U-Th systematics and Th ages of carbonate chimneys at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) is a serpentinite-hosted vent field located 15 km west of the spreading axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In this study, uranium-thorium (U-Th) geochronological techniques have been used to examine the U-Th systematics of hydrothermal fluids and the ²³⁰Th ages of hydrothermally-precipitated carbonate chimneys at the LCHF. Fluid sample analyses indicate that endmember fluids likely contain only 0.0073 ng/g U or less compared to 3.28 ± 0.03 ng/g of U in ambient seawater. For fluid samples containing only 2-21% ambient seawater (1.1-11 mmol/kg Mg), Th concentration is 0.11-0.13 pg/g and surrounding seawater concentrations average 0.133 ± 0.016 pg/g. The ²³⁰Th/²³²Th atomic ratios of the vent fluids range from 1 (±10) × 10⁻⁶ to 11 (±5) × 10⁻⁶, are less than those of seawater, and indicate that the vent fluids may contribute a minor amount of non-radiogenic ²³⁰Th to the LCHF carbonate chimney deposits. Chimney ²³⁸U concentrations range from 1 to 10 μg/g and the average chimney corrected initial δ²³⁴U is 147.2 ± 0.8, which is not significantly different from the ambient seawater value of 146.5 ± 0.6. Carbonate ²³²Th concentrations range broadly from 0.0038 ± 0.0003 to 125 ± 16 ng/g and ²³⁰Th/²³²Th atomic ratios vary from near seawater values of 43 (±8) × 10⁻⁶ up to 530 (±25) × 10⁻³. Chimney ages, corrected for initial ²³⁰Th, range from 17 ± 6 yrs to 120 ± 13 kyrs. The youngest chimneys are at the intersection of two active, steeply-dipping normal faults that cut the Atlantis Massif; the oldest chimneys are located in the southwest portion of the field. Vent deposits on a steep, fault-bounded wall on the east side of the field are all <4 kyrs old, indicating that mass wasting in this region is relatively recent. Comparison of results to prior age-dating investigations of submarine hydrothermal systems shows that the LCHF is the most long-lived hydrothermal system known to date. It is likely that seismic activity and active faulting within the Atlantis Massif and the Atlantis Fracture Zone, coupled with volumetric expansion of the underlying serpentinized host rocks play major roles in sustaining hydrothermal activity at this site. The longevity of venting at the LCHF may have implications for ecological succession of microorganisms within serpentinite-hosted vent environments.     

Structural diversity of diether lipids in carbonate chimneys at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field hosts a distinctive microbial ecosystem that is supported by the products of serpentinization reactions. The calcium carbonate chimneys here contain abundant isoprenoidal and non-isoprenoidal ether lipids, the structural diversity of which is similar to that found in carbonate crusts at cold seeps where anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is the dominant biogeochemical process. The microbial community at Lost City includes abundant archaea, which largely belong to a single phylotype within the methanogenic Methanosarcinales. Isoprenoidal diethers derived from these archaea have polar head groups comprising phosphatidylglycerol or monoglycosyl moieties, although many isoprenoidal diethers detected in these carbonates lack head groups.The non-isoprenoidal diether lipids at Lost City are largely glycolipids. Glycosydic non-isoprenoidal diethers have not previously been reported from any environments or bacterial isolates. Glycolipids are common in archaea where they contain isoprenoidal hydrocarbon cores ether linked to glycerol. Glycolipids also occur in some bacteria and in these non-isoprenoidal fatty acid chains are ester linked to glycerol. However, the glycosylated non-isoprenoidal diether lipids at Lost City contain a previously undetected combination of archaeal and bacterial traits that might be an adaptive response to the vent environment. We hypothesize that utilization of glycosyl head groups instead of phosphatidyl head groups is a strategy for conservation of phosphate by organisms growing in fluids low in this essential nutrient.     

