Record of hydrothermal activity in the Yuhuang hydrothermal field and its implications for the Southwest Indian Ridge:evidence from sulfide chronology

The Yuhuang hydrothermal field(YHF)is located between the Indomed and Gallieni fracture zones near the top of the off-axis slope on the south rift wall of Segment 29 on the ultraslow Southwest Indian Ridge(SWIR).Previous studies have shown that sulfides in the YHF formed during different mineralization episodes and the YHF has the greatest potential for the formation of large-scale seafloor massive sulfide deposits.However,the sulfide chronology and hydrothermal activity of the YHF remain poorly constrained.In this study,mineralogical analyses and 230Th/U dating were performed.Hydrothermal activity may start about(35.9±2.3)ka from the southwest part of the YHF and may cease about(708±81)a ago from the northeast part of the YHF.The 74 nonzero chronological data from hydrothermal sulfide samples provide the first quantitative characterization of the spatial and temporal history along the SWIR.Hydrothermal activity in the SWIR has been relatively active over the past20 ka.In contrast,between 40 ka and 100 ka,hydrothermal activity was relatively infrequently and short in duration.The maximum activity occurred at 15–11 ka,9–7 ka,6–0.2 ka.There was a slight positive correlation between the maximal age and estimated surface area or estimated tonnage.The minimum mass accumulation rate of YHF is about 278 t/a,which is higher than most HFs related to ultramafic systems.The ultraslow spreading SWIR has the greatest potential to form large-scale seafloor massive sulfides(SMS)deposits.The results of this study provide new insights into the metallogenic mechanism of hydrothermal sulfides along ultraslow-spreading ridges.

Sonocatalytic activity of LuFeO_3 crystallites synthesized via a hydrothermal route

LuFeO3 crystallites of different sizes and morphologies were synthesized via a hydrothermal route. The sonocatalytic properties of the as-synthesized samples were investigated by degrading various organic dyes, including acid orange 7 （AOT）, rhodamine B （RhB）, methyl orange （MO）, and methylene blue （MB）, under ultrasonic irradiation, revealing that they exhibit excellent sonocatalytic activity toward the degradation of these dyes. Particularly, the synthesized bar-like particles with lengths of-3 μm and widths of-1μm have the highest sonocatalytic activity, and the degradation percentage of AO7 reaches 89% after 30 min of sonocatalysis. The effects of inorganic anions such as CI-, NO3-, SO42-, PO43-, and HCO3- on the sonocatalysis efficiency were investigated. Hydroxyl radicals （·OH） detected by fiuorimetry using terephthalic acid as a probe molecule were found to be produced over the ultrasonic-irradiated LuFeO3 particles. The addition of ethanol, which acts as a· OH scavenger, leads to quenching of ＂OH radicals and a simultaneous decrease in the dye degrada- tion. This suggests that ＂OH is the dominant active species responsible for the dye degradation.

New discovery of seafloor hydrothermal activity on the Indian Ocean Carlsberg Ridge and Southern North Atlantic Ridge-progress during the 26th Chinese COMRA cruise

The 26th Chinese COMRA （China Ocean Mineral Resources Research ＆ Development Association） cruise was an important cruise. The Carlsberg Ridge （CR） of the Northwest Indian Ocean and the North Atlantic Ridge （NAR）, in which less investigation has been carried out for hydrothermal activities, were investigated and studied during the first two legs of the 26th COMRA cruise. During the first leg, we found one hydrother- mal activity field located in the CR at 3.5^-3.8~ N on the Northwest Indian Ocean Ridge （NWIR）, and sampled seafloor polymetallic sulfide deposits where only abnormalities were found before. During the second leg, we found a new hydrothermal anomaly field located in the NAR at 4^-7~N. The discovery of two hydrother- real and anomaly fields filled in the gap of hydrothermal investigation and study in the corresponding re- ~ions for China.

Tertiary hydrothermal activity and its effect on reservoir properties in the Xihu Depression, East China Sea

Three large-scale episodes of volcanic activity occurred during the Tertiary in the Xihu Depression, located in the East China Sea. Intermediate-felsic magmas intruded along faults and the associated hydrothermal fluids resulted in the hydrothermal alteration of the clastic country rock. To better describe reservoir characteristics, reservoir samples were subjected to the following investigations: thin section examination, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer analysis(SEM–EDS), fluid inclusion homogenization temperature tests, vitrinite reflectance measurements, and X-ray di raction. The results of this study provide evidence of the following hydrothermal alteration phenomena: brittle fracturing, clastic particle alteration, precipitation of unique hydrothermal minerals(celestite, zircon, apatite, barite, and cerous phosphate). The presence of abnormally high temperatures is indicated by fluid inclusion analysis, the precipitation of high-temperature authigenic minerals such as quartz, illite alteration, and anomalous vitrinite reflectance. Two aspects related to hydrothermal effects on reservoir properties have been investigated in this study:(1) Deep magmatic hydrothermal fluids carry large amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide gas. These fluids percolate into the country rocks along fault zones, resulting in dissolution within the sandstone reservoirs and the development of significant secondary porosity.(2) Magma intrusions increase the temperature of the surrounding rocks and accelerate the thermal evolution of hydrocarbon source rocks. This results in the release of large amounts of organic acids and carbon dioxide, leading the dissolution of the aluminosilicate minerals and volcanic fragments in the reservoirs, and the generation of significant secondary porosity.

In-Situ Hydrothermal Synthesis of Bi–Bi2O2CO3 Heterojunction Photocatalyst with Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity

Bismuth containing nanomaterials recently received increasing attention with respect to environmental applications because of their low cost, high stability and nontoxicity. In this work, Bi–Bi_2O_2CO_3 heterojunctions were fabricated by in-situ decoration of Bi nanoparticles on Bi_2O_2CO_3 nanosheets via a simple hydrothermal synthesis approach. X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and high-resolution TEM(HRTEM) were used to confirm the morphology of the nanosheet-like heterostructure of the Bi–Bi_2O_2CO_3 composite. Detailed ultrafast electronic spectroscopy reveals that the in-situ decoration of Bi nanoparticles on Bi_2O_2CO_3 nanosheets exhibit a dramatically enhanced electron-hole pair separation rate, which results in an extraordinarily high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of a model organic dye, methylene blue(MB) under visible light illumination. Cycling experiments revealed a good photochemical stability of the Bi–Bi_2O_2CO_3 heterojunction under repeated irradiation. Photocurrent measurements further indicated that the heterojunction incredibly enhanced the charge generation and suppressed the charge recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.

Microstructure and photocatalytic activity of Ni-doped ZnS nanorods prepared by hydrothermal method

Pure ZnS and Ni^2+-doped ZnS nanorods (Zn1-xNixS, x=0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07, mole fraction,%) were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The effects of Ni2+ doping on the phase-structure, morphology, elemental composition and optical properties of the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), respectively. The photocatalytic activity of Zn1-xNixS nanorods was evaluated by the photodegradation of organic dyes Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. The results show that all samples exhibit wurtzite structure with good crystallization. The morphologies are one-dimensional nanorods with good dispersion, and the distortion of the lattice constant occurs. The band gap of Zn1-xNixS samples is smaller than that of pure ZnS, thus red shift occurs. Ni^2+-doped ZnS nanocrystals can enhance photocatalytic activities for the photodegradation of RhB. Especially, Zn0.97Ni0.03S sample exhibits better photocatalytic performance and photocatalytic stability for the decomposition of RhB.

Study on Hydrothermal Stability and Catalytic Activity of Al-SBA-15 Mesoporous Materials Prepared by Impregnation Method

The mesoporous Al-SBA-15 zeolite was obtained via impregnation of pure silica-based SBA-15 zeolite with aluminum nitrate.The Al-SBA-15 sample was calcined in air at 800 ℃ for 6 h and hydrothermally treated at near 100 ℃ for 120 h,respectively,and then the thermal and hydrothermal stability of Al-SBA-15 sample was investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM),transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption and desorption techniques.The Al-SBA-15 sample was also studied by 27 Al nuclear magnetic resonance (27 Al NMR) and ammonia temperature programmed desorption (NH 3-TPD) techniques.In addition,the catalytic activity of Al-SBA-15 zeolite was investigated by the Friedel-Crafts reactions of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol with cinnamyl alcohol.The test results showed that the thermal and hydrothermal stability of Al-SBA-15 zeolite was better than that of SBA-15 zeo-lite.The Al-SBA-15 zeolite sample prepared by impregnation method exhibits more framework aluminum species and Al-O-Si units.Therefore,the number of the surface hydroxyl groups was reduced,resulting in the stabilization of framework structure ofAl-SBA-15 zeolite.The aluminum species can form weak and medium-strong acid sites with catalytic activity.

