Origin of silicic magma in Iceland revealed by Th isotopes

Abstract

Th, Sr, Nd, and O isotopes have been determined in a suite of volcanic rocks from Hekla and in a few samples from Askja and Krafla volcanic centers in Iceland. Although {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr and {sup 143}Nd/{sup 144}Nd ratios are nearly the same for all compositions at Hekla, the ({sup 230}Th/{sup 232}Th) ratios differ and thus clearly show that the silicic rocks cannot be derived from fractional crystallization of a more primitive magma. Similar results are obtained for the Krafla and Askja volcanic centers, where the {delta}{sup 18}O values are much lower in the silicic magma than in the mafic magma. These data suggest that large volumes of silicic rocks in central volcanoes of the neovolcanic zones in Iceland are produced by partial melting of the underlying crust.