Nitrogen isotopes in peridotitic diamonds from Fuxian, China: The mantle signature

Pierre Cartigny*, Stuart R. Boyd, Jeff W. Harris, Marc Javoy

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

110 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nitrogen isotopes in peridotitic diamonds from Fuxian, China, suggest that the upper mantle δ15N-value has been globally homogeneous since at least the Proterozoic (-5 to -8‰/ATM), with similar values for subcontinental and MORB mantle. In addition, Fuxian diamonds retain the memory of a primary nitrogen lower in δ15N (down to -25‰). For the first time δ15N-values in diamonds match those of enstatite chondrites, supporting a formation of the Earth from such meteorites and the idea of a heterogeneous accretion of the Earth's volatiles. Nitrogen concentrations in diamonds are believed to depend strongly on the rate of the diamond growth and not to be an indicator of C/N ratios of the fluids from which they grew.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)175-179
Number of pages5
JournalTerra Nova
Volume9
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 1997
Externally publishedYes

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