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Major and Rare Gases at White Island Volcano, New Zealand: Origin and Flux of Volatiles
Author(s) -
Marty Bernard,
Giggenbach Werner F.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl017i003p00247
Subject(s) - volcano , mantle (geology) , crust , volcanic gases , geology , impact crater , helium , sulfur , environmental science , earth science , geochemistry , astrobiology , chemistry , atomic physics , physics , organic chemistry
Analyses of fumarolic gases at White Island, New Zealand, are reported with special emphasis on rare gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe). Normalization of major species to rare gases have lead to the identification of several sources: air‐saturated meteoric (or marine) water, a magma body, the crust and/or sediments. When compared to Mid Ocean Ridge discharges, the White Island gas discharge represents about 3%, 0.7%, 0.1% and 0.05% of the global water, carbon, sulfur and Helium‐3 discharges, respectively. This balance shows that, except for 3 He which derives from the mantle, practically all rare gases, water and carbon, and part of sulfur, derive from originally superficial sources.