Tracing slab dehydration using neon and argon isotope systematics in high pressure minerals

Abstract:

Mounting evidence suggests that noble gases are transported from Earth’s surface reservoirs back into the mantle during subduction of oceanic lithosphere [e.g. 1]. Recent experiments [2] show that noble gases are relatively soluble in ring-structured minerals, such as amphibole, highlighting the potential for hydrated oceanic crust to control the input flux of noble gases into subduction zones. However, it is unclear whether the return flux of noble gases is controlled by mineral solubility alone or whether diffusive loss during subduction is important. Here, we address this issue by combining the solubility data with recently acquired He and Ne [3], and previously published Ar [4], diffusivity measurements in amphibole to parameterize a diffusion-solubility model, simulating noble gas fractionation during subduction. The model predicts that the light noble gases, He and Ne, are efficiently extracted from hot slabs at depths shallower than 50 km, whereas Ar and, by implication, Kr and Xe are retained in the slab past sub-arc depths. Conversely, cold slabs with low porosity volume fractions have the potential to recycle Ne. Our modelling shows that the Ne/Ar elemental ratio of slab minerals is strongly influenced by thermal regime and grain boundary porosity. We test these predictions against a new laser fusion dataset of Ne and Ar isotopic measurements in high-pressure minerals from a suite of exhumed high-pressure rocks that have experienced varying degrees of subduction and dehydration. Refs: [1] Holland, G. and Ballentine, C. (2006). Nature 441, 186-191. [2] Jackson et al. (2013). Nat.Geosci. 6, 562-565. [3] Jackson et al. submitted. [4] Harrison, T.M. (1981). CMP 78, 324-331.