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7.1 The End of Mass-Independent Fractionation of Sulphur Isotopes

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Book cover Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation

Part of the book series: Frontiers in Earth Sciences ((FRONTIERS))

Abstract

The Archaean-Proterozoic transition is marked by a number of fundamental upheavals in respect to geological, tectonic, geochemical, biological and climatic aspects. Of these, the most significant change appears to be a substantial increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration initiating the irreversible oxygenation of our planet. It has been proposed that a major oxygenation event occurred during the early Palaeoproterozoic some 2.3 Ga ago, widely termed the “Great Oxidation Event” (“GOE”, Holland 1999, 2006). Evidence for this generally accepted view (but see Ohmoto 1999; Ohmoto et al. 2006, for a different view) stems from geological, mineralogical and geochemical data. Of these, the study of multiple sulphur isotopes, i.e. the analysis of all four stable isotopes of sulphur (32S, 33S, 34S and 36S) developed recently into the central approach for reconstructing the chemical composition of Earth’s early atmosphere, and secular variations thereof. Specifically, it has been suggested that mass-independently fractionated sulphur isotopes, archived in sediments of Archaean and early Paleoproterozoic age, provide a reliable tool for reconstructing past atmospheric oxygen concentrations (Farquhar et al. 2000; Pavlov and Kasting 2002; Ueno et al. 2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 24, 48149, Münster, Germany

    M. Reuschel & H. Strauss

  2. Geological Survey of Norway, 6315, Sluppen, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway

    A. Lepland

Authors
  1. M. Reuschel
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  2. H. Strauss
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  3. A. Lepland
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Correspondence to H. Strauss .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of Norway, Centre of Excellence in Geobiology, University of Bergen, Leiv Eirikssons vei 39, Trondheim, 7491, Norway

    Victor A. Melezhik

  2. , Department of Earth Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AL, United Kingdom

    Anthony R. Prave

  3. , Department of Geosciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland

    Eero J. Hanski

  4. , Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Universities, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom

    Anthony E. Fallick

  5. Geological Survey of Norway, Sluppen, Trondheim, 7491, Norway

    Aivo Lepland

  6. , Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, Deike Building, University Park 535, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA

    Lee R. Kump

  7. , Institut für Geologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Univ. Münster, Corrensstrasse 24, Münster, 48149, Germany

    Harald Strauss

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Reuschel, M., Strauss, H., Lepland, A. (2013). 7.1 The End of Mass-Independent Fractionation of Sulphur Isotopes. In: Melezhik, V., et al. Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation. Frontiers in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29670-3_1

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