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Sulfur and Chalcophile elements in the Mantle: An Experimental Investigation of the Sulfur Cycle in the Terrestrial Interior

Project description

Defining the terrestrial sulfur and chalcophile element cycle

Sulfur (S) is a volatile element and provides key insights into how the Earth's volatile flux developed through time. Sulfide-loving (chalcophile) elements are important geochemical tracers of S due to their compatibility in these phases. The EU-funded SuChaMa project will investigate crucial aspects of the S cycle using experimental petrology. Novel high pressure-temperature experiments will be conducted to find out the reservoir potential of the mantle and crustal phases in terms of S and chalcophile elements. Experiments will be chemically analysed using micro-analytical methods, and the results will be used to obtain thermodynamic models describing their distribution between minerals, sulfides as well as molten minerals and sulfides at high pressure. The models will be used to fully define the terrestrial S and chalcophile element cycle.

Objective

Sulfur (S) is a fundamental element in geo/biochemistry, due to its effects on atmosphere chemistry, its essential role for the origin and evolution of life and its importance for mantle chemistry. It is also a volatile element and thus provides key insights into how the Earth’s volatile flux developed through time. The terrestrial S cycle is governed by the initial amount of S present during Earth’s accretion, the extent to which S degassed and/or delivered during accretion, the amount of S that was/is recycled into the deep Earth by plate tectonics and the compatibility of S in the (deep) terrestrial interior (core, sulfide matte, minerals).
Unfortunately, the potential reservoir role of minerals and deep sulfide mattes for S and chalcophile elements is as of yet not well constrained, prohibiting a full understanding of the terrestrial S cycle. Sulfide-loving (chalcophile) elements are important geochemical tracers of S due to their compatibility in these phases. The proposed research will investigate crucial aspects of the S cycle using experimental petrology. Novel high pressure-temperature experiments will be conducted at WWU Münster to constrain the reservoir potential of mantle and crustal phases in terms of S and chalcophile elements. Experiments will be chemically analyzed using micro-analytical methods, and these results will be used to obtain thermodynamic models describing their distribution between minerals, sulfides and melts at high pressure. The models will be used to fully constrain the terrestrial S and chalcophile element cycle.
During his PhD research and first postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution for Science (USA), he has worked with a wide range of experimental and analytical methods. WWU would greatly benefit from the applicant’s research experience and international collaborations. Finally, the applicant would benefit greatly from doing the proposed research at one of the world’s top experimental petrological institutes.

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Keywords

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 174 806,40
Address
SCHLOSSPLATZ 2
48149 Muenster
Germany

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Region
Nordrhein-Westfalen Münster Münster, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 174 806,40
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