Alkali Waters of the Ultrabasic Massif of Mount Soldatskaya, Kamchatka: Chemical and Isotopic Compositions, Mineralogy, and 14C Age of Travertines

Abstract

Abstract A detailed description of alkali water springs (pH > 10) found within the ultrabasic massif of Mount Soldatskaya in the Kamchatsky Mys Peninsula in Kamchatka is presented for the first time. The chemical composition of the springs and the dependence of the ratios and concentrations of some components on pH are indicative of the fact that these waters were involved in the present-day serpentinization of ultrabasic rocks. The springs with the highest alkali levels (pH 12.3) contain dissolved hydrogen at a concentration of about 0.6 mmol/l. The isotopic composition behavior of carbonate travertines deposited from these springs (δ13C and δ18O) differs from the known trend of “meteogenic” travertines related to serpentinization of ultrabasic rocks in Oman and California. The age of travertines determined by the radiocarbon method is close to modern.