High-resolution quadruple sulfur isotope analyses of 3.2Ga pyrite from the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa reveal distinct environmental controls on sulfide isotopic arrays

Roerdink, Desiree L.; Mason, Paul R.D.; Whitehouse, Martin J.; Reimer, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2013.04.027

Cited by 43 publications

(37 citation statements)

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“…This rather limited range in ı 34 S, and thus a rather limited range in sulfur isotopic fractionation, would be more consistent with elemental sulfur reduction, because this processes is not associated with a high magnitude, mass-dependent sulfur isotopic fractionation (Surkov et al, 2012), compared to the larger fractionation due to elemental sulfur disproportionation (Canfield et al, 1998;Johnston et al, 2005). Our data are in contrast to results from Roerdink et al (2013) reporting negative ı 34 S and 33 S values for pyrite in layered and massive pyrite and disseminated pyrite in barite from Mapepe Formation, that suggest the microbial reduction of oceanic sulfate as their ultimate source.…”

Section: Black Shalecontrasting

confidence: 41%

“…The conclusion that microbial sulfate reduction caused the observed range in ı 34 S in the barite is supported by variable and in part distinctly negative ı 34 S values for sedimentary pyrite in the Mapepe Formation that are interpreted to reflecting their biogenic nature (Roerdink et al, 2013). The possibility of a microbial origin of Paleoarchean (barite-hosted) microscopic pyrite was previously suggested, e.g., by Shen et al (2001) and Philippot et al (2007, but alternative views have been proposed (e.g., Bao et al, 2008;Philippot et al, 2012;see below).…”

Section: Baritementioning

confidence: 91%

“…Notably, the absence of consistently sizeable fractionations in 34 S has been regarded as evidence for a limited importance of biological sulfur cycling in Archean sedimentary surface environments (e.g., Strauss et al, 2003), despite individual reports of highly 34 S-depleted pyrite in Paleoarchean sedimentary rocks (e.g., Ohmoto et al, 1993;Shen et al, 2001Shen et al, , 2009Philippot et al, 2007;Wu and Farquhar, 2013) and the notion from molecular biology that bacterial sulfate reduction represents an ancient metabolic pathway (Shen and Buick, 2004;Blumenberg et al, 2006;Philippot et al, 2007;Ueno et al, 2008;Shen et al, 2009;Johnston, 2011). Several recent reports of highly 34 S-depleted pyrite occurrences of early Archean age (e.g., Philippot et al, 2007;Ueno et al, 2008;Shen et al, 2009;Wacey et al, 2011a,b;Roerdink et al, 2013) strengthen the case for early biological sulfur cycling, even utilizing diverse metabolic pathways such as bacterial sulfate reduction, elemental sulfur reduction, elemental sulfur disproportionation, and sulfide oxidation.…”

Section: Multiple Sulfur Isotope Systematics and Applications To The mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Montinaro

Strauß

Mason

et al. 2015

Precambrian Research

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a b s t r a c tMass-dependent and mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation archived in volcanic and sedimentary rocks from the Barberton Greenstone Belt (3550-3215 Ma), South Africa, provide constraints for sulfur cycling on the early Earth. Four different sample suites were studied: komatiites and tholeiites, barite, massive and disseminated sulfide ores, and non-mineralized black shales.Variable but generally slightly positive ı 34 S values between −0.7 and +5.2‰, negative 33 S values between −0.50 and −0.09‰, and a negative correlation between ı 34 S and 33 S as well as between 33 S and 36 S for komatiites and tholeiites from the Komati Formation and from the Weltevreden Formation are outside the expected range of unfractionated juvenile sulfur. Instead, results suggest alteration of oceanic crustal rock sulfur through interactions with fluids that most likely derived their sulfur from seawater.Barite from the Mapepe Formation displays positive ı 34 S values between +3.1 and +8.1‰ and negative 33 S values between −0.77 and −0.34‰. The mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation indicates an atmospheric sulfur source, notably photolytic sulfate, whereas the positive ı 34 S values suggest bacterial sulfate reduction of the marine sulfate reservoir.Non-mineralized black shale samples from the presumed stratigraphic equivalent of the Mapepe Formation show positive ı 34 S values between 0.0 and +1.3‰ and positive 33 S values between +0.59 and +2.45‰. These results are interpreted to result from the reduction of photolytic elemental sulfur, carrying a positive 33 S signature.Positive ı 34 S values ranging from +0.7 to +3.5‰ and slightly negative 33 S values between −0.17 and −0.12‰ characterize massive and disseminated sulfides from the Bien Venue Prospect. Results suggest unfractionated juvenile magmatic sulfur source as the primary sulfur source, but a contribution from recycled seawater sulfate, which would be indicative of submarine hydrothermal activity, cannot be ruled out.Massive and disseminated sulfides from the M'hlati prospect are distinctly different from massive and disseminated sulfide from the Bien Venue Prospect. They show negative ı 34 S values between −1.2 and −0.1‰ and positive 33 S values between +2.66 and +3.17‰, thus, displaying a sizeable mass-independent A. Montinaro et al. / Precambrian Research 267 (2015) 311-322 sulfur isotopic fractionation. Again, these samples clearly exhibit the incorporation of an atmospheric MIF-S signal. The source of sulfur for these samples has positive 33 S values, suggesting a connection with photolytic elemental sulfur. In conclusion, the sulfur isotope signatures in Paleoarchean rocks from the Barberton Greenstone Belt are diverse and indicate the incorporation of different sources of sulfur. For komatiites and tholeiites, barite and massive and possibly also disseminated sulfides from Bien Venue, multiple sulfur isotopes are related to ambient seawater sulfate and its photolytic origin, while massive and disseminated sulfides from M'hlati and non-...

