Magmatic fluids of Tatun volcanic group,Taiwan

Two distinctive magmatic fluids were recognized in the Tatun volcanic group (TVG), Taiwan. One is a relatively reduced fluid represented by the fumarolic gases at Hsiao-you-ken (HYK) geothermal field. Another is an oxidized fluid containing high concentrations of HCl represented by the fumarolic gases at Da-you-ken (DYK). An intermediate gas was recognized at Gung-tze-ping (GTP) and She-hung-ping (SHP). The fumarolic gases at HYK and GTP possess the features of so-called primary steam generated on mixing of magmatic gas and meteoric groundwater. The fumarolic gases at DYK are a simple mixture between magmatic gas and water vapor of meteoric origin. The CO₂/H₂O molar ratio of the magmatic component in the fumarolic gases at DYK was estimated to be 0.018, meanwhile it was estimated to be 0.027 for the fumarolic gases at HYK and GTP, suggesting the magma beneath DYK is depleted in volatiles relative to the magma beneath HYK and GTP. The estimated CO₂/H₂O ratio for the magmatic component is comparable to that of some active volcanoes in Japan, suggesting the enrichment of volatiles in the magmas beneath TVG.     

Hydrogen isotopes in volcanic plumes: Tracers for remote temperature sensing of fumaroles

In high-temperature volcanic fumaroles (>400 °C), the isotopic composition of molecular hydrogen (H₂) reaches equilibrium with that of the fumarolic H₂O. In this study, we used this hydrogen isotope exchange equilibrium of fumarolic H₂ as a tracer for the remote temperature at volcanic fumaroles. In this remote sensing, we deduced the hydrogen isotopic composition (δD value) of fumarolic H₂ from those in the volcanic plume. To ascertain that we can estimate the δD value of fumarolic H₂ from those in a volcanic plume, we estimated the values in three fumaroles with outlet temperatures of 630 °C (Tarumae), 203 °C (Kuju), and 107 °C (E-san). For this we measured the concentration and δD value of H₂ in each volcanic plume, along with those determined directly at each fumarole. The average and maximum mixing ratios of fumarolic H₂ within a plume’s total H₂ were 97% and 99% (at Tarumae), 89% and 96% (at Kuju), and 97% and 99% (at E-san). We found a linear relationship between the depletion in the δD values of H₂, with the reciprocal of H₂ concentration. Furthermore, the estimated end-member δD value for each H₂-enriched component (−260 ± 30‰ vs. VSMOW in Tarumae, −509 ± 23‰ in Kuju, and −437 ± 14‰ in E-san) coincided well with those observed at each fumarole (−247.0 ± 0.6‰ in Tarumae, −527.7 ± 10.1‰ in Kuju, and −432.1 ± 2.5‰ in E-san). Moreover, the calculated isotopic temperatures at the fumaroles agreed to within 20 °C with the observed outlet temperature at Tarumae and Kuju. We deduced that the δD value of the fumarolic H₂ was quenched within the volcanic plume. This enabled us to remotely estimate these in the fumarole, and thus the outlet temperature of fumaroles, at least for those having the outlet temperatures more than 400 °C. By applying this methodology to the volcanic plume emitted from the Crater 1 of Mt. Naka-dake (the volcano Aso) where direct measurement on fumaroles was impractical, we estimated that the δD value of the fumarolic H₂ to be −172 ± 16‰ and the outlet temperature to be 868 ± 97 °C. The remote temperature sensing using hydrogen isotopes developed in this study is widely applicable to many volcanic systems.     

Preliminary estimate of CO2 output from Pantelleria Island volcano (Sicily,Italy): evidence of active mantle degassing

