Constraints on light noble gas partitioning at the conditions of spinel-peridotite melting

Helium partitioning between olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and spinel and basaltic melt has been experimentally determined under upper mantle melting conditions (up to 20 kbar and 1450 degrees C). Under the conditions explored, helium partition coefficients are similar in all minerals investigated (K-d(He) similar to 10(-4)), suggesting He is evenly distributed between the minerals of spinel peridotite. This is in contrast to most incompatible elements, which are concentrated in clinopyroxene in spinel peridotite. The studied minerals have different concentrations of point defects, but similar He solubility, providing no evidence for He partitioning onto specific defects sites (e.g. cation vacancies). Upper limits on the partition coefficients for Ne and Ar have also been determined, constraining these elements to be moderately to highly incompatible in olivine at the conditions of spinel peridotite melting (<10(-2) and <10(-3), respectively). Helium partitioning in peridotite minerals varies little within the range of temperatures, pressures, and mineral compositions explored in this study. Reported partition coefficients, in combination with previous work, suggest that moderate to high degree mantle melting is not an efficient mechanism for increasing (U Th)/He, (U Th)/Ne, or K/Ar of the depleted mantle (DMM) through time, and consequently, supports the argument that recycling of oceanic crust is largely responsible for the relatively strong radiogenic noble gas signatures in the depleted mantle. Mantle residues with lowered (U+Th)/He, (U+Th)/Ne, and K/Ar may be produced through large extents of melting, but concentrations of noble gases will be low, unless noble gas solubility in solids deviate from Henry's Law at high fugacity. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.