238U 230Th 226Ra Research Articles

238U–230Th–226Ra–210Pb–210Po Disequilibria Constraints on Magma Generation, Ascent, and Degassing during the Ongoing Eruption of Kīlauea

238U–230Th–226Ra–210Pb–210Po Disequilibria Constraints on Magma Generation, Ascent, and Degassing during the Ongoing Eruption of Kīlauea

Isotopic constraints on the genesis and evolution of basanitic lavas at Haleakala, Island of Maui, Hawaii

To understand the dynamics of solid mantle upwelling and melting in the Hawaiian plume, we present new major and trace element data, Nd, Sr, Hf, and Pb isotopic compositions, and 238U–230Th–226Ra and 235U–231Pa–227Ac activities for 13 Haleakala Crater nepheline normative basanites with ages ranging from ∼900 to 4100yr B.P. These basanites of the Hana Volcanics exhibit an enrichment in incompatible trace elements and a more depleted isotopic signature than similarly aged Hawaiian shield lavas from Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Here we posit that as the Pacific lithosphere beneath the active shield volcanoes moves away from the center of the Hawaiian plume, increased incorporation of an intrinsic depleted component with relatively low 206Pb/204Pb produces the source of the basanites of the Hana Volcanics. Haleakala Crater basanites have average (230Th/238U) of 1.23 (n=13), average age-corrected (226Ra/230Th) of 1.25 (n=13), and average (231Pa/235U) of 1.67 (n=4), significantly higher than Kilauea and Mauna Loa tholeiites. U-series modeling shows that solid mantle upwelling velocity for Haleakala Crater basanites ranges from ∼0.7 to 1.0cm/yr, compared to ∼10 to 20cm/yr for tholeiites and ∼1 to 2cm/yr for alkali basalts. These modeling results indicate that solid mantle upwelling rates and porosity of the melting zone are lower for Hana Volcanics basanites than for shield-stage tholeiites from Kilauea and Mauna Loa and alkali basalts from Hualalai. The melting rate, which is directly proportional to both the solid mantle upwelling rate and the degree of melting, is therefore greatest in the center of the Hawaiian plume and lower on its periphery. Our results indicate that solid mantle upwelling velocity is at least 10 times higher at the center of the plume than at its periphery under Haleakala.

Timescales of storage and recycling of crystal mush at Krafla Volcano, Iceland

Processes in upper-crustal magma reservoirs such as recharge, magma mixing, recycling of previously crystallized material, and eruption affect both the physical state and the chemical composition of magmas. A growing body of evidence shows that crystals in intermediate or silicic volcanic rocks preserve records of these processes that may be obscured due to mixing in the liquid fraction of magmas. Fewer studies have focused on crystals in basaltic lavas, but these show evidence for a more subtle, but still rich record of magmatic processes. We present new 238U–230Th–226Ra data for plagioclase, combined with δ18O and trace-element measurements of the same crystal populations, from basalts erupted at Krafla Volcanic Center, Iceland. These data document the presence of multiple crystal populations within each sample, with chemical and oxygen isotope heterogeneity at a variety of scales: within individual crystals, between crystals in a given population, between crystal populations within the same sample, and between crystals in lavas erupted from different vents during the same eruption. Comparison to whole-rock or groundmass data shows that the majority of macroscopic crystals are not in trace-element or oxygen isotope equilibrium with their host liquids. The most likely explanation for these data is that the macroscopic crystals originated within a highly heterogeneous crystal mush in the shallow magma reservoir system. U-series and diffusion data indicate that the crystals (and therefore the mush) formed recently (likely within a few thousand years of eruption, and with a maximum age of 8–9 ka), and that the crystals resided in their host magma prior to eruption for decades to a few centuries at most. These data, in conjunction with other recent studies, suggest a model where erupted Icelandic magmas are the result of diverse magmas entering the crust, followed by complex interactions between melts and previously crystallized material at all crustal levels.

231Pa systematics in postglacial volcanic rocks from Iceland

Several recent studies have highlighted the potential of combined 238U–230Th and 235U–231Pa systematics to constrain upwelling rates and the role of recycled mafic lithologies in mantle plume-derived basalts. Accordingly, we present measurements of the 231Pa concentrations from 26 mafic volcanic rocks from Iceland, including off-axis basalts from the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, to complement previously published 238U–230Th–226Ra data. 231Pa concentrations vary from 27 to 624fg/g and (231Pa/235U) ratios from 1.12 to 2.11 with the exception of one anomalous sample from the Southeast Rift which has a 231Pa deficit with (231Pa/235U)=0.86. An important new result is that basalts from the Southeast Rift and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula define a trend at relatively low (231Pa/235U) for a given (230Th/238U) ratio. Many of the remaining samples fall in or around the global field for ocean island basalts but those from the Mid-Iceland Belt and the Southwest Rift/Reykjanes Peninsula extend to higher (231Pa/235U) ratios at a given (230Th/238U), similar to mid-ocean ridge basalts. In principle, these lavas could result from melting of peridotite at lower pressures. However, there is no reason to suspect that the Mid-Iceland Belt and the Southwest Rift lavas reflect shallower melting than elsewhere in Iceland. In our preferred model, these lavas reflect melting of garnet peridotite whereas those from the Southeast Rift and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula contain a significant contribution (up to 20%) of melt from garnet pyroxenite. This is consistent with incompatible trace element and radiogenic isotope evidence for recycled oceanic crust in these lavas. There is increasing agreement that the displacement of ocean island basalts to lower (231Pa/235U) ratios at a given (230Th/238U), compared to mid-ocean ridge basalts, reflects the role of recycled mafic lithologies such as garnet pyroxenite as well as higher average pressures of melting. It now seems likely that this interpretation may have more general application to plume-affected MORB that exhibit the same U-series disequilibria characteristics.

Mid-ocean ridge basalt generation along the slow-spreading, South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (5–11°S): Inferences from 238U–230Th–226Ra disequilibria

U-series disequilibria have provided important constraints on the physical processes of partial melting that produce basaltic magma beneath mid-ocean ridges. Here we present the first 238U–230Th–226Ra isotope data for a suite of 83 basalts sampled between 5°S and 11°S along the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This section of the ridge can be divided into 5 segments (A0–A4) and the depths to the ridge axis span much of the global range, varying from 1429 to 4514m. Previous work has also demonstrated that strong trace element and radiogenic isotope heterogeneity existed in the source regions of these basalts. Accordingly, this area provides an ideal location in which to investigate the effects of both inferred melt column length and recycled materials. 226Ra–230Th disequilibria indicate that the majority of the basalts are less than a few millennia old such that their 230Th values do not require any age correction. The U–Th isotope data span a significant range from secular equilibrium up to 32% 230Th excess, also similar to the global range, and vary from segment to segment. However, the (230Th/238U) ratios are not negatively correlated with axial depth and the samples with the largest 230Th excesses come from the deepest ridge segment (A1). Two sub-parallel and positively sloped arrays (for segments A0–2 and A3 and A4) between (230Th/238U) and Th/U ratios can be modelled in various ways as mixing between melts from peridotite and recycled mafic lithologies. Despite abundant evidence for source heterogeneity, there is no simple correlation between (230Th/238U) and radiogenic isotope ratios suggesting that at least some of the trace element and radiogenic isotope variability may have been imparted to the source regions >350kyr prior to partial melting to produce the basalts. In our preferred model, the two (230Th/238U) versus Th/U arrays can be explained by mixing of melts from one or more recycled mafic lithologies with melts derived from chemically heterogeneous peridotite source regions.

Timescales of crustal magma reservoir processes: insights from U-series crystal ages

Abstract The dynamic processes operating within crustal magma reservoirs control many aspects of the chemical composition of erupted magmas, and crystals in volcanic rocks provide a temporally constrained archive of these changing environments. In this review, I compile 238 U– 230 Th ages of accessory phases and 238 U– 230 Th– 226 Ra ages of bulk mineral separates of major phases. These data document that crystals in individual samples can have ages spanning most of the history of a volcanic centre. Age populations for accessory phases show protracted pre-eruptive crystal residence times but few crystals predate magmatic activity at a given centre. These data have been interpreted in the context of residence times of the host magmas or timescales of the storage of crystals within a largely crystalline portion of the reservoir system. In contrast, less than half of the bulk separate 238 U– 230 Th– 226 Ra ages for major phases are more than 10 kyr older than the eruption. Many of these apparently conflicting observations of ages of major and accessory phases can be reconciled within the context of a model where a crystal mush was remobilized during processes leading to eruption. Overall, the compiled data show that crystals contain rich archives of magmatic processes in crustal reservoirs, especially when combined with other crystal-scale geochemical data. Supplementary material: Compilation of U–Th–Pb ages of accessory phases and associated references are available at www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18820

Melting versus contamination effects on 238U–230Th–226Ra and 235U–231Pa disequilibria in lavas from São Miguel, Azores

The island of São Miguel, Azores piques geochemical interest due to a strikingly large range in the long-lived radiogenic isotope ratios of its lavas. The ‘enriched’ signatures (e.g., radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr and unradiogenic 143Nd/144Nd) observed in lavas found in the east of the island have been proposed to originate from recycled crustal components in their mantle sources. Such fertile lithologies should have higher melt productivities (amount of melt generated per decrement in pressure) than peridotitic mantle and this heritage ought to be evident in the U-series signatures of melts derived from such materials. Specifically, combined 238U–230Th and 235U–231Pa disequilibria in erupted lavas should identify significant differences in the melting rate and/or the mineralogical makeup of their sources (e.g., the amount of garnet). To this end, new 238U–230Th–226Ra and 235U–231Pa disequilibria are presented for sixteen mafic lavas (<50wt.% SiO2) that encompass the full range of São Miguel's long-lived radiogenic isotope variability. However, primary U-series signatures of mafic lavas can be influenced by assimilation of more differentiated products. Notably, syenite nodules and cumulate alkali feldspar xenocrysts have been identified in São Miguel basalts. We argue that secondary contamination of basalts is most evident in the hugely variable 230Th–226Ra disequilibria (~18% deficits to >300% excesses of 226Ra) that strongly correlate with Ba/Th ratios. The longer-lived U-series nuclides are only slightly perturbed in a number of the more enriched lavas, resulting in increased noise in the dataset. In apparently uncontaminated samples, isotopically depleted lavas from the west of São Miguel display slightly higher 230Th and 231Pa excesses than the enriched samples from the east. The U-series signature of the enriched lavas can be modeled with a combination of higher absolute values of D¯UU and D¯Th, coupled with higher melting rates compared to the depleted western source. These parameters are consistent with a peridotite source enriched with contributions from more fusible lithologies such as eclogite and/or pyroxenite in the eastern source, but not with direct derivation from such fusible lithologies. The only subtle variations in U-series isotopes coupled with large, systematic variations in radiogenic isotope compositions suggest that enriched components and/or their melts are well-mixed with mantle peridotite, thus masking their distinctive melting behavior. Finally, basalts from Sete Cidades volcano in the west of São Miguel have very similar long-lived isotope compositions and U-series disequilibria to basalts from the island of Pico, Azores. The geochemical similarity of lavas from islands at the center and periphery of the archipelago argue against systematic differences in melting behavior related to sampling different portions of an underlying plume structure.

238U–230Th equilibrium in arc magmas and implications for the time scales of mantle metasomatism

Large excesses of 238U and 226Ra relative to 230Th characterize many arc magmas and are commonly interpreted to represent recent addition of slab-derived fluid to the mantle wedge beneath the arc. A significant proportion of arc magmas are, however, in 238U–230Th radioactive equilibrium. This is generally thought to result from “buffering” of the young slab fluid U-series signal by a sediment component in secular equilibrium. Here we present new 238U–230Th–226Ra and 235U–231Pa measurements for historic andesites from Volcán de Colima, Mexico. In all lavas (230Th/238U) are in equilibrium, whereas (231Pa/235U) and (226Ra/230Th) are significantly greater than one. These data demonstrate that arc magmas with (230Th/238U) equilibrium can have significant 231Pa and 226Ra excesses, precluding ageing of the magmas in the crust as the cause of 230Th/238U equilibrium. Quantitative modeling of metasomatic and melting processes further indicates that addition of sediment melts to a depleted mantle wedge produces significant 230Th excesses and that 238U excesses induced by recent addition of fluids derived from the altered oceanic crust are not sufficient to compensate these 230Th excesses. U-series activity ratios in Colima magmas are best explained by models in which the metasomatised mantle returns to secular equilibrium before melting, implying a time lag ⩾350 kyr, with subsequent production of 231Pa and 226Ra excesses by in-growth during melting rather than by addition of slab fluids. Investigation of a global compilation of U-series data in arc magma indicates that our model proposed for Colima applies to most arc magmas in or near (230Th–238U) equilibrium. The time lag between mantle metasomatism and melting appears to vary between hundreds years to more than 350 kyr in subduction zones. We posit that the absence of U/Th elemental fractionation during melting of arc sources in (230Th/238U) equilibrium reflects a higher fO2 compared to MORB sources that yield magmas with 230Th excesses.

Melt generation beneath Arctic Ridges: Implications from U decay series disequilibria in the Mohns, Knipovich, and Gakkel Ridges

We present new 238U–230Th–226Ra–210Pb, 235U–231Pa, and Nd, Sr, Hf, and Pb isotope data for the slow- to ultraslow-spreading Mohns, Knipovich, and Gakkel Ridges. Combined with previous work, our data from the Arctic Ridges cover the full range of axial depths from the deep northernmost Gakkel Ridge shallowing upwards to the Knipovich, Mohns, and Kolbeinsey Ridges north of Iceland. Age-constrained samples from the Mohns and Knipovich Ridges have (230Th/238U) activity ratios ranging from 1.165 to 1.30 and 1.101 to 1.225, respectively. The high 230Th excesses of Kolbeinsey, Mohns, and Knipovich mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) are erupted from ridges producing relatively thin (Mohns, Knipovich) to thick (Kolbeinsey) oceanic crust with evidence for sources ranging from mostly peridotite (Kolbeinsey) to eclogite-rich mantle (Mohns, Knipovich). Age-constrained lavas from 85°E on the Gakkel Ridge, on the other hand, overlie little to no crust and range from small (∼5%) 230Th excesses to small 238U excesses (∼5%). The strong negative correlation between (230Th/238U) values vs. axial ridge depth among Arctic ridge basalts is controlled not only by solidus depth influence on 238U–230Th disequilibria, but also by variations in mantle source lithology and depth to the base of the lithosphere, which is expected to vary at ultra-slow spreading ridges. Small 231Pa excesses (65% excess) in age-constrained basalts support the presence of eclogite in the mantle source for this region. Conversely, the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel Ridge basalts are homogeneous, with Sr, Nd, and Hf radiogenic isotopic signatures indicative of a long time-averaged depleted mantle source. The Gakkel samples have minimum (226Ra/230Th) ratios ranging from 3.07 to 3.65±3%, which lie along and extend the global negative correlation between 226Ra and 230Th excesses observed in MORB. The new 230Th–226Ra data support a model for global MORB production in which deep melts record interaction with shallower materials. This scenario requires either mixing with shallow-derived melts, or melt-rock reaction with shallower rocks in the lithosphere or crust.

Sill to surface: Linking young off-axis volcanism with subsurface melt at the overlapping spreading center at 9°03′N East Pacific Rise

No young, off-axis, mid-ocean ridge lavas have yet been directly linked to underlying off-axis melt bodies. In this study, we present new measurements of 238U–230Th–226Ra–210Pb isotope compositions for a suite of lavas from the overlapping spreading center (OSC) at 9°03′N on the East Pacific Rise (EPR). These lavas span a large range of compositions, from basalt to dacite, and include both axial and off-axis samples recovered from a prominent, axis-parallel pillow ridge and a flat-topped seamount that overlie the westernmost extent of a 4-km-wide melt lens (Kent et al., 2000). We report 210Pb excesses in axial basalts and basaltic andesites, which we suggest results from gas-magma fractionation of 222Rn from 226Ra beneath dacite magmas. In addition, our U-series ages agree with visual observations, indicating that while most recent volcanic activity occurs at the spreading axis, active volcanism also occurs away from the axis. Specifically, the off-axis pillow ridge and seamount samples overlying the off-axis subsurface melt body have eruption ages of less than 8ka, and likely as young as 1ka, despite being located on crust that has a spreading age of ~75ka. The young ages of these lavas, combined with existing geological, geochemical and geophysical constraints, provide evidence for a genetic link between the pillow ridge and seamount lavas and the seismically imaged, underlying off-axis melt lens. This link demonstrates that off-axis volcanism does not necessarily come from a sub-axial magma body and can be sourced directly from off-axis magma bodies.

On the Time Scales of Magma Genesis, Melt Evolution, Crystal Growth Rates and Magma Degassing in the Erebus Volcano Magmatic System Using the 238U, 235U and 232Th Decay Series

We investigate the time scales of magma genesis, melt evolution, crystal growth rates and magma degassing in the Erebus volcano magmatic system using measurements of 238U–230Th–226Ra–210Pb–210Po, 232Th–228Ra–228Th and 235U–231Pa–227Ac. These are the first measurements of 231Pa–227Ac in volcanic samples and represent the first set of data in a volcanic system to examine the entire suite of relevant 238U, 235U and 232Th decay series nuclides. Our sample suite consists of 22 phonolite volcanic bombs, erupted between 1972 and 2005, and five anorthoclase megacrysts separated from bombs erupted in 1984, 1989, 1993, 2004 and 2005. The 238U–230Th, 230Th–226Ra and 235U–231Pa systems are uniform over the 34 years examined. The anorthoclase megacrysts and phonolite glasses show complementary 226Ra/230Th disequilibria with (226Ra/230Th) ∼40 in the anorthoclase and ∼0·75 in the phonolite glass. In all samples, (210Pb/226Ra) is in radioactive equilibrium for both phases. In two phonolite glass samples (227Ac/231Pa) is unity. For the phonolite glasses (228Ra/232Th) is in equilibrium, whereas in the anorthoclase megacrysts it is significantly greater than unity. Instantaneous crystal fractionation, with magma residence times greater than 100 years and less than 10 kyr, can account for the measured 238U–230Th–226Ra–210Pb and 235U–231Pa–227Ac. However, the significant 228Ra/232Th disequilibria in the anorthoclase megacrysts preclude this simple interpretation. To account for this apparent discrepancy we therefore developed an open-system, continuous crystallization model that incorporates both nuclide ingrowth and decay during crystallization. This open-system model successfully reproduces all of the measured 238U and 232Th disequilibria and suggests that the shallow magma reservoir at Erebus is growing. The implication of this modeling is that when the time scale of crystallization is comparable with the half-life of the daughter nuclide of interest (e.g. 226Ra) the simple isochron techniques typically used in most U-series studies can provide erroneous ages. The observation that (210Pb/226Ra) and (227Ac/231Pa) are in radioactive equilibrium suggests that the residence time of the magmas is >100 years. When considering the effect of 222Rn degassing on 210Pb/226Ra, the data indicate that the majority of magma degassing is deep and long before eruption, consistent with melt inclusion data. Additionally, for the 2005 lava bomb, whose eruption date (16 December 2005) is known explicitly, 210Po was not completely degassed from the magma at the time of eruption. Incomplete degassing of 210Po is atypical for subaerially erupted lavas and suggests that the Erebus shallow magma degasses about 1% of its Po per day. The combined 238U and 232Th data further indicate that the pyroclasts ejected by Strombolian eruptions at Erebus have compositions that are close to what would be expected for a near-steady-state system, reflecting inmixing of degassed magmas, crystal fractionation, and aging.

Constraints on crystal storage timescales in mixed magmas: Uranium-series disequilibria in plagioclase from Holocene magmas at Mount Hood, Oregon

Uranium-series crystal ages, interpreted within a textural and geochemical framework, can provide insight into crystal storage timescales, especially in cases where crystals may derive from multiple sources. We report here 230Th–226Ra model ages of two distinct populations of plagioclase from low silica dacites from Mount Hood, Oregon, a volcano where previous studies show that the compositions of erupted magmas are controlled by magma recharge, mixing, and incorporation of plagioclase derived from mafic and silicic end-member magmas. We have measured trace element concentrations and 238U–230Th–226Ra disequilibria in four plagioclase size fractions from the Timberline (1500a) and Old Maid (215a) eruptive sequences. After correction for groundmass and apatite contamination, average 230Th–226Ra model ages of large (>500μm) plagioclase are >4.5ka (Timberline) and >5.5ka (Old Maid), with ages of cores that are >10ka in each case, indicating that plagioclase derived from silicic magmas crystallized thousands of years before eruptions. These model ages are longer than timescales of repose between eruptions, indicating that these crystals resided in the sub-surface over multiple eruptions, likely stored in a silicic crystal mush zone that periodically interacts with mafic recharge magmas, remobilizing a fraction of the large plagioclase crystals during each eruptive event. After correction for large plagioclase contamination, small (<500μm) plagioclase, derived from mafic magmas, have high (226Ra)/Ba relative to equilibrium with liquid proxies (groundmass and mafic inclusion), leading to 230Th–226Ra model ages that are <~3ka for Old Maid and undefined for Timberline separates. However, the preservation of significant 230Th–226Ra disequilibria require that the majority of crystals in the separate are young (<<10ka). The high (226Ra)/[Ba] could potentially be explained by rapid crystallization immediately prior to and/or during mixing events, consistent with evidence of rapid crystallization of rims. Rapid crystallization of mafic intrusions may trigger eruption at Mount Hood by producing a partially-crystalline mafic magma capable of mixing with a reheated silicic crystal mush.

Chemical and isotopic variations in Mauna Loa tholeiites

A suite of basaltic lavas of known eruption age from Mauna Loa, Hawaii, has provided the basis for a detailed investigation of the evolution of the melting process beneath Hawaii. High-precision 238U 230Th 226Ra measurements by mass spectrometry reveal that ( 230Th 238U ) ratios are close to 1.02 in all samples younger than ∼ 7 ka, and that age-corrected ( 226Ra 230Th ) ratios for three samples less than ∼ 2 ka are ∼ 1.15–1.20. These results are indistinguishable from the disequilibria reported previously for young Kilauea lavas and are consistent with dynamic mantle melting within the garnet stability field at high melting rates (> 0.001 kg m −3 a −1) and low porosities (< 0.1%). Somewhat greater ( 230Th 238U ) ratios of up to ∼ 1.16 are found in some older Mauna Loa lavas, but these are likely to have resulted from post-eruptive loss of U by weathering as ( 230Th 238U ) ratios correlate positively with Th U ratios and inversely with K and Rb abundances. Sr and Nd isotopes define an excellent inverse correlation even though the total range in 143Nd 144Nd is only ∼ 1 ϵ Nd. However, changes in the Sr and Nd isotopic compositions over the last ∼ 30 ka have not been progressive but have occurred rapidly and with an apparent cyclicity of ∼ 4–5 ka. Moreover, these isotopic changes are mirrored by cyclical changes in certain trace element abundance ratios. If the melts were produced within a single melting column, then all elements must have travelled at similar velocities because the isotopic and abundance ratios of elements of widely differing compatibilities ( 143Nd 144Nd , 87Sr 86Sr , Ba, Th, La, Yb) vary coherently in the lavas. In this scenario, chromatographic exchange between melt and matrix must have been minimal. However, it is more likely that the lava compositions record the mixing of melts from two or more source regions of different compositions. ( 226Ra 230Th ) ratios in excess of unity in the lavas indicate that the transport of melt was rapid after leaving the melt column and suggest that melt movement through the lithosphere took place in cracks or fractures.

238U 230Th 226Ra disequilibria in volcanics: A new insight into melting conditions

Using new mass spectrometry techniques developed for the analysis of Ra isotopes, we present 238U 230Th 226Ra disequilibria data from a variety of volcanic settings, and we compare them with previously published data. Two correlations are observed with alkali volcanic data, one between [ 230 Th 238 U ] and [ 230 Th 226 Ra ] and another between the intensity of the disequilibria and the buoyancy flux of the underlying plume. These two correlations prove that partial melting is the major cause of UThRa fractionations in this volcanic context. The 238U 230Th 226Ra disequilibria then place new constraints on some parameters of the classical melting models (batch melting and dynamic melting). We show, nevertheless, that these estimates remain very speculative. The comparison of 238U 230Th 226Ra disequilibria in alkali volcanics, carbonatites and subduction zones shows a clear parallel between the disequilibria value and the type of volcanic context. Such a parallel reflects the diversity of the conditions of magma generation, and shows that the 238U 230Th 226Ra disequilibria systematics are very dependent on the chemical composition of liquids produced during magmatic processes. A systematic difference is observed between disequilibria in MORB and in alkali volcanics, which could indicate that the melting processes in these two volcanic contexts are very different.

238U 230Th 226Ra and 235U 231Pa disequilibria produced by mantle melting with porous and channel flows

A one-dimensional melting model for radioactive decay series is presented, incorporating melt transport by porous flow, with diffusive chemical interaction between melt and solid matrix, and instantaneous melt ascent through chemically isolated channels. If melt transport through the channels is dominant, the melting is essentially similar to fractional melting. A significant radioactive disequilibrium can be produced near the bottom of the melting column if mantle upwelling velocity is 10 −10 m/s or less, although the time available for producing radioactive disequilibrium is limited, due to efficient element extraction from the solid. Fast melt transport through channels can retain the disequilibrium up to the surface. In this case a small amount of melting (∼ 0.5%) of garnet peridotite can account for an activity ratio ( 230 Th) ( 238 U) of ⪢ 1, despite a successively larger amount of melting of spinel peridotite. If porous flow is dominant, compositions of melt and solid are similar to those produced by batch melting because the melt can re-equilibrate with the solid. The time available for producing radioactive disequilibrium is longer than that for melting with channel flow. However, the slow melt percolation and continuous chemical reaction with spinel peridotites buffer the ( 230 Th) ( 238 U) of the percolating melt around unity. For realistic melting conditions, local chemical disequilibrium probably has an insignificant effect on the activity ratios, except that ( 226 Ra) ( 230 Th) can be greatly decreased by a small degree of chemical disequilibrium. Comparisons between model predictions and observed activity ratios suggest that fast melt transport through chemically isolated channels is dominant beneath mid-ocean ridges, whereas melt transport within the Hawaiian plume is not constrained: the full range of models from porous to channel flow is possible.