Total CO₂ output from fumaroles, bubbling and water dissolved gases and soil gases was investigated at Pantelleria Island volcano, Italy. The preliminary results indicate an overall output of 0.39 Mt a⁻¹ of CO₂ from the island. The main contribution to the total output was from diffuse soil degassing (about 0.32 Mt a⁻¹), followed by dissolved CO₂ (0.034 Mt a⁻¹), focussed soil degassing (0.028 Mt a⁻¹) and bubbling CO₂ (0.013 Mt a⁻¹). The contribution of CO₂ from fumarole gases was found to be negligible (1.4×10⁻⁶ Mt a⁻¹). Carbon-13 values for CO₂ coupled with those for associated He in gases from fumaroles and sites of focussed soil degassing clearly rule out any significant organic CO₂ component and suggest a common mantle origin for these gas species. The inferred mantle source beneath Pantelleria would seem to have peculiar geochemical characteristics, quite distinct from those of mantle producing MORB but compatible with those of magmatic sources of central Mediterranean and central European volcanoes. These findings indicate that the Pantelleria volcanic complex is a site of active mantle degassing that is worthy of attention for future geochemical surveillance of the island.     

Helium isotopes in geothermal systems: Iceland,The Geysers,Raft River and Steamboat Springs

Helium isotope ratios have been measured in geothermal fluids from Iceland, The Geysers, Raft River, Steamboat Springs and Hawaii. These ratios have been interpreted in terms of the processes which supply He in distinct isotopic ratios (i.e. magmatic He, ~10 R_a; atmospheric He, R_a; and crustal He, ~0.1 R_a) and in terms of the processes which can alter the isotopic ratio (hydrologic mixing, U-Th series alpha production and weathering release of crustal He, magma aging and tritiugenic addition of ³He). Using this interpretational scheme, Iceland is found to be an area of hot-spot magmatic He implying an active volcanic source although the data are suggestive of high-temperature weathering release of crustal He incorporated in the geothermal fluids. By comparison to fumarolic gases from Hawaii and Juan De Fuca and Cayman Trench basaltic glass samples, The Geysers contains MOR type magmatic He again implying an active volcanic source possibly a “leaky” transform related to the San Andreas Fault System. Raft River contains only crustal He indicating no active volcanic sources. Steamboat Springs He isotope ratios are distinctly less than typical plate margin volcanics but must still have a magmatic source. A preliminary assessment of the cause for this low ratio is made assuming an “aging” magma source.     

Soil CO2 flux measurements in volcanic and geothermal areas

The accumulation chamber methodology allows one to obtain reliable values of the soil CO₂ flux, ϕ_{soil CO2}, in the range 0.2 to over 10 000 g m⁻² d⁻¹, as proven by both laboratory tests and field surveys in geothermal and volcanic areas. A strong negative correlation is observed between Δϕ_{soil CO2}/Δt and ΔP_atm/Δt. Maps of classes of log ϕ_{soil CO2} for the northern sector of Vulcano Island, Solfatara of Pozzuoli, Nea Kameni Islet and Yanbajain geothermal field evidence that active faults and fractures act as uprising channels of deep, CO₂-rich geothermal or magmatic gases. The total diffuse CO₂ output was evaluated for each surveyed area.     

Chemical composition of precipitation at Mt. Vesuvius and Vulcano Island,Italy: volcanological and environmental implications

Natural precipitation and water samples from passive devices were collected at Mt. Vesuvius and Vulcano Island, Italy, during the period 2004–2006, in order to investigate its possible interactions with fumarolic gases. Evidence of chemical reactions between fumarolic fluids and rain samples before and after its deposition into the sampling devices was found at Vulcano Island. Very low pH values (down to 2.5) and significant amounts of chlorine and sulfate (up to 22 mEq/l) were measured at sampling points located close to the fumarolic field. In contrast, anthropogenic contributions and/or dissolution of aerosols (both maritime and continental) influence the chemistry of rainwaters at Mt. Vesuvius, which show inter-annual variations that are highly consistent with those recorded at the coastal site at Vulcano Island. Chemistry of waters directly exposed to fumarolic fluids may then give useful information about its temporal evolution, holding the signal of the “maximum” chemical event occurred in the meanwhile. In addition, the observation of the health status of vegetation colonizing the immediate surroundings of the fumarolic fields, due to its strong dependence on the interactions with these fluids, may work as a possible biomarker of volcanic activity.     

