Geochemistry of low-temperature springs northwest of Yellowstone caldera: Seeking the link between seismicity, deformation, and fluid flow
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Abstract
A comprehensive geochemical survey of springs outside the northwest margin of the Yellowstone caldera was undertaken in 2003 and 2004. This survey was designed to detect: (1) active leakage from a huge reservoir of CO2 gas recently postulated to extend from beneath the caldera into this area; and (2) lingering evidence for subsurface flow of magmatic fluids into this area during the 1985 seismic swarm and concomitant caldera subsidence. Spring temperatures are low (< 15 °C), but two large-discharge springs contain 14C-dead carbon that can be identified as magmatic from calculated end-member values for δ13C(dead) and 3He/C(dead) of − 4‰ and 1 × 10− 10, respectively, similar to values for intra-caldera fumarolic and hot-spring gases. However, the combined discharge of magmatic C is only 5.4 tonnes/day, < 0.1% of the total output from Yellowstone. The two springs have slightly elevated 3He/4He ratios near 1 RA and anomalous concentrations of Cl, Li, and B, and appear to represent minor leakage of gas-depleted, thermal waters out of the caldera. The small CO2 signal detected in the springs is difficult to reconcile with a large underlying reservoir of gas in faulted and seismically active terrain. When considered with analyses from previous decades, the results provide no evidence to associate the ten-year period of caldera deflation that began in 1985 with expulsion of magmatic fluids through the caldera rim in this area.
Suggested Citation
Evans, W.C., Bergfeld, D., van Soest, M.C., Huebner, M., Fitzpatrick, J., and Revesz, K.M., 2006, Geochemistry of low-temperature springs northwest of Yellowstone caldera: Seeking the link between seismicity, deformation, and fluid flow: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 154, no. 3-4, p. 169-180, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2006.01.001.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Geochemistry of low-temperature springs northwest of Yellowstone caldera: Seeking the link between seismicity, deformation, and fluid flow |
| Series title | Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2006.01.001 |
| Volume | 154 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Year Published | 2006 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier Science |
| Contributing office(s) | Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, Volcano Hazards Program |
| Description | 12 p. |
| First page | 169 |
| Last page | 180 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana, Wyoming |
| Other Geospatial | Yellowstone National Park |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |