Abstract
Basalts erupted in deep waters commonly chill sufficiently rapidly to form a glass outer skin. Due to the rapid chilling and the high hydrostatic pressures, magma-ambient gases and in particular the rare gases may be trapped within this glass1–3. Several theoretical investigations have examined the relationship of the trapped 40Ar/36Ar ratio to the history of terrestrial degassing and formation of the atmosphere4–11. These measurements have not yet, however, answered the fundamental questions of whether the mantle 40Ar/36Ar ratio varies significantly either vertically within the Earth and/or from one geographic locality to another, or even whether a quantitative estimate of the magmatic concentration and isotopic ratio at any given location is in fact obtainable. This report deals with the last of these questions. Our data indicate that the answer is in the affirmative.
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Fisher, D. Quantitative retention of magmatic argon in a glassy basalt. Nature 290, 42–43 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/290042a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/290042a0
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