Hydrothermal activity on the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Tectonically- and volcanically-controlled venting at 4–5°S

We report results from an investigation of the geologic processes controlling hydrothermal activity along the previously-unstudied southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (3–7°S). Our study employed the NOC (UK) deep-tow sidescan sonar instrument, TOBI, in concert with the WHOI (USA) autonomous underwater vehicle, ABE, to collect information concerning hydrothermal plume distributions in the water column co-registered with geologic investigations of the underlying seafloor. Two areas of high-temperature hydrothermal venting were identified. The first was situated in a non-transform discontinuity (NTD) between two adjacent second-order ridge-segments near 4°02′S, distant from any neovolcanic activity. This geologic setting is very similar to that of the ultramafic-hosted and tectonically-controlled Rainbow vent-site on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The second site was located at 4°48′S at the axial-summit centre of a second-order ridge-segment. There, high-temperature venting is hosted in an  18 km² area of young lava flows which in some cases are observed to have flowed over and engulfed pre-existing chemosynthetic vent-fauna. In both appearance and extent, these lava flows are directly reminiscent of those emplaced in Winter 2005−06 at the East Pacific Rise, 9°50′N and reference to global seismic catalogues reveals that a swarm of large (M 4.6−5.6) seismic events was centred on the 5°S segment over a  24 h period in late June 2002, perhaps indicating the precise timing of this volcanic eruptive episode. Temperature measurements at one of the vents found directly adjacent to the fresh lava flows at 5°S MAR (Turtle Pits) have subsequently revealed vent-fluids that are actively phase separating under conditions very close to the Critical Point for seawater, at  3000 m depth and 407 °C: the hottest vent-fluids yet reported from anywhere along the global ridge crest.     

Catastrophic middle Pleistocene jökulhlaups in the upper Susquehanna River: Distinctive landforms from breakout floods in the central Appalachians

Widespread till and moraines record excursions of middle-Pleistocene ice that flowed up-slope into several watersheds of the Valley and Ridge Province along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. A unique landform assemblage was created by ice-damming and jökulhlaups emanating from high gradient mountain watersheds. This combination of topography formed by multiple eastward-plunging anticlinal ridges, and the upvalley advance of glaciers resulted in an ideal geomorphic condition for the formation of temporary ice-dammed lakes. Extensive low gradient (1°–2° slope) gravel surfaces dominate the mountain front geomorphology in this region and defy simple explanation. The geomorphic circumstances that occurred in tributaries to the West Branch Susquehanna River during middle Pleistocene glaciation are extremely rare and may be unique in the world. Failure of ice dams released sediment-rich water from lakes, entraining cobbles and boulders, and depositing them in elongated debris fans extending up to 9 km downstream from their mountain-front breakout points. Poorly developed imbrication is rare, but occasionally present in matrix-supported sediments resembling debris flow deposits. Clast weathering and soils are consistent with a middle Pleistocene age for the most recent flows, circa the 880-ka paleomagnetic date for glacial lake sediments north of the region on the West Branch Susquehanna River. Post-glacial stream incision has focused along the margins of fan surfaces, resulting in topographic inversion, leaving bouldery jökulhlaup surfaces up to 15 m above Holocene channels. Because of their coarse nature and high water tables, jökulhlaup surfaces are generally forested in contrast to agricultural land use in the valleys and, thus, are readily apparent from orbital imagery.     

Metamorphic evolution of oceanic gabbros: recrystallization from subsolidus to hydrothermal conditions in the MARK area (ODP Leg 153)

The 117.38 m of gabbroic core drilled during the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 153 at Sites 921 to 924 in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) between 23 °N and the Kane Fracture Zone, exhibits a remarkable primary compositional heterogeneity, such as magmatic layering, intrusive contacts and late magmatic veining, which express a succession of magmatic events. Textural indicators suggest that the cooling of the crystal mush occurred in a dynamic environment, with infiltration of progressively evolved liquids. Magmatic features include random shape fabric and magmatic lamination; the subsequent deformational overprint occurred in subsolidus conditions. The ductile deformation, generally concentrated in discrete domains of the gabbro, is associated with continuous re-equilibration of the metamorphic assemblages of (1) olivine + clinopyroxene + orthopyroxene + plagioclase + ilmenite + Ti-magnetite, (2) olivine + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + ilmenite + Ti-magnetite + red hornblende. At lower temperatures brittle deformation prevails and subsequent fractures control the development of metamorphic assemblages: (3) clinopyroxene + plagioclase + red brown hornblende + Ti-magnetite + magnetite (?) + ilmenite, (4) plagioclase + brown hornblende + Ti-magnetite + magnetite + hematite + titanite ± Ti-oxide, (5) plagioclase + green hornblende + magnetite + titanite, (6) plagioclase + actinolite + chlorite + titanite + magnetite, (7) albite + actinolite + chlorite + prehnite ± epidote ± titanite and (8) albite + prehnite + chlorite ± smectite. Assemblages 1 to 8 express increasing water/rock ratios and decreasing degrees of recrystallization.

During the ductile phase, red hornblende is stable and its abundance increases with deformation intensity, possibly as an effect of the introduction of hydrous fluids. During the brittle phase, water diffusion controls the development of the fracture-filling mineral assemblages and re-equilibration of the adjacent rock; temperatures decrease further, as demonstrated by mineral zoning and incompletely re-equilibrated assemblages. The lowest temperatures correspond to the development of hydrothermal assemblages.