Mercury gas emissions from La Soufrière Volcano, Guadeloupe Island (Lesser Antilles)

Quantifying mercury (Hg) emissions from active volcanoes is of particular interest for better constraining the global cycle and environmental impact of this highly toxic element. Here we report on the abundance of total gaseous (TGM = Hg⁰_(g) + Hg^II_(g)) and particulate (Hg_(p)) mercury in the summit gas emissions of La Soufrière andesitic volcano (Guadeloupe island, Lesser Antilles), where enhanced degassing of mixed hydrothermal-magmatic volatiles has been occurring since 1992 from the Southern summit crater. We demonstrate that Hg in volcanic plume occurs predominantly as gaseous mercury, with a mean TGM/Hg_(p) mass ratio of ~ 63. Combining the mean TGM/H₂S mass ratio of the volcanic plume (~ 3.2 × 10^− 6), measured close to the source vent, with the H₂S plume flux (~ 0.7 t d^− 1), determined simultaneously, allows us to estimate a gaseous mercury emission rate of 0.8 kg yr^− 1 from La Soufrière summit dome. Somewhat lower TGM/S_tot mass ratio in fumarolic gases from the source vent (4.4 × 10^− 7) suggests that plume chemical composition is not well represented by the emission source (fumaroles) due to chemical processes prior to (or upon) discharge. Current mercury emission from La Soufrìere volcano represents a very small contribution to the estimated global volcanic budget for this element.     

The origin of the fumaroles of La Solfatara (Campi Flegrei, South Italy)

The analysis of gaseous compositions from Solfatara (Campi Flegrei, South Italy) fumaroles since the early 1980s, clearly reveals a double thermobarometric signature. A first signature at temperatures of about 360 °C was inferred by methane-based chemical-isotopic geoindicators and by the H₂/Ar geothermometer. These high temperatures, close to the critical point of water, are representative of a deep zone where magmatic gases flash the hydrothermal liquid, forming a gas plume. A second signature was found to be at around 200-240 °C. At these temperatures, the kinetically fast reactive species (H₂ and CO) re-equilibrate in a pure vapor phase during the rise of the plume. A combination of these observations with an original interpretation of the oxygen isotopic composition of the two dominant species, i.e. H₂O and CO₂, shed light on the origin of fumarolic fluids by showing that effluents are mixture between fluids degassed from a magma body and the vapor generated at about 360 °C by the vaporization of hydrothermal liquids. A typical ‘andesitic’ water type (δD ∼ −20‰, δ¹⁸O ∼10‰) and a CO₂-rich composition (X_CO2∼0.4) has been inferred for the magmatic fluids, while for the hydrothermal component a meteoric origin and a CO₂ fugacity fixed by fluid-rock reaction at high temperatures have been estimated. In the time the fraction of magmatic fluids in the fumaroles increased (up to ∼0.5) at each seismic and ground uplift crisis (bradyseism) which occurred at Campi Flegrei, suggesting that bradyseismic crises are triggered by periodic injections of CO₂-rich magmatic fluids at the bottom of the hydrothermal system.     

腾冲新生代火山区温泉CO2气体排放通量研究

近期研究表明,不仅火山喷发期会向当时的大气圈输送大量的温室气体,火山间歇期同样会释放大量的温室气体。在火山活动间歇期,火山区主要以喷气孔、温(热)泉以及土壤微渗漏等形式向大气圈释放温室气体。腾冲是我国重要的新生代火山区,同时也是重要的水热活动区,那里出露大量的温泉,然而目前未见腾冲火山区温泉气体排放通量的研究报道。本文利用数字皂膜通量仪测量了腾冲新生代火山区温泉中CO₂的排放通量。研究结果表明,腾冲新生代火山区温泉向当今大气圈输送的CO₂通量达3.58×10³ t·a^-1,相当于意大利锡耶纳Bassoleto地热区温泉中CO₂的排放规模。腾冲火山区温泉的CO₂释放通量主要受深部岩浆囊、断裂分布、地下水循环、围岩成分等多方面因素的影响。本文根据温泉中CO₂的排放特征,将腾冲温泉分为南北两区,南区温泉CO₂通量远高于北区的温泉,热海地热区的通量为腾冲CO₂通量的最大值。在北温泉区,CO₂通量主要受控于断裂的分布;而在南温泉区,除受到断裂控制外,热海地热区底部的岩浆囊及其与围岩的相互作用成为CO₂气体的重要物质来源,同时高温的岩浆囊为温泉及CO₂的形成提供了重要热源。     

