Eine neue Publikation mit dem Blick in die geologische Vergangenheit

Secondary minerals form near the surface by oxidation and hydration of primary ore minerals. These reactions include oxygen from the atmosphere, rain water, and possibly also biological agents. Other possibilities, such as involvement of hydrothermal fluids or marine water, are less common, but known. One of the best ways to discriminate among these possibilities is the measurement of light stable isotopes or metal isotopes. In this work, we determined experimentally the fractionation factors for O, H, S, and Cu for a copper sulfate, copper phosphate, and a copper arsenate mineral. These minerals were chosen as representatives for the copper secondary minerals in oxidation zones. This work opens the door to more quantitative understanding of oxidation zones and their origin. More details can be found at https://doi.org/10.1180/mgm.2021.77Externer Link.