Rare Earth Elements Behaviour During Alteration of Basaltic Glasses: Case of the Weathering of Icelandic Hyaloclastites

Abstract

ABSTRACTSubglacial basaltic glasses from Iceland have been studied in order to investigate REE behaviour during low-temperature weathering. As heavy elements accumulate in the hydrated superficial corrosion layer of borosilicate glasses, REE are found to be enriched in the natural corrosion layer of basaltic glasses (palagonite). However, mass balance calculations performed for our natural samples evidenced that this enrichment is only relative: the corrosion process leads to absolute losses of elements including REE.