Boron isotopic variations in fumarolic condensates and thermal waters from Vulcano Island, Italy: Implications for evolution of volcanic fluids

Temporal variation in the isotopic composition of boron has been monitored in fumarolic condensates collected over an extended time period (1970-1996) from La Fossa crater, Volcano Island. We also report comparative boron isotopic data for representative Vulcano lavas and for shallow hydrologic samples (seawater, wells, thermal springs) from the north flank of La Fossa. Combined with concurrent chemical and isotopic (δ¹⁸O, δD) data for the fumaroles, these results indicate that the fumarolic fluids record mixing relations between three distinct fluid end members: (1) a dominantly magmatic fluid (EM1); (2) a mixture of modified seawater with magmatic fluid (EM2); and (3) an aqueous fluid produced from seawater by extensive wall-rock reaction, evaporation, and boiling (AF). Differences between the latter two end members are most clearly accentuated on the basis of the boron isotopic data. Long-term compositional variations for crater fumaroles were dominated by EM1-AF mixing between 1979-88, with progressive decrease in EM1 contribution with time, and by EM2-AF mixing between 1988-96. The exact spatial distribution of these fluid reservoirs remains unclear, but all must have been present throughout the monitoring period to account for the observed variations. Moreover, the combined B-O-H data seem to preclude important contributions from shallow meteoric reservoirs. Marked short-term variations in δ¹¹B closely coincide with episodes of local seismicity, which presumably triggered reorganization of hydrothermal circulation patterns; gradual variations over periods up to 3-4 years are associated with relatively low seismicity during which fluid circulation was likely influenced by effects of mineral precipitation on permeability of the hydrologic system.     

Hydrochemical,isotopic, and reservoir characterization of the Pasinler (Erzurum) geothermal field,eastern Turkey

The reservoir temperature and conceptual model of the Pasinler geothermal area, which is one of the most important geothermal areas in Eastern Anatolia, are determined by considering its hydrogeochemical and isotope properties. The geothermal waters have a temperature of 51 °C in the geothermal wells and are of Na–Cl–HCO₃ type. The isotope contents of geothermal waters indicate that they are of meteoric origin and that they recharge on higher elevations than cold waters. The geothermal waters are of immature water class and their reservoir temperatures are calculated as 122–155 °C, and their cold water mixture rate is calculated as 32%. According to the δ¹³C_VPDB values, the carbon in the geothermal waters originated from the dissolved carbon in the groundwaters and mantle-based CO₂ gases. According to the δ³⁴S_CDT values, the sources of sulfur in the geothermal waters are volcanic sulfur, oil and coal, and limestones. The sources of the major ions (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^?, and HCO₃ ^?) in the geothermal waters are ion exchange and plagioclase and silicate weathering. It is determined that the volcanic rocks in the area have effects on the water chemistry and elements like Zn, Rb, Sr, and Ba originated from the rhyolite, rhyolitic tuff, and basalts. The rare earth element (REE) content of the geothermal waters is low, and according to the normalized REE diagrams, the light REE are getting depleted and heavy REE are getting enriched. The positive Eu and negative Ce anomalies of waters indicate oxygen-rich environments.     

Water and gas geochemistry of the Euganean and Berician thermal district (Italy)

Between 1987 and 1995 more than 100 chemical and isotopic analyses were carried out on the thermal fluids discharged at surface from wells and springs of the Euganean and Berician thermal district. Results for δD and δ¹⁸O in waters, δ¹³C in CO₂ and in C₁–C₄ n-alkanes, δD in CH₄, ³He/⁴He and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios in natural gases were coupled with chemical analyses in an attempt to determine the main characteristics and evolutionary trends of thermal fluids emerging in the region. The isotopic and chemical composition of thermal waters has led to the postulation of a meteoric origin of discharged thermal fluids and of a “maturation” trend as water moves from the peripheral manifestations of the Berici Hills towards those of the Battaglia, Montegrotto and Abano springs in the inner part of the geothermal field. Numerical simulation suggested that the observed evolutionary path is consistent with differentiation due to processes of water–rock interaction.The results of bulk analyses have shown that the gases are made up mainly of N₂ (65–95 vol%), CO₂ (0.5–20.5 vol%) and CH₄ (up to 10 vol%), with relatively high Ar and He contents (up to 1.5 vol% and 0.16 vol%, respectively) and detectable amounts of C₂–C₆ saturated hydrocarbons. The chemical and isotopic composition of the gases suggests that both the meteoric and crustal contributions to the natural discharges are significant, while any significant magmatic contribution, possibly related to vestiges of the volcanic activity that occurred in the Abano area during the Tertiary age, can be ruled out.     

Genesis of fumarolic emissions as inferred by isotope mass balances: CO2 and water at Vulcano Island, Italy

We have developed a quantitative model of CO₂ and H₂O isotopic mixing between magmatic and hydrothermal gases for the fumarolic emissions of the La Fossa crater (Vulcano Island, Italy). On the basis of isotope balance equations, the model takes into account the isotope equilibrium between H₂O and CO₂ and extends the recent model of chemical and energy two-end-member mixing by Nuccio et al. (1999). As a result, the H₂O and CO₂ content and the δD, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹³C isotope compositions for both magmatic and hydrothermal end-members have been assessed. Low contributions of meteoric steam, added at a shallow depth, have been also recognized and quantified in the fumaroles throughout the period from 1988 to 1998. Nonequilibrium oxygen isotope exchange also seems to be occurring between ascending gases and wall rocks along some fumarolic conduits.The δ¹³C_CO2 of the magmatic gases varies around −3 to 1‰ vs. Peedee belemnite (PDB), following a perfect synchronism with the variations of the CO₂ concentration in the magmatic gases. This suggests a process of isotope fractionation because of vapor exsolution caused by magma depressurization. The hydrogen isotopes in the magmatic gases (−1 to −‰ vs. standard mean ocean water [SMOW]), as well as the above δ¹³C_CO2 value, are coherent with a convergent tectonic setting of magma generation, where the local mantle is widely contaminated by fluids released from the subducted slab. Magma contamination in the crust probably amplifies this effect.The computed isotope composition of carbon and hydrogen in the hydrothermal vapors has been used to calculate the δD and δ¹³C of the entire hydrothermal system, including mixed H₂O-CO₂ vapor, liquid water, and dissolved carbon. We have computed values of about 10‰ vs. SMOW for water and −2 to −6.5‰ vs. PDB for CO₂. On these grounds, we think that Mediterranean marine water (δD_H2O ≈ 10‰) feeds the hydrothermal system. It infiltrates at depth throughout the local rocks, reaching oxygen isotope equilibrium at high temperatures. Interaction processes between magmatic gases and the evolving seawater also seem to occur, causing the dissolution of isotopically fractionated aqueous CO₂ and providing the source for hydrothermal carbon. These results have important implications concerning fluid circulation beneath Vulcano and address the more convenient routine of geochemical surveillance.     

An experimental determination of chlorine isotope fractionation in acid systems and applications to volcanic fumaroles

The δ³⁷Cl values of volcanic fumarole gases and bubbling springs were measured from the Central American and the Kurile arcs. Low temperature gas samples from the Central American arc have δ³⁷Cl values generally between −2 and 2‰, whereas high-temperature fumaroles (>100 °C) range from 4 to 12‰, with several outliers. This is in contrast to the high-temperature fumaroles from the Kurile island Kudryavy which have slightly positive δ³⁷Cl values, averaging 0.8‰ (±0.6, 1σ), and from our previous work on Izu and Mariana arc samples in which the δ³⁷Cl values of fumarole and ash samples are similar to each other and negative. Assuming that the source for the high-T Central American fumaroles has typical subduction δ³⁷Cl values (−2.5 to 1‰), then there must be a large Cl isotope fractionation in the near-surface fumarolic system. The most likely fractionation mechanism for the high δ³⁷Cl values is between Cl⁻_aq − HCl(g), but published theoretical fractionation for this pair is only ∼1.5‰, insufficient to explain the large range of values observed in the fumaroles. Three experiments were undertaken in order to identify a process that could cause the wide range of δ³⁷Cl values observed in the high-temperature fumaroles. Results are the following: (1) A sub-boiling equilibration experiment between aqueous chloride and HCl gas had , in agreement with the theoretical calculations. (2) Evaporation of HCl(g) from hydrochloric acid at room temperature had fractionation in the opposite sense, with a . (3) A ‘synthetic fumarole’ gave large positive fractionations up to 9‰, with ³⁷Cl strongly partitioned into the vapor phase. The ‘fumarole’ experiments were made by bubbling dry air through boiling hydrochloric acid in an Erlenmeyer flask, and collecting the evolved HCl(g) in a second ‘downstream’ flask filled with distilled water. This extreme enrichment is likely due to a distillation process in which ³⁷Cl-enriched HCl(g) is stripped from the hydrochloric acid followed by a significant fraction of the light HCl(g) redissolving into the constantly condensing water vapor on the walls of the first flask. This distillation experiment creates a Cl isotope fractionation that is the same order of magnitude as observed in the high-temperature fumaroles in Central America. These results suggest that there must be a H₂O liquid-vapor region in the sub-surface fumarole conduit where light Cl is stripped from the HCl gas as it passes through the fumarole. Similar ³⁷Cl enrichments are expected in fossil epithermal boiling systems.     

