Sulfur concentration of martian basalts at sulfide saturation at high pressures and temperatures – Implications for deep sulfur cycle on Mars

Abstract

To constrain sulfur concentration at sulfide saturation (SCSS) of martian magmas at mantle conditions, we simulated basalt-sulfide melt equilibria using two synthesized meteorite compositions, i.e., Yamato980459 and NWA2990 in both anhydrous and hydrous conditions at 1–5GPa and 1500–1700°C. Our experimental results show that SCSS decreases with increasing pressure and increases with increasing temperature. Based on our experimental SCSS and those from previous low-pressure experiments on high-FeO∗ martian basalts, we developed a parameterization to predict martian basalt SCSS as a function of depth, temperature, and melt composition. Our model suggests that sulfur contents as high as 3500–4300ppm can be transferred from the martian mantle to the martian exogenic system, and sulfur-rich gases might have caused the greenhouse conditions during the late Noachian. However, modeling of the behavior of sulfur along the liquid line of descent of a primitive martian basalt suggests that a fraction of the magmatic sulfur could precipitate as sulfides in the cumulates during cooling and fractional crystallization of basaltic magmas. Furthermore, the latter case is consistent with the S concentration of martian meteorites, which reflect variable amount of trapped liquid in cumulus mineral assemblage. Furthermore, our model predicts an average S storage capacity of 5700ppm for the martian magma ocean, whereas the same for Earth is only ∼860ppm. Lastly, high SCSS of martian magma ocean and its inverse correlation with depth along the mantle liquidus could have triggered a sulfur pump where the post-core-formation magma ocean of Mars would gain sulfur through interaction with SO2/H2S rich nascent atmosphere.