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Separation of Uranium and Thorium for 230Th-U Dating of Submarine Hydrothermal Sulfides

Separation of Uranium and Thorium for 230Th-U Dating of Submarine Hydrothermal Sulfides

Published on: May 20, 2019

The terrestrial uranium isotope cycle.

Morten B Andersen¹, Tim Elliott², Heye Freymuth²

¹1] Bristol Isotope Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK [2] Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.

|January 17, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Recycled uranium from Earth's surface, altered by an oxygenated ocean, has distinct isotopic signatures. This uranium pollutes the upper mantle, influencing mid-ocean-ridge basalts but not ocean island basalts, indicating older mantle sources.

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Area of Science:

Geochemistry
Isotope Geochemistry
Earth Science

Background:

Earth's surface conditions significantly impact its interior composition.
Uranium distribution provides insight into early Earth history and mantle processes.
The rise in atmospheric oxygen influenced uranium's mobility and transport.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the isotopic characteristics of the global uranium cycle.
To understand the impact of subducted uranium on mantle composition.
To differentiate between mantle sources using uranium isotopes.

Main Methods:

Analysis of uranium isotopic compositions ((238)U/(235)U ratios).
Examination of mid-ocean-ridge basalts (MORBs) and ocean island basalts (OIBs).
Comparison of isotopic data with existing lead model ages for OIBs.

Main Results:

Subducted uranium exhibits high (238)U/(235)U ratios due to oxic ocean alteration.
MORBs show elevated (238)U/(235)U ratios, indicating upper mantle contamination by recycled uranium.
OIBs do not show distinct uranium isotopic compositions compared to the bulk Earth, suggesting older mantle sources.

Conclusions:

Recycled uranium has measurably altered the upper mantle within the last 600 million years.
Uranium isotope systematics in OIBs support mantle reservoir formation between 2.4 and 1.8 billion years ago.
The distinct isotopic signature of recycled uranium highlights its significant role in global geochemical cycles.