Extraordinary C enrichment of diether lipids at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field indicates a carbon-limited ecosystem

Active and inactive carbonate chimneys from the Lost City Hydrothermal Field contain up to 0.6% organic carbon with diverse lipid assemblages. The δ¹³C values of total organic carbon range from −21.5‰ vs. VPDB at an extinct carbonate chimney to −2.8‰ at a 70 °C, actively venting carbonate chimney. Samples collected at locations with total organic carbon with δ¹³C > −15‰ also contained high abundances of isoprenoidal and nonisoprenoidal diether lipids. Samples with TOC more depleted in ¹³C lacked or contained lower amounts of these diethers.Isoprenoidal diethers, including sn-2 hydroxyarchaeol, sn-3 hydroxyarchaeol, and putative dihydroxyarchaeol, are likely to derive from methanogenic archaea. These compounds have δ¹³C values ranging from −2.9 to +6.7‰ vs. VPDB. Nonisoprenoidal diethers and monoethers are presumably derived from bacteria, and have structures similar to those produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria in culture and at cold seeps. In samples that also contained abundant hydroxyarchaeols, these diethers have δ¹³C values between −11.8 and +3.6‰. In samples without abundant hydroxyarchaeols, the nonisoprenoidal diethers were typically more depleted in ¹³C, with δ¹³C as low as −28.7‰ in chimneys and −45‰ in fissures.The diethers at Lost City are probably derived from hydrogen-consuming methanogens and bacteria. High hydrogen concentrations favor methanogenesis over methanotrophy and allow the concurrent growth of methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. The unusual enrichment of ¹³C in lipids can be attributed to nearly complete consumption of bioavailable carbon in vent fluids. Under carbon-limited conditions, the isotope effects that usually lead to ¹³C-depletion in organic material cannot be expressed. Consequently, metabolic products such as lipids and methane have δ¹³C values typical of abiotic carbon.     

Low temperature volatile production at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, evidence from a hydrogen stable isotope geothermometer

Although commonly utilized in continental geothermal work, the water-hydrogen and methane-hydrogen isotope geothermometers have been neglected in hydrothermal studies. Here we report δD-CH₄ and δD-H₂ values from high-temperature, black smoker-type hydrothermal vents and low-temperature carbonate-hosted samples from the recently discovered Lost City Hydrothermal Field. Methane deuterium content is uniform across the dataset at − 120 ± 12‰. Hydrogen δD values vary from − 420‰ to − 330‰ at high-temperature vents to − 700‰ to − 600‰ at Lost City. The application of several geothermometer equations to a suite of hydrothermal vent volatile samples reveals that predicted temperatures are similar to measured vent temperatures at high-temperature vents, and 20-60 °C higher than those measured at the Lost City vents. We conclude that the overestimation of temperature at Lost City reflects 1) that methane and hydrogen are produced by serpentinization at > 110 °C, and 2) that isotopic equilibrium at temperatures < 70 °C is mediated by microbial sulfate reduction. The successful application of hydrogen isotope geothermometers to low-temperature Lost City hydrothermal samples encourages its employment with low-temperature diffuse hydrothermal fluids.     

Geochemical constraints on the modes of carbonate precipitation in peridotites from the Logatchev Hydrothermal Vent Field and Gakkel Ridge

