Abstract
THE Earth's upper mantle has an overabundance of highly siderophile elements (platinum-group elements, gold and rhenium), relative to what would be expected from equilibrium with the metallic core1–3. This excess is now widely believed to have been introduced as a "late veneer" by meteorite bombardment during early Earth history, but after separation of the core4. Here we report high-precision analyses of platinum-group elements (PGEs) from fertile upper-mantle Iherzolites, which show variations in relative abundances that exceed those in the chondritic meteorites that are thought to have furnished the late veneer5. In particular, the Pd/Ir ratio, at about 1.76, is significantly greater than that of known chondritic meteorites6. Our results, combined with previous indications of both non-chondritic and nearly chondritic PGE ratios in the few other fertile mantle Iherzolites that have been analysed2,3,7–11, strongly suggest that the mantle is heterogeneous in its PGE content on scales of ∼100 kilometres. If the observed PGE ratios can be reconciled with a plausible meteoritic source, the observed heterogeneity may reflect an original spatial variation in the late veneer; otherwise, an additional fractionation mechanism seems to be required.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Jagoutz, E., et al. Proc. lunar planet. Sci. Conf. X, 2031–2050 (1979).
Mitchell, R. H. & Keays, R. R. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 45, 2425–2445 (1981).
Morgan, J. W., Wandless, G. A., Petrie, R. K. & Irving, A. J. Tectonophysics 75, 47–67 (1981).
Kimura, K., Lewis, R. S. & Anders, E. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 38, 683–701 (1974).
Morgan, J. W. J. geophys. Rev. 91, 12375–12387 (1986).
Wasson, J. T. & Kallemeyn, G. W. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 325, 533–544 (1988).
Hamlyn, P. H., Keays, R. R., Cameron, W. E., Crawford, A. J. & Waldron, H. M. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 49, 1797–1811 (1985).
Barnes, S. J., Naldrett, A. J. & Gorton, M. P. Chem. Geol. 53, 303–323 (1985).
Garuti, G., Gorgoni, C. & Sighinolfi, G. P. Earth. planet. Sci. Lett. 70, 69–87 (1984).
Page, N. J. & Talkington, R. W. Can. Mineral. 22, 137–149 (1984).
Govindaraju, M. Geostandard Newsletter (spec. iss.) VIII, July (1984).
Spettel, B., Palme, H., Ionov, D. A. & Kogarko, L. N. Lunar planet. Sci. XXII, 1301–1302 (1991).
Greenough, J. D. & Fryer, B. J. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 115, 71–84 (1990).
Dowling, S. E. & Hill, R. E. T. Aust. J. Earth Sci. 39, 349–363 (1992).
Brügmann, G. et al. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 57, 2001–2018 (1993).
Barnes, S. J. & Picard, C. P. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 57, 79–87 (1993).
Fabriès, J., Lorand, J. P., Bodinier, J. L. & Dupuy, C. J. Petrology (spec. Iherzolite iss.) 55–76 (1991).
Downes, H., Bodinier, J. L., Thirswall, M. F., Lorand, J. P. & Fabriès, J. J. Petrology (spec. Iherzolite iss.) 97–115 (1991).
Bodinier, J. L., Dupuy, C. & Dostal, J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 52, 2893–2907 (1988).
Reisberg, L. & Lorand, J. P. Nature 376, 159–162 (1995).
Lorand, J. P., Bodinier, J. L., Dupuy, C. & Dostal, J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 53, 3085–3090 (1989).
Barnes, S. J. & Francis, D. Econ. Geol. 90, 135–154 (1995).
Hall, G. E. M. & Pelchat, J. C. Chem. Geol. 115, 61–72 (1994).
Keays, R. R. Lithos 34, 1–19 (1995).
McDonougn, W. F. Lunar planet Sci. XXVI, 927–928 (1995).
Hart, S. & Zindler, A. Chem. Geol. 57, 247–267 (1986).
Lorand, J. P., Keays, R. R. & Bodinier, J. L. J. Petrology 34, 1111–1140 (1993).
Borisov, A., Palme, H. & Spettel, B. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 58 705–716 (1994).
Borisov, A. & Palme, H. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 59, 481–487 (1995).
Morgan, J. W., Walker, R. J. & Horan, M. F. Paper presented at Workshop on the Formation of the Earth's Core Mainz, 18–20 (April 1994).
Hertogen, J., Janssens, M. J., Takahashi, H. & Anders, E. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 47, 2241–2255 (1983).
Morgan, J. W., Janssens, M. J., Takahashi, H., Hertogen, J. & Anders, E. J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 49, 247–259 (1985).
Shirey, S. B. Mineralog. Mag. 58A, 833–844 (1994).
Lorand, J. P. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 93, 50–64 (1989).
Anders, E. & Grevesse, N. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 49, 197–214 (1989).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pattou, L., Lorand, J. & Gros, M. Non-chondritic platinum-group element ratios in the Earth's mantle. Nature 379, 712–715 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/379712a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/379712a0
This article is cited by
-
Bismuth fire assay preconcentration and empirical coefficient LA-ICP-MS for the determination of ultra-trace Pt and Pd in geochemical samples
Scientific Reports (2022)
-
Transformation of continental lithospheric mantle beneath the East African Rift: constraints from platinum-group elements and Re–Os isotopes in mantle xenoliths from Ethiopia
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2019)
-
Geochemistry and tectonic significance of the Gongzhu peridotites in the northern branch of the western Yarlung Zangbo ophiolitic belt, western Tibet
Mineralogy and Petrology (2017)
-
Lunar tungsten isotopic evidence for the late veneer
Nature (2015)
-
Diamond formation episodes at the southern margin of the Kaapvaal Craton: Re–Os systematics of sulfide inclusions from the Jagersfontein Mine
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2009)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.