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Hydrothermal sediments as a potential record of seawater Nd isotope compositions: The Rainbow vent site (36°14?N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

Hydrothermal sediments as a potential record of seawater Nd isotope compositions: The Rainbow vent site (36°14?N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
Hydrothermal sediments as a potential record of seawater Nd isotope compositions: The Rainbow vent site (36°14?N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
Geochemical compositions and Sr and Nd isotopes were measured in two cores collected ~2 and 5 km from the Rainbow hydrothermal vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Overall, the cores record enrichments in Fe and other metals from hydrothermal fallout, but sequential dissolution of the sediments allows discrimination between a leach phase (easily leachable) and a residue phase (refractory). The oxy-anion and transition metal distribution combined with rare earth element (REE) patterns suggest that (1) the leach fraction is a mixture of biogenic carbonate and hydrothermal Fe-Mn oxy-hydroxide with no significant contribution from detrital material and (2) >99.5% of the REE content of the leach fraction is of seawater origin. In addition, the leach fraction has an average 87Sr/86Sr ratio indistinguishable from modern seawater at 0.70916. Although we lack the Nd value of present-day deep water at the Rainbow vent site, we believe that the REE budget of the leach fraction is predominantly of seawater origin. We suggest therefore that the leach fraction provides a record of local seawater Nd values. Nd isotope data from these cores span the period of 4–14 ka (14C ages) and yield Nd values for North East Atlantic Deep Water (NEADW) that are higher (?9.3 to ?11.1) than those observed in the nearby Madeira Abyssal Plain from the same depth (?12.4 ± 0.9). This observation suggests that either the Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and Lower Deep Water contributions to the formation of NEADW are higher along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge than in the surrounding basins or that the relative proportion of ISOW was higher during this period than is observed today. This study indicates that hydrothermal sediments have the potential to provide a higher-resolution record of deep water Nd values, and hence deepwater circulation patterns in the oceans, than is possible from other types of sediments.
Nd isotope, hydrothermal, seawater
0883-8305
PA3012
Chavagnac, V.
0824a679-684f-47ba-8ccd-f8d36cc18d90
Palmer, M.R.
d2e60e81-5d6e-4ddb-a243-602537286080
Milton, J.A.
9e183221-d0d4-4ddb-aeba-0fdde9d31230
Green, D.R.H.
0d7d86c4-d674-4514-8aa6-259134dc7b57
German, C.R.
cd0eedd5-1377-4182-9c8a-b06aef8c1069
Chavagnac, V.
0824a679-684f-47ba-8ccd-f8d36cc18d90
Palmer, M.R.
d2e60e81-5d6e-4ddb-a243-602537286080
Milton, J.A.
9e183221-d0d4-4ddb-aeba-0fdde9d31230
Green, D.R.H.
0d7d86c4-d674-4514-8aa6-259134dc7b57
German, C.R.
cd0eedd5-1377-4182-9c8a-b06aef8c1069

Chavagnac, V., Palmer, M.R., Milton, J.A., Green, D.R.H. and German, C.R. (2006) Hydrothermal sediments as a potential record of seawater Nd isotope compositions: The Rainbow vent site (36°14?N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Paleoceanography, 21 (3), PA3012. (doi:10.1029/2006PA001273).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Geochemical compositions and Sr and Nd isotopes were measured in two cores collected ~2 and 5 km from the Rainbow hydrothermal vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Overall, the cores record enrichments in Fe and other metals from hydrothermal fallout, but sequential dissolution of the sediments allows discrimination between a leach phase (easily leachable) and a residue phase (refractory). The oxy-anion and transition metal distribution combined with rare earth element (REE) patterns suggest that (1) the leach fraction is a mixture of biogenic carbonate and hydrothermal Fe-Mn oxy-hydroxide with no significant contribution from detrital material and (2) >99.5% of the REE content of the leach fraction is of seawater origin. In addition, the leach fraction has an average 87Sr/86Sr ratio indistinguishable from modern seawater at 0.70916. Although we lack the Nd value of present-day deep water at the Rainbow vent site, we believe that the REE budget of the leach fraction is predominantly of seawater origin. We suggest therefore that the leach fraction provides a record of local seawater Nd values. Nd isotope data from these cores span the period of 4–14 ka (14C ages) and yield Nd values for North East Atlantic Deep Water (NEADW) that are higher (?9.3 to ?11.1) than those observed in the nearby Madeira Abyssal Plain from the same depth (?12.4 ± 0.9). This observation suggests that either the Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and Lower Deep Water contributions to the formation of NEADW are higher along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge than in the surrounding basins or that the relative proportion of ISOW was higher during this period than is observed today. This study indicates that hydrothermal sediments have the potential to provide a higher-resolution record of deep water Nd values, and hence deepwater circulation patterns in the oceans, than is possible from other types of sediments.

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Published date: 2006
Keywords: Nd isotope, hydrothermal, seawater

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 41485
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/41485
ISSN: 0883-8305
PURE UUID: 92a32f77-5ceb-43c6-bd14-47e4587bfe7e
ORCID for J.A. Milton: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4245-5532

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Date deposited: 15 Sep 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:51

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Contributors

Author: V. Chavagnac
Author: M.R. Palmer
Author: J.A. Milton ORCID iD
Author: D.R.H. Green
Author: C.R. German

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