Abstract
The study of radiogenic isotopes in oceanic volcanic rocks provides one of the best ways of obtaining information about the upper mantle. Since the effects of fractionation of the strontium isotopes can be removed (see Chapter II), the initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of an uncontaminated oceanic basalt will be the same as that of its source region in the upper mantle. The present 87Sr/86Sr ratio of any part of the upper mantle depends on its initial ratio, on its average Rb/Sr ratio, and on its age [see Eq. (11.15)]. Therefore, the observed 87Sr/86Sr ratios of modern oceanic basalts provide information not only about the isotopic composition of strontium in the upper mantle, but also about its possible Rb/Sr ratio. GAST (1960) and HURLEY (1968 a, b), among others, have shown how Rb/Sr ratios can be used as a clue to the chemical composition and evolution of the mantle.
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© 1972 Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg
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Faure, G., Powell, J.L. (1972). Volcanic Rocks. In: Strontium Isotope Geology. Minerals, Rocks and Inorganic Materials, vol 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65367-4_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65367-4_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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