Improving ORR activity of carbon nanotubes by hydrothermal carbon deposition method

Nitrogen doped carbons are an important family of materials with ideal activity for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR). It is always interesting to search functional carbons with high heteroatom contents and desirable structure for ORR. Within this study, the surface modification of carbon nanotubes(CNTs) via hydrothermal carbonization(HTC) technique in the presence of glucose and urea was reported, where the surface of CNTs is successfully coated by nitrogen containing hydrothermal carbon layers. The resulting composite combines both advantages of the outstanding electrical conductivity of CNTs and the effective ORR active sites provided by doped nitrogen in the HTC carbon layers. By controlling the ratio of glucose and urea, the nitrogen contents coated on the surface of CNTs can reach up to 1.7 wt%. The resulting materials show outstanding electrochemical activity towards ORR in alkaline electrolyte, making it one of the valuable metal-free electrode materials and a competent alternative to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst.

Discovery of Early Tertiary Hydrothermal Activity and Its Significance in Oil/Gas Geology, Dongpu Depression, Henan Province, China

Data from the super-deep wells (PS10, PS14 and YS1) led to the discovery of widespread metal-bearing hydrothermal fluids (or hot brines ) related to basic magrmas in the Lower Tertiary clastic sequence in the Dongpu Depression. In terms of SEM and EDAX analyses, pore-casting thin asction examination of sandstone, the composition and forming temperature of fluld inclusions, the trace element composition of mudstone and kerogen and organic geochemical analyses, it is demonstrated that the hydrothermal fluids ekisting in the area studied are ejecting fluids, which have a close bearing on diagenesis and edimentation, rather than intrusive veins along the tectonic fractures.The main indicators of hydrothermal activity are: (1 ) abnormal alteration of kerogen, (2)high-temperature alteted mineral assemblage; (3) abnormal distribution of hydrocarbons; (4) specific assemblages and abnormal contents of heavy metals in mudstone and kerogen; (5) specific composition of complex compounds and assemblages of fluid inclusions in sandstone: (6) periodic basaltic magma activity.Results of geological observations and laboratory simuating experiments demonstrated that the hydrothermal fluids have a close bearing on hydrocarbon generation in the Dongpu Depression. Two aspects of the effect of hydrothermal fluids are noticed: hydrothermal hydrocarbon production and strong metal catalysis in oil and gas generation.

Heat and mass flux estimation of modern seafloor hydrothermal activity

Research on heat and mass flux yielded by modern seafloor hydrothermal activity is very important, because it is involved not only in the base of ocean environment research, but also in the historical evolution of seawater properties. Currently, estimating heat flux is based on the observation data of hydrothermal smokers, low-temperature diffusive flow and mid-ocean ridge mainly. But there are some faults, for example, there is lack of a concurrent conductive item in estimating the heat flux by smokers and the error between the half-space cooling model and the observation data is too large. So, three kinds of methods are applied to re-estimating the heat flux of hydrothermal activity resepectively, corresponding estimation is 97. 359 GW by hydrothermal smoker and diffusive flow, 84.895 GW by hydrothermal plume, and 4. 11 TW by exponential attenuation method put forward by this paper. Research on mass flux estimation is relatively rare, the main reason for this is insufficient field observation data. Mass fluxes of different elements are calculated using hydrothermal vent fluid data from the TAG hydrothermal area on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge for the first time. Difference of estimations by different methods reflects the researching extent of hydrothermal activity, and systematically in - situ observation will help to estimate the contribution of hydrothermal activity to ocean chemical environment, ocean circulation and global climate precisely.

Mercury Anomaly in the Okinawa Trough Sediments—An Indicator of Modern Seafloor Hydrothermal Activity

The Okinawa Trough is located between the shelf-sea area of the East China Sea and the deep-sea area of western Pacific Ocean.More than 60 chemical elements in the sediments from the shelf area of the East China Sea,the Okinawa Trough and western Pacific Ocean were determined by advanced techniques including neutron acti-vation analysis,X-ray fluorescence spectrometry,atomic fluorescence spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry.Quantitative comparisons of the element abundances of the sediments were made in terms of the enrichment coefficients(K) of the elements.K>1.5 indicates enrichment (K=1.5-2, weak enrichment;K=2-4,strong enrichment) and K>4,anomalous enrichment.The results show that the Okinawa Trough sediments are characterized by Hg anomaly and the enrichment of such elements as Au,Ag,Se,Te,Sb,Cd,Mn,Mo,etc.Detailed studies show that the excess Hg comes from hydrothermal solutions rather than from the continent,sea water ,marine organisms,cosmic dust or vol-canic rocks.Attributed to modern hydrothermal activities on the sea floor ,Hg anomaly can be used as a geochemical indicator of modern seafloor hydrothermal activity.

Hydrothermal Systems Characterized by Crustal Thermally-dominated Structures of Southeastern China

Southeastern China(SE China)is located in the Pacific tectonic domain and has experienced a series of tectono-magmatic events induced by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate since the late Mesozoic.The subduction formed a series of NE-NNE oriented faults under a NW-SE regional stress field,along which a number of thermal springs occur.Previous studies have focused on the genesis mechanism of specific geothermal fields in SE China,but the general characteristics of hydrothermal systems in SE China remains unclear.In this study,we investigate the correlation between geothermal activity,hydrochemical type and regional faults by studying the distribution of hydrothermal activity and geochemical properties of typical hydrothermal systems in SE China.The hydrothermal systems in SE China have a crustal thermally-dominated structural origin unique to the specific geological and tectonic conditions of the Eurasian Plate margin.The upwelling of the asthenosphere and the widespread granitoids with high radiogenic heat production in SE China provide major heat sources for regional geothermal anomalies.The NE-oriented crustal thermally-dominated faults are critical for the formation of geothermal anomalies and NW-oriented extensional faults have created favorable conditions for meteoric water infiltration,transportation and the formation of thermal springs.

Elemental geochemical records of seafloor hydrothermal activities in the sediments from the Okinawa Trough

The major and minor element contents in the sediment core H9 from the hydrothermal fields of the Okinawa Trough show a sharp change at the depth of 80 cm. The elements enriched in the upper 80 cm core are those enriched in the hydrothermal deposits and in the surface sediments recovered from the hydrothermal fields in the trough, which indicates the input of hydrothermal materials. Comparing with other hydrothermal sediments from Mid-ocean Ridges or the Lau Basin, the degree of the enrichment of elements iron, copper,cobah, and nickel is relatively low. However, the enrichment of elements manganese, lead, arsenic, antimony and mercury is remarkable. The average contents of these elements in the upper 80 cm core sediments are three to six times those in the lower section, and 3 - 12 times those in the surface sediments which are not influenced by hydrothermal activities. Hydrothermal activities have contributed significant manganese, lead, arsenic, antimony and mercury to the sediments, and these elements are distinct indicators for the hydrothermal activity in the Okinawa Trough. The significant enrichment of these elements in Core H9 upward from the depth 80 cm indicates the start or the significant enhancing of the hydrothermal activity in this area at about 5 740 aB. P. The average accumulation rate of manganese during this period is about 40 461μg/（ cm^2·ka） , which is similar to the hydrothermal sediments in the Lau Basin or the East Pacific Rise.

Hydrothermal Synthesis and Visible-light Photocatalytic Activities of SnS_2 Nanoflakes

SnS2 nanoflakes were successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal process. The as-prepared SnS2 samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy（DRS）. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared SnS2 nanoflakes under visible light irradiation（λ〉420 nm） were evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B（Rh B）. The effect of hydrothermal temperatures on the photocatalytic efficiency of as-prepared SnS2 nanoflakes was investigated. The experimental result showed that SnS2 nanoflakes synthesized at the temprature of 160 o had higher photocatalytic efficiency and good photocatalytic stability.

Hydrothermal Origin of Early Permian Chert Nodules in the Central North China Craton Linked to Northern Margin Cratonic Activation

Sedimentary chert phases from the Archean to the present are widely used to trace sedimentary environments and tectonic settings.Recently,chert nodules occurring within carbonates have been the subject of possible hydrothermal or biogenic origin,in lieu of a diagenetic origin.However,chert nodules from a vast cratonic basin represent extremely rich silica accumulations but less noted is how they respond to submarine hydrothermal activity(and/or surface siliceous organism productivity).The links between the cratonic-type chert depositions and environmental changes regarding cratonic evolution need to be revisited at a large temporal-spatial scale.The chert nodules are widespread throughout the Lower Permian Taiyuan Formation in the North China Craton(NCC).Several Taiyuan chert-rich successions across the NCC have been selected to study possible links between chert deposition and cratonic evolution in scenario of partial cratonic activation of the northern NCC margin during the Late Paleozoic.Based on stratigraphic correlation,the chert nodules are ubiquitously,evenly distributed throughout the Taiyuan Formation at a large craton-basin scale from the northern to southern interior NCC.Petrological results,elemental abundances,together with silicon and oxygen isotopic compositions of chert samples infer significant hydrothermal contributions for the silica accumulations.Therefore,the cratonic-scale chert depositions of hydrothermal origin infer a giant and remote silica reservoir,linking to the large igneous province and magmatism in the NCC northern margins.The Taiyuan chert nodules could be unique marine sedimentary archives recording the Late Paleozoic NCC partial activation,which also generated continental records of igneous rocks,bauxites and tuffs.The strong tectonics of the northern margin,south-dipping topography and northward transgression of the Early Permian NCC facilitated the chert deposition on the shallow marine platform in the cratonic interior.

Hydrothermal synthesis of monodisperse Zn_(x)Cd_(1-x)S spheres and their photocatalytic properties

Monodisperse ZnxCd1-xS spheres were successfully fabricated with a high yield by a facile hydrothermal route.The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry,scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy.The results indicate that all the prepared samples have the same hexagonal wurtzite phase and exhibit good size uniformity and regularity.Degradation of rhodamine-B（RhB） was used to evaluate the photocatalytic activities of ZnxCd1-xS samples.Zn0.4Cd0.6S possessed the best photocatalytic activity and exhibited high stability during the reaction.

Hydrothermal carbonization pretreatment makes a remarkable difference in activation of rice and lettuce in food waste

Cooked rice and the vegetables like lettuce are common kitchen waste,which are carbonaceous materials and have the potential as feedstock for the production of activated carbon.Cooking is similar to hydrothermal treatment(HTC),which might impact the subsequent activation of kitchen waste.In this study,the HTC of lettuce,rice,or their mixture and the activation of the resulting hydrochars were conducted.The results indicated that cross-polymerization between the N-containing organics from lettuce and the sugar derivatives from rice took place in their co-HTC,which significantly increased the hydrochar yield.Activation of the hydrochar from the coHTC generated the AC with a yield of 2 times that from direct activation of mixed lettuce/rice.However,the coHTC facilitated aromatization,reducing reactivity with K2C2O4in activation and producing the AC with main micropores and low specific surface area.Activation of the hydrochar from HTC of rice followed the above trend,while that from lettuce was the opposite.The organics in lettuce were thermally unstable and could not undergo sufficient aromatization.The activation of hydrochar from HTC of lettuce thus generated the AC with the lowest yield,but the highest specific surface area(1684.9 m2/g),abundant mesopores,and superior capability for adsorption of tetracycline.However,the environmental impacts and energy consumption for the production of AC from the hydrochar of lettuce were higher than that from hydrochar of co-HTC.

TEM investigations of South Atlantic Ridge 13.2°S hydrothermal area

According to the exploration contract about polymetallic sulfides in the SWIR （Southwest Indian Ridge） signed by China with the International Seabed Authority, to delineate sulfide minerals and estimate resource quantity are urgent tasks. We independently developed our first coincident loop Transient Electromagnetic Method （TEM） device in 2010, and gained the TEM data for seafloor sulfide at South Atlantic Ridge 13.2°S in June 2011. In contrast with the widely applied CSEM （Marine controlled-source electromagnetic） method, whose goal is to explore hydrocarbons （oil/gas） of higher resistivity than seawater from 102 to 103 m below the sea floor, the TEM is for low resistivity minerals, and the target depth is from 0 to 100 m below the sea floor. Based on the development of complex sulfide geoelectrial models, this paper analyzed the TEM data obtained, proposing a new method for seafloor sulfide detection. We present the preliminary trial results, in the form of apparent resistivity sections for both half-space and full-space conditions. The results cor- respond well with the observations of the actual hydrothermal vent area, and the detection depth reached 50-100m below the bed, which verified the capability of the equipment.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye with High Purity Anatase Nano-TiO_2 Synthesized by a Hydrothermal Method

High purity anatase nano-TiO2 powders with high photocatalytic activity were prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis method. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, field emission transmission electron microscopy （FETEM）, ultraviolet-visible （UV-Vis） light absorption spectrum and photoluminescence （PL） spectrum were adopted to characterize the catalyst. Effects of temperature, time and sol concentration of hydrothermal synthesis on particle size and phases were investigated. Photocatalytic activities in the degradation of Rhodamine B Dye were studied. The experimental results indicated that photocatalytic activity of the nano-TiO2 powers was much higher than that of P25 （Degussa）.

Surface density of synthetically tuned spinel oxides of Co^(3+) and Ni^(3+) with enhanced catalytic activity for methane oxidation

Spinel oxides containing Co and Ni are a promising substitute as a noble metal catalyst for methane combustion.Achieving a complete oxidation of methane under 400°C remains challenging,andhydrothermal 60 h NiClittle impact on activity,especially at high space velocities due to the long hydrothermal time with less absorbed oxygen species and crystal defects.Overall,these results help clarify methane activa-tion mechanisms and aid the development of more efficient low-cost catalysts.