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Geology; October 2005; v. 33; no. 10; p. 825-828; DOI: 10.1130/G21863.1
© 2005 Geological Society of America
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Mercury isotope fractionation in fossil hydrothermal systems

Christopher N. Smith1, Stephen E. Kesler1, Björn Klaue*,1 and Joel D. Blum1

1 Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA

The Hg isotopic compositions of samples throughout the vertical extent of two fossil hydrothermal systems were analyzed by multicollector inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Results show >5{per thousand} ({delta}202Hg/198Hg; relative to NIST 3133) fractionation, more than 50 times greater than the 0.1{per thousand} (2{sigma}) external reproducibility of the analyses. The Hg isotope compositions from both hydrothermal systems can be grouped by dominant mineralogy and position; {delta}202Hg/198Hg values at the tops of the systems are –3.5{per thousand} to –0.4{per thousand} in cinnabar-dominant sinter and –0.2{per thousand} to +2.1{per thousand} in metacinnabar-dominant sinter, and the underlying veins have {delta}202Hg/198Hg values of –1.4{per thousand} to +1.3{per thousand}. These differences probably resulted from the combination of boiling of the hydrothermal fluid, oxidation near the surface, and kinetic effects associated with mineral precipitation. The natural variation in Hg isotopic compositions observed in this study is higher than that expected from the trend of decreasing mass-dependent fractionation with increasing mass extrapolated from stable isotope systems up to Z = 26 (Fe), confirming that even the heaviest elements undergo significant stable isotope fractionation in hydrothermal systems.

Key Words: mercury • Hg isotopes • isotope geochemistry • epithermal • sinter




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B. A. Bergquist and J. D. Blum
Mass-Dependent and -Independent Fractionation of Hg Isotopes by Photoreduction in Aquatic Systems
Science, October 19, 2007; 318(5849): 417 - 420.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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