Fault inference and boundary recognition based on near-bottom magnetic data in the Longqi hydrothermal field

Near-bottom magnetic prospecting, which provides useful information to study shallow geological structures, is an efficient method for investigating active and inactive hydrothermal fields and researching the structure of hydrothermal systems. We collected near-bottom magnetic data in the Longqi hydrothermal area on the Southwest Indian Ridge using the Autonomous Benthic Explorer in 2007 and set up a processing system for magnetic data calibration. By removing the influence of terrain on magnetic anomalies and using the intensity of the spatial differential vector (ISDV) method, we inferred the presence of an N–S-trending fault and estimated its crush zone to be about 120 m wide and >2 km long along the known hydrothermal vents. This inferred fault is consistent with the precise topography mapped during the ABE 201 dive. The fault may be connected to a known detachment fault and form part of a hydrothermal channel. We delineated the hydrothermal alteration zone using the ISDV method and conclude that demagnetization was induced by hydrothermal alteration.