Principal Investigator: Dr. María Isabel Varas-Reus

This project will study the mechanisms of transport, fractionation, and concentration of chalcophile elements in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). This will be done by identifying the Se-Te elemental and Se isotope signatures of ultramafic mantle xenoliths from Patagonia. Ultimately, this information will be used to evaluate if different Patagonian mantle domains are potential productive sources for melts rich in chalcophile elements and if they are related to the occurrence of major epithermal Au-Ag deposits in the overlying crust.

The project entails high-precision Se-Te elemental and Se isotope analyses on Patagonian mantle xenoliths. It will also combine whole-rock and mineral major and trace element analyses, and Sr-Nd-Pb radiogenic isotope analyses.

This project aims not only to contribute to a better understanding of the role of the mantle in ore genesis but also to assess the role of Se isotopes as tracers of recycling processes in subduction zones.

Funding: DFG Priority Programme SPP 2238 - Dynamics of Ore Metals Enrichment - DOME

Collaborators:

• Prof. Dr. Ronny Schoenberg, Department for Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Germany
• Dr. Stephan König, Department for Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Germany
• Dr. José María González Jiménez, University of Granada, Spain
• Prof. Dr. Claudio Marchesi, University of Granada, Spain
• Prof. Dr. Manuel Schilling, Austral University of Chile, Chile