Summary

Basaltic and hawaiitic lavas from the S Atlantic Ocean islands of Ascension, Bouvet, St. Helena, Gough and Tristan da Cunha have been analysed for major elements and a wide range of trace elements. There is marked chemical (particularly trace-element) diversity between these islands which parallels observed Pb, Sr and Nd isotopic variations, and implies considerable large-scale heterogeneity in the source regions for ocean island volcanism. Trace-element and isotopic variation within individual islands suggests significant small-scale source heterogeneity.

Abundance ratios between highly-incompatible trace elements (Rb, Ba, Th, U, K, Ta, Nb and La) appear not to be fractionated during partial melting (except at low degrees of melting in the production of Tristan da Cunha lavas) and can be used to infer source characteristics. Lavas from the islands of Ascension, Bouvet and St. Helena have comparable highly-incompatible trace-element ratios (e.g. La/Nb, Th/Ta, La/Th, Th/U, Ba/La and Ba/Nb), with the exception of the apparent depletion of Rb and K relative to other highly-incompatible elements in St. Helena lavas. Tristan da Cunha and Gough lavas have similar La/Th ratios but much higher La/Nb, Th/Ta, Th/U, Ba/La and Ba/Nb ratios than do lavas from the other islands. These differences reflect depletion in Nb and Ta and enrichment in Ba relative to other highly-incompatible elements in Gough lavas.

The anomalous behaviour (enrichment) of Nb and Ta compared with other highly-incompatible trace elements, and specific consideration of relations between Ba, La and Nb, suggest that ancient subducted ocean crust, rather than primitive or depleted mantle, is the main component of the mantle source for ocean island basalts. Gough, Tristan da Cunha and Walvis Ridge lavas seem to be derived from such a source which has been contaminated by a component with high Ba/Nb, La/Nb and Ba/La ratios. Correlation between Ba/Nb and La/Nb in Gough basalts and hawaiites implies that these lavas contain variable proportions of this component. Pelagic sediment has the high Ba/Nb, La/Nb and Ba/La ratios required of this contaminant, and a few per cent of such material in the mantle source for Gough, Tristan da Cunha and Walvis Ridge lavas would account for their trace-element chemistry.