Geographical distribution of helium isotope ratios in northeastern Japan |
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| Authors: | Keika Horiguchi Sadato Ueki Yuji Sano Naoto Takahata Akira Hasegawa and George Igarashi |
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| Institution: | Research Center for Prediction of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan (email: ), and;Center for Advanced Marine Research, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-8639, Japan. |
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| Abstract: | In order to study the precise geographical distribution of helium isotope ratios in northeastern Japan and compare it with geophysical data, we collected 43 gas and water samples from hot and mineral springs in the region where the ratio had never been reported, and measured the 3He/4He and 4He/20Ne ratios of these samples. It was found that the 3He/4He ratios show clear contrasts between the forearc and the back-arc regions in the Tohoku district in northeastern Japan. In the forearc region, the ratios are smaller than 1 RA (1 RA = 1.4 × 10?6; RA means the 3He/4He ratio of the atmosphere). On the other hand, those along the volcanic front and in the back-arc region are apparently higher. Moreover, we found a variation in the 3He/4He ratios along the volcanic front. In Miyagi Prefecture (38–39°N), the ratios range from 2 to 5 RA. On the other hand, the ratios are less than 1 RA in and around the southern border between Iwate and Akita Prefectures (39–39.5°N). Comparing the distribution of helium isotope ratios to results of recent geophysical studies, we found that the features in geographical distribution of helium isotope ratios are similar to those of seismic low-velocity zone distributions and high Qp?1 distributions in the uppermost mantle. These observations strongly suggest that the helium isotope ratios reflect the distribution of melts in the uppermost mantle and are a useful tool for investigating the origin, behavior, and distribution of deep fluids and melts. |
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| Keywords: | 3He/4He ratios northeastern Japan seismic tomography subduction zone |
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