Re-Os geochronology for sulfides and organic-rich sediments
Date
2025
Authors
Li, Y.
Glorie, S.
Selby, D.
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Journal article
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National Science Review, 2025
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Yang Li, Stijn Glorie and David Selby
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Abstract
Rhenium and osmium are both siderophile and chalcophile, exhibiting a strong affinity for organic-rich materials. This makes the Re-Os chronometer a valuable complement to geochronometers based on lithophile elements. In this review, we begin by emphasizing the importance of elemental abundances and isotopic compositions associated with sample selection, analysis, and data interpretation. We then provide an overview of how 187Os/188Os ratios can be used to trace geological processes, followed by a summary of the analytical protocols commonly used in Re-Os geochemistry. We also address key challenges in isochron dating, including the identification and avoidance of pitfalls such as mixing lines and inherited initial slopes. With state-of-the-art Re-Os dating reaching precisions up to 0.05% for molybdenites and 1% for organic-rich sedimentary rocks, it is now possible to resolve the rapid, episodic nature of ore formation and to investigate the dynamics of environment-life coevolution with unprecedented detail. We conclude by outlining future directions for Re-Os geochronology, including advances in imaging-guided Re-Os dating for organic-rich sediments, in situ Re-Os dating and the full integration of the Re-Os geochronometer into the EarthTime initiative.
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Published: 23 July 2025.
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© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.