Sulfur in Magmas

Sulfur is a ubiquitous element whose variable valence states (S2-, S0, S4+, S6+) allow it to participate in a wide variety of geochemical and biogeochemical processes. Depending on its redox state and controlling species, sulfur dissolved in magma may be fractionated into a water-rich phase and sulfur-bearing minerals. Retrieving information on the original sulfur abundance and isotopic signature of a magma is challenging and requires deciphering the different processes that may have operated during its evolution en route to the surface. Advances made in thermodynamic modeling, experimentation on sulfur solubility and diffusion in silicate melts, and microanalytical techniques for probing sulfur’s speciation and isotopic signature at the micrometer scale are providing an outstanding picture of sulfur evolution in magmas.

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December 2025 --The Variscan Orogeny in Europe – Understanding Supercontinent Formation

The Variscan orogen formed between 380 and 300 million years ago through several accretionary and collisional cycles, culminating with the construction of the Pangea supercontinent. This process occurred via sequential opening and closure of oceanic basins, synchronous detachment of Gondwana derived continental ribbons, and their outboard amalgamation onto the Laurussia margin. The Variscan orogen is rather unique compared with other orogenic belts on Earth: its overthickened and dominantly magmatic crust in the central belt, surprisingly minor mantle involvement in the magmatic and geodynamic processes, coherent and pulsed magmatism along the collision suture, and its complex accretionary history. Because its final product, Pangea, is the youngest and best-understood supercontinent on Earth, the Variscan orogeny offers clues for understanding the mechanisms of supercontinent formation.