Hydrothermal hydrocarbon gases: 1, Genesis and geothermometry

Various sources for hydrothermal CH₄ have been proposed over the years. While C isotope studies have narrowed the possibilities, enough higher hydrocarbon gas data now exist both to supplement the isotopic data and to permit additional deductions regarding origins. Comparison of typical C₁–C₆ data for gases of various origins (from sedimentary and crystalline rocks, and hydrothermal systems) reveals certain characteristics. Apart from isotopic differences, hydrothermal hydrocarbons differ from sedimentary hydrocarbons mainly in possessing tendencies towards a relative excess of CH₄, higher normal/iso ratios for butane and pentane, and relatively high amounts of C₆ gases. Despite these differences, consideration of the evidence indicates that hydrothermal hydrocarbon gases in most cases originate like sedimentary basin gases by thermal degradation of organic matter in the relatively shallow subsurface. The principal characteristic of these hydrothermal gases, “excess” CH₄, appears to have a geothermometric function. The following empirical relationship has been derived: t°C=57.8 log(CH₄/C₂H₆)+96.8, which fits moderately well a range of geothermal fields worldwide. This gas geothermometer may be particularly applicable during geothermal exploration in areas where there is little direct knowledge of subsurface conditions.     

惰性气体同位素确定地热流体循环深度

地热系统惰性气体同位素地球化学是地热成因研究的重要手段。许多惰性气体同位素都可用于地热系统的研究中,主要目的为揭示热田的热源性质、深-浅层地热流体的内在联系和循环深度等。本文从惰性气体理化特点、样品采集、测试技术及数据等若干方面介绍了惰性气体研究方法,重点探讨了在自由气和溶解气两种形态下,热泉、喷气孔、热水井不同环境下的惰性气体采样方法,还介绍了成熟的惰性气体同位素的测试方法,即利用磁偏转静态真空质谱计分析测试方法,最后基于世界各地典型地热系统的惰性气体测试数据,讨论地热系统的气体来源判别,不同气源的混合比例计算等,进而确定地热流体循环深度。     

Chemical monitoring of volcanic gas using remote FT-IR spectroscopy at several active volcanoes in Japan

Chemical compositions of volcanic gases of several Japanese active volcanoes have been monitored from distant safe places since the beginning of the 1990s using an FT-IR spectral radiometer. For absorption measurements, an infrared light source behind volcanic gas emissions is necessary in a volcanic environment. In the early observations, infrared radiation from hot lava domes (Unzen volcano) and hot ground heated by high-temperature fumaroles (Usu, Aso, and Satsuma-Iwojima volcanoes) were used as infrared light sources. However, these sources were not available in many cases. This remote FT-IR method became more commonly applied to chemical monitoring of volcanic gases emitted from the summit or slopes of active volcanoes using scattered solar infrared light as infrared light sources (Sakurajima, Miyakejima, and Asama volcanoes). To date, eight species have been measured using this method: SO₂, HCl, HF, CO, CO₂, COS, SiF₄, and H₂O. The observations indicate that volcanic gases for each volcano have different chemical composition on a SO₂–HCl–HF ternary diagram in spite of similar tectonic settings, suggesting that vapor/melt volume ratios during volcanic gas formation differ among volcanoes. During more than 15 years of monitoring, chemical changes in volcanic gases attributable to ascent of magma were observed only at Asama, where HCl/SO₂ and HF/HCl ratios in the eruptive period were higher than those in non-eruptive period because of scrubbing of more soluble components in surface hydrothermal systems in the non-eruptive stage or solubility-controlled fractionation processes. Results show that these parameters are the most prospective ones among the various parameters measured using the remote FT-IR method to monitor volcanic activities.     

Origin of iodine in volcanic fluids: I results from the Central American Volcanic Arc

The largest reservoir of crustal iodine is found in marine sediments, where it is closely associated with organic material. This presence, together with the existence of a long-lived, cosmogenic radioisotope ¹²⁹I (t_1/2 = 15.7 Ma), make this isotopic system well suited for the study of sediment recycling in subduction zones. Reported here are the results of ¹²⁹I/I ratios in volcanic fluids, collected during a comprehensive study of fluids and gases in the Central American Volcanic Arc. ¹²⁹I/I ratios, together with I, Br, and Cl concentrations, were determined in 79 samples from four geothermal centers and a number of crater lakes, fumaroles, hot springs, and surface waters in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Geothermal and volcanic fluids were found to have iodine concentrations substantially higher than values in seawater or meteoric waters. ¹²⁹I/I ratios in most of the geothermal fluids are below the preanthropogenic input ratio of 1500 × 10⁻¹⁵, demonstrating that recent anthropogenic additions are largely absent from the volcanic systems. The majority of the ¹²⁹I/I ratios are between 500 and 800 × 10⁻¹⁵. These ratios indicate minimum iodine ages between 25 and 15 Ma, in good agreement with the age of subducted sediments in this region. In all four geothermal systems, however, a few samples were found with iodine ages older than 40 Ma—that is, considerably below the expected age range for subducted sediments from the Cocos Plate. These samples probably reflect the presence of iodine derived from sediments in older accreted oceanic terraines. The iodine ages indicate that the magmatic end member for the volcanic fluids originates in the deeper parts of the subducted sediment column, with small additions from older iodine mobilized from the overlying crust. The high concentrations of iodine in geothermal fluids, combined with the observed iodine ages, demonstrate that remobilization in the main volcanic zone (and probably also in the forearc area) is an important part in the overall marine cycle of iodine and similar elements.     

Origin of sulfur species in acid sulfate-chloride thermal waters,northeastern Japan

Acid sulfate-chloride thermal water samples collected together with fumarolic gases from various volcanic areas in northeastern Japan were studied chemically and isotogdically. δ³⁴S (COT) values of sulfate and hydrogen sulfide from these volcanic hot springs range from +4.0 to +31 and from ?15.0 to ?2.0% respectively, with δ³⁴S_ys value of +2.5 to +31. The δ³⁴S of the sulfate in the more saline waters tends to become smaller with increasing ratio of SO₄ to Cl, although the chemical and isotopic composition of acid thermal water within some areas may be altered by secondary processes during the discharge of the thermal waters. This trend can be explained by the reaction of the volcanic gases, having S/Cl of 4 ~ 7 and total sulfur of ~0% in δ³⁴S, with ground water at 200°C, and/or the removal of sulfide phase depleted in ³⁴S from the acid thermal water formed by the disproportionation of volcanic sulfur. The sulfur species in acid sulfate-chloride thermal water are shown to be volcanic exhalations.     

Boron isotopic composition of fumarolic condensates and sassolites from Satsuma Iwo-jima,Japan

¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios of the high temperature fumarolic gases (>465°C) of this island were found to be constant within the limits of experimental error (¹¹B/¹⁰B = 4.066). This value may represent the ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratio of boron in the andesite magma. ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios of the low temperature fumarolic gases (<235°C) were found to vary from 4.053 to 4.077. ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios of some sassolites were approximately equal to that of the fumarolic condensates and the other ones were slightly enriched in ¹⁰B compared to the fumarolic condensates.