The ultramafic-hosted Logatchev Hydrothermal Field (LHF) at 15°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Arctic Gakkel Ridge (GR) feature carbonate precipitates (aragonite, calcite, and dolomite) in voids and fractures within different types of host rocks. We present chemical and Sr isotopic compositions of these different carbonates to examine the conditions that led to their formation. Our data reveal that different processes have led to the precipitation of carbonates in the various settings. Seawater-like ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for aragonite in serpentinites (0.70909 to 0.70917) from the LHF are similar to those of aragonite from the GR (0.70912 to 0.70917) and indicate aragonite precipitation from seawater at ambient conditions at both sites. Aragonite veins in sulfide breccias from LHF also have seawater-like Sr isotope compositions (0.70909 to 0.70915), however, their rare earth element (REE) patterns show a clear positive europium (Eu) anomaly indicative of a small (< 1%) hydrothermal contribution. In contrast to aragonite, dolomite from the LHF has precipitated at much higher temperatures (~ 100 °C), and yet its ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70896 to 0.70907) are only slightly lower than those of aragonite. Even higher temperatures are calculated for the precipitation of deformed calcite veins in serpentine–talc fault schists form north of the LHF. These calcites show unradiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70460 to 0.70499) indicative of precipitation from evolved hydrothermal fluids. A simple mixing model based on Sr mass balance and enthalpy conservation indicates strongly variable conditions of fluid mixing and heat transfers involved in carbonate formation. Dolomite precipitated from a mixture of 97% seawater and 3% hydrothermal fluid that should have had a temperature of approximately 14 °C assuming that no heat was transferred. The much higher apparent precipitation temperatures based on oxygen isotopes (~ 100 °C) may be indicative of conductive heating, probably of seawater prior to mixing. The hydrothermal calcite in the fault schist has precipitated from a mixture of 67% hydrothermal fluid and 33% seawater, which should have had an isenthalpic mixing temperature of ~ 250 °C. The significantly lower temperatures calculated from oxygen isotopes are likely due to conductive cooling of hydrothermal fluid discharging along faults. Rare earth element patterns corroborate the results of the mixing model, since the hydrothermal calcite, which formed from waters with the greatest hydrothermal contribution, has REE patterns that closely resemble those of vent fluids from the LHF. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that (1) precipitation from pure seawater, (2) conductive heating of seawater, and (3) conductive cooling of hydrothermal fluids in the sub-seafloor all can lead to carbonate precipitation within a single ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal system.     

Carbon geochemistry of serpentinites in the Lost City Hydrothermal System (30°N, MAR)

The carbon geochemistry of serpentinized peridotites and gabbroic rocks recovered at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) and drilled at IODP Hole 1309D at the central dome of the Atlantis Massif (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 30°N) was examined to characterize carbon sources and speciation in oceanic basement rocks affected by long-lived hydrothermal alteration. Our study presents new data on the geochemistry of organic carbon in the oceanic lithosphere and provides constraints on the fate of dissolved organic carbon in seawater during serpentinization. The basement rocks of the Atlantis Massif are characterized by total carbon (TC) contents of 59 ppm to 1.6 wt% and δ¹³C_TC values ranging from −28.7‰ to +2.3‰. In contrast, total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations and isotopic compositions are relatively constant (δ¹³C_TOC: −28.9‰ to −21.5‰) and variations in δ¹³C_TC reflect mixing of organic carbon with carbonates of marine origin. Saturated hydrocarbons extracted from serpentinites beneath the LCHF consist of n-alkanes ranging from C₁₅ to C₃₀. Longer-chain hydrocarbons (up to C₄₀) are observed in olivine-rich samples from the central dome (IODP Hole 1309D). Occurrences of isoprenoids (pristane, phytane and squalane), polycyclic compounds (hopanes and steranes) and higher relative abundances of n-C₁₆ to n-C₂₀ alkanes in the serpentinites of the southern wall suggest a marine organic input. The vent fluids are characterized by high concentrations of methane and hydrogen, with a putative abiotic origin of hydrocarbons; however, evidence for an inorganic source of n-alkanes in the basement rocks remains equivocal. We propose that high seawater fluxes in the southern part of the Atlantis Massif likely favor the transport and incorporation of marine dissolved organic carbon and overprints possible abiotic geochemical signatures. The presence of pristane, phytane and squalane biomarkers in olivine-rich samples associated with local faults at the central dome implies fracture-controlled seawater circulation deep into the gabbroic core of the massif. Thus, our study indicates that hydrocarbons account for an important proportion of the total carbon stored in the Atlantis Massif basement and suggests that serpentinites may represent an important—as yet unidentified—reservoir for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from seawater.     

Hydrothermal pyrite chimneys from the Ballynoe baryte deposit,Silvermines, County Tipperary,Ireland

We report the discovery of pyrite tubes 0.1 to 20mm in diameter in the Ballynoe sedimentary baryte deposit. Well developed tubes comprise concentric layers of pyrite of contrasting crystal sizes 0.05 to 1 mm thick. An outer rim of crystalline baryte 10mm thick commonly coats the tubes where these are not touching. The central canals contain myriad pyrite framboids. These tubes have characteristics in common with the chimney spires found on the East Pacific Rise at 21°N from which metal bearing solutions issue at temperatures of up to 380±30°C. Their presence carries the implication that the baryte deposit was not a distal facies of the Silvermines sedimentary pyritic zinc and lead ore, but was produced from local hydrothermal exhalations, though in a shallower part of the basin than the coeval sulphide deposits which had their own feeders. Some epigenetic mineralization may be awaiting discovery beneath the feeder sites at Ballynoe.     

