Abstract
Sulfur isotopic composition has been measured on 30 granitoids and 11 gabbroids from the Cretaceous and Tertiary granitic terranes of Japan. The two series of granitoids, the magnetite-series and ilmenite-series, defined by Ishihara (1977), show two specific isotope trends. The magnetite-series granioids all have positive δ (su34)S (CDT) values from +1 to +9‰, while the ilmenite-series rocks are dominated by negative values between −11 and −1‰. The trend in the ilmenite-series is consistent with the thesis that the magma has been influenced by light biogenic sulfur from the continental crust. The inferred large scale magma-crust interaction in the ilmenite-series granitoids indicates that the emplacement of this series of magma has been governed by a stoping mechanism.
In contrast, the magnetite-series granitoids have little if any evidence for significant magma-crust interaction, indicating that the intrusion of this series of magma may have been more or less of fissure-filling type. Their trend towards positive δ (su3 4)S values (average ≈ +5‰) argues for the introduction of some heavy sulfur, probably of seawater origin, into the mantle derived sulfur. This is most likely to occur in an arctrench system by the subduction of an oceanic plate which accompanies the sulfate-bearing pelagic sediments.
The isotopic data of gabbroids, mostly between −1 and +3‰, are close to the commonly assumed value for mantle sulfur. Nevertheless, the gabbroids from the magnetite-series granitic terranes tend to have higher δ (su34)S value than those from the ilmenite-series belts. It is inferred that the factors controlling the isotope characteristics of the granitoid sulfur have also been operative in these grabbroids at least to some extent.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arikawa, Y., Ozawa, T., Iwasaki, I.: Determination of total-sulfur in igneous rocks with tin(II)-strong phosphoric acid. (Japanese with English abst.) Japan Analyst 21, 920–924 (1972)
Chappell, B.W., White, A.J.R.: Two contrasting granite types. Pacific Geol. 8, 173–174 (1974)
Chukhrov, F.V., Vinogradov, V.I., Ermilova, L.P.: On the isotopic sulfur composition of some Precambrian strata. Miner. Deposita (Berl.) 5, 209–222 (1970)
Coleman, M.L.: Sulphur isotopes in geology. J. Geol. Soc. London 133, 593–608 (1977)
Dymond, J., Corliss, J.B., Heath, G.R., Field, C.W., Dash, E.J., Veeh, H.H.: Origin of metalliferous sediments from the Pacific Ocean. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 84, 3355–3372 (1973)
Endo, Y., Katada, M., Sasaki, A.: Pyrite in the Permian Toyoma formation of the southern Kitakami mountains, Japan. (Japanese with English abst.) Bull. Geol. Surv. Japan 24, 113–121 (1973)
Field, C.W., Dymond, J.R., Heath, G.R., Corliss, J.B., Dash, E.J.: Sulfur isotope reconnaissance of epigenetic pyrite in ocean-floor basalts, Leg 34 and elsewhere. In: Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (R.S. Yeats et al., eds.), Vol. 34, pp. 381–384, Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office 1976
Fukasawa, T., Onuki, H.: On the gabbroic rocks in the northern Abukuma mountains. (Japanese with English abst.) J. Jap. Assoc. Mineral. Petrol. Econ. Geol. 67, 1–10 (1972)
Ishihara, S.: Magmatism of the Green Tuff tectonic belt, northeast Japan. In: Geology of Kuroko Deposits (S. Ishihara et al., eds.), pp. 235–249, Tokyo: The Society of Mining Geologists of Japan 1974 (Mining Geol. Spec. Issue No. 6)
Ishihara, S.: The magnetite-series and ilmenite-series granitic rocks. Mining Geol. 27, 293–305 (1977)
Ishihara, S.: Metallogenesis in the Japanese island arc system. J. Geol. Soc. London 135, 389–406 (1978)
