Abstract
HELIUM isotope studies1,2 have identified the Banda arc section of the Indonesian archipelago as the only circum-Pacific volcanic arc with 3He/4He ratios significantly lower than the common ratio in mid-ocean-ridge basalts (MORB). In eleven of twelve circum-Pacific arcs, MORB-like 3He/4He ratios show that helium in these volcanic terrains is dominantly primordial helium from the mantle wedge above the sinking slab, rather than radiogenic helium from subducting oceanic crust or sediments. Only in the Banda arc have significantly lower ratios been observed, corresponding to as much as 80% radiogenic helium from subducting continental material2. We now report 3He/4He measurements along a 1,800-km section of the Sunda arc, a region of underthrust oceanic lithosphere, showing MORB-like ratios from western Java to a surprisingly sharp transition zone centred on Lomblen Island, where the low ratios of the Banda arc begin. Our results confirm the prediction2 that Sunda arc volcanoes should have MORB-like 3He/4He ratios, with a well-defined transition to the much lower Banda arc ratios near Lewotolo volcano, and demonstrate a remarkable linkage of helium isotope variations with tectonic processes not readily discernible with trace elements or other isotopes.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Craig, H., Lupton, J. E. & Horibe, Y. in Terrestrial Rare Gases (eds Alexander, E. C. & Ozima, M.) 3–16 (Japan Sci. Soc, Tokyo, 1978).
Poreda, R. J. & Craig, H. Nature 338, 473–478 (1989).
Katili, J. A. Tectonophysics 26, 165–188 (1975).
Hamilton, W. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 1078, 1–345 (1979).
Katili, J. A. & Hartono, H. M. S. in Geodynamics of the Western Pacific-Indonesian Region (eds Hilde, H. C. & Uyeda, S.) 387–399 (Am. Geophys. Un., Washington, DC, 1983).
Jezek, P. A. & Hutchinson, C. S. Bull. volcan. 41, 586–608 (1978).
Whitford, D. J., Nicholls, I. A. & Taylor, S. R. Contr. Miner. Petrol. 70, 341–346 (1979).
Foden, J. D. & Varne, R. Chem. Geol. 30, 201–206 (1980).
Wheller, G. E., Varne, R., Foden, J. D. & Abbott, M. J. J. Volcan. geotherm. Res. 32, 137–160 (1987).
Whitford, D. J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 39, 1287–1302 (1975).
Varne, R. & Foden, J. D. in The Origin of Arcs (ed. Wezel, F. C.) 159–189 (1986).
Whitford, D. J., Compston, W., Nichols, I. A. & Abbott, M. J. Geology 5, 571–575 (1977).
Whitford, D. J., Foden, J. & Varne, R. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Ybk. 77, 613–620 (1978).
Whitford, D. J. & Jezek, P. A. Contr. Miner. Petrol. 68, 141–150 (1979).
Whitford, D. J., White, W. M. & Jezek, P. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 45, 989–995 (1981).
Stolz, A. J., Varne, R., Wheller, G. E., Foden, J. D. & Abbott, M. J. Contr. Miner. Petrol. 98, 374–389 (1988).
Whitford, D. J. & Jezek, P. A. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 93, 504–513 (1982).
Neumann van Padang, M. Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World. I: Indonesia xiii (Int. Vole. Ass., Napoli, 1951).
Varekamp, J. C. et al. Netherlands J. Sea Res. (in the press).
Nishimura et al. Bandung Geol. Res. Dev. Cent, Spec. Publ. No. 2, 105–114 (1981).
McBride, J. H. & Karig, D. E. Tectonophysics 140, 265–273 (1987).
Eva, C., Cattaneo, M. & Merlanti, F. Tectonophysics 146, 241–259 (1988).
Nishimura, S. & Suparka, S. J. Southeast Asian Earth Sci. 1, 45–57 (1986).
Silver, E. A. et al. Geology 13, 687–691 (1985).
Van Bergen et al. Netherlands J. Sea Res. (in the press).
McCaffrey, R., Molnar, P., Roecker, S. W. & Joyodiwiryo, Y. S. J. geophys. Res. 90, 4511–4528 (1985).
Kurz, M. D., Jenkins, W. J., Schilling, J.-G. & Hart, S. R. Earth planet. Sci. Lett. 58, 1–14 (1982).
Simkin, T. et al. Volcanoes of the World (Hutchinson Ross, Stroudsburg, 1981).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hilton, D., Craig, H. A helium isotope transect along the Indonesian archipelago. Nature 342, 906–908 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/342906a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/342906a0
This article is cited by
-
Sunda arc mantle source δ18O value revealed by intracrystal isotope analysis
Nature Communications (2021)
-
Observation of the deep Indonesian throughflow using helium isotopes
Journal of Oceanography (2021)
-
Mantle-derived fluids in the Nankai Trough Kumano forearc basin
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (2018)
-
The pre-eruptive magma plumbing system of the 2007–2008 dome-forming eruption of Kelut volcano, East Java, Indonesia
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (2013)
-
Deep carbon recycling and isotope tracing: Review and prospect
Science China Earth Sciences (2012)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
