Fe-Si-Mn-Oxyhydroxide Encrustations on Basalts at East Pacific Rise near 13°N:An SEM-EDS Study

Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrustations at the East Pacific Rise （EPR） near 13°N were analyzed using the scanning electron microscope （SEM） with an energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）. These encrustations are mainly composed of amorphous Fe- Si-Mn-oxyhydroxides forming laminated, spherical, porous aggregates with some biodetritus, anhydrite, nontronite, and feldspar particles. Anhydrite particles and nontronite crystals in the Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrustations imply that the Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhy- droxide may have formed under relatively low- to high-temperature hydrothermal conditions. The Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrusta- tions on pillow basalts are 1-2mm thick. The growth rate of ferromanganese crusts in the survey area suggests that these encrusta- tions are an unlikely result of hydrogenic deposition alone having a hydrothermal and （Fe/Mn ratio up to 7.7 and Fe/（Fe＋Mn＋A1） ratio exceeding 0.78） hydrogenic origin （0.22 Fe/Mn ratio close to the mean value of 0.7 for open-ocean seamount crusts）. The varying Fe/Mn ratios indicate that the Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxide encrustations have formed through several stages of seafloor hydrother- malism. It is suggested that, at the initial formation stage, dense Fe-Si-oxyhydroxides with low Mn content deposit from a relatively reducing hydrothermal fluid, and then the loose Fe-Si-Mn-oxyhydroxides deposit on the Fe-Si-oxyhydroxides. As the oxidation degree of hydrothermal fluid increases and Si-oxide is inhibited, Mn-oxide will precipitate with Fe-oxyhydroxides.

Fault Type Analysis along the San Andreas Fault Zone: A Numerical Approach

Finite Element (FE) modeling under plane stress condition is used to analyze the fault type variation with depth along and around the San Andreas Fault (SAF) zone. In this simulation elastic rheology was used and was thought justifiable as the variation in depth from 0.5 km to 20 km was considered. Series of calculations were performed with the variation in domain properties. Three types of models were created based on simple geological map of California, namely, 1) single domain model considering whole California as one homogeneous domain, 2) three domains model including the North American plate, Pacific plate, and SAF zone as separate domains, and 3) Four domains model including the three above plus the Garlock Fault zone. Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and Byerlee's law were used for the calculation of failure state. All the models were driven by displacement boundary condition imposing the fixed North American plate and Pacific plate motion along N34°W vector up to the northern terminus of SAF and N50°E vector motion for the subducting the Gorda and Juan de Fuca plates. Our simulated results revealed that as the depth increased, the fault types were generally normal, and at shallow depth greater strike slip and some thrust faults were formed. It is concluded that SAF may be terminated as normal fault at depth although the surface expression is clearly strike slip.

Hydrothermal alteration of plagioclase microphenocrysts and glass in basalts from the East Pacific Rise near 13°N: An SEM-EDS study

The interactions of seafloor hydrothermal fluid with igneous rocks can result in leaching elements from the rocks,creating potential ore-forming fluids and influencing the chemical compositions of near-bottom seawater.The hydrothermal alteration of plagioclase microphenocrysts and basaltic glass in the pillow basalts from one dredge station(103°57.62′′W,12°50.55′N,water depth 2480 m)on the East Pacific Rise(EPR)near 13°N were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope(SEM)and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry(EDS).The results show that the edges of the plagioclase microphenocrysts and the basaltic glass fragments are altered but the pyroxene and olivine microphenocrysts in the interior of the pillow basalts appear to be unaffected by the hydrothermal fluids.In addition,our results show that the chemical alteration at the rims of the plagioclase microphenocrysts and the edges of basaltic glass fragments can be divided into separate types of alteration.The chemical difference in hydrothermal alteration of the plagioclase microphenocrysts and the basaltic glass indicate that different degrees of hydrothermal fluid-solid phase interaction have taken place at the surface of the pillow basalts.If the degree of hydrothermal fluid-solid phase interaction is relatively minor,Si,Al,Ca and Na diffuse from the inside of the solid phase out and as a result these elements have a tendency to accumulate in the edge of the plagioclase microphenocrysts or basaltic glass.If the degree of hydrothermal fluid-solid phase interaction is relatively strong,Si,Al,Ca and Na also diffuse from the inside of solid phase out but these elements will have a relatively low concentration in the edge of the plagioclase microphenocrysts or basaltic glass.Based on the chemical variation observed in the edges of plagioclase microphenocrysts and basaltic glass,we estimate that the content of Si,Al and Fe in the edges of plagioclase microphenocrysts can have a variation of 10.69%,17.59%and 109%,respectively.Similarly,the Si,Al and Fe concentrations in the edges of basaltic glass can have a variation of 9.79%,16.30%and 37.83%,respectively,during the interaction of hydrothermal fluids and seafloor pillow basalt.