Provenance Studies for Prehistoric Obsidian by Using Mössbauer Spectroscopy

• Published in: Journal of the Korean Physical Society Vol. 77; no. 3; pp. 253 - 257
• Main Authors: Uhm, Young Rang, Sun, Gwang-Min, Jin, Mi-Eun, Jwa, Yong-Joo, Seo, Jae Yeon, Choi, Hyunkyung, Kim, Chul Sung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Korean Physical Society 01.08.2020; Springer Nature B.V; 한국물리학회
• Subjects: Biotite; Chemical compounds; Crystallization; Ferrous silicates; Iron; Iron 57; Iron compounds; Magma; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Metamorphic rocks; Mossbauer spectroscopy; Obsidian; Oxidation; Particle and Nuclear Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Spectrum analysis; Theoretical; 물리학; Obsidian; ); Pyroxene (FeSiO; Biotite; Mössbauer spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0374-4884; 1976-8524
• DOI: 10.3938/jkps.77.253

The iron compounds in minerals of obsidians from the continental Far East, Mount Baekdu (Baedusan) near the Sino-Korean border and Kyushu in southwest Japan were studied using 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The mineral Pyroxene (FeSiO 3 ) in obsidian was found in the metamorphic rocks of Mount Beakdusan and Kyushu. However, the mineral biotite in obsidian was found in Kyushu only. The chemical compounds of the microlites in obsidians from Mount Baekdu are quite different from those in the Kyushu obsidians. The Mössbauer spectrum measured on the Baekdusan obsidian was fitted using two sextets, two ferrous iron doublets, and a ferric iron doublet tentatively assigned to clinopyroxene. Two sextets result from the nonstoichiometric magnetite. In contrast, Kyushu obsidians consisted of two sextets, a ferrous iron doublet for clinopyroxene, and a ferric iron doublet tentatively associated with biotite. In mineralogical and geochemical studies on the Baekdusan and Kyushu obsidians, the origination of the magma compositions and the crystallization environments were confirmed to have been different.