Rhenium isotopic and geochemical characterisation across lithospheric and surface processes across four global regions, 2019-2024
Hilton, R., Dickson, A., Dellinger, M., Stow, M., Wang, W., Prytulak, J., Nowell, G. (2025). Rhenium isotopic and geochemical characterisation across lithospheric and surface processes across four global regions, 2019-2024. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/a9bc6c28-cee5-4bf9-8539-d112c0a4c3d4
The data resource collates novel measurements of the rhenium isotope geochemistry of various materials measured between 2019 and 2024. The data were collected as part of NERC funded research (NE/T001119) aiming to constrain the behavior of the rhenium isotope system at Earth's surface. Sampling, analyses and data collation were undertaken at Royal Holloway, Durham University and the University of Oxford. The main outputs include: Table 1 - Measurements of Icelandic groundwaters and hydrothermal systems, samples collected in September 2021 from locations around Iceland, and analysed 2021-2023. Table 2 - Measurements on multiple shale weathering profiles from sites across the USA, New Zealand, collected in the 1990s (USA) and 2018 (New Zealand), and measured between 2020-2022. Table 3 - Rhenium isotope measurements on the Eagle Ford Shale, USA, collected in the 2010s and analysed between 2021-2024. Table 4 - Rhenium elemental and isotopic measurements in igneous rocks from Iceland (Helka magmatic evolution sequence collected in the 2000s and 2010s) and Mid-Ocean Ridge in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and analysed in 2019-2024. Table 5 - Rhenium isotopes in river sediments and river waters of the northern Mackenzie River basin, Canada, delta region, including Peel and Arctic Red Rivers. Materials were collected between 2017 and 2018 and analysed in 2019. Table 6 - Rhenium isotope measurements on Jurassic aged sedimentary rocks from the MOCHRAS core. Materials were processed and analysed between 2022 and 2025. Together, these data provide a step change in our understanding of the rhenium isotope system and how it can be applied to understand pressing environmental science questions.
1) Sample collection via established and tested methods. 2) preparation of sample materials, including acid digestions of solid materials, and pre-concentration of Re in water samples using column chemistry 3) laboratory purification of rhenium using anion exchange column chemistry in metal-free, clean laboratory conditions 4) measurements of element abundance (Q-ICP-MS) and isotope composition (MC-ICP-MS) by plasma sourced mass spectrometry. Tungsten was used to correct for mass bias. 5) Quality control was determined using procedural blanks, certified and community accepted standards subjected to the analytical procedures of the samples.
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre