Insights into the origin of low- δ18O basaltic magmas in Hawaii revealed from in situ measurements of oxygen isotope compositions of olivines

Abstract

In situ measurements of oxygen isotope and elemental compositions of olivines from subaerial Mauna Kea lavas reveal that their δ 18O values correlate positively with their forsterite contents, consistent with addition of one or more low- δ 18O components into magmas from which they grew over the course of their crystallization–differentiation histories. This result supports previous suggestions that low- δ 18O components to Mauna Kea lavas are contaminants derived from hydrothermally-altered rocks in the volcanic edifice or lithosphere, rather than components of the underlying mantle sources of these lavas. The slope of the correlation between δ 18O values and forsterite contents of olivines is steeper for subaerial Mauna Kea lavas than for submarine Mauna Kea lavas, and olivines from Mauna Loa lavas exhibit negligible changes in δ 18O values over a similar range of forsterite contents. Models of assimilation–fractional crystallization (AFC) processes can explain our observations if the δ 18O values of crustal contaminants decrease sharply at the submarine–subaerial transition in Mauna Kea volcano, and if Mauna Loa lavas are either uncontaminated or contaminated only by rocks that have δ 18O values similar to that of primary Mauna Loa magmas. We suggest that the differences in oxygen isotope systematics among Mauna Loa, submarine Mauna Kea and subaerial Mauna Kea lavas principally reflect the sources and amounts of water available to hydrothermal systems in the volcanic edifice.