Deep abiotic weathering of pyrite
Xin Gu, Peter J. Heaney, F. D. A. Aarão Reis, Susan L. Brantley
Abstract
Getting rid of fool's gold Pyrite, also called fool's gold, is an iron sulfide mineral that is very commonly found in rock but is almost nonexistent in sediments today. Pyrite oxidizes quickly and is a major source of sulfur to the ocean, but it is also a proxy for the oxygen content historically in Earth's atmosphere. Gu et al. conducted a set of detailed observations of the pyrite oxidation process in a shale unit. The authors found that erosion tied to fracturing is just as important as the oxygen content for the dissolution process. They developed a model that helps determine the conditions in Earth's past for which pyrite might have been stable and the role of microorganisms in the oxidation process. Science , this issue p. eabb8092