Ishihara, S., Terashima, S.: Chemical variation of the Cretaceous granitoids across southwestern Japan-Shirakawa-Toki-Okazaki transection-J. Geol. Soc. Japan 83, 1–18 (1977)
Kanehira, K., Yui, S., Sakai, H., Sasaki, A.: Sulphide globules and sulphur isotope ratios in the abyssal tholeiite from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 30 ° N latitude. Geochem. J. 7, 89–96 (1973)
Kiba, T., Takagi, T., Yoshimura, Y., Kishi, I.: Tin(II)-strong phosphoric acid. A new reagent for the determination of sulfate by reduction to hydrogen sulfide. Bull. Chem. Soc. Japan 28, 641–644 (1955)
Kulp, J.L., Ault, W.U., Feely, H.W.: Sulfur isotope abundances in sulfide minerals. Econ Geol. 51, 139–149 (1956)
Matsuhisa, Y.: Isotope geochemistry of an island arc traverse. Geochem. J. 11, 107–109 (1977)
Matsuhisa, Y.: Oxygen isotopic compositions of volcanic rocks from the East Japan Island Arcs and their bearing on petrogenesis. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Research (in press)
O'Neil, J.R., Shaw, S.E., Flood, R.H.: Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions as indicators of granite genesis in the New England Batholith, Australia. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 62, 313–328 (1977)
Robinson, B.R., Kusakabe, M.: Quantitative preparation of sulfur dioxide, for 34S/32S analyses, from sulfides by combustion with cuprous oxide. Anal. Chem. 47, 1179–1181 (1975)
Sakai, H.: Isotopic properties of sulfur compounds in hydrothermal processes. Geochem. J. 2, 29–49 (1968)
Sasaki, A.: Re-examination of sulfur isotopic composition of the earth's upper mantle. Int. Symp. Hydrogeochem. Biogeochem. Tokyo 1970, 129. Washington: Clarke Co. 1973
Sasaki, A., Arikawa, Y., Folinsbee, R.E.: Application of tin(II)-strong phosphoric acid (“Kiba reagent”) to the study of sulfur isotopes in rocks. Abst. Int. Conf. Stable Isotopes, Lower Hutt, N.Z. 58 (1976)
Schneider, A.: The sulfur isotope composition of basaltic rocks. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 25, 95–124 (1970)
Shima, M., Gross, W.H., Thode, H.G.: Sulfur isotope abundances in basic sills, differentiated granites, and meteorites. J. Geophys. Res. 68, 2835–2847 (1963)
Siewers, U.: Beitrag zur Häufigkeit und Isotopenzusammensetzung des Schwefels in Magmatischen und Metamorphen Gesteinen. Diss. z. Erlangung d. Doktorgrades d. Mathemat.-Naturwiss. Fakult. Georg-August Univ. Göttingen 62 pp. (1974)
Smitheringale, W.G., Jensen, M.L.: Sulfur isotopic composition of the Triassic igneous rocks of eastern United States. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 27, 1183–1207 (1963)
Tatsumoto, M.: Lead isotopes in volcanic rocks and possible ocean-floor thrusting beneath island arcs. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 6, 369–376 (1969)
Thode, H.G., Dunford, H.B., Shima, M.: Sulfur isotope abundance in rocks of the Sudbury district and their geological significance. Econ. Geol. 57, 565–578 (1962)
Thode, H.G., Monster, J., Dunford, H.B.: Sulphur isotope geochemistry. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 25, 159–174 (1961)
Tugarinov, A.I., Grinenko, V.A.: Sedimentation conditions of lower Proterozoic formations according to data of variations of sulfur isotopic composition in sulfides. In: Coll. pap. “Problems of geochemistry” (“Nauka”, ed.), pp. 198–203. Moscow: Nauka 1965
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sasaki, A., Ishihara, S. Sulfur isotopic composition of the magnetite-series and ilmenite-series granitoids in Japan. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 68, 107–115 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371893
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371893