TY - JOUR

T1 - Mass-wasting processes input in proximal metalliferous sediments: A case study of the Pobeda hydrothermal fields

AU - Kuksa, Katherine

AU - Bich, Artem

AU - Cherkashov, Georgy

AU - Firstova, Anna

AU - Kuznetsov, Vladislav

AU - Bel'tenev, Victor

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2021/8

Y1 - 2021/8

N2 - Metalliferous sediments associated with oceanic hydrothermal systems contain various amounts of metals of a dual origin: from suspended particulate matter of an overlying plume and from weathered massive sulfide edifices. This study investigates the influence of the latter component on metal enrichment in sediments proximal to sulfide bodies for the Pobeda hydrothermal fields of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). This region consists of three separate venting fields Pobeda-1, 2, and 3 located at different depth levels in the MAR rift valley. Hydrothermal precipitates within the site occur as massive sulfide edificies and metalliferous sediments. Detailed mineralogical and geochemical analysis of all these components revealed that a significant amount of hydrothermally-derived material in the sediments derives from overlying plume particulate superimposed by mass wasted oxidized sulfides from the nearest edifices. This last component is mostly abundant in the sediments of the deepest Pobeda-2 field, which complicates using bulk geochemistry to decipher the history of hydrothermal activity there. For the two remaining fields, Pobeda-1 and Pobeda-3, a reconstruction of vent discharge history indicates that it began almost simultaneously at the time interval recorded in core sediments. However it waned steadily at the Pobeda-3 field, whereas at Pobeda-1 field it exhibited a significant decrease in intensity and then a reverse movement upward until recently.

AB - Metalliferous sediments associated with oceanic hydrothermal systems contain various amounts of metals of a dual origin: from suspended particulate matter of an overlying plume and from weathered massive sulfide edifices. This study investigates the influence of the latter component on metal enrichment in sediments proximal to sulfide bodies for the Pobeda hydrothermal fields of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). This region consists of three separate venting fields Pobeda-1, 2, and 3 located at different depth levels in the MAR rift valley. Hydrothermal precipitates within the site occur as massive sulfide edificies and metalliferous sediments. Detailed mineralogical and geochemical analysis of all these components revealed that a significant amount of hydrothermally-derived material in the sediments derives from overlying plume particulate superimposed by mass wasted oxidized sulfides from the nearest edifices. This last component is mostly abundant in the sediments of the deepest Pobeda-2 field, which complicates using bulk geochemistry to decipher the history of hydrothermal activity there. For the two remaining fields, Pobeda-1 and Pobeda-3, a reconstruction of vent discharge history indicates that it began almost simultaneously at the time interval recorded in core sediments. However it waned steadily at the Pobeda-3 field, whereas at Pobeda-1 field it exhibited a significant decrease in intensity and then a reverse movement upward until recently.

KW - Geochemistry

KW - Hydrothermal activity

KW - Metalliferous sediments

KW - Mineralogy

KW - Seafloor massive sulfides

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107776161&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.margeo.2021.106517

DO - 10.1016/j.margeo.2021.106517

M3 - Article

VL - 438

JO - Marine Geology

JF - Marine Geology

SN - 0025-3227

M1 - 106517

ER -