The 3He, 4He, Ne, and Ar in sedimentary pore fluids, extracted in situ, were measured on samples fro Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) sites 398, 410, 419, 420, 424, 436, and 438. Earlier results from DSDP leg 15 are also discussed. Where regional sediment cover prevents direct penetration of seawater into basement rocks at sites 149, 436, and 438, He concentration profiles indicate slow vertical and/or horizontal advection of sedimentary pore fluids, suggesting that fluids can ventilate through the sediment cover either in diffuse, bulk flow or in ''aquifiers'' confined to regions of relatively high permeability such as ash beds, sand/silt layers, or fracture channels in lithified sediments. At site 410, where basement outcrops are prevalent, no advection was detectable in the sediments; however, the basement was well flushed by seawater. On 1--5¿108 years (apparent age) in sediments on the active continental margin of NE Japan. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1987