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Section: Black Shalecontrasting

confidence: 41%

Section: Baritementioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Multiple Sulfur Isotope Systematics and Applications To The mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Montinaro

Strauß

Mason

et al. 2015

Precambrian Research

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“…Pyrites in the Mendon Formation show large isotope variability in δ 56 Fe, δ 34 S, and Δ 33 S, which is not related to the stratigraphic position within the core (Figure ). δ 34 S and Δ 33 S values range from −2.66 to +6.22‰ and −0.39 to +4.25‰, respectively (Figures and a), consistent with previous reports on the same formation (Galić et al, ; Montinaro et al, ; Roerdink, Mason, Whitehouse, & Reimer, ). The δ 56 Fe values vary from −4.02 to +2.54‰, covering almost the total terrestrial range reported so far (Dauphas, John, & Rouxel, ).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

In Situ Fe and S isotope analyses in pyrite from the 3.2 Ga Mendon Formation (Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa): Evidence for early microbial iron reduction

et al. 2020

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On the basis of phylogenetic studies and laboratory cultures, it has been proposed that the ability of microbes to metabolize iron has emerged prior to the Archaea/ Bacteria split. However, no unambiguous geochemical data supporting this claim have been put forward in rocks older than 2.7-2.5 giga years (Gyr). In the present work, we report in situ Fe and S isotope composition of pyrite from 3.28-to 3.26-Gyr-old cherts from the upper Mendon Formation, South Africa. We identified three populations of microscopic pyrites showing a wide range of Fe isotope compositions, which cluster around two δ 56 Fe values of −1.8‰ and +1‰. These three pyrite groups can also be distinguished based on the pyrite crystallinity and the S isotope mass-independent signatures. One pyrite group displays poorly crystallized pyrite minerals with positive Δ 33 S values > +3‰, while the other groups display more variable and closer to 0‰ Δ 33 S values with recrystallized pyrite rims. It is worth to note that all the pyrite groups display positive Δ 33 S values in the pyrite core and similar trace element compositions. | 307MARIN-CARBONNE Et Al.

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“…Within the sediments after deposition, interstitial sulfate may have been reduced by organic matter or Fe 2+ at temperatures over 100•C, with 34 S/ 32 S fractionation up to 20% [49]. Although it is difficult to constrain the original reduction processes of seawater sulfate leading to the negative ∆ 33 S signals observed in the rounded Moodies pyrite, several previous studies suggested the involvement of MSR for some pyrite in the older Onverwacht and Fig Tree groups [44,[50][51][52] (Figure 6). It is consistent with our interpretation that the Paleoarchean seawater sulfate was a sulfur source of the rounded pyrite with negative ∆ 33 S values in the Moodies.…”

Section: Rounded Pyrite Originmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Sulfur Isotope Records of the 3.22 Ga Moodies Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt

et al. 2020

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The Moodies Group, the uppermost unit in the Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB) in South Africa, is a ~3.7-km-thick coarse clastic succession accumulated on terrestrial-to-shallow marine settings at around 3.22 Ga. The multiple sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite of Moodies intervals was newly obtained to examine the influence of these depositional settings on the sulfur isotope record. Conglomerate and sandstone rocks were collected from three synclines north of the Inyoka Fault of the central BGB, namely, the Eureka, Dycedale, and Saddleback synclines. The sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite was analyzed by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) for 6 samples from the three synclines and by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IR-MS) for 17 samples from a stratigraphic section in the Saddleback Syncline. The present results show a signal of mass-independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes (S-MIF), although t-tests statistically demonstrated that the Moodies S-MIF signals (mostly 0‰ < ∆33S < +0.5‰) are significantly small compared to the signal of the older Paleoarchean (3.6–3.2 Ga) records. These peculiar signatures might be related to initial deposition of detrital pyrite of juvenile origin from the surrounding intrusive (tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite; TTG) and felsic volcanic rocks, and/or to secondary addition of hydrothermal sulfur during late metasomatism. Moreover, fast accumulation (~0.1–1 mm/year) of the Moodies sediments might have led to a reduced accumulation of sulfur derived from an atmospheric source during their deposition. As a result, the sulfur isotopic composition of the sediments may have become susceptible to the secondary addition of metasomatic sulfur on a mass balance point of view. The sulfur isotopic composition of Moodies pyrite is similar to the composition of sulfides from nearby gold mines. It suggests that, after the Moodies deposition, metasomatic pyrite formation commonly occurred north of the Inyoka Fault in the central BGB at 3.1–3.0 Ga.

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High-resolution quadruple sulfur isotope analyses of 3.2Ga pyrite from the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa reveal distinct environmental controls on sulfide isotopic arrays

Cited by 43 publications

References 57 publications

Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

In Situ Fe and S isotope analyses in pyrite from the 3.2 Ga Mendon Formation (Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa): Evidence for early microbial iron reduction

Multiple Sulfur Isotope Records of the 3.22 Ga Moodies Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt

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