New Insights into Composition of the Earth’s Mantle Deduced from Osmium Isotope Data in Os-Rich Alloys, Sulfides, and Chromite

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 7465

Special Issue Editor

Department of Geochemistry and Ore-Forming Processes, Zavaritsky Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vonsovsky str. 15, Ekaterinburg 620110, Russia
Interests: highly siderophile elements; mineralogy of platinum-group elements; radiogenic and stable isotope geochemistry, Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposits; ultramafic rocks; isotope composition of the Earth's mantle
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Osmium isotopes are considered as important tracers for understanding the evolution of highly siderophile elements (HSE) in the upper mantle. Due to the progress of analytical techniques in recent years, the Re-Os and Pt-Os systems have been widely applied for evaluating distinct mantle sources and dating melting events in different mantle environments. The Os budget of the mantle is mainly controlled by sulfides and alloys, so combining microanalysis of both Os-bearing sulfides and alloys, coupled with whole rock data, offers a way to test for intrasample heterogeneity and hence allows a more robust interpretation of the Os isotope systematics.

This Special Issue aims to provide a forum for contributions exploring: (i) the variations in isotopic composition of osmium relevant to behavior of the HSE during partial melting of the Earth’s mantle; (ii) the degree of crust–mantle interaction and sources of HSE in ores within oceanic and subcontinental lithospheric mantle; and (iii) the timing and nature of mantle events relevant to the large-scale dynamics of the Earth.

We invite contributions that use combined mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic studies, with integration of whole-rock and mineral separate (via N-TIMS) and sub-grain scale (via LA-MC-ICPMS) isotopic information (Re-Os, Pt-Os) from a selected set of robust minerals (Os-rich alloys, sulfides, chromite) derived from various geological settings. The latter may include but not be limited to: (i) Archean paleoplacers of the Witwatersrand deposits; (ii) deep portions of ophiolite sections, representing different degrees of melt extraction within the oceanic mantle, and (iii) zoned and orogenic peridotite massifs, typical of subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Os isotope studies that provide new insights into evolution of the Earth’s mantle (from Archean to Cenozoic) are particular welcome.

Dr. Kreshimir N. Malitch
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Os-rich alloys
  • Sulfide
  • Chromite
  • Highly siderophile elements
  • Re-Os and Pt-Os systems
  • High-precision negative thermal ionization mass-spectrometry
  • In-situ isotope analysis
  • Archean paleoplacers
  • Oceanic mantle
  • Subcontinental lithospheric mantle
  • Earth’s mantle composition
  • Earth’s history

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5781 KiB  
Article
Origin of Ru-Os Sulfides from the Verkh-Neivinsk Ophiolite Massif (Middle Urals, Russia): Compositional and S-Os Isotope Evidence
by Kreshimir N. Malitch, Inna Yu. Badanina, Elena A. Belousova, Valery V. Murzin and Tatiana A. Velivetskaya
Minerals 2021, 11(3), 329; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min11030329 - 22 Mar 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2426
Abstract
This study presents new compositional and S-Os isotope data for primary Ru-Os sulfides within a platinum-group mineral (PGM) assemblage from placer deposits associated with the Verkh-Neivinsk massif, which is part of the mantle ophiolite association of Middle Urals (Russia). The primary nature of [...] Read more.
This study presents new compositional and S-Os isotope data for primary Ru-Os sulfides within a platinum-group mineral (PGM) assemblage from placer deposits associated with the Verkh-Neivinsk massif, which is part of the mantle ophiolite association of Middle Urals (Russia). The primary nature of Ru-Os sulfides represented by laurite (RuS2)–erlichmanite (OsS2) series is supported by occurrence of euhedral inclusions of high-Mg olivine (Fo92–94) that fall within the compositional range of mantle (primitive) olivine (Fo 88–93). The sulfur isotope signatures of Ru-Os sulfides reveal a range of δ34S values from 0.3 to 3.3‰, with a mean of 2.05‰ and a standard deviation of 0.86‰ (n = 18), implying that the sulfur derived from a subchondritic source. A range of sub-chondritic initial 187Os/188Os values defined for Ru-Os sulfides (0.1173–0.1278) are clearly indicative of derivation from a sub-chondritic source. Re-depletion (TRD) ages of the Verkh-Neivinsk Ru-Os sulfides are consistent with prolonged melt-extraction processes and likely multi-stage evolution of highly siderophile elements (HSE) within the upper mantle. A single radiogenic 187Os/188Os value of 0.13459 ± 0.00002 determined in the erlichmanite is indicative of a supra-chondritic source of HSE. This feature can be interpreted as evidence of a radiogenic crustal component associated with a subduction event or as an indication of an enriched mantle source. The mineralogical and Os-isotope data point to a high-temperature origin of the studied PGM and two contrasting sources for HSE in Ru-Os sulfides of the Verkh-Neivinsk massif. Full article
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21 pages, 5853 KiB  
Article
Re-Os Isotope Systematics of Sulfides in Chromitites and Host Lherzolites of the Andaman Ophiolite, India
by José María González-Jiménez, Sisir K. Mondal, Biswajit Ghosh, William L. Griffin and Suzanne Y. O’Reilly
Minerals 2020, 10(8), 686; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/min10080686 - 31 Jul 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4000
Abstract
Laser ablation MC-ICP-MS was used to measure the Os-isotope compositions of single sulfide grains, including laurite (RuS2) and pentlandite [(Fe,Ni)9S8], from two chromitite bodies and host lherzolites from ophiolites of North Andaman (Indo-Burma-Sumatra subduction zone). The results [...] Read more.
Laser ablation MC-ICP-MS was used to measure the Os-isotope compositions of single sulfide grains, including laurite (RuS2) and pentlandite [(Fe,Ni)9S8], from two chromitite bodies and host lherzolites from ophiolites of North Andaman (Indo-Burma-Sumatra subduction zone). The results show isotopic heterogeneity in both laurite (n = 24) and pentlandite (n = 37), similar to that observed in other chromitites and peridotites from the mantle sections of ophiolites. Rhenium-depletion model ages (TRD) of laurite and pentlandite reveal episodes of mantle magmatism and/or metasomatism in the Andaman mantle predating the formation of the ophiolite (and the host chromitites), mainly at ≈0.5, 1.2, 1.8, 2.1 and 2.5 Ga. These ages match well with the main tectonothermal events that are documented in the continental crustal rocks of South India, suggesting that the Andaman mantle (or its protolith) had a volume of lithospheric mantle once underlaying this southern Indian continental crust. As observed in other oceanic lithospheres, blocks of ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) could have contributed to the development of the subduction-related Andaman–Java volcanic arc. Major- and trace-element compositions of chromite indicate crystallization from melts akin to high-Mg IAT and boninites during the initial stages of development of this intra-oceanic subduction system. Full article
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