Compared with oceanic gabbros from fast-spreading transform environments, high-temperature ductile phases (granulite and amphibolite) are well developed, whereas brittle phases are widespread, as microcracks, prevalent on fracturing associated with discrete veins.     

中印度洋脊Edmond热液区黄铁矿的标型特征及其对海底成矿作用环境的指示

对中印度洋脊Edmond热液区的丘顶和丘坡进行电视抓斗取样,获得了大量的金属硫化物等热液作用产物样品。在进行细致的矿相学分析基础上,对硫化物中黄铁矿的标型特征及其演化进行了详细研究。结果表明,Edmond热液区的黄铁矿可分3种类型,其形态标型和成分标型分别具有以下特征:Ⅰ型:呈自形立方体状,S/Fe原子数比接近于2.00,微量元素具有高Cu,低Zn、As、Pb、Ni和Ag的特点,Cu/Zn值高,平均可达4.26;Ⅱ型:呈半自形立方体状,S/Fe原子数比平均2.03,具有高Zn、Co、低Cu的特点,Cu/Zn值(平均0.04)低;Ⅲ型:主要呈胶状、莓球状,S/Fe原子数比平均2.04,具有Ag、Pb、Zn、As元素富集的特点,Cu/Zn值介于前两者之间(平均1.09)。根据硫化物中矿物共生组合关系,认为这3类黄铁矿分别对应高温、中高温和低温成矿作用,黄铁矿的形态和成分能很好地指示热液区的成矿环境和成矿条件的演变。     

对雅鲁藏布江结合带形成演化的再探讨

通过1∶5万区域地质调查和收集相关资料的综合研究,本文对雅鲁藏布江结合带的形成演化作了进一步的探讨。雅鲁藏布江特提斯洋具有弧后扩张洋盆的性质,在早三叠世至中三叠世中期洋盆初步形成,中三叠世晚期至晚三叠世洋盆全面形成,从早侏罗世至晚白垩世洋盆逐步萎缩,到古新世至始新世关闭。南带的蛇绿岩主要为洋中脊扩张型(MORB型),形成于中三叠世晚期至晚三叠世。北带的蛇绿岩主要为与洋内俯冲相关的俯冲带上盘型(SSZ型),形成于早中侏罗世。带内侏罗纪至白垩纪其他岩浆岩主要为前弧玄武岩类(FAB型)。显示雅鲁藏布江特提斯洋从早侏罗世开始发生了洋内俯冲,并同步向北向冈底斯带之下主动俯冲消减和向南向喜马拉雅地块之下被动俯冲消减,持续发展到晚白垩世,在古新世至始新世俯冲碰撞消亡转化为结合带。     

西南印度洋脊龙旂热液区富铝蚀变黏土矿物类型和地球化学特征研究

产出于不同地质背景下的热液成因黏土矿物组成、晶体结构及化学成分等信息,可指示与海底热液作用有关的水-岩反应过程和流体的物理化学条件变化。但目前对于以西南印度洋脊为代表的超慢速扩张脊热液区的黏土矿物研究程度较低,尚未了解其经历的热液蚀变作用及形成过程。本文综合应用SEM-EDS、XRD、FT-IR、EPMA和LA-ICP-MS等多种分析测试手段对采自龙旂热液区矿化蚀变角砾的形貌结构、矿物组成及其化学成分进行系统表征。研究表明:该蚀变角砾中的共生矿物相主要由具二八面体结构、富Al端元的蒙皂石族矿物贝得石与蛋白石组成,角砾中可见呈细粒浸染状的TiO_2。蚀变黏土矿物的化学成分较为单一,具有富Al、贫Mg和贫Fe的特征;其稀土元素总量普遍不高(2. 43～43. 45μg/g),配分模式呈负Eu异常(0. 31～0. 53)而未显示Ce异常(1. 09～1. 16)。推断产出于硫化物堆积丘体边部的矿化角砾长期受酸性、相对还原的、低温热液流体持续叠加和淋滤改造,除Al和Ti以外大部分元素被活化迁移,形成矿物组成简单的富铝黏土矿物相。本研究查明了龙旂热液区新的蚀变黏土矿物类型及其元素地球化学特征,反映该区广泛发育低温热液蚀变作用,为进一步探讨西南印度洋超慢速扩张脊热液成矿系统的水-岩反应过程提供了一定依据。     

How partial melts of mafic lower crust affect ascending magmas at oceanic ridges

We present experiments showing that the lower oceanic crust should melt efficiently and quickly when heated by hot ascending magmas. Average plagioclase–olivine and plagioclase–augite pairs from the lower crust at the Southwest Indian Ridge have melt–mineral saturation boundaries at 1,190 and 1,154°C, respectively, and melt rapidly (>0.01 mm/h) at 50°C or more above these temperatures. Melting experiments performed on olivine–plagioclase and augite–plagioclase mineral pairs from actual oceanic lower crustal rock samples and under conditions applicable to a MOR setting (1,220–1,330°C, 1 atm, quartz–fayalite–magnetite oxygen buffer, 0.25–24 h) indicate that the resulting disequilibrium melts are linear mixes of the mineral compositions. The rates of melting are slower than the rate of heat-diffusion into a sample and are approximated as: