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Mantle helium in ground waters of eastern North America; time and space constraints on sources

Thomas Torgersen, Stefan Drenkard, Martin Stute, Peter Schlosser and Allen M. Shapiro
Mantle helium in ground waters of eastern North America; time and space constraints on sources
Geology (Boulder) (August 1995) 23 (8): 675-678

Abstract

Mantle helium in continental environments is generally considered to be the result of active volcanism and/or active extension. The latest episodes of volcanism in northeastern North America are the track of the New England hotspot (95-190 Ma) and the closure of the Iapetus sea (before 300 Ma). Thus, the identification of mantle helium in young ground waters of central New England is counter to the conventional wisdom. On the basis of evaluation of helium evolution in emplaced magmas, we postulate an "aged" mantle source for the excess helium component in ground waters of central New England that is either (1) a local, near-surface-emplaced, gas-rich magma that has retained significant volatiles (e.g., in fluid inclusions) or (2) a deeply emplaced gas-rich magma with high initial (super 3) He/ (super 4) He (10 (super -5) ) and helium transport (with dispersion) through the crust over time. This gas-rich initial condition may support the concept of a volatile-enriched mantle wedge and thus explain the increased buoyancy flux of the New England hotspot as it traversed eastern North America, as has been suggested by others.


ISSN: 0091-7613
EISSN: 1943-2682
Coden: GLGYBA
Serial Title: Geology (Boulder)
Serial Volume: 23
Serial Issue: 8
Title: Mantle helium in ground waters of eastern North America; time and space constraints on sources
Affiliation: University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences, Groton, CT, United States
Pages: 675-678
Published: 199508
Text Language: English
Publisher: Geological Society of America (GSA), Boulder, CO, United States
References: 21
Accession Number: 1995-053220
Categories: HydrogeologyHydrochemistry
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Annotation: Lamont-Doherty Earth Obs., Contrib. No. 5305
Illustration Description: illus. incl. sketch map
N43°56'40" - N43°56'40", W71°41'30" - W71°41'30"
Secondary Affiliation: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, USA, United StatesU. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA, United States
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2017, American Geosciences Institute. Reference includes data supplied by the Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, United States
Update Code: 199519
Program Name: USGSOPNon-USGS publications with USGS authors
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