Helium not in store

Class and Goldstein investigated strontium, neodymium and lead isotopic ratios of the oceanic island basalts with the highest lighter helium isotopes/heavier helium isotopes ratios and show that these rocks are derived from mantle that is relatively depleted in so-called incompatible elements--eleme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 2005-08, Vol.436 (7054), p.1095-1096
Main Author: White, William M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basalt
Degassing
Geophysics
Helium
Isotopes
Neodymium
Oceans
Rocks
Strontium
Volcanoes
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Summary:Class and Goldstein investigated strontium, neodymium and lead isotopic ratios of the oceanic island basalts with the highest lighter helium isotopes/heavier helium isotopes ratios and show that these rocks are derived from mantle that is relatively depleted in so-called incompatible elements--elements that are not readily accomodated in mantle minerals and are easily extracted by partial melting. Against expectation, therefore, it is rocks that have most obviously been melted and undergone degassing that have the highest lighter helium isotopes/heavier helium isotopes ratios. Lower lighter helium isotopes/heavier helium isotopes ratios, indicating a high degree of degassing, are found in those oceanic island basalts whose other isotope ratios are closest to the expected primordial values.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/4361095a