川东北元坝地区长兴组-飞仙关组碳酸盐台地边缘沉积特征及演化

川东北元坝地区长兴组-飞仙关组碳酸盐岩台地边缘以生物礁滩和鲕粒滩沉积为特征:台地边缘最初在吴家坪晚期出现,在经历了长兴期台地边缘礁滩的形成和消亡、印度早期台地边缘鲕粒滩形成和消亡两个阶段的演化后,最终在印度晚期被填平补齐。碳酸盐岩台地边缘演化受到包括地形的几何形态、水动力条件、沉积速率及空容纳空间增长速率的控制。     

辽西凌源雾迷山组碳酸盐岩碳氧同位素特征研究

辽西凌源雾迷山组碳酸盐岩碳氧同位素和Mn/Sr比值数据反映了碳酸盐岩的原始沉积特征。δ¹³C_PDB数值范围-2‰~2‰,δ¹⁸O_PDB数值范围为-10‰~-4‰,其平均值分别为0.15‰,-6.2‰,碳同位素组成具有旋回性变化特征。在雾迷山组一段中上部,δ¹³C表现出明显的正漂移,可能为藻类的大量繁殖、有机碳增加所引起。δ¹⁸O的增加为气候变冷和冰川作用的结果。在δ¹³C为负值的层段,δ¹⁸O数值较高。碳氧同位素组成的这种特征可能与海平面变化有关。     

塔河油田上奥陶统良里塔格组碳酸盐岩沉积地球化学特征与台地演化

塔河油田上奥陶统良里塔格组下段以泥微晶灰岩、瘤状灰岩为主,上段以鲕粒灰岩、生屑灰岩、砂砾屑灰岩为主,纵向上构成了一个向上水体变浅的沉积序列。根据层序地层学研究结果,将良里塔格组划分为一个三级层序,细分为两个体系域。通过对各体系域地层单元的岩相学和地球化学分析研究,恢复了各时期的古地理面貌及沉积相带的空间展布。最终研究结果表明良里塔格组沉积相带具有开阔台地、台地边缘和斜坡3种类型,平面上由北向南顺序展布,走向近东西。微量元素分析进一步佐证和完善了该区沉积相带分析,V、Ni和Cr微量元素的含量显示从浅水到深水总体呈增加之势,Ce异常曲线对沉积环境也有良好反映,而台地边缘相的Sr/Ba比值表现出异常高值。     

中印度洋脊Edmond区热液硫化物的形成——来自铅和硫同位素的约束

位于中印度洋脊23°52’S的Edmond热液区发现于2000年,属于典型的以玄武岩为宿主的活动热液区。首次测得了Edmond热液区9件硫化物的铅同位素和6件样品的硫同位素组成,结果表明:硫化物矿石的206Pb/204Pb为17.879～17.970,207Pb/204Pb为15.433～15.550,208Pb/204Pb为37.743～38.130。Pb-Pb图解表明,Edmond热液区硫化物的铅同位素数据与中印度洋脊玄武岩的铅同位素组成较一致,与印度洋沉积物和锰结壳相比具较低放射性成因铅的特征,说明硫化物中的铅主要来源于地幔(玄武岩),海水的贡献微弱。硫化物的δ34S为5.7‰～7.2‰,明显高于玄武岩的硫同位素组成(δ34S≈0‰),认为Edmond热液区硫化物中的硫除地幔的贡献外,海水中硫酸盐还原作用产生的硫的贡献可能超过30%。中印度洋脊Edmond热液区存在非常活跃的浅循环系统,可能是造成硫化物中硫同位素组成偏重的主要原因。     

Elevated concentrations of formate, acetate and dissolved organic carbon found at the Lost City hydrothermal field

