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Helium-3 from the mantle - Primordial signal or cosmic dust?Helium-3 in hotspot magmas has been used as unambiguous evidence for the existence of a primordial, undegassed reservoir deep in the Earth's mantle. However, a large amount of helium-3 is delivered to the Earth's surface by interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). Recycling of deep-sea sediments containing these particles to the mantle, and eventual incorporation in magma, can explain the high helium-3/helium-4 ratios of hotspot magmas. Basalts with high helium-3/helium-4 ratios may represent degassing of helium introduced by ancient (probably 1.5 to 2.0 billion years old) pelagic sediments rather than degassing of primordial lower mantle material brought to the surface in plumes. Influx of IDPs can also explain the neon and siderophile compositions of mantle samples.
Document ID
19930065548
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Anderson, Don L.
(California Inst. of Technology Pasadena, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
July 9, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 261
Issue: 5118
ISSN: 0036-8075
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
93A49545
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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