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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Preparation of Authigenic Pyrite from Methane-bearing Sediments for In Situ Sulfur Isotope Analysis Using SIMS
Published on: August 31, 2017
Sulfur isotope heterogeneity in Martian shergottites reveals early atmosphere - mantle exchange
Kiran Patil1, James W Dottin1, Hairuo Fu1
1Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI USA.
Abstract:
The study of sulfur isotopes on Mars provides crucial insights into the planet's formation, differentiation, and volatile evolution. Primordial sulfur isotope compositions help distinguish Martian sulfur sources, including core-mantle interactions, magmatic outgassing, and atmospheric cycling. While bulk analyses have shown limited mass-independent fractionation (MIF-S), the mechanisms introducing MIF-S into Martian magmas remain poorly understood. Using in situ secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), we analysed sulfides in four shergottites: Yamato 980459, Tissint, Gadamis 001, and NWA 11300, and found extreme heterogeneity in Δ³³S (-1.3 ± 0.48‰ to +1.42 ± 0.64‰) and δ³⁴S (-3.5 ± 0.11‰ to +0.73 ± 0.15‰). Large Δ³³S anomalies are observed in both depleted and enriched samples, indicating that MIF-S sulfur was incorporated into Martian magmatic systems through prolonged mantle-atmosphere exchange. This exchange likely began during magma ocean crystallisation and continued into later magmatic stages through ingassing, crustal assimilation, and/or recycling of crustal sulfur.
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