Relatively oxidized fluids fed Earth's earliest hydrothermal systems

The properties of high-temperature lithospheric fluids within the early Earth are poorly known, yet many origin-of-life scenarios depend upon their characteristics. These fluids represent a key communication pathway between Earth's interior and hydrothermal pools. We use zircon chemistry, exper...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2023-02, Vol.379 (6632), p.582-586
Main Authors: Trail, Dustin, McCollom, Thomas M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemistry
Deposition
Earth
Hydrothermal systems
Oxidation
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Summary:The properties of high-temperature lithospheric fluids within the early Earth are poorly known, yet many origin-of-life scenarios depend upon their characteristics. These fluids represent a key communication pathway between Earth's interior and hydrothermal pools. We use zircon chemistry, experiments, and modeling to infer the character of lithospheric fluids approaching 4 billion years. We constrain oxygen fugacity, chlorine content, and temperature, which allow us to model the solubility and transport of metals that are hypothesized to be crucial for the origin of life. We show that these fluids were more oxidized than the terrestrial mantle during this time and that they were interacting with near-surface aqueous systems, possibly subaerial hydrothermal pools, amplifying redox gradients in a location attractive for prebiotic molecular synthesis or sustained microbial activity.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.adc8751