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Hydrothermal activity on the Reykjanes Ridge: the Steinahóll vent-field at 63°06?N

Hydrothermal activity on the Reykjanes Ridge: the Steinahóll vent-field at 63°06?N
Hydrothermal activity on the Reykjanes Ridge: the Steinahóll vent-field at 63°06?N
We have completed a systematic survey for hydrothermal activity along the Reykjanes Ridge from 57°45?N to 63°09?N. Shipboard determinations of total dissolvable Mn (TDMn) and dissolved Si, CH4 and H2 have revealed evidence for only one site of hydrothermal activity along this section of ridge crest, the Steinahóll vent-field at 63°06?N [1]. Our measurements confirm this site to be a stable hydrothermal convection cell of at least two years' duration. The site is situated in just 250–350 m of seawater and, unlike deeper-sited vent-fields (e.g. TAG, 3650 m, 26°N MAR), is notable for the formation of bubble-rich plumes which have been imaged using a high-frequency (38 kHz) echo-sounder. High dissolved gas concentrations of up to 18 nmol/l CH4 and 30 nmol/l H2 coincide with these bubble-rich plumes. The Steinahóll plume is also characterised by high total dissolvable Mn (TDMn) anomalies (up to 60 nmol/l) and dissolved Si anomalies (? 2 ?mol/l) yielding molar TDMn/CH4 and TDMn/Si ratios of ? 3.5 and 0.03, respectively, directly comparable to the TAG hydrothermal plume.

The absence of any indication of hydrothermal activity along the remainder of the Reykjanes Ridge is intriguing. Between 11°N and 40°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, previous studies have revealed evidence for hydrothermally active sites approximately every 150 km. For the 300 km of ridge crest studied in detail here (750 km total) only one site has been found. Thus, despite its proximity to the Iceland hot-spot, the incidence of hydrothermal activity along this section of ridge crest appears to be only 20–50% of that measured elsewhere along the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
0012-821X
647-654
German, C.R.
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Briem, J.
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Chin, C.
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Danielsen, M.
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Holland, S.
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James, R.
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Jónsdóttir, A.
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Ludford, E.
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Moser, C.
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Ólafsson, J.
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Palmer, M.R.
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Rudnicki, M.D.
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German, C.R.
cd0eedd5-1377-4182-9c8a-b06aef8c1069
Briem, J.
3d2e107e-c898-460b-a8d1-f4513c8ff2d0
Chin, C.
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Danielsen, M.
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Holland, S.
bdfe2bd5-214d-4825-951c-e7ffead9660b
James, R.
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Jónsdóttir, A.
96709712-c631-4dcd-b0ea-d6b58412ca3e
Ludford, E.
be918a67-3393-4428-9c06-b7b95f4e6122
Moser, C.
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Ólafsson, J.
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Palmer, M.R.
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Rudnicki, M.D.
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German, C.R., Briem, J., Chin, C., Danielsen, M., Holland, S., James, R., Jónsdóttir, A., Ludford, E., Moser, C., Ólafsson, J., Palmer, M.R. and Rudnicki, M.D. (1994) Hydrothermal activity on the Reykjanes Ridge: the Steinahóll vent-field at 63°06?N. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 121 (3-4), 647-654. (doi:10.1016/0012-821X(94)90098-1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We have completed a systematic survey for hydrothermal activity along the Reykjanes Ridge from 57°45?N to 63°09?N. Shipboard determinations of total dissolvable Mn (TDMn) and dissolved Si, CH4 and H2 have revealed evidence for only one site of hydrothermal activity along this section of ridge crest, the Steinahóll vent-field at 63°06?N [1]. Our measurements confirm this site to be a stable hydrothermal convection cell of at least two years' duration. The site is situated in just 250–350 m of seawater and, unlike deeper-sited vent-fields (e.g. TAG, 3650 m, 26°N MAR), is notable for the formation of bubble-rich plumes which have been imaged using a high-frequency (38 kHz) echo-sounder. High dissolved gas concentrations of up to 18 nmol/l CH4 and 30 nmol/l H2 coincide with these bubble-rich plumes. The Steinahóll plume is also characterised by high total dissolvable Mn (TDMn) anomalies (up to 60 nmol/l) and dissolved Si anomalies (? 2 ?mol/l) yielding molar TDMn/CH4 and TDMn/Si ratios of ? 3.5 and 0.03, respectively, directly comparable to the TAG hydrothermal plume.

The absence of any indication of hydrothermal activity along the remainder of the Reykjanes Ridge is intriguing. Between 11°N and 40°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, previous studies have revealed evidence for hydrothermally active sites approximately every 150 km. For the 300 km of ridge crest studied in detail here (750 km total) only one site has been found. Thus, despite its proximity to the Iceland hot-spot, the incidence of hydrothermal activity along this section of ridge crest appears to be only 20–50% of that measured elsewhere along the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

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Published date: 1994
Organisations: Geochemistry, Marine Geoscience

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 210303
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/210303
ISSN: 0012-821X
PURE UUID: 2a324850-c8ce-4ae5-bec8-f4c66ac5efb0
ORCID for R. James: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7402-2315

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Date deposited: 07 Feb 2012 14:03
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:30

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Contributors

Author: C.R. German
Author: J. Briem
Author: C. Chin
Author: M. Danielsen
Author: S. Holland
Author: R. James ORCID iD
Author: A. Jónsdóttir
Author: E. Ludford
Author: C. Moser
Author: J. Ólafsson
Author: M.R. Palmer
Author: M.D. Rudnicki

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