Recent Geochemical Variation of the Hot-Spring Gases from the Tianchi Volcano, Changbai Mountains, Northeast China

Recent fluid monitoring work shows that the contents of mantle-derived CO,He and CHincreased anomalously in 2002 and 2003. The 3He/4He ratio of the deep-fault-type Jinjiang hot springs increased highly anomalously in 2003, and then decreased in 2004. The 3He/4He ratio from the thermal-reservoir-type Changbaijulong hot springs increased slowly in 2003, and the increase continued in 2004. The mantle-derived He content of the He released from the Changbaijulong springs increased obviously in 2004. The anomaly of the released gases and the isotopic He was consistent with the trends of seismic activities in the Tianchi volcanic area between 2002 and 2004. The abnormal release of the Jinjiang hot springs apparently decreased after the seismic activities ceased in the second half of 2004, while the abnormal release from the Changbaijulong increased significantly after these seismic activities. It shows that the abnormal release of magmas-derived gases from the thermal-reservoir-type springs lags behind that of the deep-fault-type springs. These characteristics may be of great significance for identifying deep magmatic activity and predicting volcanic earthquakes in the future.