Serpentine alteration as source of high dissolved silicon and elevated δ30Si values to the marine Si cycle

Sonja Geilert; Patricia Grasse; Klaus Wallmann; Volker Liebetrau; Catriona D. Menzies

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18804-y

Serpentine alteration as source of high dissolved silicon and elevated δ³⁰Si values to the marine Si cycle

Sonja Geilert^*, Patricia Grasse, Klaus Wallmann, Volker Liebetrau, Catriona D. Menzies

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Serpentine alteration is recognized as an important process for element cycling, however, related silicon fluxes are unknown. Pore fluids from serpentinite seamounts sampled in the Mariana forearc region during IODP Expedition 366 were investigated for their Si, B, and Sr isotope signatures (δ³⁰Si, δ¹¹B, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, respectively) to study serpentinization in the mantle wedge and shallow serpentine alteration to authigenic clays by seawater. While serpentinization in the mantle wedge caused no significant Si isotope fractionation, implying closed system conditions, serpentine alteration by seawater led to the formation of authigenic phyllosilicates, causing the highest natural fluid δ³⁰Si values measured to date (up to +5.2 ± 0.2‰). Here we show that seafloor alteration of serpentinites is a source of Si to the ocean with extremely high fluid δ³⁰Si values, which can explain anomalies in the marine Si budget like in the Cascadia Basin and which has to be considered in future investigations of the global marine Si cycle.

Original language	English
Article number	5123
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	11
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18804-y
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We appreciate the support of the master and crew of the JOIDES Resolution during the IODP Expedition 366 Science Party. We thank Regina Surberg and Ana Kolevica for analytical support. Further thanks go to Jutta Heinze, Daphne Bartels, and Tyler Goepfert. IODP Germany and ECORD are thanked for financial support, as well as IODP grant code: NERC UK IODP Phase 2 Moratorium Award NE/P020909/1.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).

Funding

We appreciate the support of the master and crew of the JOIDES Resolution during the IODP Expedition 366 Science Party. We thank Regina Surberg and Ana Kolevica for analytical support. Further thanks go to Jutta Heinze, Daphne Bartels, and Tyler Goepfert. IODP Germany and ECORD are thanked for financial support, as well as IODP grant code: NERC UK IODP Phase 2 Moratorium Award NE/P020909/1.

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-020-18804-y

Cite this

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title = "Serpentine alteration as source of high dissolved silicon and elevated δ30Si values to the marine Si cycle",

abstract = "Serpentine alteration is recognized as an important process for element cycling, however, related silicon fluxes are unknown. Pore fluids from serpentinite seamounts sampled in the Mariana forearc region during IODP Expedition 366 were investigated for their Si, B, and Sr isotope signatures (δ30Si, δ11B, and 87Sr/86Sr, respectively) to study serpentinization in the mantle wedge and shallow serpentine alteration to authigenic clays by seawater. While serpentinization in the mantle wedge caused no significant Si isotope fractionation, implying closed system conditions, serpentine alteration by seawater led to the formation of authigenic phyllosilicates, causing the highest natural fluid δ30Si values measured to date (up to +5.2 ± 0.2‰). Here we show that seafloor alteration of serpentinites is a source of Si to the ocean with extremely high fluid δ30Si values, which can explain anomalies in the marine Si budget like in the Cascadia Basin and which has to be considered in future investigations of the global marine Si cycle.",

author = "Sonja Geilert and Patricia Grasse and Klaus Wallmann and Volker Liebetrau and Menzies, {Catriona D.}",

note = "Funding Information: We appreciate the support of the master and crew of the JOIDES Resolution during the IODP Expedition 366 Science Party. We thank Regina Surberg and Ana Kolevica for analytical support. Further thanks go to Jutta Heinze, Daphne Bartels, and Tyler Goepfert. IODP Germany and ECORD are thanked for financial support, as well as IODP grant code: NERC UK IODP Phase 2 Moratorium Award NE/P020909/1. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020, The Author(s).",

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AU - Menzies, Catriona D.

N1 - Funding Information: We appreciate the support of the master and crew of the JOIDES Resolution during the IODP Expedition 366 Science Party. We thank Regina Surberg and Ana Kolevica for analytical support. Further thanks go to Jutta Heinze, Daphne Bartels, and Tyler Goepfert. IODP Germany and ECORD are thanked for financial support, as well as IODP grant code: NERC UK IODP Phase 2 Moratorium Award NE/P020909/1. Publisher Copyright: © 2020, The Author(s).

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N2 - Serpentine alteration is recognized as an important process for element cycling, however, related silicon fluxes are unknown. Pore fluids from serpentinite seamounts sampled in the Mariana forearc region during IODP Expedition 366 were investigated for their Si, B, and Sr isotope signatures (δ30Si, δ11B, and 87Sr/86Sr, respectively) to study serpentinization in the mantle wedge and shallow serpentine alteration to authigenic clays by seawater. While serpentinization in the mantle wedge caused no significant Si isotope fractionation, implying closed system conditions, serpentine alteration by seawater led to the formation of authigenic phyllosilicates, causing the highest natural fluid δ30Si values measured to date (up to +5.2 ± 0.2‰). Here we show that seafloor alteration of serpentinites is a source of Si to the ocean with extremely high fluid δ30Si values, which can explain anomalies in the marine Si budget like in the Cascadia Basin and which has to be considered in future investigations of the global marine Si cycle.

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