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Helium isotope ratios in circum-Pacific volcanic arcs

Nature volume 338, pages 473–478 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

Volcanoes in the 'Ring of Fire' surrounding the Pacific Ocean are sited on tectonic arc segments marking the great subduction zones where oceanic crust returns to the mantle. Helium isotope ratios in volcanic gases along these arcs are close to those found in mid-ocean-ridge basalts, revealing the presence of primordial 3He released from the wedge of mantle material above the sinking plate. These results show that although the subduction of oceanic crust drives the arc volcanism, the subducted crust itself does not contribute a major fraction of the upwelling magma.

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Author notes

  1. R. Poreda

    Present address: Department of Geological Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Isotope Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA

    R. Poreda & H. Craig

Authors
  1. R. Poreda
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  2. H. Craig
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Poreda, R., Craig, H. Helium isotope ratios in circum-Pacific volcanic arcs. Nature 338, 473–478 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/338473a0

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