Geographical Distribution of ³He/⁴He Ratios in the Chugoku District, Southwestern Japan

Abstract

We have collected 34 hot spring and mineral spring gases and waters in the Chugoku and Kansai districts, Southwestern Japan and measured the ³He/⁴He and ⁴He/²⁰Ne ratios by using a noble gas mass spectrometer. Observed ³He/⁴He and ⁴He/²⁰Ne ratios range from 0.054 R_atm to 5.04 R_atm (where R_atm is the atmospheric ³He/⁴He ratio of 1.39 × 10⁻⁶) and from 0.25 to 36.8, respectively. They are well explained by a mixing of three components, mantle-derived, radiogenic, and atmospheric helium dissolved in water. The ³He/⁴He ratios corrected for air contamination are low in the frontal arc and high in the volcanic arc regions, which are consistent with data of subduction zones in the literature. The geographical contrast may provide a constraint on the position of the volcanic front in the Chugoku district where it was not well defined by previous works. Taking into account the magma aging effect, we cannot explain the high ³He/⁴He ratios of the volcanic arc region by the slab melting of the subducting Philippine Sea plate. The other source with pristine mantle material may be required. More precisely, the highest and average ³He/⁴He ratios of 5.88 R_atm and 3.8±1.6 R_atm, respectively, in the narrow regions near the volcanic front of the Chugoku district are lower than those in Kyushu and Kinki Spot in Southwestern Japan, but close to those in NE Japan. This suggests that the magma source of the former may be related to the subduction of the Pacific plate, in addition to a slight component of melting of the Philippine Sea slab.