Major element, volatile, and stable isotope geochemistry of Hawaiian submarine tholeiitic glasses

Abstract

Tholeiitic glasses were dredged from the submarine rift zones of the five volcanoes comprising the island of Hawaii and Loihi Seamount. The major element composition of the glasses follows a systematic trend that is related to the stage of evolution of the volcano. Glasses from Loihi Seamount (the youngest Hawaiian volcano) are enriched in Fe, Ca, Ti, Na, and K and depleted in Si and Al relative to the glasses from the other, older volcanoes. Kilauea is intermediate in age and its glasses are intermediate in composition between those from Loihi and Mauna Loa, the largest and oldest of the active Hawaiian tholeiitic volcanoes. The volatile contents (H20, CO2, S, F, Cl) of the glasses from these volcanoes follow the same trend (highest in Loihi; lowest in Mauna Loa). Glasses from Hualalai Volcano are similar in composition to those from Mauna Loa; those from Kohala Volcano are similar to Kilauea; Mauna Kea glasses range from Mauna Loa‐like to Kilauea‐like. The observed systematic variation in composition of Hawaiian tholeiites may be related to the progressive melting and depletion of the source of these volcanoes during their growth. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope analyses were made on many of the glasses from each volcano. The δ18O values of Hawaiian tholeiites are distinctly lower than those of mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) (averages: 5.1 versus 5.7). These low values are probably a distinct feature of hot spot lavas. The δD values for these glasses (−88 to −61) are typical of mantle and MORB values. Thus the H2O in the Hawaiian glasses is probably of magmatic origin. Previous isotopic and trace element data indicate that the source of Hawaiian tholeiites contains two distinct source components. Based on the results of this study, the plume component in the source for Hawaiian tholeiites is characterized by moderate 87Sr/86Sr (0.7035–0.7037) and 206Pb/204Pb ratios (18.6–18.7), a low δ18O value (∼5.0), and greater contents of volatiles, Fe, Ca, Ti, Na and K relative to the MORB source.