Water and the oxidation state of subduction zone magmas
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
7-31-2009
Abstract
Mantle oxygen fugacity exerts a primary control on mass exchange between Earth's surface and interior at subduction zones, but the major factors controlling mantle oxygen fugacity (such as volatiles and phase assemblages) and how tectonic cycles drive its secular evolution are still debated. We present integrated measurements of redox-sensitive ratios of oxidized iron to total iron (Fe3+/σFe), determined with Fe K-edge micro-x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, and pre-eruptive magmatic H2O contents of a global sampling of primitive undegassed basaltic glasses and melt inclusions covering a range of plate tectonic settings. Magmatic Fe 3+σFe ratios increase toward subduction zones (at ridges, 0.13 to 0.17; at back arcs, 0.15 to 0.19; and at arcs, 0.18 to 0.32) and correlate linearly with H2O content and element tracers of slab-derived fluids. These observations indicate a direct link between mass transfer from the subducted plate and oxidation of the mantle wedge.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Science
Volume
325
Issue
5940
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Kelley, Katherine A., and Elizabeth Cottrell. "Water and the oxidation state of subduction zone magmas." Science 325, 5940 (2009). doi: 10.1126/science.1174156.