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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Biogeochemistry
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1538022
This article is part of the Research Topic Biogeochemical Cycling and Depositional Processes of Critical Metals in the Deep Sea and Their Constraints on Global Changes View all 7 articles

Evolution of a seafloor massive sulfide deposit on axial volcanic ridges: A case study of the Duanqiao hydrothermal field, Southwest Indian Ridge

Provisionally accepted
Weifang Yang Weifang Yang 1Chunhui Tao Chunhui Tao 1*Shili Liao Shili Liao 1Huichao Zhang Huichao Zhang 2Chuanwei Zhu Chuanwei Zhu 3Wei Li Wei Li 1Guoyin Zhang Guoyin Zhang 1Xuefeng Wang Xuefeng Wang 4Lisheng Wang Lisheng Wang 4
  • 1 Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
  • 2 College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 3 State Key Laboratory of Mineral Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
  • 4 Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The mineralization process below the surface of the seafloor in a hydrothermal field has an important influence on the distribution and enrichment of elements. The Duanqiao hydrothermal field (DHF) is located on the new axial volcanic ridge of the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. Owing to the limited surface sulfide samples, the metallogenic processes occurring below the seafloor surface such as the element enrichment mechanism and the temporal evolution of the sulfide deposits remain unclear. In this study, we conducted mineral texture, geochemical, 230 Th/U dating, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer analyses of a drill core containing shallow sulfide deposits to study their evolution process. The results revealed that pyrite is enriched in Mn, Co, As, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Tl, and Pb, chalcopyrite is characterized by high concentrations of Se, Sn, In, As, Ag and Pb, and sphalerite is enriched in Co, Ga, Ge, As, Ag, Cd, Sb, and Pb. The 230 Th/U dating data suggested five different mineralization periods during 4,552-2,297 years. Apart from the top and bottom, the core exhibited obvious characteristics of gradual accumulation of mineralization. Results revealed that the variations in the elemental contents of different layers and different types of pyrite were controlled by the interaction of seawater and hydrothermal fluids within the sulfide mound over five different mineralization periods. Compared with other hydrothermal fields on other mid-ocean ridges, DHF pyrite is generally enriched in Zn, Pb, As, Ag, Cd, Mo, and Sb, which might reflect shallow subsurface mixing during different periods of hydrothermal activity.

    Keywords: Sulfide drill core, Trace metal geochemistry, 230 Th/U dating, evolution process, Southwest indian ridge

    Received: 02 Dec 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Yang, Tao, Liao, Zhang, Zhu, Li, Zhang, Wang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Chunhui Tao, Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China

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