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Peculiarities of the Osmium Isotopic Composition of Basaltic Glass from the

Western Termination of the Southwest Indian Ridge

Article  in  Doklady Earth Sciences · July 2009

DOI: 10.1134/S1028334X09070198

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ISSN 1028
334X, Doklady Earth Sciences, 2009, Vol. 428, No. 7, pp. 1126–1130. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2009.
Original Russian Text © R.Sh. Krymsky, N.M. Sushchevskaya, B.V. Belyatsky, N.A. Migdisova, 2009, published in Doklady Akademii Nauk, 2009, Vol. 428, No. 1, pp. 87–92.
GEOCHEMISTRY
Peculiarities of the Osmium Isotopic Composition
of Basaltic Glass from the Western Termination
of the Southwest Indian Ridge
R. Sh. Krymskya, N. M. Sushchevskayab, B. V. Belyatskyc, and N. A. Migdisovab
Presented by Academician L.N. Kogarko November 15, 2008
Received January 12, 2009
DOI: 10.1134/S1028334X09070198
Detailed isotopic–geochemical study of tholeiitic
magmas from mid
ocean ridges (MOR) in recent
years revealed that basaltic magmatism is character

ized by large
scale across
segment (tens and hundreds
of kilometers) variations along the ridge and small

scale heterogeneity within separate seamounts and
volcanoes. Wide isotopic variations were presumably
caused by compositional heterogeneities within the
ascending mantle diapir and by delamination of con

tinental areas in the asthenospheric mantle [1–3].
Osmium isotopic systematics (187Os/188Os) of basalts
provides not only additional information on the man

tle source of spreading magmas, but also makes it pos

sible to estimate the age of mantle material, admixture
of crustal material, and its origin. Unlike mainly litho

phile elements traditionally used in isotopic–
geochemical studies, rhenium and osmium are typical
siderophile and chalcophile elements; in addition,
osmium behaves as a highly compatible element dur

ing mantle melting. Unlike osmium, radiogenic rhe

nium is a moderately incompatible element. Hence,
the isotopic composition of high
radiogenic osmium
can be used as a sensitive tracer of crustal–mantle dif

ferentiation.
Previous study [4] of tholeiitic basalts from the
western termination of the Southwest Indian Ridge
discovered a prominent geochemical anomaly equal to
similar one known in the Quaternary volcanoes of
west Antarctica. At the same time, basalts in the
aCenter
for Isotopic Research, Karpinskii All
Russia
Research Institute of Geology, Srednii pr. 74, St. Petersburg,
199106 Russia
e
mail: robert_krymsky@yahoo.com
bVernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical
Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences,
ul. Kosygina 19, Moscow, 119991 Russia
cAll
Russia Research Institute of Geology and Mineral
Resources of the World Ocean, Angliiskii pr. 1,
St. Petersburg, 190121 Russia
1126
southern termination of the Mid
Atlantic Ridge bear
distinct signatures of the enriched component—
DUPAL, whose formation, according to different
researchers, is considered to be related to the forma

tion of mantle sources via the enriched sublithospheric
mantle or with the contribution of diverse crustal
material [5, 6].
We studied osmium isotopic systematics of
enriched tholeiitic glasses taken from the Spiess Ridge
and the spreading segment east of Bouvet Island in
order to refine the source of this enrichment. The
osmium isotopic composition was measured by mass
spectrometer at the Center for Isotopic Research using
the technique developed with application of the chem

ical separation of Re and Os [7].
The junction zone (Bouvet triple junction) consists
of three spreading ridges: the American–Antarctic
Ridge (AAR), the Mid
Atlantic Ridge (MAR), and
the Southwestern Indian Ridge (SWIR), which differ
in morphology, geophysical fields, and geochemistry
of magmatism. This zone plays a key role in the open

ing of the Southern basin. The western termination of
the Southwest Indian Ridge comprises two extended
rift segments separated by the Bouvet transform fault.
The northern segment called the Spiess Ridge was
formed no more than 2 Ma ago, while the southern
segment has an older age (about 8 Ma) [2]. It was
developed 2 Ma ago within the Bouvet hot spot, which
determined the type of magmatism in this region.
Lavas of this region are geochemically similar and
ascribed to weakly enriched tholeiites.
Previous petrological–geochemical studies showed
that the magmatism of the Bouvet segment and Spiess
Ridge is similar in composition and its formation was
related to the melting of the enriched mantle source
with the composition close to that of the source of the
modern lavas of the Antarctic Peninsula [4]. The melts
experienced intense crystallization, reaching up to
90% in the intermediate chambers at a depth of about
12 km beneath the Bouvet segment and Spiess Ridge at
a temperature of 1100–1300°C [4]. Such conditions
 PECULIARITIES OF THE OSMIUM ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION 1127

Os isotopic composition and Re and Os contents in the studied glasses of tholeiitic basalts of the western termination of the
Southwest Indian Ridge
187
Sample Latitude/Longitude Depth, m Re Os Re/Os Re/188Os 187
Os/188Os 2σ
Bouvet Segment
S 18
29/3 53.80° S, 3.60° E 2400 642.8 62.49 10.29 50.57 0.23963 0.00031
S 18
27/3 53.86° S, 3.29° E 3480 1995 381.9 5.223 25.40 0.15582 0.00073
S 18
37/3 54.12° S, 3.83° E 1380 1916 91.29 20.99 102.8 0.21087 0.00408
Spiess Ridge
G 9610/37 54.72° S, 0.067° E 820 1290 8.907 144.9 707.9 0.19230 0.00079
G 9612/16 54.78° S, 0.073° E 1030 1851 6.566 281.8 1379 0.20043 0.00046
G 9611/1 54.74° S, 0.07° E 400 1135 7.414 153.1 753.5 0.24914 0.00050
87
Sample Latitude/Longitude Blank Os Blank Re Age SiO2 MgO Mg# Sr/86Sr
Bouvet Segment
S 18
29/3 53.80° S, 3.60° E 0.12 13.0 134 49.43 6.82 57.60 0.704454
S 18
27/3 53.86° S, 3.29° E 0.04 8.20 70.0 51.71 5.74 49.69 0.703740
S 18
37/3 54.12° S, 3.83° E 0.08 4.42 49.4 50.64 4.42 39.86 0.703712
Spiess Ridge
G 9610/37 54.72° S, 0.067° E 0.81 6.45 5.6 47.85 6.50 53.04 0.705453
G 9612/16 54.78° S, 0.073° E 1.09 4.47 3.2 54.52 2.42 26.92 0.703298
G 9611/1 54.74° S, 0.07° E 1.01 7.65 9.8 50.80 4.78 42.28 0.703488
Note: Oxide contents are given in wt %, trace elements, in 10–6 g/g, Re and Os in 10–12 g/g. Measurement errors are 1% for 187Re/188Os
isotopic ratios and no less than 0.5% for the 187Os/188Os ratio (errors are given in absolute values), and the model age is listed in Ma
and calculated relative to the average isotopic composition of abyssal peridotite 187Os/188Os = 0.1262. The Os and Re blank is the cor

rection of the measured isotopic composition for the blank, in %. The blank isotopic composition 187Os/188Os = 0.3245.

occur under low
spreading rates, near hot spots. Two
samples from the Bouvet segment were taken in the rift
valley (S1827/3, S1837/3), and one sample was taken
from the ridge flank (S1829/3). Sampling stations
G9611 and G9612 were located immediately in the
caldera and on the slopes of a central
type volcanic
edifice on the Spiess Ridge, while station G9610 is
located on the slope of a submeridional rise west of the
ridge. The ubiquitous presence of porous basalts
among dredged material indicates a high gas satura

tion of the melts.
The studied glasses from both segments of the
SWIR are similar in composition, showing the follow

ing major element variations (in wt %): MgO 2.4–6.8,
FeO 8.9–11.7, K2O 0.8–1.7, and Na2O 2.6–3.7 [4].
The data points of the studied glasses are plotted on
the fractional crystallization
controlled trend with a
decrease of MgO. Melts that are formed on the west

ern termination of SWIR, in addition to elevated K2O,
have a high water content, reaching 1.5–2.0 wt % in
the most fractionated varieties of glasses [4].
The measured isotopic composition and contents
of osmium and rhenium are listed in the table and
Figs. 1 and 2. The studied glasses from both segments
show close variations in the rhenium content 640–
2000 ppt, which are plotted in the range typical of oce

