Platinum–osmium isotope evolution of the Earth's mantle: Constraints from chondrites and Os-rich alloys

Abstract

Separation of a metal-rich core strongly depleted the silicate portion of the Earth in highly siderophile elements (HSE), including Pt, Re, and Os. To address the issues of how early differentiation, partial melting, and enrichment processes may have affected the relative abundances of the HSE in the upper mantle, 187Os/188Os and 186Os/188Os data for chondrites are compared with data for Os-rich alloys from upper mantle peridotites. Given that 187Os and 186Os are decay products of 187Re and 190Pt, respectively, these ratios can be used to constrain the long-term Re/Os and Pt/Os of mantle reservoirs in comparison to chondrites. Because of isotopic homogeneity, H-group ordinary and other equilibrated chondrites may be most suitable for defining the initial 186Os/188Os of the solar system. The 186Os/188Os ratios for five H-group ordinary chondrites range only from 0.1198384 to 0.1198408, with an average of 0.1198398 ± 0.0000016 (2r). Using the measured Pt/Os and 186Os/188Os for each chondrite, the calculated initial 186Os/188Os at 4.567 Ga is 0.1198269 ± 0.0000014 (2r). This is the current best estimate for the initial 186Os/188Os of the bulk solar system. The mantle evolution of 186Os/188Os can be defined via examination of mantle-derived materials with well-constrained ages and low Pt/Os. Two types of mantle-derived materials that can be used for this task are komatiites and Os-rich alloys. The alloys are particularly valuable in that they have little or no Re or Pt, thus, when formed, evolution of both 187Os/188Os and 186Os/188Os ceases. Previously published results for an Archean komatiite and new results for Os-rich alloys indicate that the terrestrial mantle evolved with Pt–Os isotopic systematics that were indistinguishable from the H-group ordinary and some enstatite chondrites. This corresponds to a Pt/Os of 2.0 ± 0.2 for the primitive upper mantle evolution curve. This similarity is consistent with previous arguments, based on the 187Os/188Os systematics and HSE abundances in the mantle, for a late veneer of materials with chondritic bulk compositions controlling the HSE budget of the upper mantle. It is very unlikely that high pressure metal–silicate segregation leading to core formation can account for the elemental and isotopic compositions of HSE in the upper mantle.