Hot Spot Helium
In addition to the volcanism along the global midocean ridge system, the oceans are also affected by
hot spot volcanoes. Over 100 hot spots have been
identified on the Earth’s surface,and many of them
are located within the ocean basins. One of the bestknown examples is the Hawaiian hot spot, which
over time has generated the Hawaiian Islands and
the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain. Unlike midocean ridges, which are submarine, many hot spot
volcanoes are subaerial and do not necessarily have
direct input into the oceans. Furthermore, hot spot
volcanoes have not been explored extensively for
their volcanic and hydrothermal activity. Nevertheless, there are several known examples of submarine
hydrothermal input at hot spots. Macdonald Seamount in the south Pacific has active vents on its
_ 36.4˚S
_ 36.2˚S
_ 36.0˚S
_ 35.8˚S
_ 35.6˚S
_ 35.4˚S
_ 35.2˚S
_ 35.0˚S
_ 34.8˚S
Latitude
_ 3.0
_ 2.5
_ 2.0
_ 1.5
_ 1.0
_ 0.5
Depth (km)
7 64
8
Station no.
63 15 16
62
19
20 21
61
26
60
36
59 39
56
41,42,43
44 45 54
50
48 49
60 60 3020 16
8
8
4
0
4
8
16
12
2
6
8
4
2 0
16
12
20
Healy
Brothers
Silent II
Rumble II
East
Rumble III
Rumble V
Tangaroa
Clark
(B)
Stn 56
Stn 7
34˚S
35˚S
36˚S
37˚S
38˚S
39˚S
174˚E 175˚E 176˚E 177˚E 178˚E 179˚E
180˚E
North Island
(A)
(A)
(B)
Figure 7 (A) Map showing location of hydrographic stations along the southern end of the Kermadec Arc northeast of New Zealand.
(B) dð
3 HeÞ% contoured in section view along the southern end of the Kermadec Arc, showing
3 He-rich water-column plumes
emanating from several of these subduction zone volcanoes. From de Ronde et al. (2000).
152 VOLCANIC HELIUM
In addition to the volcanism along the global midocean ridge system, the oceans are also affected by
hot spot volcanoes. Over 100 hot spots have been
identified on the Earth’s surface,and many of them
are located within the ocean basins. One of the bestknown examples is the Hawaiian hot spot, which
over time has generated the Hawaiian Islands and
the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain. Unlike midocean ridges, which are submarine, many hot spot
volcanoes are subaerial and do not necessarily have
direct input into the oceans. Furthermore, hot spot
volcanoes have not been explored extensively for
their volcanic and hydrothermal activity. Nevertheless, there are several known examples of submarine
hydrothermal input at hot spots. Macdonald Seamount in the south Pacific has active vents on its
_ 36.4˚S
_ 36.2˚S
_ 36.0˚S
_ 35.8˚S
_ 35.6˚S
_ 35.4˚S
_ 35.2˚S
_ 35.0˚S
_ 34.8˚S
Latitude
_ 3.0
_ 2.5
_ 2.0
_ 1.5
_ 1.0
_ 0.5
Depth (km)
7 64
8
Station no.
63 15 16
62
19
20 21
61
26
60
36
59 39
56
41,42,43
44 45 54
50
48 49
60 60 3020 16
8
8
4
0
4
8
16
12
2
6
8
4
2 0
16
12
20
Healy
Brothers
Silent II
Rumble II
East
Rumble III
Rumble V
Tangaroa
Clark
(B)
Stn 56
Stn 7
34˚S
35˚S
36˚S
37˚S
38˚S
39˚S
174˚E 175˚E 176˚E 177˚E 178˚E 179˚E
180˚E
North Island
(A)
(A)
(B)
Figure 7 (A) Map showing location of hydrographic stations along the southern end of the Kermadec Arc northeast of New Zealand.
(B) dð
3 HeÞ% contoured in section view along the southern end of the Kermadec Arc, showing
3 He-rich water-column plumes
emanating from several of these subduction zone volcanoes. From de Ronde et al. (2000).
152 VOLCANIC HELIUM