Abstract
OCEAN island basalts (OIBs) have strontium, neodymium and lead isotopic compositions that are different from those of mid-ocean-ridge basalts, (MORBs), reflecting long-term differences in the chemical characteristics of the respective mantle source reservoirs. The high 3He/4He ratios at some islands such as Hawaii and Iceland1–7 indicate that these basalts come from sources that are less degassed than the source of MORB. Many islands exhibit considerable variability in Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes8–10, but detailed studies of temporal variations in helium isotopes have been restricted to Hawaiian volcanoes—at Mauna Loa, for example, significant variations in 3He/4He have been found for the past 30,000 years11. Here we report on 3He/4He ratios from Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Reunion Island. No variations are found over the long time of 360,000 years, indicating a remarkable uniformity of 3He/4He for the (large) mantle source region over this timescale. The He–Sr–Pb systematics at this island may reflect the simultaneous contribution of both recycled materials (perhaps subducted crust) and primitive components to the Réunion source.
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Graham, D., Lupton, J., Albarède, F. et al. Extreme temporal homogeneity of helium isotopes at Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion Island. Nature 347, 545–548 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/347545a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/347545a0
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