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40Ar/39Ar geochronology of basalts from Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i: implications for shield-stage evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes

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Abstract

Fourteen whole rock samples were analyzed for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology to determine the timing of an important transition in mantle source geochemistry that occurred on the island of Kaua‘i, located at the junction between the Northwest Hawaiian Ridge and the Hawaiian Islands. Kaua‘i’s shield-stage lavas have lead (Pb) isotopic compositions that change from west to east across the island. Given previous age constraints, it was unclear whether western and eastern portions of the shield were coeval. The new dates from this study range from 4.95 ± 0.19 Ma to 4.02 ± 0.04 Ma, decrease broadly from west to east Kaua‘i, and correlate with Pb isotopic ratios. The results indicate that the transition from Kea to Loa isotopic compositions across Kaua‘i occurred between ~4.7 and 4.4 Ma. The new 40Ar/39Ar geochronological results require a modification of the order of shield-building events for Kaua‘i. The easternmost lavas of the Nāpali Member formed after the westernmost lavas and are unlikely their stratigraphic equivalents, as previously inferred from mapping and structural observations. The easternmost lavas of the Nāpali Member likely represent the final period of shield-stage volcanism on Kaua‘i, which is supported by the location of the residual gravity anomaly beneath the Līhu‘e Basin in eastern Kaua‘i. This work highlights the importance of combining field-based observations with geochemical, isotopic, and geochronological data when assessing the shield-stage evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jamie Cutts, Lauren Harrison, Corey Wall, and Chuck Blay for the assistance in the field, sample collection, and discussions. Sincere thanks to Dan Miggins at the Argon Geochronology Laboratory, Oregon State University, for sample preparation and guidance during and after the analytical sessions. Thanks also to Anthony Koppers for the discussions about data reliability and to Jamie Cutts for early manuscript reviews. We are grateful for the constructive reviews provided by Fred Jourdan and two anonymous reviewers, and the careful editorial handling provided by Loÿc Vanderkluysen.

Funding

Research was supported by a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant to Dominique Weis and a NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience Multidisciplinary Applied Geochemistry Network Program scholarship to Nicole Williamson.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Nicole M. B. Williamson, Dominique Weis & James S. Scoates

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Michael O. Garcia

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  1. Nicole M. B. Williamson
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  2. Dominique Weis
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Correspondence to Nicole M. B. Williamson.

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Editorial responsibility: L. Vanderkluysen

Supplementary information

445_2023_1649_MOESM1_ESM.xlsx

Online Resource 1 Sample details of Kaua'i basalts and major element oxide (wt.%) compositions of whole rocks (XLSX 13.1 KB)

445_2023_1649_MOESM2_ESM.xlsx

Online Resource 2 Compilation and comparison of shield-stage dates from this and previous studies of basalts from Kaua‘i (organized by volcanic member) (XLSX 133 KB)

445_2023_1649_MOESM3_ESM.pdf

Online Resource 3 Thin section scans (cross-polarized light) of samples dated in this study. Field of view is ~4.5 cm x 2.5 cm for all thin sections and sample names are indicated (2.47 MB)

445_2023_1649_MOESM4_ESM.zip

Online Resource 4 Metadata, age plateaus, and isochrons for samples analyzed at the Argon Geochronology Laboratory, Oregon State University in 2018 and 2020. OR4 is presented as two Excel files per sample: one contains all details and the other is a one-page summary (ZIP 2.92 MB)

Online Resource 5 Literature Pb isotopic compositions for Kaua‘i shield basalts used in this study (XLSX 15.8 KB)

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Williamson, N.M.B., Weis, D., Scoates, J.S. et al. 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of basalts from Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i: implications for shield-stage evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes. Bull Volcanol 85, 37 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-023-01649-w

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