Experimental evidence for sulfur-rich martian magmas: Implications for volcanism and surficial sulfur sources

Righter, K.; Pando, K.; Danielson, L. R.

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.09.027

Cited by 83 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Several predictive models of SCSS in silicate melts have been previously published and allow prediction of SCSS in magmas relevant to the Earth or Mars (Holzheid and Grove, 2002;Li and Ripley, 2005;Righter et al, 2009;Ding et al, 2014). These models do not reproduce our experimental results ( Supplementary Fig.…”

Section: Modeling Sulfur Solubility In Silicate Meltscontrasting

confidence: 56%

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Sulfur solubility in reduced mafic silicate melts: Implications for the speciation and distribution of sulfur on Mercury

Namur

Charlier

Holtz

et al. 2016

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

118

160

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Chemical data from the MESSENGER spacecraft revealed that surface rocks on Mercury are unusually enriched in sulfur compared to samples from other terrestrial planets. In order to understand the speciation and distribution of sulfur on Mercury, we performed high temperature (1200-1750 • C), lowto high-pressure (1 bar to 4 GPa) experiments on compositions representative of Mercurian lavas and on the silicate composition of an enstatite chondrite. We equilibrated silicate melts with sulfide and metallic melts under highly reducing conditions (IW-1.5 to IW-9.4; IW = iron-wüstite oxygen fugacity buffer). Under these oxygen fugacity conditions, sulfur dissolves in the silicate melt as S 2− and forms complexes with Fe 2+ , Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ . The sulfur concentration in silicate melts at sulfide saturation (SCSS) increases with increasing reducing conditions (from <1 wt.% S at IW-2 to >10 wt.% S at IW-8) and with increasing temperature. Metallic melts have a low sulfur content which decreases from 3 wt.% at IW-2 to 0 wt.% at IW-9. We developed an empirical parameterization to predict SCSS in Mercurian magmas as a function of oxygen fugacity ( f O 2 ), temperature, pressure and silicate melt composition. SCSS being not strictly a redox reaction, our expression is fully valid for magmatic systems containing a metal phase. Using physical constraints of the Mercurian mantle and magmas as well as our experimental results, we suggest that basalts on Mercury were free of sulfide globules when they erupted. The high sulfur contents revealed by MESSENGER result from the high sulfur solubility in silicate melt at reducing conditions. We make the realistic assumption that the oxygen fugacity of mantle rocks was set during equilibration of the magma ocean with the core and/or that the mantle contains a minor metal phase and combine our parameterization of SCSS with chemical data from MESSENGER to constrain the oxygen fugacity of Mercury's interior to IW-5.4 ± 0.4. We also calculate that the mantle of Mercury contains 7-11 wt.% S and that the metallic core of the planet has little sulfur (<1.5 wt.% S). The external part of the Mercurian core is likely to be made up of a thin (<90 km) FeS layer.

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Section: Modeling Sulfur Solubility In Silicate Meltscontrasting

confidence: 56%

“…5). We used an equation with a form similar to that of recent models of SCSS (Li and Ripley, 2005;Righter et al, 2009;Ding et al, 2015). We replaced the Gibbs free energy term of Eq.…”

Section: Modeling Sulfur Solubility In Silicate Meltsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sulfur solubility in reduced mafic silicate melts: Implications for the speciation and distribution of sulfur on Mercury

Namur

Charlier

Holtz

et al. 2016

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

118

160

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“…Sulfur contents of different types of Martian meteorites thus can provide important insights into igneous processes that operated on Mars. Righter et al (2009) calculated sulfur carrying capacity change along differentiation path of a model Martian magma taken from Symes et al (2008) and compared the result to the S contents of some olivine-phyric and basaltic shergottites. Similarly, Ding et al (2014) applied their new SCSS model to investigate the change in SCSS along the liquid line of descent and sulfide precipitation in corresponding cumulates derived from Yamato 98049.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New bulk sulfur measurements of Martian meteorites and modeling the fate of sulfur during melting and crystallization – Implications for sulfur transfer from Martian mantle to crust–atmosphere system

Ding

Dasgupta

Lee

et al. 2015

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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“…Recent robotic missions on the surface have detected sulphates at Meridiani Planum (McLennan et al 2005), Gusev Crater (Lane et al 2008) and the Phoenix Lander site (Kounaves et al 2010). It is likely that this ultimately reflects degassing, vapour-atmosphere interactions and chemical weathering of sulphur species from magmas that are much richer in sulphur than the terrestrial equivalents (Johnson et al 2008;Gaillard & Scaillet 2009;Righter et al 2009). The sulphur has subsequently been processed in a wide variety of ways, including precipitation from hot springs, circulation in impact-driven hydrothermal systems, evaporative precipitation from groundwaters and sedimentary transport (King et al 2004;King & McLennan 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for life in the isotopic analysis of surface sulphates in the Haughton impact structure, and potential application on Mars

Parnell

Boyce

Osinski

et al. 2012

International Journal of Astrobiology

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The analysis of sulphur isotopic compositions in three sets of surface sulphate samples from the soil zone in the Haughton impact structure shows that they are distinct. They include surface gypsum crusts remobilized from the pre-impact gypsum bedrock (mean δ 34 S +31‰), efflorescent copiapite and fibroferrite associated with hydrothermal marcasite (mean δ 34 S −37‰), and gypsum-iron oxide crusts representing weathering of pyritic crater-fill sediments (mean δ 34 S +7‰). Their different compositions reflect different histories of sulphur cycling. Two of the three sulphates have isotopically light (low δ 34 S) compositions compared with the gypsum bedrock (mean δ 34 S +31‰), reflecting derivation by weathering of sulphides (three sets of pyrite/marcasite samples with mean δ 34 S of −41, −20 and −8‰), which had in turn been precipitated by microbial sulphate reduction. Thus, even in the absence of the parent sulphides due to surface oxidation, evidence of life would be preserved. This indicates that on Mars, where surface oxidation may rule out sampling of sulphides during robotic exploration, but where sulphates are widespread, sulphur isotope analysis is a valuable tool that could be sensitive to any near-surface microbial activity. Other causes of sulphur isotopic fractionation on the surface of Mars are feasible, but any anomalous fractionation would indicate the desirability of further analysis.

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Experimental evidence for sulfur-rich martian magmas: Implications for volcanism and surficial sulfur sources

Cited by 83 publications

References 63 publications

Sulfur solubility in reduced mafic silicate melts: Implications for the speciation and distribution of sulfur on Mercury

Sulfur solubility in reduced mafic silicate melts: Implications for the speciation and distribution of sulfur on Mercury

New bulk sulfur measurements of Martian meteorites and modeling the fate of sulfur during melting and crystallization – Implications for sulfur transfer from Martian mantle to crust–atmosphere system

Evidence for life in the isotopic analysis of surface sulphates in the Haughton impact structure, and potential application on Mars

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