Iridium and other trace metal enrichments from Hawaiian volcanoes

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/SPE247-p111· OSTI ID:6407645

Finnegan, D. L.; Miller, T. L.; Zoller, W. H.

Particle and gas samples were collected at Mauna Loa volcano during and after its eruption in March and April, 1984 and at Kilauea volcano in 1983, 1984, and 1985 during various phases of its ongoing activity. In the last two Kilauea sampling missions, samples were collected during eruptive activity. The samples were analyzed by INAA for over 40 elements. We have found Ir in samples collected at Kilauea and Mauna Loa during fountaining activity as well as after eruptive activity. Os was also seen in the Mauna Loa samples. Enrichment factors for Ir in the volcanic fumes range from 10/sup 4/ to 10/sup 5/ relative to BHVO. Flux calculations for Ir at Mauna Loa and Kilauea had ranges of 80 to 3000 and 10 to 315 g/d respectively. The percentage of Ir released from the magma into the fumes ranged from 1% to 12% for both volcanoes. Calculations assuming the Deccan as the source of Ir for the K/T boundary layer show that the concentration of Ir left in the basalts may be too low to account for all of the K/T Ir. It would require a very high fraction (> 30%) of the Ir to be purged from the basalt to account for all the Ir, which cannot be supported by the Hawaiian data. 26 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6407645
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-89-750; CONF-8810341-1; ON: DE89009408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580202* -- Geophysics-- Volcanology-- (1980-1989)
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EVALUATION
FEDERAL REGION IX
GLOBAL ASPECTS
HAWAII
IRIDIUM
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PLATINUM METALS
POLLUTION SOURCES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
VOLCANOES