Virtually all mid-ocean ridge basalt magmas lose gas as they rise through the ocean crust because they are saturated or oversaturated with carbon dioxide. An unknown amount of the CO2 that is lost is vented through hydrothermal systems and used by organisms inhabiting them via biochemical reactions. This research measures noble gas (Argon and Helium) and CO2 concentrations trapped in bubbles of basaltic lavas erupted from 1991-1992 and 2005-2006 at the RIDGE 2000 Integrated Study Site on the East Pacific Rise. The concentration and isotopic composition of these gases provide fundamental information that can be used to determine the amount of lava degassing on mid-ocean ridges and provide insights into the evolution of magmas in the ocean crust. Analyses of samples along the length of individual lava flows offer an unprecedented opportunity to study magma recharge at a mid-ocean ridge, quantify the amount of pre-eruptive and syn-eruptive degassing that has occurred, and evaluate the extent to which carbon from Earth's interior is incorporated into hydrothermal fluids and ultimately into seafloor ecosystems. Broader impacts of the work include support of a new noble gas facility at Oregon State University and trains students.
