Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source
Abstract Earth’s crustal materials are recycled into the mantle through subduction, but the depth and nature of recycled components remain debated. Here we report copper (Cu) isotope evidence for the involvement of recycled crustal materials in a deep-mantle plume source. Permian mantle plume-derive...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02468-x |
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| author | Junhua Yao Wei Yuan Zhengrong Wang Frédéric Moynier Wei-Guang Zhu Ya-Dong Wu Yuchen An Jiubin Chen |
| author_facet | Junhua Yao Wei Yuan Zhengrong Wang Frédéric Moynier Wei-Guang Zhu Ya-Dong Wu Yuchen An Jiubin Chen |
| author_sort | Junhua Yao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Earth’s crustal materials are recycled into the mantle through subduction, but the depth and nature of recycled components remain debated. Here we report copper (Cu) isotope evidence for the involvement of recycled crustal materials in a deep-mantle plume source. Permian mantle plume-derived picrites and basalts from the Emeishan large igneous province (Southwest China), excluding three hydrothermally altered outliers, exhibit δ65Cu values up to 0.65‰, obviously higher than typical mantle values (0.07 ± 0.10‰). The δ65Cu values show no correlation with loss-on-ignition (LOI), Mg#, ƐNd(t), Cu/Th, Cu/Pd, or redox state, ruling out magma differentiation or post-magmatic alteration. Instead, the elevated δ65Cu values most plausibly reflect recycled crustal sulfides with elevated δ65Cu value in the mantle source. These findings provide robust evidence for the recycling of Cu-rich sulfides into the deep mantle (potentially the lower mantle), elucidating the ultra-deep geochemical cycling of copper and sulfur within Earth’s interior. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-879bc51470bb42e38822dcb2519d0378 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-879bc51470bb42e38822dcb2519d03782025-08-20T03:22:57ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-06-016111110.1038/s43247-025-02468-xCopper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume sourceJunhua Yao0Wei Yuan1Zhengrong Wang2Frédéric Moynier3Wei-Guang Zhu4Ya-Dong Wu5Yuchen An6Jiubin Chen7Key Laboratory of Ocean Observation and Forecasting, Center of Deep Sea Research Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesInstitute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin UniversityDepartment of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The City College of New York, CUNYUniversité Paris Cité, Institute de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS UMR7154, 1 rue JussieuState Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesInstitute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin UniversityInstitute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin UniversityAbstract Earth’s crustal materials are recycled into the mantle through subduction, but the depth and nature of recycled components remain debated. Here we report copper (Cu) isotope evidence for the involvement of recycled crustal materials in a deep-mantle plume source. Permian mantle plume-derived picrites and basalts from the Emeishan large igneous province (Southwest China), excluding three hydrothermally altered outliers, exhibit δ65Cu values up to 0.65‰, obviously higher than typical mantle values (0.07 ± 0.10‰). The δ65Cu values show no correlation with loss-on-ignition (LOI), Mg#, ƐNd(t), Cu/Th, Cu/Pd, or redox state, ruling out magma differentiation or post-magmatic alteration. Instead, the elevated δ65Cu values most plausibly reflect recycled crustal sulfides with elevated δ65Cu value in the mantle source. These findings provide robust evidence for the recycling of Cu-rich sulfides into the deep mantle (potentially the lower mantle), elucidating the ultra-deep geochemical cycling of copper and sulfur within Earth’s interior.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02468-x |
| spellingShingle | Junhua Yao Wei Yuan Zhengrong Wang Frédéric Moynier Wei-Guang Zhu Ya-Dong Wu Yuchen An Jiubin Chen Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source |
| title_full | Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source |
| title_fullStr | Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source |
| title_full_unstemmed | Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source |
| title_short | Copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source |
| title_sort | copper isotope evidence for recycled crustal sulfides in deep mantle plume source |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02468-x |
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