Subduction transports volatiles between Earth's mantle, crust, and atmosphere, ultimately creating a habitable Earth. We use isotopes to track carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Arc. We find substantial along-strike variations in the isotopic composition of volcanic gases, explained by different recycling efficiencies of subducting carbon to the atmosphere via arc volcanism and modulated by subduction character. Fast and cool subduction facilitates recycling of ~43 to 61% sediment-derived organic carbon to the atmosphere through degassing of central Aleutian volcanoes, while slow and warm subduction favors forearc sediment removal, leading to recycling of ~6 to 9% altered oceanic crust carbon to the atmosphere through degassing of western Aleutian volcanoes. These results indicate that less carbon is returned to the deep mantle than previously thought and that subducting organic carbon is not a reliable atmospheric carbon sink over subduction time scales.

Lopez, T., Fischer, T., Plank, T., Malinverno, A., Rizzo, A., Rasmussen, D., et al. (2023). Tracking carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Volcanic Arc. SCIENCE ADVANCES, 9(26), 1-12 [10.1126/sciadv.adf3024].

Tracking carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Volcanic Arc

Rizzo A;
2023

Abstract

Subduction transports volatiles between Earth's mantle, crust, and atmosphere, ultimately creating a habitable Earth. We use isotopes to track carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Arc. We find substantial along-strike variations in the isotopic composition of volcanic gases, explained by different recycling efficiencies of subducting carbon to the atmosphere via arc volcanism and modulated by subduction character. Fast and cool subduction facilitates recycling of ~43 to 61% sediment-derived organic carbon to the atmosphere through degassing of central Aleutian volcanoes, while slow and warm subduction favors forearc sediment removal, leading to recycling of ~6 to 9% altered oceanic crust carbon to the atmosphere through degassing of western Aleutian volcanoes. These results indicate that less carbon is returned to the deep mantle than previously thought and that subducting organic carbon is not a reliable atmospheric carbon sink over subduction time scales.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Aleutian volcanic gas
English
28-giu-2023
2023
9
26
1
12
eadf302
open
Lopez, T., Fischer, T., Plank, T., Malinverno, A., Rizzo, A., Rasmussen, D., et al. (2023). Tracking carbon from subduction to outgassing along the Aleutian-Alaska Volcanic Arc. SCIENCE ADVANCES, 9(26), 1-12 [10.1126/sciadv.adf3024].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/428278
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