Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater
Abstract
In the low-oxygen Archean world (>2400 million years ago), seawater sulfate concentrations were much lower than today, yet open questions frustrate the translation of modern measurements of sulfur isotope fractionations into estimates of Archean seawater sulfate concentrations. In the water column of Lake Matano, Indonesia, a low-sulfate analog for the Archean ocean, we find large (>20 per mil) sulfur isotope fractionations between sulfate and sulfide, but the underlying sediment sulfides preserve a muted range of δ(34)S values. Using models informed by sulfur cycling in Lake Matano, we infer Archean seawater sulfate concentrations of less than 2.5 micromolar. At these low concentrations, marine sulfate residence times were likely 10(3) to 10(4) years, and sulfate scarcity would have shaped early global biogeochemical cycles, possibly restricting biological productivity in Archean oceans.
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The absence of mass-dependent sulfur isotope fractionation indicates little Archean seawater sulfate and implies anoxic air.
“The absence of this isotope fractionation indicates little Archean seawater sulfate and implies anoxic air.”
From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [75]
In contrast to the preceding Archean eon, when marine sulfate concentrations were vanishingly small and methane undoubtedly contributed significantly to greenhouse warming, both methane production and preservation may have been challenged during the boring billion.
“In contrast to the preceding Archean eon, when marine sulfate concentrations were vanishingly small (Habicht et al., 2002; Crowe et al., 2014) and methane (CH4) undoubtedly contributed significantly to greenhouse warming, both methane production and preservation may have been challenged during the boring billion.”
From Oxygenation, Life, and the Planetary System during Earth's Middle History: An Overview (2021) · cites this paper as Crowe et al., 2014
This expected sulfate level is not consistent with models that suggest extremely low seawater sulfate levels before the GOE, possibly as low as 2.5 μM.
“This is not consistent with models that suggest extremely low seawater sulfate levels before the GOE, possibly as low as 2.5 μM (34, 62).”
From Rapid oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere 2.33 billion years ago (2016) · cites this paper as [62]
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References 70 · Cited by 328
- Authors
- Crowe, S. A., Paris, G., Katsev, S., Jones, C., Kim, S.-T., Zerkle, A. L., Nomosatryo, S., Fowle, D. A., Adkins, J. F., Sessions, A. L., Farquhar, J., & Canfield, D. E.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- McMaster University (CA)
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- Indonesian Institute of Sciences (ID)
- University of Kansas (US)
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- University of Southern Denmark (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Crowe, Sean A.
- Paris, Guillaume
- ORCID
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2014-11-07
- Volume
- 346
- Issue
- 6210
- Pages
- 735-739
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2053989893
- Cited by
- 328
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 18.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (publishedVersion)
- CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Keywords
- sulfate, sulfur isotopes, sulfur isotope fractionation, Lake Matano, early Earth ocean chemistry, marine biogeochemical cycles, biological productivity
- MeSH terms
- Biological Products, Indonesia, Seawater, Sulfates, Sulfur Isotopes, History, Ancient
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