Yamasaki,S., Sawada,R., Ozawa,A., Tagami,T., Watanabe,Y. and Takahashi,E.(2011): Unspiked K-Ar dating of Koolau lavas, Hawaii: Evaluation of the influence of weathering/alteration on age determinations. Chemical Geology, 287, 41-53.

『ハワイのコオラウ溶岩のスパイクを加えないカリウム−アルゴン年代決定法:年代決定に対する風化/変質の影響の評価』


Abstract
 In order to evaluate the influence of weathering/alteration on K-Ar dating for Hawaiian tholeiites, unspiked K-Ar ages were determined for 21 samples from four lava flows with varying degrees of weathering or alteration collected from the Makapuu Head section of Koolau volcano, Hawaii. The samples were classified based on freshness of olivine phenocrysts and the groundmass olivine, and the presence of secondary minerals in vesicles. The results indicate that the ages for samples with fresh groundmass olivine are reliable, even though olivine phenocrysts may be slightly altered (thin reaction rims) or secondary minerals may have crystallized in the vesicles. The ages for the lowermost lava flow in the Makapuu Head section and the lava flow approximately 120 m above it are 2.58±0.13 and 2.36±0.09 Ma, respectively. The accumulation rate of this section is calculated to be 0.04-0.11 cm/year.
 We also report K-Ar ages for lava samples collected from the submarine flank of the Koolau volcano and the Nuuanu landslide blocks. The age for an early Makapuu-stage lava collected from the submarine flank of Koolau volcano is 2.5 Ma, similar to the age from the lower part of the subaerial Makapuu Head section. Another lava sample collected from the submarine flank of the Koolau volcano has an age of 3.3 Ma, older than any subaerial part of Koolau volcano. These results suggest that the onset of Koolau's shield-stage volcanism was no later than 〜3.3 Ma, and the duration of the shield stage was at least 1.2 m.y.

Keywords: K-Ar dating;
Weathering; Alteration; Basalt; Koolau volcano; Hawaii』

1. Introduction
2. Geological setting and analytical samples
 2.1. Koolau volcano
 2.2. Makapuu head section
 2.3. Submarine samples
3. Analytical procedures
 3.1. Classification for weathering/alteration of the lava samples
 3.2. Whole rock major-element analysis
 3.3. K-Ar dating
4. Results and discussion
 4.1. Evaluation of the influence of weathering/alteration on K-Ar dating
 4.2. Accumulation rate of lava in the Makapuu head section
 4.3. Unspiked K-Ar ages for submarine Koolau lavas
5. Summary
Acknowledgments
Appendix I. Photographs of the thin sections
Appendix II. Unspiked K-Ar dating
References


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