Iron isotopes trace primordial magma ocean cumulates melting in the Earth’s upper mantle

• Main Authors: Williams, Helen, Matthews, Simon, Rizo, Hanika, Shorttle, O
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science 2021
• Subjects: 37 Earth Sciences; 3703 Geochemistry; 3705 Geology; 3706 Geophysics; 14 Life Below Water; Greenland
• Online Access: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/319861; https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.66986

The differentiation of the Earth ~ 4.5 Ga is believed to have culminated in magma ocean crystallization, crystal-liquid separation and the formation of mineralogically distinct mantle reservoirs. However, the magma ocean model remains difficult to validate due to the scarcity of geochemical tracers of lower mantle mineralogy. The Fe isotope compositions (57Fe) of ancient mafic rocks can be used to reconstruct the mineralogy of their mantle source regions. We present Fe isotope data for 3.7 Ga metabasalts from the Isua Supracrustal Belt (Greenland). The 57Fe signatures of these samples extend to values elevated relative to modern equivalents and define strong correlations with fluid-immobile trace elements and tungsten isotope anomalies (182W). Phase equilibria models demonstrate that these features can be explained by melting of a magma ocean cumulate component in the upper mantle. Similar processes may operate today, as evidenced by the 57Fe and 182W heterogeneity of modern oceanic basalts. This project was funded by a NERC Consortia Grant (“Mantle Reservoirs, volumes and fluxes” NE/M000303/1)