Fluids from the ultramafic-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field were analyzed for total dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic acids. Formate (36-158 μmol/kg) and acetate (1-35 μmol/kg) concentrations are higher than in other fluids from unsedimented hydrothermal vents, and are a higher ratio of the total dissolved organic carbon than has been found in most marine geothermal systems. Isotopic evidence is consistent with an abiotic formation mechanism for formate, perhaps during serpentinization processes in the sub-surface. Further support comes from previous studies where the abiological formation of low molecular weight organic acids has been shown to be thermodynamically favorable during hydrothermal alteration of olivine, and laboratory studies in which the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate has been confirmed. As the second most prevalent carbon species after methane, formate may be an important substrate to microbial communities in an environment where dissolved inorganic carbon is limited. Acetate is found in locations where sulfate reduction is believed to be important and is likely to be a microbial by-product, formed either directly by autotrophic metabolic activity or indirectly during the fermentative degradation of larger organic molecules. Given the common occurrence of exposed ultramafic rocks and active serpentinization within the worlds ocean basins, the abiotic formation of formate may be an important process supporting life in these high pH environments and may have critical implications to understanding the organic precursors from which life evolved.     

Biostratigraphy and depositional environment evolution of the Asmari Formation at the Shajabil anticline,Iran

In the present research, biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Asmari Formation at the Shajabil anticline, northwest Yasuj in the Izeh zone are discussed. The Asmari Formation at the studied area is Rupelian–Chattian to Burdigalian in age. In the study, 18 genera and 29 species of benthic foraminifera have been identified. Besides, the following biozones which reflect Rupelian–Chattian to Burdigalian age are identified for the Asmari Formation: (1) Lepidocyclina–Operculina–Ditrupa; (2) Archaias asmaricus–Archaias hensoni–Miogypsinoides complanatus; (3) Peneroplis farsenensis_Elphidium sp.14–Miogypsina sp.; (4) Borelis melo–Borelis melo curdica. Relying on fossils, Coral and Corallinacea have been detected depositional environment. The paleo-ecological factors are identified for the Asmari Formation at the study area: water salinity, 34 to more than 50 psu; water depth of 90 to 0 m; water temperature of 14 °C to more than 27 °C in a subtropical to tropical environment, oligotrophoic to mesotrophic conditions.     

冲绳海槽中部Jade热液区热液沉积物中Ag的富集成矿作用

冲绳海槽Jade热液活动区热液沉积物主要以块状硫化物和硫酸盐矿物为主。与其它热液活动区相比,本区的热液沉积物以富含Pb和Ag等元素为特征。电子探针和中子活化的分析结果表明,在块状硫化物矿石中,Ag主要以分散态富集在粗粒硫化物和细粒硫化物集合体中,在热液活动的早期和晚期均有Ag的富集。在以硬石膏为主的块状矿石中,Ag主要在细粒硫化物集合体中富集,其富集成矿的时间为热液活动的中后期,富集成矿温度在150℃以上。在重晶石为主的块状矿石中,Ag主要以颗粒状自然银的形式在热液活动后期富集成矿,其成矿温度低于160℃。     

Cold-seep-driven carbonate deposits at the Central American forearc: contrasting evolution and timing in escarpment and mound settings

