A study conducted by Chinese and Romanian experts suggests that solar radiation may affect the Earth’s deep interior.
The study, published in Nature Communications, was carried out by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG), China University of Geosciences, and the University of Bucharest.
According to the researchers, solar radiation varies with latitude, causing temperature differences on the sea surface that influence the distribution of marine species. The subduction of oceanic plates transports these carbon-rich animals into the Earth’s interior. This mechanism has a substantial effect on the redox status of arc magma.
The researchers examined data from thousands of magma samples gathered by geologists all across the world, including those from deep beneath the earth and in the sea. They used small melt inclusions in olivine crystals and bulk rock data to estimate the redox status of arc magma.
The study found that magma in lower latitude regions is less oxidized than magma in higher latitude places. Additional evidence from ocean floor research revealed that lower latitudes had more reduced carbon deposition. This carbon reacts with sulfur to produce sulfide, which is then carried into the mantle and contributes to the observed redox pattern.
“This unexpected pattern suggests that the Earth’s surface environment and climate, influenced by solar radiation, have a profound effect on mantle processes,” explained Wan Bo, co-author of the study and an IGG researcher.
Many metal ores, including copper, tin, and lithium, are sensitive to redox conditions. Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of redox states at global subduction zones has important implications for forecasting the locations and availability of these crucial resources.
“The observed pattern offers new directions for exploring resources and understanding the environmental effects of subduction systems at different latitudes,” stated Hu Fangyang, the study’s corresponding author and an IGG researcher.
