Melt migration and mantle chromatography, 2: a time-series Os isotope study of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii

We have determined the major element, trace element, and Os isotopic compositions of a stratigraphic suite of tholeiitic basalts spanning > 30,000 years of the eruptive history of Mauna Loa volcano, Good correlations are observed between Os isotopes and the isotopes of Sr, Nd, Pb and He. In addition, the isotopes correlate with fractionation-corrected major element abundances within this single volcano, and provide a record of increased melting of mafic material with time at Mauna Loa. Chromatographic element fractionation during melt transport is shown to be negligible based on the good correlations of the isotopes of the compatible element Os with the other incompatible element tracers. The temporal variation at Mauna Loa is best described by the translation of the volcano over a Hawaiian plume which is radially zoned in composition, The radial zonation is a predicted consequence of thermal entrainment during flow in a mantle plume conduit. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.