Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies
Abstract Models of planetary core formation traditionally involve the fractionation of Fe,Ni-metal melts from silicate mantles after extensive silicate melting. However, in planetary bodies that form farther from their central star, where moderately volatile elements are more abundant, high concentr...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58517-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849734771591086080 |
|---|---|
| author | Samuel D. Crossley Jacob B. Setera Brendan A. Anzures Kayla Iacovino Wayne P. Buckley Scott A. Eckley Evan W. O’Neal Jessica A. Maisano Justin I. Simon Kevin Righter |
| author_facet | Samuel D. Crossley Jacob B. Setera Brendan A. Anzures Kayla Iacovino Wayne P. Buckley Scott A. Eckley Evan W. O’Neal Jessica A. Maisano Justin I. Simon Kevin Righter |
| author_sort | Samuel D. Crossley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Models of planetary core formation traditionally involve the fractionation of Fe,Ni-metal melts from silicate mantles after extensive silicate melting. However, in planetary bodies that form farther from their central star, where moderately volatile elements are more abundant, high concentrations of oxygen and sulfur stabilize Fe,Ni-sulfides over metals. Here we show that percolative sulfide melt migration can occur in primitive, oxidized mineral assemblages prior to silicate melting in partial melting experiments with meteorites. Complementary experiments with partially molten synthetic sulfides show that fractionation of liquid sulfide from solid residues yields distinct noble metal (Os, Ru, Ir, Pd, and Pt) trace element proportions that match those manifested in the most oxidized meteoritic residues, the brachinites, as well as their complementary basaltic silicate melts. Our experiments provide robust evidence for percolative sulfide melt fractionation in meteorites and indicate that sulfide-dominated cores would be expected in oxidized planetary bodies, including Mars. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d64c8f3349a74ab58c9d62b1bbb1b8f0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-d64c8f3349a74ab58c9d62b1bbb1b8f02025-08-20T03:07:43ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-58517-8Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodiesSamuel D. Crossley0Jacob B. Setera1Brendan A. Anzures2Kayla Iacovino3Wayne P. Buckley4Scott A. Eckley5Evan W. O’Neal6Jessica A. Maisano7Justin I. Simon8Kevin Righter9NASA Johnson Space CenterCASSMAR, University of Texas at El Paso - Jacobs JETS II Contract, NASA Johnson Space CenterJacobs-JETS, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space CenterJacobs-JETS, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space CenterJacobs-JETS, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space CenterJacobs-JETS, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space CenterJacobs-JETS, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space CenterJackson School of Geosciences, The University of TexasNASA Johnson Space CenterNASA Johnson Space CenterAbstract Models of planetary core formation traditionally involve the fractionation of Fe,Ni-metal melts from silicate mantles after extensive silicate melting. However, in planetary bodies that form farther from their central star, where moderately volatile elements are more abundant, high concentrations of oxygen and sulfur stabilize Fe,Ni-sulfides over metals. Here we show that percolative sulfide melt migration can occur in primitive, oxidized mineral assemblages prior to silicate melting in partial melting experiments with meteorites. Complementary experiments with partially molten synthetic sulfides show that fractionation of liquid sulfide from solid residues yields distinct noble metal (Os, Ru, Ir, Pd, and Pt) trace element proportions that match those manifested in the most oxidized meteoritic residues, the brachinites, as well as their complementary basaltic silicate melts. Our experiments provide robust evidence for percolative sulfide melt fractionation in meteorites and indicate that sulfide-dominated cores would be expected in oxidized planetary bodies, including Mars.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58517-8 |
| spellingShingle | Samuel D. Crossley Jacob B. Setera Brendan A. Anzures Kayla Iacovino Wayne P. Buckley Scott A. Eckley Evan W. O’Neal Jessica A. Maisano Justin I. Simon Kevin Righter Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies Nature Communications |
| title | Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies |
| title_full | Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies |
| title_fullStr | Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies |
| title_short | Percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies |
| title_sort | percolative sulfide core formation in oxidized planetary bodies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58517-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samueldcrossley percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT jacobbsetera percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT brendanaanzures percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT kaylaiacovino percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT waynepbuckley percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT scottaeckley percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT evanwoneal percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT jessicaamaisano percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT justinisimon percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies AT kevinrighter percolativesulfidecoreformationinoxidizedplanetarybodies |