Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater

Sean A. Crowe; Guillaume Paris; Sergei Katsev; CarriAyne Jones; Sang-Tae Kim; Aubrey L. Zerkle; Sulung Nomosatryo; David A. Fowle; Jess F. Adkins; Alex L. Sessions; James Farquhar; Donald E. Canfield

doi:10.1126/science.1258966

Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater

Sean A. Crowe, Guillaume Paris, Sergei Katsev, CarriAyne Jones, Sang-Tae Kim, Aubrey L. Zerkle, Sulung Nomosatryo, David A. Fowle, Jess F. Adkins, Alex L. Sessions, James Farquhar, Donald E. Canfield

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

Abstract

In the low-oxygen Archean world (>2400 million years ago), seawater sulfate concentrations were much lower than today, yet open questions frustrate the translation of modern measurements of sulfur isotope fractionations into estimates of Archean seawater sulfate concentrations. In the water column of Lake Matano, Indonesia, a low-sulfate analog for the Archean ocean, we find large (>20 per mil) sulfur isotope fractionations between sulfate and sulfide, but the underlying sediment sulfides preserve a muted range of δ³⁴S values. Using models informed by sulfur cycling in Lake Matano, we infer Archean seawater sulfate concentrations of less than 2.5 micromolar. At these low concentrations, marine sulfate residence times were likely 10³ to 10⁴ years, and sulfate scarcity would have shaped early global biogeochemical cycles, possibly restricting biological productivity in Archean oceans.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	735-739
Number of pages	5
Journal	Science
Volume	346
Issue number	6210
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258966
Publication status	Published - 7 Nov 2014

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10.1126/science.1258966

Aubrey Lea Zerkle
- az29st-andrews.acuk
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences - Honorary Reader
Person: Honorary

Cite this

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title = "Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater",

abstract = "In the low-oxygen Archean world (>2400 million years ago), seawater sulfate concentrations were much lower than today, yet open questions frustrate the translation of modern measurements of sulfur isotope fractionations into estimates of Archean seawater sulfate concentrations. In the water column of Lake Matano, Indonesia, a low-sulfate analog for the Archean ocean, we find large (>20 per mil) sulfur isotope fractionations between sulfate and sulfide, but the underlying sediment sulfides preserve a muted range of δ34S values. Using models informed by sulfur cycling in Lake Matano, we infer Archean seawater sulfate concentrations of less than 2.5 micromolar. At these low concentrations, marine sulfate residence times were likely 103 to 104 years, and sulfate scarcity would have shaped early global biogeochemical cycles, possibly restricting biological productivity in Archean oceans.",

author = "Crowe, {Sean A.} and Guillaume Paris and Sergei Katsev and CarriAyne Jones and Sang-Tae Kim and Zerkle, {Aubrey L.} and Sulung Nomosatryo and Fowle, {David A.} and Adkins, {Jess F.} and Sessions, {Alex L.} and James Farquhar and Canfield, {Donald E.}",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater

AU - Crowe, Sean A.

AU - Paris, Guillaume

AU - Katsev, Sergei

AU - Jones, CarriAyne

AU - Kim, Sang-Tae

AU - Zerkle, Aubrey L.

AU - Nomosatryo, Sulung

AU - Fowle, David A.

AU - Adkins, Jess F.

AU - Sessions, Alex L.

AU - Farquhar, James

AU - Canfield, Donald E.

PY - 2014/11/7

Y1 - 2014/11/7

N2 - In the low-oxygen Archean world (>2400 million years ago), seawater sulfate concentrations were much lower than today, yet open questions frustrate the translation of modern measurements of sulfur isotope fractionations into estimates of Archean seawater sulfate concentrations. In the water column of Lake Matano, Indonesia, a low-sulfate analog for the Archean ocean, we find large (>20 per mil) sulfur isotope fractionations between sulfate and sulfide, but the underlying sediment sulfides preserve a muted range of δ34S values. Using models informed by sulfur cycling in Lake Matano, we infer Archean seawater sulfate concentrations of less than 2.5 micromolar. At these low concentrations, marine sulfate residence times were likely 103 to 104 years, and sulfate scarcity would have shaped early global biogeochemical cycles, possibly restricting biological productivity in Archean oceans.

AB - In the low-oxygen Archean world (>2400 million years ago), seawater sulfate concentrations were much lower than today, yet open questions frustrate the translation of modern measurements of sulfur isotope fractionations into estimates of Archean seawater sulfate concentrations. In the water column of Lake Matano, Indonesia, a low-sulfate analog for the Archean ocean, we find large (>20 per mil) sulfur isotope fractionations between sulfate and sulfide, but the underlying sediment sulfides preserve a muted range of δ34S values. Using models informed by sulfur cycling in Lake Matano, we infer Archean seawater sulfate concentrations of less than 2.5 micromolar. At these low concentrations, marine sulfate residence times were likely 103 to 104 years, and sulfate scarcity would have shaped early global biogeochemical cycles, possibly restricting biological productivity in Archean oceans.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1258966

DO - 10.1126/science.1258966

M3 - Article

C2 - 25378621

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 346

SP - 735

EP - 739

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6210

ER -

Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater

Abstract

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