^1,2,3Yan Fan,^1,4Deze Liu,^1,5Shijie Li,⁶Xiangdong Li,³Shen Liu,¹Dehan Shen,⁷Qing-Zhu Yin
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70175]
¹Center for Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
²Xi’an Center, China Geological Survey, Xi’an, China
³State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
⁴Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
⁵Chinese Academy of Sciences, Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, China
⁶Environmental Engineering Unit, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,Kowloon, Hong Kong
⁷Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

This study assesses mercury (Hg) concentrations and their isotopic compositions in Antarctic chondrites, desert chondrites, and drilled samples from the Jilin chondrite (H5). Desert chondrites show mercury concentrations between 2.2 ng g−1 and 156.8 ng g−1, with δ202Hg ranging from −3.69‰ to 1.19‰. Δ199Hg and Δ201Hg vary from −0.23‰ to −0.02‰ and −0.2‰ to 0.02‰, respectively, showing a weak positive correlation among these parameters (slope 0.74 ± 0.24, R2 = 0.46). These Hg concentrations and isotopic composition data of desert chondrites indicate that Hg in desert chondrites has been altered due to terrestrial processes in addition to evaporation loss during its terrestrial residence period. Antarctic chondrites exhibit mercury concentrations from 8.0 ng g−1 to 3940.8 ng g−1, with δ202Hg from −2.51‰ to 1.16‰. Δ199Hg and Δ201Hg range from −0.83‰ to −0.05‰ and −0.71‰ to 0.10‰, with a significant correlation (slope 0.93 ± 0.15, R2 = 0.76), likely influenced by Antarctic snow that has experienced significant photochemical processes during atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs) and has elevated mercury content (such as drifted snow). Jilin meteorite’s δ202Hg, Δ199Hg, and Δ201Hg vary between −3.74‰ to −1.79‰, −0.12‰ to 0.09‰, and −0.12‰ to −0.01‰, respectively. A weak positive correlation between Δ199Hg and Δ201Hg (slope 1.45 ± 0.28, R2 = 0.67) suggests localized Hg evaporation due to shock processes on the parent body; however, Hg isotopic heterogeneity from nebular or parent body processes cannot be excluded. Terrestrial weathering and shock events could alter Hg content and isotopic compositions in chondrites, challenging their use as accurate indicators of Hg’s cosmochemical behavior.