Noble gas signatures around the Rodriguez Triple Junction in the Indian Ocean: Constraints on magma genesis in a ridge system

We report systematic noble gas variation within a regional scale in an area that is well separated from all hotspots surrounding a remarkable ridge-ridge-ridge type triple junction—the Rodriguez Triple Junction of the Indian Ocean. We applied a newly established technique to select basaltic glass samples from the Mid-Oceanic Ridge Basalt (MORB) suite from the studied area. Samples were selected to create regular spacing along the ridge axis for investigating the magma system beneath the ridge axis. All samples show a typical isotope signature as MORB regardless of moderate contributions of an atmospheric component. Remarkably, uniform isotope ratios were found even for Ne and Ar in each segment. Such ratios had not been recognized in any magmatic system in Mid-Oceanic Ridges. Elemental abundances of samples are controlled both by mixing with the atmospheric component and by degassing. Contribution of atmospheric components is controlled strongly by a high temperature reaction caused by equilibration of dissolved noble gases between magma and seawater. Of the three models of the magma system around the Rodriguez Triple Junction, controlled contamination without mechanical mixing in a magma chamber presents the most likely scenario.