An estimate of the juvenile sulfur content of basalt

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
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Abstract

Sulfur analyses by X-ray fluorescence give an average content of 107 ppm for 9 samples of fresh subaerially-erupted oceanic basalt and 680 ppm for 38 samples of submarine erupted basalt. This difference is the result of retention of sulfur in basalt quenched on the sea floor and loss of sulfur in basalt by degassing at the surface. The outer glassy part of submarine erupted basalt contains 800±150 ppm sulfur, and this amount is regarded as an estimate of the juvenile sulfur content of the basalt melt from the mantle. The slower cooled interiors of basalt pillows are depleted relative to the rims owing to degassing and escape through surface fractures. Available samples of deep-sea basalts do not indicate a difference in original sulfur content between low-K tholeiite, Hawaiian tholeiite, and alkali basalt.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title An estimate of the juvenile sulfur content of basalt
Series title Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology
DOI 10.1007/BF00386110
Volume 33
Issue 2
Year Published 1971
Language English
Publisher Springer
Description 10 p.
First page 118
Last page 127
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