Radiochemical,scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray dispersive energy (EDAX) studies of a FAMOUS hydrothermal deposit

During the French-American Mid-Oceanic Undersea Survey (FAMOUS) the French team participating in the mission explored the active A transform fault with the diving saucer CYANA, and discovered a characteristic hydrothermal deposit. The results presented here concern the structural and radiochemical study of three samples: two metalenriched samples and one sample of consolidated calcareous sediment recovered from the area.It is shown that there is a chemical segregation between silica and iron on one hand, and manganese in the other hand, and that on such deposits the layer-by-layer radio-chemical analysis of the uranium series is not applicable.Three different age estimations may be made:In the managanese encrustation, thorium 230 is depleted towards equilibrium with its parent uranium 234, suggesting a maximum age of 45,000 years to the deposit.On the contrary, the outermost layer, 0.1 cm thick, formed essentially with loose sediment stained with oxides, presents an excess of thorium 230. The Σ²³⁰Th_(excess)/cm² may be used to calculate a minimum age of 20 years.Such a sediment thickness, in this area, corresponds to a time span of 50 years.