Magmatic–hydrothermal molybdenum isotope fractionation and its relevance to the igneous crustal signature

Abstract We analysed the Mo isotope composition of a comprehensive series of molybdenite samples from the porphyry-type Questa deposit (NM, USA), as well as one rhyolite and one granite sample, directly associated with the Mo mineralization. The δ98Mo of the molybdenites ranges between − 0.48‰ and + 0.40‰, with a median at − 0.05‰. The median Mo isotope composition increases from early magmatic (− 0.29‰) to hydrothermal (− 0.05‰) breccia mineralization (median bulk breccia = − 0.17‰) to late stockwork veining (+ 0.22‰). Moreover, variations of up to 0.34‰ are found between different molybdenite crystals within an individual hand specimen. The rhyolite sample with 0.12 μg g− 1 Mo has δ98Mo = − 0.57‰ and is lighter than all molybdenites from the Questa deposit, interpreted to represent the igneous leftover after aqueous ore fluid exsolution. We recognize three Mo isotope fractionation processes that occur between about 700 and 350 °C, affecting the Mo isotope composition of magmatic–hydrothermal molybdenites. ∆1Mo: Minerals preferentially incorporate light Mo isotopes during progressive fractional crystallization in subvolcanic magma reservoirs, leaving behind a melt enriched in heavy Mo isotopes. ∆2Mo: Magmatic–hydrothermal fluids preferentially incorporate heavy Mo isotopes upon fluid exsolution. ∆3Mo: Light Mo isotopes get preferentially incorporated in molybdenite during crystallization from an aqueous fluid, leaving behind a hydrothermal fluid that gets heavier with progressive molybdenite crystallization. The sum of all three fractionation processes produces molybdenites that record heavier δ98Mo compositions than their source magmas. This implies that the mean δ98Mo of molybdenites published so far (~ 0.4‰) likely represents a maximum value for the Mo isotope composition of Phanerozoic igneous upper crust.