Sulfur-enriched sub-arc fluids drive deep sulfur cycling in subduction zones.

Abstract

Arc magmas are enriched in sulfur relative to mid-ocean ridge basalts, commonly attributed to slab-derived sulfur inputs during subduction. However, the contribution of slab fluids remains debated because sulfur concentrations in sub-arc fluids have not been directly measured. Here we quantify sulfur in slab-derived fluids preserved as multiphase fluid inclusions composed of H₂O, calcite, and chalcopyrite in omphacite from ultrahigh-pressure eclogites in the Sumdo orogenic belt. Three-dimensional Raman spectroscopy reveals high sulfur concentrations averaging ~6 wt.%. Mass-balance calculations indicate that such fluids can efficiently enrich the mantle wedge and supply up to ~70% of the sulfur emitted by arc volcanism. We further suggest that chalcopyrite formed through post-entrapment reduction of oxidized sulfur species by host omphacite, followed by precipitation with co-entrapped copper and iron. Our findings identify sub-arc depths as a critical window for slab sulfur release and provide key constraints on deep sulfur cycling and copper mobilization in arc systems.