Trace element and associated isotope signatures are widely used as a geochemical tool in a variety of magmatic systems such as meteorite parent body processes, Earth’s core formation, mantle melting, evolution of volcanic systems or the formation of ore deposits. In magmatic processes, metal and sulfide phases often play a major role in controlling the geochemical behavior of a variety of siderophile and chalcophile trace elements. For example, the HSEs (highly siderophile elements) are controlled by metals and sulfides during partial melting, and sulfides are essential for the enrichment of economically important elements such as Cu and Ni into ore deposits. Therefore, it is important to investigate the role of metals and sulfides for the behavior of siderophile and chalcophile trace elements in magmatic systems. The aim of this session is to bring together studies of natural samples with experimental studies in order to interpret trace element and isotope signatures in mantle samples and magmatic rocks and to shed light on processes leading to their formation. We therefore invite contributions from a variety of fields including, but not limited to, (experimental) petrology and geochemistry as well as cosmochemistry.
Invited speaker: Hannah Hughes (University of Exeter: "The mobility of metal in the mantle – implications for metallogenesis, prospectivity and the formation of sulphide ore deposits"