Ore‐forming Ages and Sulfur Isotope Study of Hydrothermal Deposits in Kamchatka,Russia

In Kamchatka, Central Koryak, Central Kamchatka and East Kamchatka metallogenic belts are distributed from northwest to southeast. K–Ar age, sulfur isotopic composition of sulfide minerals, and bulk chemical compositions of ores were analyzed for 13 ore deposits including hydrothermal gold‐silver and base metal, in order to elucidate the geological time periods of ore formation, relationship to regional volcanic belts, type of mineralization, and origin of sulfur in sulfides. The dating yielded ore‐forming ages of 41 Ma for the Ametistovoe deposit in the Central Koryak, 17.1 Ma for the Zolotoe deposit and 6.9 Ma for the Aginskoe deposit in the Central Kamchatka, and 7.4 Ma for the Porozhistoe deposit and 5.1 Ma for the Vilyuchinskoe deposit in the East Kamchatka metallogenic belt. The data combined with previous data of ore‐forming ages indicate that the time periods of ore formation in these metallogenic belts become young towards the southeast. The averaged δ³⁴S_CDT of sulfides are ?2.8‰ for the Ametistovoe deposit in Central Koryak, ?1.8‰ to +2.0‰ (av. ?0.1‰) for the Zolotoe, Aginskoe, Baranievskoe and Ozernovskoe deposits in Central Kamchatka, and ?0.7 to +3.8‰ (av. +1.7‰) for Bolshe‐Bannoe, Kumroch, Vilyuchinskoe, Bystrinskoe, Asachinskoe, Rodnikovoe, and Mutnovskoe deposits in East Kamchatka. The negative δ³⁴S_CDT value from the Ametistovoe deposit in Central Koryak is ascribed to the contamination of ³²S‐enriched sedimentary sulfur in the Ukelayat‐Lesnaya River trough of basement rock. Comparison of the sulfur isotope compositions of the mineral deposits shows similarity between the Central Koryak and Magadan metallogenic belts, and East Kamchatka and Kuril Islands belts. The Central Kamchatka belt is intermediate between these two groups in term of sulfur isotopic composition.     

Inflations prior to Vulcanian eruptions and gas bursts detected by tilt observations at Semeru Volcano,Indonesia

We examine the basic characteristics of inflations at Semeru Volcano, Indonesia, to clarify the pressurization process prior to two different styles of explosive eruptions: Vulcanian eruptions and gas bursts. Analysis of data obtained from tilt meters installed close to the active crater allows clarification of the common features and the differences between the two styles of eruptions. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio and to determine the mean characteristics of the inflations, we stack tilt signals obtained from eruptions of different magnitudes and evaluate the maximum amplitude of the seismic signal associated with these eruptions. Vulcanian eruptions, which explosively release large amounts of ash, are preceded by accelerating inflation about 200–300 s before the eruption, which suggests volume expansion of the gas phase. In contrast, gas bursts, which rapidly effuse water steam accompanied by explosive sounds, follow non-accelerating changes of inflation starting 20 s before each emission. Tilt amplitudes increase with the magnitude of eruptions for both eruption styles. This suggests that the volume and/or pressure of magma or gas stored in the conduit before eruptions controls the magnitude of volcanic eruptions. These results further suggest that the magnitude of eruptions can be predicted from geodetic measurements of volcano inflation.     

Influence of light intensity on diatom physiology and nutrient dynamics in the Oyashio region

The spring diatom bloom characterizes the plankton and nutrient dynamics in the Oyashio region, the westernmost part of the subarctic Pacific. Previous studies have shown that NO₃ was not depleted during the spring bloom, and an increase in the consumption ratio of Si(OH)₄ to NO₃ (ΔSi(OH)₄:ΔNO₃) was observed as the spring bloom progressed. The increase in ΔSi(OH)₄:ΔNO₃ has been suggested to be caused by growth stresses of diatoms, e.g. light limitation by self-shading. In the present study, incubation experiments of sea-surface water from the Oyashio region under saturated irradiance showed that NO₃ was depleted first and ΔSi(OH)₄:ΔNO₃ was more or less constant until the NO₃ depletion occurred. The increase in ΔSi(OH)₄:ΔNO₃ was observed after the NO₃ depletion had occurred in contrast with the field observation. This result of the increase in ΔSi(OH)₄:ΔNO₃ under saturated irradiance after NO₃ depletion suggests that the in situ increase in ΔSi(OH)₄:ΔNO₃ before the NO₃ depletion might be caused by light limitation for diatoms. Responses to a reduction in irradiance were examined using diatom species isolated from the Oyashio region. Variable responses to a reduced irradiance were observed for cell specific C, N, Si and chlorophyll a (Chl) contents. However, the examined diatom species showed similar tendencies for increases in Si:C and Si:N and decreases in C:Chl ratios with the reduction in irradiance. We conclude that light limitation changes the uptake ratio of nutrients and the elemental composition of diatoms and that light limitation is one of the factors influencing the physiology of diatoms and nutrient dynamics in the Oyashio region during the spring bloom.     

Au–Ag–Te Mineralization of the Low‐Sulfidation Epithermal Aginskoe Deposit,Central Kamchatka,Russia

Mineralogic studies of major ore minerals and fluid inclusion analysis in gangue quartz were carried out for the for the two largest veins, the Aginskoe and Surprise, in the Late Miocene Aginskoe Au–Ag–Te deposit in central Kamchatka, Russia. The veins consist of quartz–adularia–calcite gangue, which are hosted by Late Miocene andesitic and basaltic rocks of the Alnei Formation. The major ore minerals in these veins are native gold, altaite, petzite, hessite, calaverite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite. Minor and trace minerals are pyrite, galena, and acanthine. Primary gold occurs as free grains, inclusions in sulfides, and constituent in tellurides. Secondary gold is present in form of native mustard gold that usually occur in Fe‐hydroxides and accumulates on the decomposed primary Au‐bearing tellurides such as calaverite, krennerite, and sylvanite. K–Ar dating on vein adularia yielded age of mineralization 7.1–6.9 Ma. Mineralization of the deposit is divided into barren massive quartz (stage I), Au–Ag–Te mineralization occurring in quartz‐adularia‐clays banded ore (Stage II), intensive brecciation (Stage III), post‐ore coarse amethyst (Stage IV), carbonate (Stage V), and supergene stages (Stage VI). In the supergene stage various secondary minerals, including rare bilibinskite, bogdanovite, bessmertnovite metallic alloys, secondary gold, and various oxides, formed under intensely oxidized conditions. Despite heavy oxidation of the ores in the deposit, Te and S fugacities are estimated as Stage II tellurides precipitated at the log f Te₂ values ?9 and at log fS₂ ?13 based on the chemical compositions of hypogene tellurides and sphalerite. Homogenization temperature of fluid inclusions in quartz broadly ranges from 200 to 300°C. Ore texture, fluid inclusions, gangue, and vein mineral assemblages indicate that the Aginskoe deposit is a low‐sulfidation (quartz–adularia–sericite) vein system.     

Hydrothermal Gold Mineralization at the Rodnikovoe Deposit in South Kamchatka, Russia

Abstract. The Rodnikovoe gold deposit situated in a presently active hydrothermal system located north of the Mutnovsko-Asachinskaya geothermal area in southern Kamchatka, Far Eastern Russia, consists of typical low-sulfidation quartz-adularia veins in a host rock of diorite. The age of the mineralization was dated by the K-Ar method as 0.9 to 1.1 Ma based on adular-ia collected from the veins. Representative ore minerals in the deposit are electrum, argentite, aguilarite, polybasite, pearceite and lenaite. Dominant alteration minerals are adularia, α-cristobalite, chlorite, illite and kaolinite. Hydrothermal solutions of neutral pH were responsible for the mineralization, which is divided into six stages defined by tectonic boundaries. Gold mineralization occurred in stages I and III. Hydrothermal brecciation occurred during stages III, IV and VI. Stages II, IV, V and VI were barren. The estimated ore formation temperature based on a fluid inclusion study is 150 to 250 °C at a depth of approximately 170 m below the paleo-water table. Boiling of hydrothermal fluids is hypothesized as the cause of the intermittent deposition of gold ore. The sulfur and oxygen fugacities during the deposition of anhydrite prior to the hydrothermal brecciation were higher than those during the gold mineralization stages. The occurrence in the hydrothermal breccia of fragments of high grade Au-Ag and polymetallic ores suggests that higher grade mineralization of these metal ores might have occurred in a deeper portion of the deposit.     

Polymetallic and Au-Ag Mineralizations at the Mutnovskoe Deposit in South Kamchatka, Russia

Abstract. The Mutnovskoe deposit located in the Porozhisto‐Asachinskaya metallogenic province of South Kamchatka, Russia, is a polymetallic vein and Au‐Ag quartz vein associated type of hydrothermal deposit. The Mutnovskoe deposit is located inside a paleo‐caldera structure at the center of the Mutnovsko‐Asachinskaya geothermal field of Pliocene ‐ Quaternary age, where active gold deposition is identified in hot spring precipitate. The Mutnovskoe deposit is subdivided into the north flank, the central flank and the south flank based on the vein distributions and mineral parageneses. The mineralized vein system is oriented N‐S hosted in diorite ‐ gabbroic diorite stock, volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks of Miocene ‐ Pleistocene age. The mineralization stage I (polymetallic vein) mainly in the central and the south flanks is Zn‐Pb‐Cu‐Au‐Ag contained in sphalerite, galena and tetrahedrite‐tennantite group mineral. The stage II (Au‐Ag quartz vein) occurs in the north and the central flanks. The stage III (Mn‐sulfide and Mn‐Ca‐carbonate vein) occurs in the whole deposit area. Stage II is the typical Au‐Ag quartz‐adularia vein of low‐sulfidation type. Stage III is alabandite‐rhodochrosite‐quartz‐calcite vein. The K‐Ar ages are 1.3±0.1 Ma for stage I sericite in alteration zone, and 0.7±0.1 Ma for the stage II adularia in mineralized vein. Based on the fluid inclusion study, range of ore forming temperature of the Mutnovskoe deposit is 200 to 260d?C (av. 230d?C). Salinities of fluid inclusions indicate 2.2 to 5.7 wt% NaCl in sphalerite and 0.8 to 3.3 wt% NaCl in quartz for the stage I. Mineral paragenesis of the polymetallic vein (stage I) is characterized by a district zoning of tennantite and Cd‐rich sphalerite in the south flank and tetrahedrite and Mn‐rich sphalerite in the central flank, which is due to the fractional crystallizations of ore‐forming fluid. Depositional condition of the low sulfidation state is inferred for the Mutnovskoe deposit, where the polymetallic vein of the south flank is in relatively higher sulfidation state than the central flank.     

Geographical Variation of Body Size of Neocalanus cristatus, N. plumchrus and N. flemingeri in the Subarctic Pacific and Its Marginal Seas: Implications for the Origin of Large Form of N. flemingeri in the Oyashio Area

Size distributions of Neocalanus cristatus, N. flemingeri and N. plumchrus were investigated in the eastern and the western subarctic gyres and three marginal seas of the North Pacific during the diapause period to examine the geographical variation in body size of Neocalanus species and to clarify the origin of the large biennial N. flemingeri which has been observed in the Oyashio region. There were significant among region variations in body sizes for all three species of Neocalanus. Generally, the body sizes of the copepods were larger in the marginal seas and marginal areas of the open ocean. In the open ocean, the body sizes increased westward. These patterns of variation in the body sizes roughly correlated with local food availability. Distribution of biennial N. flemingeri was restricted to the Sea of Japan, the Okhotsk Sea and the Oyashio region. The large-sized biennial N. flemingeri were abundantly observed in the Okhotsk Sea, and the medium-sized biennial individuals were observed in the Sea of Japan. These facts strongly suggest that the large biennial N. flemingeri in the Oyashio region are advected from the Okhotsk Sea.     

An in situ iron-enrichment experiment in the western subarctic Pacific (SEEDS): Introduction and summary

To test the iron hypothesis in the subarctic Pacific Ocean, an in situ iron-enrichment experiment (SEEDS) was performed in the western subarctic gyre in July–August 2001. About 350 kg of iron (as acidic iron sulfate) and 0.48 mol of the inert chemical tracer sulfur hexafluoride were introduced into a 10-m deep surface mixed layer over an 80 km² area. This single iron infusion raised dissolved iron levels to 2.9 nM initially. Dissolved iron concentrations rapidly decreased after the infusion, but levels remained close to 0.15 nM even at the end of the 14-day experimental period. During SEEDS there were iron-mediated increases in chlorophyll a concentrations (up to 20 μg l⁻¹), primary production rates, biomass and photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency relative to waters outside the iron-enriched patch. The rapid and very high accumulation of phytoplankton biomass in response to the iron addition appeared to be partly attributable to shallow mixed-layer depth and moderate water temperature in the western subarctic Pacific. However, the main reason was a floristic shift to fast-growing centric diatom Chaetoceros debilis, unlike the previous iron-enrichment experiments in the equatorial Pacific and the Southern Ocean, in both of which iron stimulated the growth of pennate diatoms. The iron-mediated blooming of diatoms resulted in a marked consumption of macronutrients and drawdown of pCO₂. Biological and physiological measurements indicate that phytoplankton growth in the patch became both light- and iron-limited, making phytoplankton biomass relatively constant after day 9. The increase in microzooplankton grazing rate after day 9 also influenced the net growth rate of phytoplankton. There was no significant increase in the export flux of carbon to depth during the 14-day occupation of the experimental site. The export flux between day 4 and day 13 was estimated to be only 13% of the integrated primary production in the iron-enriched patch. The major part of the carbon fixed by the diatom bloom remained in the surface mixed layer as biogenic particulate matter. Our findings support the hypothesis that iron limits phytoplankton growth and biomass in a ‘bottom up’ manner in this area, but the fate of algal carbon remains unknown.     

Fractal distribution of an oceanic copepodNeocalanus cristatus in the subarctic pacific

Horizontal distribution of the copepodNeocalanus cristatus was shown to be fractal on the scale between tens of meters and over 100 km. The fractal dimensions ranged between 1.68–1.89, significantly higher than those of oceanic turbulence and phytoplankton distribution.