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Tellurium Isotope Cosmochemistry
Tellurium Isotope Cosmochemistry
Lucien Weibel
Pictures with no source markings are retrieved from Hellmann et al. (2021)
16.06.2023 2
Idea behind the Paper
Tellurium (δ 128/126Te)
• Chemically similar to S and Se
Earthscience.stackexchange.com
Wikipedia: Tellurium
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Idea behind the Paper
Tellurium (δ 128/126Te)
• Low condensation temperature (50% TC ≈ 700K)
• Sensitive to fractionation by nebular and parental body processes
• Assumed, that S, Se and Te derive dominantly from late veneer
• δ 128/126Te BSE = δ 128/126Te late Veneer
Questions?
• δ 128/126Te BSE?
• All S, Se and Te from late Veneer?
• δ 128/126Te ratios modified after planetary accretion?
• Which chondrite parent body most likely?
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Samples
• 20 ordinary chondrites
• 21 enstatite chondrites
• 2 Rumuruti chondrites
• Carbonaceous chondrite data
from companion study
Hellmann, 2020
• Number showing
metamorphism
• Only thermal metamorphism
slideplayer.com
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Samples
Wikipedia: Pyroxenite
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Analytical Methods
• Samples crushed
• Mixed with 123Te-125Te double spike
• Dissolved in hot HF-HNO3
• Evaporations and dry downs of HCl
• Column chromatography to separate Te
from sample matrix
Microbenotes.com
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Analytical Methods
Researchgate.net
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Results
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Origin of Te in BSE
However:
• S iotopic composition fractionated, core formation?
• @55GPa, S becomes less siderophile! Te as well?
• Chondritic values for S, Se, Te in BSE against fractionation
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Best Rock for Te BSE Composition
Clinopyroxenites
Melt has undergone sulfide segregation
Lower Te conc. (Te chalcophile) and variable isotope ratios
δ 128/126Te variability by isotope fractionation sulfide ↔ silicate melt
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Best Rock for Te BSE Composition
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Best Rock for Te BSE Composition
Lherzolites
Homogenuous concentration and isotope ratios
Lower δ 128/126Te may be due to partial melting and refertilization
Highly variable degrees of melting&refertilization have low impact!
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Best Rock for Te BSE Composition
Lherzolites
Refertilization consequence of recycling moderately incompatible elements (…,S, Se, Te,…)
Source: subducted oceanic crust
Process could lead to homogenization BSE estimation
Process reflects complex mixing and fractionation no BSE estimation
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Discussion
Enstatite chondrites
• E-Type chondrites very reduced
• EH= high iron
• Stable δ 128/126Te for PT 3-4, heavier 5-6
• Lower total Te in PT 5-6
• Similar trend in Zn, Cd, Se…
• Shock metamorphism?
• Cooling Parent body?
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Discussion
Enstatite chondrites
• Cooling Parent Body
• Lighter Isotopes more mobile
• Should have effect on PT 3-4 as well!
• Ratio of parent body likely in between
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Discussion
Enstatite chondrites
• Se/Te ratio higher than in lherzolites
• Really true ratios? Other papers show
Se/Te ≈ 14
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Discussion
Ordinary chondrites
• Less systematic variation but similar extent of δ
128/126
Te
• Range of concentrations smaller than EC
• Most H5,H6 not as heavy as E5,E6!
• Se/Te ratios much higher!
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Discussion
Ordinary chondrites
No trend between composition (H,L,LL), nor thermal
metamorphism and δ 128/126Te
No trend between concentration and δ 128/126Te
Same behaviour in -> likely same process (bigger
variations)
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Discussion
Ordinary chondrites
Impact induced melting and volatilization?
No systematic redistribution rules out „Cooling Parent Body“ model as in E-
Chondrites
Localized redistribution with limited transmission?
Te isotopes not homogenized?
Due to Se/Te ratios, likely not the source of the Late Veneer
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Discussion
Carbonaceous chondrites
• Variations reflect mixtures of volatile poor, light
chondrules & heavy, CI-like Matrix
• δ 128/126Te Systematically varies with mass fraction of
matrix, more matrix= heavier
• CM Chondrites shows good fit in Se/Te and δ 128/126Te
• BSE Te best rock = BSE Se best rock?
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Take Home Messages
Questions
• δ 128/126Te BSE? Best estimate is maybe composition of lherzolites
• δ 128/126Te ratios modified after planetary accretion? Yes, big problem using this aproach
• Which chondrite parent body most likely? Carbonaceous or Enstatite Chondrite most likely
• Study shows limited use of elemental ratios and mass-dependent isotope ratios as
genetic tracers
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Hier steht der Folientitel
Sources
• Hellmann, J. L., Hopp, T., Burkhardt, C., Becker, H., Fischer-Gödde, M., & Kleine, T. (2021). Tellurium isotope cosmochemistry:
Implications for volatile fractionation in chondrite parent bodies and origin of the late veneer. Geochimica et Cosmochimica
Acta, 309, 313-328.
• https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/8170/what-is-the-difference-between-chalcophile-and-siderophile-elements
(01.04.2022)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tellurium (01.04.2022)
• https://slideplayer.com/slide/13588825/83/images/27/Chondrites+-+classification.jpg
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyroxenite
• https://microbenotes.com/column-chromatography/
• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Schematic-diagram-of-a-mass-spectrometer_fig14_312664731
• https://concord.org/newsletter/2021-spring/everything-happens-for-a-reason-developing-causal-mechanistic-reasoning-of-plate-
tectonics/?cn-reloaded=1
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