In this short note, we report the ages of five lava samples from a segment of the Eastern Lau Spreading Center （ELSC） and three samples from the Valu Fa Ridge （VFR） in the southern Lau Basin. These samples were co...In this short note, we report the ages of five lava samples from a segment of the Eastern Lau Spreading Center （ELSC） and three samples from the Valu Fa Ridge （VFR） in the southern Lau Basin. These samples were collected in situ from the axes and flanks of the spreading centers in the basin. These ages provide a key to better understanding the spreading mode, crustal formation and overall tectonic evolution of the basin. Except for two basaltic andesites and one andesite, the lavas analyzed are basalts. The ages of the lavas from ELSC range from （1.45±0.15） Ma to （0.74±0.04） Ma whereas those from VFR range from （0.50±0.06） Ma to （0.32±0.27） Ma, and the basalts give the oldest ages. The relatively younger ages of the VFR lavas are consistent with proposed tectonic evolution of the southern Lau Basin, i.e., VFR is a propagating extension of ELSC. The occurence of older lavas close to or on spreading axes in the southern Lau Basin implies the complex tectonic evolution of the basin. These results underscore a need for further detailed geophysical and geological studies in the southern Lau Basin, in order to better clarify the crustal accretion tectonic evolution in this area.展开更多
The CDE hydrothermal field was first discovered during a Chinese cruise to the East Lau Basin Spreading Centre in 2007. Apart from significant amounts of loose Fe-Si-Mn （oxyhydr） oxide （referred to as oxide below）...The CDE hydrothermal field was first discovered during a Chinese cruise to the East Lau Basin Spreading Centre in 2007. Apart from significant amounts of loose Fe-Si-Mn （oxyhydr） oxide （referred to as oxide below） precipitates, a small Si-rich oxide chimney was also recovered on this cruise. In this study, we report on the mineralogical and geochemical analyses of this chimney and a model for its growth that has been developed. Based on the mineralogy and O isotope results, the chimney walls can be divided into four growth generations （layers） from the inner to the outer layers： amorphous opal and barite layer （pre- cipitation temperature 68.5℃ based on oxygen isotope determinations）, a rod-like amorphous layer （precipitation temperature 39.6℃）, a filamentous Fe-Si oxide layer, and an outer Fe-Mn oxide layer. Investigations based on SEM and EDS showed that neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria play an important role in the formation of this chimney, particularly in the outer two genera- tions. In the first stage, the metabolic activity of the microbes results in the pervasive precipitation of the filamentous Fe-rich oxides inside a ring formed by some amorphous opal and barite; therefore, a loose porous layer forms. In the second stage, amorphous opal then precipitates inside this wall as a result of conductive cooling and gradually controls the mixing between the hydrothermal fluids and ambient seawaters. In the third stage, barite and some amorphous opal form from the higher tem- perature fluids at the summit of the chimney growth history. In the last stage, the chimney wall becomes thicker and denser and the exchange of hydrothermal fluids and seawater ceases. As a result, a Fe-Mn oxide layer precipitates onto the outer surface of the chimney wall as neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria reoccupy the surface of the chimney. This mineral sequence and the resultant growth generations are confirmed by the chemical characteristics of the chimney wall. Sr isotopes extracted from the Fe oxides of the four-generation wall generally show a decreasing trend of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios from the second layer to the in- ner layer （from 0.707008 to 0.705877） except for the outer layer （0.706502）. The Sr isotope and chondrite normalized REE patterns of the corresponding bulk samples from the chimney wall also display a similar trend. Our study shows that the bio- genic filament network plays a key role in the formation of the chimney in contrast to previous growth models of higher temperature chimneys, which often ignore the influence of biogenic factors.展开更多
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41230960, 40906034 and 41276003China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA) under contract No. DY125-12-R-05+3 种基金Youth Foundation for Marine Science of State Oceanic Administration,PRC under contract No. 2011303China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under contract No. 201104616Special Basic Research Funds for Central Public Research Institutes (First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, PRC) under contract Nos GY02-2008G38 and GY02-2010G20the Taishan Scholar Program of Shandong Province
文摘In this short note, we report the ages of five lava samples from a segment of the Eastern Lau Spreading Center （ELSC） and three samples from the Valu Fa Ridge （VFR） in the southern Lau Basin. These samples were collected in situ from the axes and flanks of the spreading centers in the basin. These ages provide a key to better understanding the spreading mode, crustal formation and overall tectonic evolution of the basin. Except for two basaltic andesites and one andesite, the lavas analyzed are basalts. The ages of the lavas from ELSC range from （1.45±0.15） Ma to （0.74±0.04） Ma whereas those from VFR range from （0.50±0.06） Ma to （0.32±0.27） Ma, and the basalts give the oldest ages. The relatively younger ages of the VFR lavas are consistent with proposed tectonic evolution of the southern Lau Basin, i.e., VFR is a propagating extension of ELSC. The occurence of older lavas close to or on spreading axes in the southern Lau Basin implies the complex tectonic evolution of the basin. These results underscore a need for further detailed geophysical and geological studies in the southern Lau Basin, in order to better clarify the crustal accretion tectonic evolution in this area.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.40976045,40976025 and 41006072)
文摘The CDE hydrothermal field was first discovered during a Chinese cruise to the East Lau Basin Spreading Centre in 2007. Apart from significant amounts of loose Fe-Si-Mn （oxyhydr） oxide （referred to as oxide below） precipitates, a small Si-rich oxide chimney was also recovered on this cruise. In this study, we report on the mineralogical and geochemical analyses of this chimney and a model for its growth that has been developed. Based on the mineralogy and O isotope results, the chimney walls can be divided into four growth generations （layers） from the inner to the outer layers： amorphous opal and barite layer （pre- cipitation temperature 68.5℃ based on oxygen isotope determinations）, a rod-like amorphous layer （precipitation temperature 39.6℃）, a filamentous Fe-Si oxide layer, and an outer Fe-Mn oxide layer. Investigations based on SEM and EDS showed that neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria play an important role in the formation of this chimney, particularly in the outer two genera- tions. In the first stage, the metabolic activity of the microbes results in the pervasive precipitation of the filamentous Fe-rich oxides inside a ring formed by some amorphous opal and barite; therefore, a loose porous layer forms. In the second stage, amorphous opal then precipitates inside this wall as a result of conductive cooling and gradually controls the mixing between the hydrothermal fluids and ambient seawaters. In the third stage, barite and some amorphous opal form from the higher tem- perature fluids at the summit of the chimney growth history. In the last stage, the chimney wall becomes thicker and denser and the exchange of hydrothermal fluids and seawater ceases. As a result, a Fe-Mn oxide layer precipitates onto the outer surface of the chimney wall as neutrophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria reoccupy the surface of the chimney. This mineral sequence and the resultant growth generations are confirmed by the chemical characteristics of the chimney wall. Sr isotopes extracted from the Fe oxides of the four-generation wall generally show a decreasing trend of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios from the second layer to the in- ner layer （from 0.707008 to 0.705877） except for the outer layer （0.706502）. The Sr isotope and chondrite normalized REE patterns of the corresponding bulk samples from the chimney wall also display a similar trend. Our study shows that the bio- genic filament network plays a key role in the formation of the chimney in contrast to previous growth models of higher temperature chimneys, which often ignore the influence of biogenic factors.
