School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Nature (2006), V441, pp186-191, doi:10.1038/nature04761
Seawater subduction controls the heavy noble gas composition of the mantle
Greg Holland and Chris J. Ballentine
The relationship between solar volatiles and those now in the Earth's atmosphere and mantle reservoirs provides insight into the processes controlling the acquisition of volatiles during planetary accretion and their subsequent evolution. Here we analyse new data from this field and show that the elemental composition of non-radiogenic heavy noble gases in the mantle is remarkably similar to that of sea water. We challenge the popular concept of a noble gas 'subduction barrier'—the convecting mantle noble gas isotopic and elemental composition is explained by subduction of sediment and seawater-dominated pore fluids.
- Noble Gas MS
- Argus VI
- Noble Gas isotopes
- Subduction
United States