Continuous surface cores of cold-seep carbonates were recovered offshore Pacific Nicaragua and Costa Rica from 800 to 1,500-m water depths (Meteor 66/3) in order to decipher their evolution and methane enriched fluid emanation in contrasting geological settings. Cores from the mounds Iguana, Perezoso, Baula V and from the Jaco Scarp escarpment were used for a multi-method approach. For both settings aragonite was revealed as dominant authigenic carbonate phase in vein fillings and matrix cementation, followed by Mg-calcite as second most abundant. This common precipitation process of CaCO₃ polymorphs could be ascribed as indirectly driven by chemical changes of the advecting pore water due to anaerobic oxidation of methane. A more direct influence of seep-related microbial activity on the authigenic mineral assemblage in both settings is probably reflected by the observed minor amounts of dolomite and a dolomite-like CaMg carbonate (MgCO₃ ~ 42 %). δ¹³C data of Jaco Scarp samples are significantly lower (?43 to ?56 ‰ PDB) than for mound samples (?22 to ?36 ‰ PDB), indicating differences in fluid composition and origin. Noteworthy, δ¹⁸O values of Scarp samples correlate most closely with the ocean signature at their time of formation. Documenting the archive potential, a high resolution case study of a mound core implies at least 40 changes in fluid supply within a time interval of approximately 14 ky. As most striking difference, the age data indicate a late-stage downward-progressing cementation front for all three mound cap structures (approx. 2–5 cm/ky), but a significantly faster upward carbonate buildup in the bulging sediments on top of the scarp environment (approx. 120 cm/ky). The latter data set leads to the hypothesis of chemoherm carbonate emplacement in accord with reported sedimentation rates until decompression of the advective fluid system, probably caused by the Jaco Scarp landslide and dating this to approximately 13,000 years ago.     

新北油田北部馆陶组上段沉积演化

新北油田北部凹陷众多,成藏条件比较复杂,尤其是馆陶组上段。通过对岩心录井、测井曲线特征等分析,结合前人研究,对新北油田北部馆陶组上段沉积地层进行了重新划分,将前3个砂层组划分为12个小层,研究其地层发育特征。并以单井沉积相分析为基础,对新北油田北部馆陶组上段沉积相进行重新分析,认为该段为三角洲平原亚相,物源来自北东方向,主要发育分流河道、分流间湾、天然堤、决口扇等微相。在馆陶组上段沉积时期,沉积环境整体较稳定,沉积相展布变化不大,仅第二砂层组沉积时期,水体相对较动荡,砂体量、分流河道走向多变。     

Negative Haloes and Geochemical Field Systems of Hydrothermal Deposits

Primary haloes of hydrothermal deposits were previously considered as positive haloes. Although it has been recently suggested that primary haloes incude positive and negative ones, almost all the research work on primary haloes has still focused on positive haloes for various reasons. In order to understand the source of ore substances a number of large hydrothermal deposits related to magmatism including porphyry, skarn and vein type deposits have been studied. It has been found that negative haloes exist on the peripheries of positive haloes of a mineral deposit. On the basis of the study the authors propose the concept of the geochemical field system of ore-forming elements of hydrotherreal deposits, i. e., with the orebody as the centre outwards there occur the mineralized field, positive halo field, depleted field and background field successively.     

Hydrothermal mixing,carbonate dissolution and sulfide precipitation in Mississippi Valley-type deposits

A large number of Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) deposits are located within dissolution zones in carbonate host rocks. Some genetic models propose the existence of cavities generated by an earlier event such as a shallow karstification, that were subsequently filled with hydrothermal minerals. Alternative models propose carbonate dissolution caused by the simultaneous precipitation of sulfides. These models fail to explain either the deep geological setting of the cavities, or the observational features which suggest that the dissolution of carbonates and the precipitation of minerals filling the cavities are not strictly coeval. We present a genetic model inspired by the textural characteristics of MVT deposits that accounts for both the dissolution of carbonate and precipitation of sulfides and later carbonates in variable volumes. The model is based on the mixing of two hydrothermal fluids with a different chemistry. Depending on the proportion of the end members, the mixture dissolves and precipitates carbonates even though the two mixing solutions are both independently saturated in carbonates. We perform reactive transport simulations of mixing of a regional groundwater and brine ascending through a fracture, both saturated in calcite, but with different overall chemistries (Ca and carbonate concentrations, pH, etc). As a result of the intrinsic effects of chemical mixing, a carbonate dissolution zone, which is enhanced by acid brines, appears above the fracture, and another zone of calcite precipitation builds up between the cavity and the surrounding rock. Sulfide forms near the fracture and occupies a volume smaller than the cavity. A decline of the fluid flux in the fracture would cause the precipitation of calcite within the previously formed cavities. Therefore, dissolution of carbonate host rock, sulfide precipitation within the forming cavity, and later filling by carbonates may be part of the same overall process of mixing of fluids in the carbonate host rock.Editorial handling: C. Everett