anic basalts (300–3000 ppt [5, 8, 9]). The osmium
content in the tholeiites of the Bouvet segment are two
orders of magnitude (60–380 ppm) higher than those
measured in the glass of the Spiess Ridge (6.5–8.9 ppt)
and were found in typical MOR basalts (0.18–30 ppt
[8–11]). Such a high osmium content could be related
to the elevated sulfide content [12, 13] in the glasses of
the Bouvet segment, or to the presence of microinclu

sions of native PGE [14, 15]. However, the micro

probe study did not confirm the presence of the latter
in these samples.
The studied basalts has a radiogenic osmium isoto

pic composition (187Os/188Os > 0.15); this ratio aver

ages 0.12–0.14 for depleted MORB [5] (Fig. 1) and
shows significant variations from 0.1558 to 0.2396 for
the basalts of the Bouvet segment and from 0.1923 to
0.2491 for the tholeiites of the Spiess Ridge. The weak
correlation between the 187Os/188Os ratio and the com

position of tholeiitic glasses (table) indicates that the
isotopic composition was not related to the crystalliza

tion differentiation. The absence of any correlations of
the osmium isotopic composition with its concentra

tion and Re/Os ratio (Fig. 2) is inconsistent with the
derivation of the studied basalts by simple two
compo

nent mixing. At the same time, the elevated
187Re/188Os ratio (25–1380) in the studied basalts can

DOKLADY EARTH SCIENCES Vol. 428 No. 7 2009

1128 KRYMSKY et al.

N PUM

8 1
2
7 3

0
0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20 0.22 0.24 0.26 0.28 0.30 0.32 0.34
187Os/188Os

Fig. 1. Frequency histogram of osmium isotopic composition (187Os/188Os) of the tholeiitic basalts from the southern part of the
Mid
Atlantic Ridge and Indian Ocean according to [1, 5, 8, 10, 11]. N is the number of analyses; PUM is the estimate of osmium
isotopic composition in the primitive upper mantle according to [5]; (1) composition of tholeiites according to literature data,
(2, 3) composition of tholeiitic glasses of the Bouvet segment (2) and Spiess ridge (3) (our data).

(a) (b)
100 Ma 10 Ma 5 Ma 3 Ma
0.36 0.36
1
2
0.32 2 Ma 3 0.32

0.28 0.28
187Os/188Os

187Os/188Os
0.24 0.24
1 Ma

0.20 0.20
0.5 Ma
0.16 0.16
PUM PUM
0.12 0.12
1
0.08 0.08
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
187
Re/188Os 1/Os

Fig. 2. Diagram 187Os/188Os– 187Re/188Os (a) and 187Os/188Os–1/Os (b) for tholeiitic basalts from the southern part of the Mid

Atlantic Ridge and Indian Ocean. Symbols are shown in Fig. 1.

be produced by radiogenic in situ accumulation of
187Os, if the age of the basalts varies from 3.2 to 130 Ma
(Fig. 2); however, this is in conflict with the modern
age of the glasses [4]. At the same time, we cannot
completely exclude the relation of the radiogenic
osmium composition with the contribution of old
material, because the characteristics of the obtained
model ages demonstrates the older origin of the south

ern Bouvet segment as compared to the young (no
more than 2 Ma) Spiess Ridge (table). The measured
radiogenic osmium composition of the basalts could
not be caused by laboratory contamination [8],
because the low
background method of rhenium and
osmium determination suggeststhat the errors on a
blank
corrected isotopic composition are no more
than 1% (table) at 187Os/188Os ~ 0.3245.

DOKLADY EARTH SCIENCES Vol. 428 No. 7 2009

 PECULIARITIES OF THE OSMIUM ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION 1129

187
Os/188Os

DM–ROC + 5% SED
DM–ROC + 1% SED
DM–ROC
0.32

0.28 2
3

0.24

0.20
AL
D UP
+
DM

0.16
TE R
EA W A
DM – S

ED
C + 10 % S
0.12 D M – RO
0.702 0.703 0.704 0.705 0.706
87Sr/86Sr

Fig. 3. Diagram 187Os/188Os–87Sr/86Sr for the tholeiitic basalts from the southern part of the Mid
Atlantic Ridge and Indian
Ocean. Trends approximating compositions of mid
ocean ridge basalts from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are shown by a
dashed line [1]; trends of simulated mixing of depleted mantle and recycled oceanic crust (DM–ROC) with addition of 1%
pelagic sediments (DM–ROC + 1%SED), with addition of 5% pelagic sediments (DM–ROC+5% SED), with addition of 10%
pelagic sediments (DM–ROC+10%SED); depleted mantle and DUPAL type anomalous mantle (DM + DUPAL); depleted
mantle and seawater (DM–SEA WATER); The dotted line corresponds to the composition of the mixture with 75% recycled
component added to the depleted mantle. The tick marks a 5% decrease of the depleted mantle in a mixture. Symbols are shown
in Fig. 1.

