Noble gas systematics of deep rift zone glasses from Loihi Seamount, Hawaii

Abstract

We report new noble gas fusion and crushing data for six pillow rim glasses, recovered between 3 and 5 km water depth on the south rift zone of Loihi Seamount, Hawaii. Helium abundances of the glasses vary from 0.3 to 2.3 μcc/g, with 4He/3He ratios between 30000 and 27000 (24–27 RA), similar to previously reported values. The neon data form a correlation line which is similar to the Loihi-Kilauea line reported by Honda et al. [1], but extends to much higher ratios, up to 12.9 and 0.0382 for the 20Ne/22Ne and 21Ne/22Ne ratios, respectively. This provides conclusive evidence for the suggestion that the Hawaiian plume, thought to originate in the lower mantle, has a solar-like 20Ne/22Ne composition [1], but a slightly higher 21Ne/22Ne ratio. 40Ar/36Ar ratios of the deep rift-zone glasses are as high as 2600, and show a positive correlation with neon isotopic ratios. In contrast to neon and argon, all xenon isotopic compositions are isotopically indistinguishable from air, which either suggests preferential atmospheric contamination of xenon, or could indicate an atmospheric xenon isotopic composition for the lower mantle.