Carbon and sulfur budget of the silicate Earth explained by accretion of differentiated planetary embryos

Li, Yuan; Dasgupta, Rajdeep; Tsuno, K.; Monteleone, B. D.; Shimizu, Nobumichi

doi:10.1038/ngeo2801

Cited by 79 publications

(156 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…It is therefore not surprising that the determined upper limit of N in the outer core in our study is higher than the estimated nitrogen concentration in the Earth's core based on combined cosmochemical and geochemical fractionation-based arguments using nitrogen in the Earth's building blocks (Kerridge, 1985;Pearson et al, 2006). However, more recent estimate of alloy-silicate partition coefficient of nitrogen, D alloy=silicate N of~15-20 (e.g., Dalou et al, 2017;Kadik et al, 2011;Li, Dasgupta, et al, 2016;Roskosz et al, 2013), carbonaceous chondrite nitrogen abundance of~1,500 ppm as the bulk Earth nitrogen content (Kerridge, 1985;Pearson et al, 2006), and homogeneous accretion of Earth leads to bulk core N content of 0.41-0.42 wt.%. However, more recent estimate of alloy-silicate partition coefficient of nitrogen, D alloy=silicate N of~15-20 (e.g., Dalou et al, 2017;Kadik et al, 2011;Li, Dasgupta, et al, 2016;Roskosz et al, 2013), carbonaceous chondrite nitrogen abundance of~1,500 ppm as the bulk Earth nitrogen content (Kerridge, 1985;Pearson et al, 2006), and homogeneous accretion of Earth leads to bulk core N content of 0.41-0.42 wt.%.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 62%

Nitrogen Content in the Earth's Outer Core

Bajgain

Mookherjee

Dasgupta

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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Using first principles molecular dynamic simulations, we explore the effects of nitrogen (N) on the density and sound velocity of liquid iron and evaluate its potential as a light element in the Earth's outer core. Our results suggest that Fe‐N melt cannot simultaneously explain the density and seismic velocity of the Earth's outer core. Although ~2.0 wt.% N can explain the bulk sound velocity of the outer core, such N content only lowers the density of liquid Fe by ~3%. Matching both the velocity and density by the other light elements limits the N in the core to ≪2.0 wt.%. Our finding suggests that nitrogen is a minor to trace element in the Earth's core and is consistent with the geochemical mass balance with terrestrial abundance of N and alloy‐silicate partitioning data, which suggest that there cannot be significant N in the core.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 62%

Nitrogen Content in the Earth's Outer Core

Bajgain

Mookherjee

Dasgupta

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…FTIR spectroscopy with a Thermo Nicolet Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer was employed following the protocol in the recent studies [ Duncan and Dasgupta , , ; Li et al , , ]. Sample glasses were doubly polished to thicknesses of about 200–300 μm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The solubility and speciation of carbon in silicate melt, which are mainly controlled by pressure, temperature, melt composition, and fugacities of H 2 O, H 2 , and O 2 , have been studied extensively at conditions corresponding to the Earth's present mantle and crust [e.g., Duncan and Dasgupta , ; Holloway et al , ; Mysen et al , ; Ni and Keppler , ]. However, both the solubility and speciation of carbon in reduced mafic silicate melt, which are more relevant for the reduced silicate mantles of Mars, Mercury, and the Moon, are poorly constrained and are topics of active investigation and debate [ Armstrong et al , ; Chi et al , ; Dasgupta et al , ; Kadik et al , ; Li et al , ; Stanley et al , ; Stanley et al , ; Wetzel et al , ; Yoshioka et al , ; Li et al , ]. At the Earth's present upper mantle conditions, carbon in mafic silicate melts is dissolved mainly as carbonates [ Duncan and Dasgupta , ; Holloway et al , ; Mysen et al , ; Ni and Keppler , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, in order to further constrain the carbon speciation and solubility in reduced planetary mantle melts, we first present new experimental results on carbon solubility and speciation in Martian basalts at relevant P ‐ T ‐ f O 2 conditions. Then, combing with recent data sets of carbon solubility in reduced, different mafic melts [ Armstrong et al , ; Chi et al , ; Dasgupta et al , ; Li et al , ; Stanley et al , ; Wetzel et al , ; Li et al , ; Duncan and Dasgupta , ], we develop an empirical model that can be used to predict carbon solubility in mantle melts of Mars, Mercury, and the Moon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Carbon contents in reduced basalts at graphite saturation: Implications for the degassing of Mars, Mercury, and the Moon

