Sulfide-rich continental roots at cratonic margins formed by carbonated melts.

ABSTRACT: The cratonic crust contains abundant mineral deposits of metals such as gold, copper and rare earths^1-5 and is underlain by a thick mantle lithosphere rich in the volatiles carbon, sulfur and water^6-8. Although volatiles are known to be key components in metallogenesis⁹, how and where they are distributed in the cratonic lithosphere mantle and their role in the initial enrichment of metals have not been sufficiently explored. Here we compile sulfur and copper contents of global cratonic peridotites, identifying sulfide-rich and copper-rich continental roots at depths of 160-190 km at cratonic margins. Our new high-pressure experiments show that carbonated silicate melts originating from the asthenosphere lose silicate components during reaction with lithosp

SUBMITTER: Chen C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11735387 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature