Helium isotope ratios and techtonics

• SANO Yuji

  Laboratory for Earthquake Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• ヘリウム同位体比とテクトニクス (1987年度日本地球化学会奨励賞受賞記念)
• ヘリウム ドウイタイヒ ト テクトニクス 1987ネンド ニホン チキュウ カ

Abstract

Recent achievements on helium isotope study are reviewed in the paper. Helium-3 is a unique nuclide which indicates a primordial signature, while most of helium-4 is produced by the radioactive decay of U and Th in crustal rocks. The ³He/⁴He ratios provide useful information on the origin of terrestrial gas and rock samples. It is confirmed that there is a close correlation between the ³He/⁴He ratio of gas and rock samples and the geotectonic structure of the sampling sites. The ³He/⁴He ratio in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) as well as in thermal fluids emitting from a ridge crest is very uniform with the value of 1.2×10^-5 for samples collected at global spreading centers. The MORB type helium is considered to be representative of the Earth's upper mantle. Volcanic gases and rocks from hot spot regions such as Iceland and Hawaii indicate higher ³He/⁴He ratios than that of MORB, suggesting their deeper origin. Geographical distributions of helium isotope ratios in Japan and New Zealand show a quite similar trend: low ³He/⁴He ratio in the frontal arc region and high in the volcanic arc. The mantle helium in the volcanic arc region may be associated with the diapiric uprise of a magma. The low ³He/⁴He ratio in the frontal arc may be attributed to the accumulation of radiogenic helium in crustal rocks.

Journal

• Chikyukagaku

  Chikyukagaku 22 (1), 1-11, 1988

  The Geochemical Society of Japan

Details

• CRID: 1390282680719732992
• NII Article ID: 110008679805
• NII Book ID: AN00141280
• DOI: 10.14934/chikyukagaku.22.1
• ISSN: 21885923
• ISSN: 03864073
• NDL BIB ID: 3191453
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I3191453
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed