Mercury (Hg) mineral evolution: A mineralogical record of supercontinent assembly, changing ocean geochemistry, and the emerging terrestrial biosphere

Abstract

Analyses of the temporal and geographic distribution of earliest recorded appearances of the 88 IMA-approved mercury minerals plus two potentially valid species exemplify principles of mineral evolution. Metacinnabar (HgS) and native Hg are the only two species reported from meteorites, specifically, the primitive H3 Tieschitz chondrite with an age of 4550 Ma. Since the first terrestrial appearance of cinnabar more than 3 billion years ago, mercury minerals have been present continuously at or near Earth's surface.Mercury mineral evolution is characterized by episodic deposition and diversification, perhaps associated with the supercontinent cycle. We observe statistically significant increases in the number of reported Hg mineral localities and new Hg species at ~2.8-2.6, ~1.9-1.8, and ~0.43-0.25 Gaintervals that correlate with episodes of presumed supercontinent assembly and associated orogenies of Kenorland (Superia), Columbia (Nuna), and Pangea, respectively. In constrast, few Hg deposits or new species of mercury minerals are reported from the intervals of supercontinent stability and breakup at ~2.5-1.9, ~1.8-1.2, and 1.1-0.8 Ga. The interval of Pangean supercontinent stability and breakup (~250-65 Ma) is also marked by a significant decline in reported mercury mineralization; however, rocks of the last 65 million years, during which Pangea has continued to diverge, is characterized by numerous ephemeral near-surface Hg deposits.The period ~1.2-1.0 Ga, during the assembly of the Rodinian supercontinent, is an exception because of the absence of new Hg minerals or deposits from this period. Episodes of Hg mineralization reflect metamorphism of Hg-enriched marine black shales at zones of continental convergence. We suggest that Hg was effectively sequestered as insoluble nanoparticles of cinnabar (HgS) or tiemannite (HgSe) during the period of the sulfidic "intermediate ocean" (~1.85-0.85 Ga); consequently, few Hg deposits formed during the aggregation of Rodinia, whereas several deposits date from 800-600 Ma, a period that overlaps with the rifting and breakup of Rodinia.Nearly all Hg mineral species (87 of 90 known), as well as all major economic Hg deposits, are known to occur in formations ≤400 million years old. This relatively recent diversification arises, in part, from the ephemeral nature of many Hg minerals. In addition, mercury mineralization is strongly enhanced by interactions with organic matter, so the relatively recent pulse of new Hg minerals may reflect the rise of a terrestrial biosphere at ~400 Ma.

Early life on land and the first terrestrial ecosystems

“…Interestingly, their occurrence in such settings coincides with drastic changes in Earth's crustal configuration and the -perhaps abrupt-emplacement of large continental masses in the late Archean (Condie 2004;Eriksson and Martins-Neto 2004;Van Kranendonk 2004 and references therein; Hazen et al 2012), a marked step in the oxygenation of the atmosphere (Kendall et al 2010), and also with estimations of land colonization by microbes based on phylogenetic relationships (Battistuzzi et al 2004). Although microbes could have colonized the land before this time, the Meso-to Neoarchean appears to be an important evolutionary time period for terrestrial microbial communities, perhaps linked to supercontinent growth (Santosh 2010) and the emergence of potential new habitats.…”

Comprehensive waste characterization and organic pollution co-occurrence in a Hg and As mining and metallurgy brownfield

“…Mercury (Hg) occurs naturally in mineral deposits, sediments, and volcanoes, usually in the form of elemental Hg, cinnabar (HgS), Hg chloride (HgCl 2 ), and methylmercury ([CH 3 Hg] + ) [1]. Coal combustion, waste incineration, and metallurgy, are also responsible for a substantial increase in Hg concentrations in the environment [1][2][3][4].…”

“…Coal combustion, waste incineration, and metallurgy, are also responsible for a substantial increase in Hg concentrations in the environment [1][2][3][4]. Exposure to this heavy metal is recognized as a risk to both humans and the environment [5].…”

La vida temprana en la Tierra y los primeros ecosistemas terrestres

“…Coincidentemente, este registro co-ocurre con a) cambios drásticos en la configuración de la corteza y el, tal vez abrupto, emplazamiento de grandes masas continentales en el Arqueano tardío (Condie, 2004;Eriksson y Martins-Neto, 2004;van Kranendonk, 2004 y referencias incluidas; Hazen et al, 2012), b) una probable oxigenación de la atmósfera (Kendall et al, 2010), y c) estimaciones de la colonización terrestre por microbios según sus relaciones filogenéticas (Battistuzzi et al, 2004). Aunque los microbios podrían haber colonizado los ambientes terrestres antes de este tiempo, pareciera que del Meso-al Neoarcheano ocurren cambios importantes en la distribución y diversidad de comunidades microbianas terrestres.…”