Open AccessIntrusive Magmatism Strongly Contributed to the Volatile Release Into the Atmosphere of Early Earth
Author(s) -
Vulpius Sara,
Noack Lena
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2021gc010230
Subject(s) - lithosphere , mafic , atmosphere (unit) , solubility , geology , fractional crystallization (geology) , magmatism , crystallization , magma , geochemistry , magma chamber , intrusion , mineralogy , mantle (geology) , chemical engineering , thermodynamics , chemistry , tectonics , volcano , paleontology , physics , organic chemistry , engineering
Magmatic volatile release was crucial for the build‐up and composition of the early atmosphere and thus for the origin and evolution of life. Even though the rate of intrusive to extrusive magma production on Earth is high, intrusive volatile release is commonly neglected in studies modeling the composition of the early atmosphere. This can mainly be attributed to the solubility of volatiles like H 2 O and CO 2 . The solubility is increasing with depth and thus is thought to prevent the release of these volatiles. However, due to the accumulation of H 2 O and CO 2 within the melt during fractional crystallization, the solubility can be exceeded even at greater depths. In our study, we developed a novel numeric model to quantify the amount of H 2 O and CO 2 that can be released from an intrusive system if we consider the process of fractional crystallization. Additionally, we take the possibility of melt ascent and the formation of hydrous minerals into account. According to our simulations, the release of H 2 O and CO 2 from an intrusive magma body is possible within the whole lithosphere. However, the release strongly depends on the initial volatile budget, the formation of hydrous phases, the depth of the intrusion and the buoyancy of the melt. Considering all these factors, our study suggests that about 0%–85% H 2 O and 100% CO 2 can be released from mafic intrusions. This renders the incorporation of the intrusive volatile release mandatory in order to determine the volatile fluxes and the composition of early Earth's atmosphere.