Rhenium variations in molybdenite (MoS2): Evidence for progressive subsurface oxidation

Joshua Golden; Melissa McMillan; Robert T. Downs; Grethe Hystad; Ian Goldstein; Holly J. Stein; Aaron Zimmerman; Dimitri A. Sverjensky; John T. Armstrong; Robert M. Hazen

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.01.034

Rhenium variations in molybdenite (MoS₂): Evidence for progressive subsurface oxidation

Joshua Golden
, Melissa McMillan
, Robert T. Downs
, Grethe Hystad
, Ian Goldstein
, Holly J. Stein
, Aaron Zimmerman
, Dimitri A. Sverjensky
, John T. Armstrong
, Robert M. Hazen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

81 Scopus citations

Abstract

Temporal trends in Earth's near-surface mineralogy correlate with major events in Earth's geochemical and tectonic history. New and published analyses of 422 molybdenite (MoS₂) specimens from 135 localities with known ages from 2.91 billion years (Ga) to 6.3 million years (Ma) reveal two statistically significant trends. First, systematic increases in average and maximum trace concentrations of Re in molybdenite since 3.0Ga point to enhanced oxidative weathering by subsurface fluids. In addition, episodic molybdenum mineralization correlates with five intervals of supercontinent assembly from ~2.7Ga (Kenorland) to 300Ma (Pangaea).

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	366
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.01.034
State	Published - Mar 5 2013
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Great Oxidation Event
Mineral evolution
Molybdenite
Rhenium
Supercontinent cycle

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
Geochemistry and Petrology
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1016/j.epsl.2013.01.034

Cite this

@article{95dd8c84816c4441a819cc101bc27904,

title = "Rhenium variations in molybdenite (MoS2): Evidence for progressive subsurface oxidation",

abstract = "Temporal trends in Earth's near-surface mineralogy correlate with major events in Earth's geochemical and tectonic history. New and published analyses of 422 molybdenite (MoS2) specimens from 135 localities with known ages from 2.91 billion years (Ga) to 6.3 million years (Ma) reveal two statistically significant trends. First, systematic increases in average and maximum trace concentrations of Re in molybdenite since 3.0Ga point to enhanced oxidative weathering by subsurface fluids. In addition, episodic molybdenum mineralization correlates with five intervals of supercontinent assembly from \textasciitilde{}2.7Ga (Kenorland) to 300Ma (Pangaea).",

keywords = "Great Oxidation Event, Mineral evolution, Molybdenite, Rhenium, Supercontinent cycle",

author = "Joshua Golden and Melissa McMillan and Downs, \{Robert T.\} and Grethe Hystad and Ian Goldstein and Stein, \{Holly J.\} and Aaron Zimmerman and Sverjensky, \{Dimitri A.\} and Armstrong, \{John T.\} and Hazen, \{Robert M.\}",

note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to Andrew Knoll, Lee Kump, and Dominic Papineau for detailed and perceptive reviews of this contribution. Russell Hemley and the Carnegie Institution of Washington provided a grant to support initial development of the Mineral Evolution Database. This work was supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Deep Carbon Observatory . Additional support for D.A. Sverjensky and R.M. Hazen was provided by a NSF-NASA Collaborative Research Grant to the Johns Hopkins University and the Carnegie Institution . D.A. Sverjensky also acknowledges support from DOE Grant DE-FG02-96ER-14616 . We are grateful for molybdenite specimens provided by the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona Mineral Museum. ",

year = "2013",

month = mar,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1016/j.epsl.2013.01.034",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "366",

pages = "1--5",

journal = "Earth and Planetary Science Letters",

issn = "0012-821X",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rhenium variations in molybdenite (MoS2)

T2 - Evidence for progressive subsurface oxidation

AU - Golden, Joshua

AU - McMillan, Melissa

AU - Downs, Robert T.

AU - Hystad, Grethe

AU - Goldstein, Ian

AU - Stein, Holly J.

AU - Zimmerman, Aaron

AU - Sverjensky, Dimitri A.

AU - Armstrong, John T.

AU - Hazen, Robert M.

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to Andrew Knoll, Lee Kump, and Dominic Papineau for detailed and perceptive reviews of this contribution. Russell Hemley and the Carnegie Institution of Washington provided a grant to support initial development of the Mineral Evolution Database. This work was supported in part by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Deep Carbon Observatory . Additional support for D.A. Sverjensky and R.M. Hazen was provided by a NSF-NASA Collaborative Research Grant to the Johns Hopkins University and the Carnegie Institution . D.A. Sverjensky also acknowledges support from DOE Grant DE-FG02-96ER-14616 . We are grateful for molybdenite specimens provided by the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona Mineral Museum.

PY - 2013/3/5

Y1 - 2013/3/5

N2 - Temporal trends in Earth's near-surface mineralogy correlate with major events in Earth's geochemical and tectonic history. New and published analyses of 422 molybdenite (MoS2) specimens from 135 localities with known ages from 2.91 billion years (Ga) to 6.3 million years (Ma) reveal two statistically significant trends. First, systematic increases in average and maximum trace concentrations of Re in molybdenite since 3.0Ga point to enhanced oxidative weathering by subsurface fluids. In addition, episodic molybdenum mineralization correlates with five intervals of supercontinent assembly from ~2.7Ga (Kenorland) to 300Ma (Pangaea).

AB - Temporal trends in Earth's near-surface mineralogy correlate with major events in Earth's geochemical and tectonic history. New and published analyses of 422 molybdenite (MoS2) specimens from 135 localities with known ages from 2.91 billion years (Ga) to 6.3 million years (Ma) reveal two statistically significant trends. First, systematic increases in average and maximum trace concentrations of Re in molybdenite since 3.0Ga point to enhanced oxidative weathering by subsurface fluids. In addition, episodic molybdenum mineralization correlates with five intervals of supercontinent assembly from ~2.7Ga (Kenorland) to 300Ma (Pangaea).

KW - Great Oxidation Event

KW - Mineral evolution

KW - Molybdenite

KW - Rhenium

KW - Supercontinent cycle

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