Molybdenum isotope fractionation in glacial diamictites tracks the onset of oxidative weathering of the continental crust

Molybdenum isotopes in twenty-four composites of glacial diamictites spanning depositional ages of 2900 to 300 Ma show a systematic shift to lighter compositions and a decrease in Mo concentration over time. The diamictites fall into three age groups relative to the Great Oxidation Event (GOE): pre-GOE (2.43 – 2.90 Ga), syn-GOE (2.20 – 2.39 Ga), and post-GOE (0.33 – 0.75 Ga). Pre-GOE composites have an average δ98MoNIST3134 of +0.03‰ (± 0.18‰),...