Sulphur's Key Role in Gold Transport in Magmatic Fluids
When tectonic plates collide, one plate sinks beneath the other, generating magmas rich in volatile elements such as water, sulphur, and chlorine. As these magmas rise, they release magmatic fluids that transport metals like gold and copper toward the Earth's surface. Despite challenges in reproducing the extreme conditions of natural magmas in the laboratory, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has demonstrated that sulphur, in its bisulphide (HS-) form, is essential for transporting gold in these fluids. This breakthrough, published in Nature Geoscience, offers new insights into metal transport in magmatic systems.
The process begins when one tectonic plate plunges into the Earth's mantle, releasing water that lowers the melting temperature, allowing the mantle to melt and form magma under high pressure and temperature. As magma is less dense than the surrounding material, it rises toward the surface, carrying with it water and volatile elements such as sulphur and chlorine, which play a crucial role in extracting metals like gold and copper from the magma and transporting them upward.
For over a decade, the scientific community has debated the redox state of sulphur in magmatic fluids and its role in metal transport. Some studies, notably a 2011 paper, suggested that S3- sulphur radicals were responsible for this process, but limitations in experimental methods left room for uncertainty. The UNIGE team, however, has overcome these limitations with a new methodology that allows for more accurate replication of magmatic conditions.
The researchers used a quartz cylinder and a synthetic magmatic fluid inside a sealed gold capsule, placed in a pressure vessel that mimicked the conditions of magmas in the Earth's upper crust. This setup allowed for precise control of redox conditions, which was previously unfeasible. By using Raman spectroscopy, the team analyzed the fluid at high temperatures and pressures up to 875°C, which are typical of natural magmas.
http://www.akvarijum.org/forum/advancing-battery-technology-sodium-ion-…
http://www.akvarijum.org/forum/right-whales-new-findings-reveal-lifespa…
https://melds.eu/blogs/11708/Aquifer-Thermal-Energy-Storage-Unlocking-S…
https://melds.eu/blogs/11709/Dynamic-Atmospheric-Processes-and-Precipit…
https://brickandbeamdetroit.com/questions/tracking-greenland-s-ice-shee…
https://brickandbeamdetroit.com/questions/ai-advances-river-monitoring-…
https://www.retroskoter.com/viewtopic.php?t=17496
https://www.retroskoter.com/viewtopic.php?t=17497
https://www.consolefun.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44729
https://www.consolefun.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44730
https://forum.heroes-centrum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=49325
https://forum.heroes-centrum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=49326
https://www.mzriders.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=14429
https://www.mzriders.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=14430
https://cupef.org/blogs/510/Discovery-of-Extinct-Juniper-Species-at-La-…
https://cupef.org/blogs/511/New-Study-Unveils-Surprising-Diversity-in-A…
https://www.thekgh.org/forum/new-study-reveals-bacterial-pathogen-s-bro…
https://www.thekgh.org/forum/new-mars-energy-profile-offers-insights-in…
https://forum.czech.farm/d/331-the-impact-of-coral-reef-decline-on-fish…
https://forum.czech.farm/d/332-the-impact-of-offshore-wind-park-rotor-b…
https://www.naacp-lowerrichland.org/forum/optimizing-water-oxidation-fo…
https://www.naacp-lowerrichland.org/forum/the-health-impacts-of-micropl…
https://www.gooalsocial.com/blogs/view/7739/new-insights-into-how-phyto…
https://www.gooalsocial.com/blogs/view/7740/discovery-of-eukaryotic-vir…
https://blog.spacehey.com/entry?id=1344174
https://blog.spacehey.com/entry?id=1344175
https://sabaylok.com/blogs/19424/Growing-Vegetation-Linked-to-Increased…
https://sabaylok.com/blogs/19425/New-Solar-Cell-Process-Shows-Promise-f…
https://management.org/forum/threads/advancing-clean-energy-hybrid-nano…
https://management.org/forum/threads/new-typhoon-observation-device-sho…
https://ps2onlinegaming.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2831
https://ps2onlinegaming.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2832
http://www.akvarijum.org/forum/new-carbon-capture-model-for-low-oxygen-…
https://melds.eu/blogs/11712/Innovative-Framework-Protects-Solar-Panels…
https://brickandbeamdetroit.com/questions/coral-reproduction-depends-on…
https://www.retroskoter.com/viewtopic.php?t=17498
https://www.consolefun.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44731
https://www.mzriders.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=14431
https://cupef.org/blogs/512/Energy-Efficient-Swimming-Depths-in-Marine-…
https://forum.czech.farm/d/333-switzerlands-strategy-to-maximize-wood-u…
Their findings show that bisulphide (HS-), along with hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and sulphur dioxide (SO₂), are the major sulphur species in magmatic fluids. While bisulphide's role in transporting metals was well established in lower-temperature fluids, it was thought to be unstable at high magmatic temperatures. The UNIGE team's experiments proved that bisulphide is, in fact, responsible for transporting most of the gold in magmatic fluids, dispelling previous misconceptions and confirming that earlier studies had overestimated the presence of sulphur radicals.
This research clarifies the conditions under which valuable metal ore deposits are formed and provides crucial insights for the exploration of copper and gold deposits, which are largely derived from magma-related fluids. The study opens new possibilities for understanding the formation of these important resources.