HR: 1340h
AN: T53B-1315 [Abstracts]
TI: Boron in mid-Ocean Ridge Mantle Rocks
AU: * Sarmiento, S E
EM: sergio.e.sarmiento@nhmccd.edu
AF: University of Houston, Department of Geosciences
312 Science and Research Bldg 1, Houston, TX 77204, United States
AU: * Sarmiento, S E
EM: sergio.e.sarmiento@nhmccd.edu
AF: Cy-Fair College, 9191 Barker Cypress Road
Technology Bldg room 200T, Cypress, TX 77433, United States
AU: Snow, J E
EM: jesnow@uh.edu
AF: University of Houston, Department of Geosciences
312 Science and Research Bldg 1, Houston, TX 77204, United States
AU: Lee, C A
EM: ctlee@rice.edu
AF: Rice University, Department of Earth Science
Keith-Wiess Geological Labs
6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, United States
AU: Hellebrand, E
EM: ericwgh@hawaii.edu
AF: SOEST - University of Hawaii, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics
1680 East-West Road, POST612B, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States
AU: Von der Handt, A
EM: avdhandt@mpch-mainz.mpg.de
AF: SOEST - University of Hawaii, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics
1680 East-West Road, POST612B, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States
AB:
B is potentially a key element to study in mid-ocean ridge mantle-derived rocks, because it is thought to behave
similarly to volatile species in the Earth's mantle (ie water) during subduction and recycling. The majority of
studies of boron therefore have been carried out in convergent plate boundaries. The geochemical behavior and
concentration of boron in the mid-ocean ridge upper mantle however, are not directly constrained. Boron is
considered a moderately to highly incompatible element. Our knowledge of its mantle concentration and
partitioning is largely derived from studies of basalt. Its concentration in the non-arc upper mantle is estimated to
be 0.1ppm. MORB glasses average 0.34-0.72 ppm and 0.54-1.54 ppm for N-MORB and E-MORB respectively.
Literature measurements on mantle minerals from orogenic peridotites show clinopyroxene to have the greatest
affinity for B. We have measured concentrations of B, Li and Be on mantle minerals from abyssal peridotites and
basalt glasses from Gakkel Ridge, Arctic Ocean. Preliminary data acquired using both quadrupole and sector
field LA-ICP-MS seem to contradict many of the previously held assumptions about the concentration and
behavior of B in the mid-ocean ridge upper mantle. Higher than expected bulk rock B concentrations of at least 5.6
ppm for the abyssal peridotites were estimated based on the B concentration in mantle silicates and their modal
percentage in peridotites. Slightly higher than expected average B concentrations of 3.3 ppm in basalt glasses
may be due to the relatively enriched nature of Gakkel Ridge. On both instruments B was also found to be more
compatible in olivine than in clinopyroxene. Although these results agree with each other, measurements on
additional samples and new data reduction methods will be tested to determine their validity.
DE: 1032 Mid-oceanic ridge processes (3614, 8416)
DE: 3035 Midocean ridge processes
DE: 8150 Plate boundary: general (3040)
DE: 8416 Mid-oceanic ridge processes (1032, 3614)
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting