Remnants of an Powerful Ancient “Dynasty”:Material Cycle and Biomineralization in Modern Seafloor Hydrothermal System

The origin of ancient banded iron formation （BIF） has remained unclear for a long time. How the precipitation process occurred and what the environmental condition was have been widely discussed among scientists, because the period when the major BIFs deposited （-2.8 to 1.8Ga） is the same time when biosphere and atmosphere significantly changed. Based on the discovery of modern seafloor hydrothermal vents, it is possible that reductive environment controlled by vent system is related to the environment where BIF was deposited. According to matter source.

Geological,physical,and chemical characteristics of seafloor hydrothermal vent fields

Seafloor hydrothermal vent fields(SHVFs) are located in the mid-ocean ridge(MOR),backarc basin(BAB),island arc and hot-spot environments and hosted mainly by ultramafic,mafic,felsic rocks,and sediments.The hydrothermal vent fluids of SHVFs have low oxygen,abnormal pH and temperature,numerous toxic compounds,and inorganic energy sources,such as sulfuric compounds,methane,and hydrogen.The geological,physical,and chemical characteristics of SHVFs provide important clues to understanding the formation and evolution of seafloor hydrothermal systems,leading to the determination of metal sources and the reconstruction of the physicochemical conditions of metallogenesis.Over the past two decades,we studied the geological settings,volcanic rocks,and hydrothermal products of SHVFs and drawn new conclusions in these areas,including:1) the hydrothermal plumes in the Okinawa Trough are affected by the Kuroshio current;2) S and Pb in the hydrothermal sulfides from MOR are mainly derived from their host igneous rocks;3) Re and Os of vent fluids are more likely to be incorporated into Fe-and Fe-Cu sulfide mineral facies,and Os is enriched under low-temperature(<200℃) hydrothermal conditions in global SHVFs;4) compared with low-temperature hydrothermal sulfides,sulfates,and opal minerals,high-temperature hydrothermal sulfides maintain the helium(He) isotopic composition of the primary vent fluid;5) relatively low temperature(<116℃),oxygenated,and acidic environment conditions are favorable for forming a native sulfur chimney,and a "glue pudding" growth model can be used to understand the origin of native sulfur balls in the Kueishantao hydrothermal field;and 6) boron isotope from hydrothermal plumes and fluids can be used to describe their diffusive processes.The monitoring and understanding of the physical structure,chemical composition,geological processes,and diverse organism of subseafloor hydrothermal systems will be a future hot spot and frontier of submarine hydrothermal geology.

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.

Sulfur isotopic composition of seafloor hydrothermal sediment from the Jade hydrothermal field in the central Okinawa Trough and its geological significance

Eighteen samples of hydrothermal sediments from the Jade hydrothermal field in the central Okinawa Trough have been analyzed. Sulfur isotopic values for 10 sulfide samples vary from 5.2× 10^(-3)to 7.2× 10^(-3), δ^(34)S values for 7 sulfate samples vary from 16.3 × 10^(-3) to 22.3 × 10^(-3), and 1 native sulphur sample has a δ^(34)S value of 8.2 × 10^(-3). The major sources of sulfur for hydrothermal sediment are intermediate to acid volcanic rocks and sea water sulfate, and it is possible that the partial sulfur of hydrothermal sediment is from the pelagic sediment by the interaction between hydrothermal fluid and sediment. The reasons of causing the distinct differences in sulfur isotopic values for sulfide samples from hydrothermal sediment ( compared with other hydrothermal fields), are the differences in the sources of sulfur, the magmatic activity and the tectonic evolution in different hydrothermal fields. The sulfur evolution is a long and complex process in the seafloor hydrothermal system, involving the ascending of heating sea water, the interaction between fluid and volcanic rocks, the mixing of sea water sulfate and sulfur from intermediate to acid volcanic rocks, and the fluid/pelagic-sediment interaction. And the interaction between sea water and intermediate to acid volcanic rocks is an important mechanism for the sulfur evolution in the Jade hydrothermal field.

Sulfur isotopic composition of modern seafloor hydrothermal sediment and its geological significance

A total of 1 264 sulfur isotopic values for modern seafloor hydrothermel sediments from different hydrothermal fields have been collected.On this basis,combining our sulfur isotpic data for surface hydrothermal sediments from the Jade hydrohtermal field in the Okinawa Trough and the TAG hydrothermal field in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,respectively,and comparing the sulfur isotopic compositions and analyzing their sources of sulfur in seafloor hydrothermal sediments from different geologic-tectonic setting,the results show that:(1) sulfur isotopic values of sulfides and sulfates in modern seafloor hydrothermal sediments are concentrated in a narrow range,δ 34S values of sulfides vary from 1×10 -3 to 9×10 -3,with a mean of 4.5×10 -3 (n=1042),δ 34S values of sulfates vary from 19×10 -3 to 24×10 -3,with a mean of 21.3×10 -3(n=217);(2) comparing the sulfur isotopic compositions of hydrothermal sediments from the sediment-hosted hydrothermal fields,the range of sulfur isotopic values for hydrothermal sediments from the sediment-free hydrothermal fields is narrow relatively;(3) the differences of sulfur isotopic compositions in sulfides from different hydrothermal fields show the differences in the sources of sulfur.The sulfur of hydrothermal sulfides in the sediment-free mid-ocean ridges is mainly from mid- ocean ridge basalt,and partially from the reduced seawater sulfate,and it is the result of partially reduced seawater sulfate mixed with basaltic sulfur.In the sediment-hosted mid-ocean ridges and the back-arc basins,the volcanics,the sediments and the organic matters also can offer their sulfur for forming hydrothermal sulfides;(4)the variations of sulfur isotopic compositions and the different sources of sulfur for hydrothermal sediments may be attributed to the various physical-chemical characteristics of hydrothermal fluids,the magmatic evolution and the different geologic-tectonic settings of seafloor hydrothermal systems.

A Lagrangian Particle Random Walk Model for Simulating A Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Plume with both Buoyant and Non-Buoyant Features

This paper presents a computational model of simulating a deep-sea hydrothermal plume based on a Lagrangian particle random walk algorithm. This model achieves the efficient process to calculate a numerical plume developed in a fluid-advected environment with the characteristics such as significant filament intermittency and significant plume meander due to flow variation with both time and location. Especially, this model addresses both non-buoyant and buoyant features of a deep-sea hydrothermal plume in three dimensions, which significantly challenge a strategy for tracing the deep-sea hydrothermal plume and localizing its source. This paper also systematically discusses stochastic initial and boundary conditions that are critical to generate a proper numerical plume. The developed model is a powerful tool to evaluate and optimize strategies for the tracking of a deep-sea hydrothermal plume via an autonomous underwater vehicle （AUV）.

The contribution of trace elements from seawater to chimneys:a case study of the native sulfur chimneys in the sea area off Kueishantao,northeast of Taiwan Island

Hydrothermal fuid containing abundant matter erupts from seafloor, meets ambient cold seawater and forms chimneys. So the main matter origins of chimneys are seawater and matter which are taken by hydrothermal fluid from deep reservoir. However, because of seawater＇s little contribution to the forming of chimneys, it is usually covered by the abundant matter which is taken by hydrothermal fluid. Therefore, chimneys formed in ordinary deep elements, cannot be used to study the seawater＇s seawater hydrothermal activity, containing complex contribution to their formation. While the native sulfur chimneys, formed by hydrothermal activity near the sea area off Kueishantao, are single sulfur composition （over 99%）, and within chimneys distinct layers are seen. Different layers were sampled for trace element determination, with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry （ICP-MS）. By analyzing the data, we consider C-layer （secondary inner-layer） as the framework layer of the chimney which formed early （Fig.4）, and its trace elements derive from hydrothermal fluid. While the trace elements within A, B, D layers have undergone later alteration. A, B layers are affected by seawater and D layer by hydrothermal fluid. The increase of trace elements of A and B layers was calculated using C layer as background. Based on the known typical volume of chimneys of the near sea area off Kueishantao, we calculated the volume of seawater that contributed trace element to chimneys formation to be about 6.37×10^4 L. This simple quantified estimate may help us better understand the seafloor hydrothermal activity and chimneys.

He,Ne and Ar isotope compositions of fluid inclusions in hydrothermal sulfides from the TAG hydrothermal field,Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Helium, neon and argon isotope compositions of fluid inclusionshave been measured in hydrothermal sulfide samples from the TAG hydrothermal field at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Fluid-inclusion 3He/4He ratios are 2.2-13.3 times the air value (Ra), and with a mean of 7.2 Ra. Com-parison with the local vent fluids (3He/4He=7.5-8.2 Ra) and mid-ocean ridge basalt values (3He/4He=6-11 Ra) shows that the variation range of 3He/4He ratios from sulfide-hosted fluid inclu-sions is significantly large. Values for 20Ne/22Ne are from 10.2 to 11.4, which are significantly higher than the atmospheric ratio (9.8). And fluid-inclusion 40Ar/36Ar ratios range from 287 to 359, which are close to the atmospheric values (295.5). These results indicate that the noble gases of fluid inclu-sions in hydrothermal sulfides are a mixture of mantle- and seawater-derived noble gases; the partial mantle-derived components of trapped hydrothermal fluids may be from the lower mantle; the helium of fluid inclusions is mainly from upper mantle; and the Ne and Ar components are mainly from seawater.