Noble gas geochemistry in thermal springs

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(88)90015-4· OSTI ID:5204506

Kennedy, B M; Reynolds, J H ^[1]; Smith, S P ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley (USA)
2. Charles Evans and Associates, Redwood City, CA (USA)

The composition of noble gases in both gas and water samples collected from Horseshoe Spring, Yellowstone National Park, was found to be depth dependent. The deeper the sample collection within the spring, the greater the enrichment in Kr, Xe, radiogenic {sup 4}He, and {sup 40}Ar and the greater the depletion in Ne relative to {sup 36}Ar. The compositional variations are consistent with multi-component mixing. The dominant component consists of dissolved atmospheric gases acquired by the pool at the surface in contact with air. This component is mixed in varying degree with two other components, one each for gas and water entering the bottom of the pool. The two bottom components are not in equilibrium. In Horseshoe Spring, the bubbles entering at the bottom strip the atmospheric-derived pool gases from the surrounding water while en route to the surface. If the original bottom bubbles are noble gas, as in the case of Horseshoe, the acquired pool gases can then quickly obliterate the original bubble composition. These results are used to demonstrate that Yellowstone spring surface gas samples, and perhaps similarity sampled thermal springs from other hydrothermal systems, have gas abundances that depend more on spring morphology than processes occurring deeper in the hydrothermal system.

• OSTI ID: 5204506
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Vol. 52:7; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
58 GEOSCIENCES
THERMAL WATERS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
RARE GASES
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
THERMAL SPRINGS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
WATER CHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FLUIDS
GASES
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
NONMETALS
PUBLIC LANDS
WATER SPRINGS
152001* - Geothermal Data & Theory- Properties of Aqueous Solutions
580000 - Geosciences