Dasgupta

Tsuno

2017

JGR Planets

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Carbon contents in reduced Martian basalts at graphite saturation were experimentally studied at 1400–1550°C, 1–2 GPa, and logfO2 of IW − 0.4 to IW + 1.5 (IW denotes the Fe‐FeO buffer). The results show that carbon solubility in Martian basalts, determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry, is 20 to 1400 ppm, increasing with increasing fO2. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic measurements on the quenched silicate glasses show that the dominant carbon species in Martian basalts is carbonate (CO32−). The experimental data generated here were combined with literature data on similar graphite‐saturated carbon solubility for mafic‐ultramafic compositions to develop an empirical model that can be used to predict carbon content of graphite‐saturated reduced basalts at vapor‐absent conditions: leftAtIW+1.7≥logfnormalO2≥IW−1:logCppm=−3702±534/T−194±49P/T−0.0034±0.043logXH2O+0.61±0.07NBO/T+0.55±0.02ΔIW+3.5±0.3R2=0.89 leftAtIW−5.3≤logfnormalO2≤IW−1:logCppm=0.96±0.19logXH2O−0.25±0.04ΔIW+2.83±0.34R2=0.6 in which T is temperature in K, P is pressure in GPa, XH2O is mole fraction of water in basalts, ΔIW is the oxygen fugacity relative to the IW buffer, and NBO/T = 2 total O/T − 4 (T = Si + Ti + Al + Cr + P). This model was applied to predict carbon content in graphite‐saturated mantle melts of the Mercury, Mars, and the Moon. The results show that graphite may be consumed during the production and extraction of some Martian basalts, and CO2 released by volcanism on Mars cannot be an efficient greenhouse gas in the early Mars. The lunar mantle carbon may be one of the main propellant driving the fire‐fountain eruption on the Moon; however, the Mercurian mantle carbon may not be an important propellant for the explosive eruption on Mercury.

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“…to test for the presence of non-oxidized species and to confirm the total amount of hydrogen and carbon in the glass with a Cameca IMS 1280 ion microprobe at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, following the approach outlined previously 72,73 . Samples were mounted in indium substrates in an aluminium dish, cleaned with Milli-Q water, and dried in a vacuum oven at ∼100 • C. Samples were then coated with gold to ∼4 nm thickness, and stored under vacuum prior to insertion into the instrument.…”

Section: Secondary Ionization Mass Spectrometry (Sims) Sims Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Rise of Earth’s atmospheric oxygen controlled by efficient subduction of organic carbon

2017

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The net flux of carbon between the Earth's interior and exterior, which is critical for redox evolution and planetary habitability, relies heavily on the extent of carbon subduction. While the fate of carbonates during subduction has been studied, little is known about how organic carbon is transferred from the Earth's surface to the interior, although organic carbon sequestration is related to sources of oxygen in the surface environment. Here we use high pressure-temperature experiments to determine the capacity of rhyolitic melts to carry carbon under graphite-saturated conditions in a subducting slab, and thus to constrain the subduction e ciency of organic carbon, the remnants of life, through time. We use our experimental data and a thermodynamic model of CO 2 dissolution in slab melts to quantify organic carbon mobility as a function of slab parameters. We show that the subduction of graphitized organic carbon, and the graphite and diamond formed by reduction of carbonates with depth, remained e cient even in ancient, hotter subduction zones where oxidized carbon subduction probably remained limited. We suggest that immobilization of organic carbon in subduction zones and deep sequestration in the mantle facilitated the rise (∼10 3-5 fold) and maintenance of atmospheric oxygen since the Palaeoproterozoic and is causally linked to the Great Oxidation Event. Our modelling shows that episodic recycling of organic carbon before the Great Oxidation Event may also explain occasional whi s of atmospheric oxygen observed in the Archaean.

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Carbon and sulfur budget of the silicate Earth explained by accretion of differentiated planetary embryos

Cited by 79 publications

References 39 publications

Nitrogen Content in the Earth's Outer Core

Nitrogen Content in the Earth's Outer Core

Carbon contents in reduced basalts at graphite saturation: Implications for the degassing of Mars, Mercury, and the Moon

Rise of Earth’s atmospheric oxygen controlled by efficient subduction of organic carbon

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