Skip to main content
Log in

Sea floor basalt alteration: Some chemical and Sr isotopic effects

  • Published:
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Major element, Sr isotope and trace element data for 16 elements are reported for various weathered zones in three submarine basalt pillows. During the initial stages of alteration, it appears that SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, S, and Ga are lost from the basalt, whereas Fe2O3, total Fe, MnO, K2O, H2O, Cl, B, Rb, and Cs increase. Sr87/Sr86 ratios also increase during weathering. MgO, Na2O, P2O5, Ba, Ni and Cu show significant (10–50%) but less consistent changes. TiO2, Zr, Sr and V show only minor changes (<7%). Zn, Cr, Co, Y and Nb show no changes outside experimental error.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Cann, J. R.: Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Nb in some ocean floor basaltic rocks. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 10, 7–11 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Corliss, J. B.: The origin of metal-bearing submarine hydrothermal solutions. J. Geophys. Res. 76, 8128–8138 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasch, E. J., Hedge, C. E., Dymond, J.: Effect of seawater interaction on strontium Isotope composition of deep-sea basalts. Earth and planetary Sci. Letters 19, 177 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Garlick, D. G., Dymond, J. R.: Oxygen isotope exchange between volcanic materials and ocean water. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 81, 2137–2142 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, R. A.: Chemical exchange between sea water and deep-ocean basalts. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 9, 269 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S. R.: K, Rb, Cs contents and K/Rb, K/Cs ratios of fresh and altered submarine basalts. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 6, 295–303 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S. R., Nalwalk, A. J.: K, Rb, Cs, and Sr relationships in submarine basalts from the Puerto Rico Trench. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 34, 145–155 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S. R.: K, Rb, Cs, Sr and Ba contents and Sr isotope ratios of ocean floor basalts. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London 268, 573 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S. R., Glassley, W. E., Karig, D. E.: Basalts and sea floor spreading behind the Mariana Island Arc. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 15, 12–18 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S. R., Gunn, B. M., Watkins, N. D.: Intralava variation of alkali elements in icelandic basalt. Am. J. Sci. 270, 315–318 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedge, C. E., Peterman, Z. E.: The strontium isotopic composition of basalts from the Gordo and Juan de Fuca Rises, Northeastern Pacific Ocean. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 27, 114–120 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hekinian, R.: Chemical and mineralogical differences between Abyssal hill basalts and ridge tholeiites in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Marine Geology 11, 77–91 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneoka, I.: The effect of hydration on the K/Ar ages of volcanic rocks. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 14, 216–220 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kay, R., Hubbard, N. J., Gast, P. W.: Chemical characteristics and origin of oceanic ridge volcanic rocks. J. Geophys. Res. 75, 1585 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Melson, W. G., Thompson, G.: Glassy Abyssal basalts, Atlantic sea floor near St. Paul's Rocks: Petrography and composition of secondary clay minerals. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 84, 703–716 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyashiro, A., Shido, F., Ewing, M.: Diversity and origin of Abyssal tholeiite from the mid-Atlantic Ridge near 24° and 30° north latitude. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 23, 38 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, J. G., Fabbi, B. P.: An estimate of the juvenile sulfur content of basalt. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 33, 118–127 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Muehlenbachs, K., Clayton, R. N.: Oxygen isotope studies of fresh and weathered submarine basalts. Can. J. Earth Sci. 9, 172–184 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nel, W. A.: The estimation and distribution of boron in fine-grained south African sediments. Unpublished M. Sc. thesis, University of Cape Town, 1968

  • Noble, D. C.: Sodium, potassium and ferrous iron contents of some secondarily hydrated natural silicic glasses. Am. Mineralogist 52, 280–286 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozima, M., Kaneoka, I., Aramaki, S.: K-Ar ages of submarine basalts dredged from seamounts in the Western Pacific Area and some discussion of the oceanic crust. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 8, 237–249 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozima, M., Zashu, S., Ueno, N.: K/Rb and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of dredged submarine basalts. Earth and planetary Sci. Letters 10, 239–244 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Paster, T. P.: Petrologic Variations within submarine pillows of the South Pacific-Antarctic Ocean. Ph. D. Thesis. Florida State Univ., Tallahassee.

  • Pearce, J. A., Cann, J. R.: Ophiolite origin investigated by discriminant analysis using Ti, Zr, and Y. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 12, 339–349 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Philpotts, J. A., Schnetzler, C. C., Hart, S. R.: Submarine basalts: Some K, Rb, Sr, Ba and rare-earth data bearing on their alteration, modification by plagioclase, and possible source materials. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 7, 293–299 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seitz, M. G., Hart, S. R.: Uranium and boron distributions in some oceanic ultramafic rocks. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 21, 97–107 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shido, F., Miyashiro, A., Ewing, M.: Compositional variation in pillow lavas from the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Marine Geology (in press)

  • Thompson, G., Melson, W. G.: Boron contents of serpentinites and metabasalts in the oceanic crust: Implications for the boron cycle in the oceans. Earth and Planetary Sci. Letters 8, 61–65 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis, J. P., Ahrens, L. H., Danchin, R. V., Erlank, A. J., Gurney, J. J., Hofmeyr, P. K., McCarthy, T. S., Orren, M. J.: Some interelement relationships between lunar rocks and fines, and stony meteorites. Proc. Second Lunar Sci. Gong. 2, 1123–1138 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hart, S.R., Erlank, A.J. & Kable, E.J.D. Sea floor basalt alteration: Some chemical and Sr isotopic effects. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 44, 219–230 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413167

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413167

Keywords

Navigation