The geochemical characteristics
of mantle degassing observed on
the surface of the earth can indicate the origin and migration path
of mantle fluids. Compared with the plate boundary tectonic environment,
the intraplate tectonic environment does not have a large number of
active volcanoes and active faults, and the observation of mantle
volatiles in hot spring gas is relatively limited. We selected the
Sichuan–Yunnan block to discuss mantle degassing based on the
carbon and noble gas isotopes of the spring gases and previous studies
on the fault slip rate and geophysical research. A total of five hot
spring gas samples (including two free gases and three dissolved gases)
were collected from the Sichuan–Yunnan block. Chemical and
isotopic compositions were analyzed in N2-dominant hot
spring gases. The 3He/4He ratio (0.068–0.541 R
a) indicates the occurrence of mantle-derived
helium throughout the Sichuan–Yunnan block, which has been
diluted by a crustal radiogenic 4He component. The occurrence
of mantle-derived helium in the study areas ranges from 0.74 to 5.67%.
The lower proportion of mantle-derived helium in YNWQ and HGWQ than
that in other spring gases near the Jinghe-Qinghe fault may be caused
by the smaller scale of fault around YNWQ and HGWQ than the Jinghe-Qinghe
fault. The correlation between 4He, 20Ne, and
N2 concentrations implies a common trapping mechanism for 4He, 20Ne, and N2 in hot spring gases.
The 40Ar/36Ar ratios and N2/Ar ratios
indicate that N2 and Ar are mostly meteoric, and YNWQ and
HGWQ have more crustal-derived Ar contribution (40.56 and 51.49%,
respectively). The δ13C(CO2)o values calculated by Rayleigh fractionation and CO2 concentration
suggest that CO2 has inorganic and organic origins. The
plot of R
c/R
a versus δ13C(CO2) indicates that the
spring gas CO2 origin in the Sichuan–Yunnan block
is mainly derived from mixing of limestone and organic sediments with
minor mantle CO2. The δ13C(CH4) versus CH4/3He values indicate that the origin
of methane is thermogenic and microbial oxidation. The low mantle-derived
helium distribution pattern is most likely controlled by the weak
fault activity rate, the small fault scale, and not obvious magmatic
activity in the Sichuan–Yunnan block.