ALBERT

Description: The ultramafic-hosted Kairei vent field is located at 25°19′ S, 70°02′ E, towards the Northern end of segment 1 of the Central Indian Ridge (CIR-S1) at a water depth of ~2450 m. This study aims to investigate the distribution of trace elements among sulfide minerals of differing textures and to examine the possible factors controlling the trace element distribution in those minerals using LA-ICP-MS spot and line scan analyses. Our results show that there are distinct systematic differences in trace element distributions throughout the different minerals, as follows: (1) pyrite is divided into three types at Kairei, including early-stage euhedral pyrite (py-I), sub-euhedral pyrite (py-II), and colloform pyrite (py-III). Pyrite is generally enriched with Mo, Au, As, Tl, Mn, and U. Pyrite-I has high contents of Se, Te, Bi, and Ni when compared to the other types; py-II is enriched in Au relative to py-I and py-III, but poor in Ni; py-III is enriched in Mo, Pb, and U but is poor in Se, Te, Bi, and Au relative to py-I and py-II. Variations in the concentrations of Se, Te, and Bi in pyrite are most likely governed by the strong temperature gradient. There is generally a lower concentration of nickel than Co in pyrite, indicating that our samples precipitated at high temperatures, whereas the extreme Co enrichment is likely from a magmatic heat source combined with an influence of serpentinization reactions. (2) Chalcopyrite is characterized by high concentrations of Co, Se, and Te. The abundance of Se and Te in chalcopyrite over the other minerals is interpreted to have been caused by the high solubilities of Se and Te in the chalcopyrite lattice at high temperatures. The concentrations of Sb, As, and Au are relatively low in chalcopyrite from the Kairei vent field. (3) Sphalerite from Zn-rich chimneys is characterized by high concentrations of Sn, Co, Ga, Ge, Ag, Pb, Sb, As, and Cd, but is depleted in Se, Te, Bi, Mo, Au, Ni, Tl, Mn, Ba, V, and U in comparison with the other minerals. The high concentrations of Cd and Co are likely caused by the substitution of Cd2+ and Co2+ for Zn2+ in sphalerite. A high concentration of Pb accompanied by a high Ag concentration in sphalerite indicates that Ag occurs as Pb–Ag sulfosalts. Gold is generally low in sphalerite and strongly correlates with Pb, suggesting its presence in microinclusions of galena. The strong correlation of As with Ge in sphalerite from Kairei suggests that they might precipitate at medium temperatures and under moderately reduced conditions. (4) Bornite–digenite has very low concentrations of most trace elements, except for Co, Se, and Bi. Serpentinization in ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems might play an important role in Au enrichment in pyrite with low As contents. Compared to felsic-hosted seafloor massive sulfide deposits, sulfide minerals from ultramafic-hosted deposits show higher concentrations of Se and Te, but lower As, Sb, and Au concentrations, the latter often attributed to the contribution of magmatic volatiles. As with typical ultramafic-hosted seafloor massive sulfide deposits, Se enrichment in chalcopyrite from Kairei indicates that the primary factor that controls the Se enrichment is temperature-controlled mobility in vent fluids.

Description: Highlights • The hydrothermal fluids were sampled from a neovolcanic ridge within a non-transform offset. • Serpentinization has been involved on the pathway of hydrothermal circulation • The fluids are strongly affected by phase separation with extremely high Cl content in brine phase • A hybrid model of hydrothermal circulation controlled by tectonic and magmatic activities simultaneously was proposed. The Daxi Vent Field (DVF) is located on a neovolcanic ridge within a non-transform offset at water depths of ∼3500 m, on the Carlsberg Ridge, northwest Indian Ocean. In 2017, we investigated this site using the submersible Jiaolong and collected two fluid samples from orifices of chimneys named “Buddha's Hands” and “A1”, about 37 m apart. Their in-situ measured temperatures are 273 °C and 272 °C, respectively. The Buddha's Hands fluid is highly Cl-enriched (928 mM), while the A1 fluid is Cl-depleted (303 mM). This indicates that they have undergone phase separation. The segregated phases must have remixed during the ascent because the vapor and brine phases sampled cannot be produced by the same phase separation history without other processes. Olivine-rich and/or ultramafic mantle rocks must have been involved during the hydrothermal circulation as evidenced by high dissolved H2 (7.07 mM) and methane (0.884 mM) concentrations, a depletion in B relative to seawater, high Ca and low K, and large positive Eu anomalies. The Fe content in Buddha's Hands fluid is extremely high (11,900 μM) as a result of phase separation, while the Cu concentrations in both fluids are relatively low due to entrainment of seawater which results in precipitation of Cu-rich sulfides in the subseafloor. The concentrations of Zn, Ag, Ga, Sn, Sb, and Cd in A1 vent fluid are significantly elevated due to generation of acidity and remobilization of these elements as Cu-rich sulfides are deposited. The subseafloor processes and associated geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids at the DVF are distinct from other mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems due to the specific geologic setting. Hence a hybrid model of hydrothermal circulation is proposed. This study broadens our understanding of the hydrothermal processes occurring in areas of NTO setting and provides more information on mass fluxes discharging from hydrothermal systems and the formation of sulfide deposits.