Research progress on Cr isotopes in high temperature magmatic processes: A review

Chromium (Cr) is a redox active transition metal, a moderately compatible, slightly ferriphilic element in magmatic processes. Cr occurs in three valence states in the silicate Earth: bivalent Cr(II), trivalent Cr(III) and hexavalent Cr(VI). It can be found in various minerals and rocks with different origins, thus Cr isotopes can provide valuable information on the genesis, redox condition and mineralization history of these Earth materials. To date, Cr isotopes have been widely used in various research fields, including modern environment, paleoenvironment, planetary evolution, and high-temperature geological processes. Understanding of Cr isotope geochemistry in magmatic processes, such as stable Cr isotope inventory of reservoirs and high temperature Cr isotope fractionation mechanism, provides basis for other studies. Especially with the development of mass spectrometry, interests in the behavior and mechanism of high temperature Cr isotope fractionation have increased in recent years. In this paper, we review the latest research progress on Cr isotope compositions of different reservoirs and Cr isotopes in high temperature magmatic processes. © 2022, Editorial Office of Earth Science Frontiers. All right reserved.