Isotopic Tracing of Volatile Elements in Planetary Materials
This community investigates the isotopic fingerprints of light elements and noble gases to reconstruct the formation, evolution, and volatile budgets of Earth, the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.
The work centers on mass spectrometry and isotope systematics to analyze noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon), hydrogen, sulfur, and carbon. Key subjects include the origin of planetary atmospheres, the behavior of highly siderophile elements in silicate melts, and the isotopic composition of lunar regolith, Martian craters, and asteroid samples. The research frequently examines the Bushveld Complex, sulfide deposits, and natural hydrogen reservoirs to understand mantle degassing and crustal processes. It also addresses the isotopic signatures of parent bodies and the implications of magma ocean dynamics for early solar system evolution.
The community is most heavily represented in research tracked for helium, where it constitutes 2.8% of all helium studies, and mercury, at 1.9%. It also holds a significant share of sulfur research (1.2%) and platinum research (1.4%).
The group comprises 32,760 papers, published primarily in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, and Icarus.
Recent work focuses on the isotopic and organic composition of samples returned from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, the analysis of lunar basalts from the Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 missions, and the study of redox-driven mineral associations in Jezero Crater on Mars.