The comparison of the strontium and osmium iso

topic compositions in the studied basalts indicates that
the radiogenic osmium composition of the basalts was
not produced by direct contamination of the melt with
oceanic water. The change in the osmium isotopic
composition owing to the interaction of basaltic melts
with the oceanic crust during their ascent to the sur

face and outpouring requires a significant exchange
with water (water/rock > 1000), because high
radio

genic composition of the oceanic crust (187Os/188Os ~
1.065) corresponds to an osmium content of no more
than 1 × 10–14 ppm. Such large
scale interaction
should affect the isotopic composition of other ele

ments, in particular, strontium (Fig. 3). However, the
indirect contribution of this component in the forma

tion of the isotopic composition of tholeiites of the
studied MOR regions is possible, assuming assimila

tion of the altered ancient oceanic crust by the
depleted upper mantle source (DM [5, 8]).
The simulation of the basalt source showed that the
melting of mantle material of mixed composition
(depleted mantle and 45–75% ancient (1.5 Ga) oce

anic crust) with 1.5–6.0% pelagic sediments provides
the entire spectrum of observed enriched isotopic
characteristics of the studied tholeiites (Fig. 3). For
calculations, we used the following composition of
mixing end
members [5, 10]: depleted mantle (DM):
Os = 3 ppb, 187Os/Os = 0.125, Sr = 11.3 ppm,
87Sr/86Sr = 0.70214; recycled oceanic crust with an age
of 1.5 Ga (ROC): Os = 0.01 ppb, 187Re/188Os = 500,
187Os/188Os = 12, Sr = 113 ppm, 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7026;

DOKLADY EARTH SCIENCES Vol. 428 No. 7 2009

1130 KRYMSKY et al.
1.5 Ga
old pelagic sediments (SED): Os = 0.025 ppb,
187
Re/188Os = 50, 187Os/188Os = 2, Sr = 300 ppm,
87Sr/86Sr = 0.7203; DUPAL
type anomalous mantle:
Os = 3.0 ppb, 187Os/188Os = 0.5, Sr = 0.5, Sr = 100 ppm,
87
Sr/86Sr = 0.7080; sea water: Os = 0.01089 ppt,
187Os/188Os ~ 1.06, Sr = 8 ppm, 87Sr/86Sr ≈ 0.709.
The tendencies revealed in the isotopic composi

tion of oceanic basalts have a distinct regional correla

tion. A high radiogenic isotopic composition of
osmium and nonradiogenic neodymium composi

tions, moderately radiogenic strontium isotopic com

position, and lowered 207Pb/204Pb ratio were found in
the basalts from the Southern Ocean, the area adjacent
to Antarctica and South Africa. The latter are frag

ments of the Gondwana supercontinent with well

developed and the preserved ancient sublithospheric
mantle [5, 6, 10]. The high radiogenic and variable
osmium isotopic composition can be explained by
compositional and age heterogeneity of the sublithos

pheric mantle. Judging from magnetic anomalies, the
structures with the SWIR strike began to form in the
junction zone with MAR about 8 Ma ago, while the
Spiess Ridge was initiated 2.5 Ma ago. This was
accompanied by the movement of the western contin

uation of SWIR in the northern direction toward the
area with previously formed (possibly at the southern
termination of MAR) more ancient oceanic crust [2].
New data on Os isotopy indicate that sublithospheric
enriched sources involved in magma generation in the
spreading zone in the SWIR segment west of Bouvet
Island and on the Spiess ridge were different, which
was presumably related to the older age of the oce

anic lithosphere beneath the Bouvet segment [2].
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the Russian Founda

tion for Basic Research (project no. 09
05
00256a).
DOKLADY EARTH SCIENCES
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