Zirconium isotopic composition of the mantle through time

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterResearchpeer-review

Documents

  • S. Y. Tian
  • F. Moynier
  • E. C. Inglis
  • J. Creech
  • Bizzarro, Martin
  • J. Siebert
  • J. M. D. Day
  • I. S. Puchtel

Zirconium isotopes have the potential to trace both magmatic differentiation and crustal evolution, as well as deep Earth processes. Zirconium is compatible in bridgmanite where it has a higher coordination number than in silicate melt, implying that Zr isotopes could be fractionated during magma ocean crystallisation. We report the Zr isotopic composition of 31 komatiites from around the globe, ranging in age from 2.41 to 3.55 Ga. The delta Zr-94/90 (per mille deviation of Zr-94/Zr-90 from IPGP-Zr standard) values for the komatiites are homogeneous at 0.030 +/- 0.049 parts per thousand (all errors are 2 s.d.), and consistent with associated basaltic rocks (0.048 +/- 0.032 parts per thousand). These results, identical within uncertainty of the bulk silicate Earth estimate from modern basalts, suggest that the mantle Zr isotope composition has been constant since at least 3.55 Ga. Combining the isotopic compositions of komatiites and basalts of all ages we suggest a conservative delta Zr-94/90 = 0.040 +/- 0.044 parts per thousand (n = 72) for the mantle composition. Several komatiite systems that we analysed in this study, including Schapenburg, Komati, and Weltevreden, have been previously argued to have isotope signatures consistent with magma ocean crystallisation processes. However, their Zr isotope compositions are indistinguishable from other komatiites, implying that bridgmanite crystallisation did not fractionate Zr isotopes to any measurable extent.

Original languageEnglish
JournalGeochemical Perspectives Letters
Volume15
Pages (from-to)40-43
Number of pages4
ISSN2410-339X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

    Research areas

  • HIGH-FIELD-STRENGTH, KOSTOMUKSHA GREENSTONE-BELT, ELEMENT SYSTEMATICS, EARLY EARTH, MELT, DIFFERENTIATION, KOMATIITES, LITHOPHILE, BASALTS, RATIOS

Number of downloads are based on statistics from Google Scholar and www.ku.dk


No data available

ID: 251412412