Nature Communications 2018-04-09

Archean phosphorus liberation induced by iron redox geochemistry

Barry Herschy, Sae Jung Chang, Ruth Blake, Aivo Lepland, Heather Abbott-Lyon, Jacqueline Sampson, Zachary Atlas, Terence P. Kee, Matthew A. Pasek

Index: 10.1038/s41467-018-03835-3

Full Text: HTML

Abstract

The element phosphorus (P) is central to ecosystem growth and is proposed to be a limiting nutrient for life. The Archean ocean may have been strongly phosphorus-limited due to the selective binding of phosphate to iron oxyhydroxide. Here we report a new route to solubilizing phosphorus in the ancient oceans: reduction of phosphate to phosphite by iron(II) at low (<200 °C) diagenetic temperatures. Reduction of phosphate to phosphite was likely widespread in the Archean, as the reaction occurs rapidly and is demonstrated from thermochemical modeling, experimental analogs, and detection of phosphite in early Archean rocks. We further demonstrate that the higher solubility of phosphite compared to phosphate results in the liberation of phosphorus from ferruginous sediments. This phosphite is relatively stable after its formation, allowing its accumulation in the early oceans. As such, phosphorus, not as phosphate but as phosphite, could have been a major nutrient in early pre-oxygenated oceans.

Latest Articles:

Genome-wide association study identifies susceptibility loci for B-cell childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

2018-04-09

[10.1038/s41467-018-03178-z]

Endocycle-related tubular cell hypertrophy and progenitor proliferation recover renal function after acute kidney injury

2018-04-09

[10.1038/s41467-018-03753-4]

Designable ultra-smooth ultra-thin solid-electrolyte interphases of three alkali metal anodes

2018-04-09

[10.1038/s41467-018-03466-8]

Stimulus dependent diversity and stereotypy in the output of an olfactory functional unit

2018-04-09

[10.1038/s41467-018-03837-1]

Contraction of basal filopodia controls periodic feather branching via Notch and FGF signaling

2018-04-09

[10.1038/s41467-018-03801-z]

More Articles...