Whole-rock basalt samples from the upper half of Deep Sea Drilling Project Hole 504B have oxygen-isotope compositions typical of mid-ocean-ridge basalts which have experienced a moderate degree of low-temperature alteration by sea water. By contrast, d18O values in the lower half of the hole correspond to basalts which have experienced almost no detectable oxygen-isotope alteration. These observations suggest that the overall water/rock ratio was lower in the lower half of the drilled crust. A correlation between d18O values and 87Sr/86Sr ratios suggests that the water/rock ratio, rather than temperature variation, was the main factor determining basalt d18O values. Hydrogen-isotope data appear to be consistent with a low water/rock ratio in the lower part of the crust.

Supplement to: Barrett, T J; Friedrichsen, Hans (1983): Oxygen- and hydrogen-isotope composition of some basalts from Deep Sea Drilling Project Hole 504B, Costa Rica Rift, Legs 69 and 70. In: Cann, JR; Langseth, MG; Honnorez, J; Von Herzen, RP; White, SM; et al. (eds.), Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (U.S. Govt. Printing Office), 69, 637-642