TY - JOUR

T1 - Telluric iron assemblages as a source of prebiotic phosphorus on the early Earth: Insights from Disko Island, Greenland

AU - Верещагин, Олег Сергеевич

AU - Хмельницкая, Майя Олеговна

AU - Камаева, Лариса

AU - Власенко, Наталия Сергеевна

AU - Панькин, Дмитрий Васильевич

AU - Бочаров, Владимир Николаевич

AU - Бритвин, Сергей Николаевич

PY - 2024/9/1

Y1 - 2024/9/1

N2 - Phosphorus is one of the key elements, which determined the emergence of primordial life on our planet. The source of prebiotic phosphorus was most likely to be easily soluble compounds containing phosphorus in the negative form of oxidation (e.g., phosphides). The present paper is the first thorough investigation of phosphide-bearing mineral assemblages confined to telluric (terrestrial) native iron from volcanic rocks of Disko Island, Greenland. Phosphorus speciation in given assemblages varies from the solid solution in native iron (up to 0.3 wt% P), different phosphides – schreibersite Fe3P, nickelphosphide Ni3P, barringerite Fe2P, and phosphates, including fluorapatite, anhydrous Fe-Na phosphates, phosphoran olivine and pyroxene (up to 1 wt% P). The diversity of observed phosphorus speciation can be explained by the steep changes of redox conditions during subsurface crystallization of iron-phosphide-bearing lavas. Based on the available data on likely redox conditions on the early Earth, we hypothesize that reactive prebiotic phosphorus may have originated from shallow crustal rocks.

AB - Phosphorus is one of the key elements, which determined the emergence of primordial life on our planet. The source of prebiotic phosphorus was most likely to be easily soluble compounds containing phosphorus in the negative form of oxidation (e.g., phosphides). The present paper is the first thorough investigation of phosphide-bearing mineral assemblages confined to telluric (terrestrial) native iron from volcanic rocks of Disko Island, Greenland. Phosphorus speciation in given assemblages varies from the solid solution in native iron (up to 0.3 wt% P), different phosphides – schreibersite Fe3P, nickelphosphide Ni3P, barringerite Fe2P, and phosphates, including fluorapatite, anhydrous Fe-Na phosphates, phosphoran olivine and pyroxene (up to 1 wt% P). The diversity of observed phosphorus speciation can be explained by the steep changes of redox conditions during subsurface crystallization of iron-phosphide-bearing lavas. Based on the available data on likely redox conditions on the early Earth, we hypothesize that reactive prebiotic phosphorus may have originated from shallow crustal rocks.

KW - Native iron

KW - Phosphide

KW - Prebiotic phosphorus

KW - Reduced mineral assemblages

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/bd6f6f9c-25d0-3091-88bc-d44a26fcb1d7/

U2 - 10.1016/j.gsf.2024.101870

DO - 10.1016/j.gsf.2024.101870

M3 - Article

VL - 15

JO - Geoscience Frontiers

JF - Geoscience Frontiers

SN - 1674-9871

IS - 5

M1 - 101870

ER -