with a wide range of experimental and analytical methods. WWU would greatly benefit from the applicant’s research experience and international collaborations. Finally, the applicant would benefit greatly from doing the proposed research at one of the world’s top experimental petrological institutes.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER · MuensterCoordinatorGermany
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union