Deep high-temperature hydrothermal circulation in a detachment faulting system on the ultra-slow spreading ridge

Nature Communications
Chunhui TaoWei Li

Abstract

Coupled magmatic and tectonic activity plays an important role in high-temperature hydrothermal circulation at mid-ocean ridges. The circulation patterns for such systems have been elucidated by microearthquakes and geochemical data over a broad spectrum of spreading rates, but such data have not been generally available for ultra-slow spreading ridges. Here we report new geophysical and fluid geochemical data for high-temperature active hydrothermal venting at Dragon Horn area (49.7°E) on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Twin detachment faults penetrating to the depth of 13 ± 2 km below the seafloor were identified based on the microearthquakes. The geochemical composition of the hydrothermal fluids suggests a long reaction path involving both mafic and ultramafic lithologies. Combined with numerical simulations, our results demonstrate that these hydrothermal fluids could circulate ~ 6 km deeper than the Moho boundary and to much greater depths than those at Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse and Logachev-1 hydrothermal fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

References

Dec 4, 2003·Nature·Henry J B DickHans Schouten
Feb 2, 2008·Science·Giora ProskurowskiDeborah S Kelley
Jun 10, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jill M McDermottSean P Sylva
Jul 1, 2016·Nature·Vera Schlindwein, Florian Schmid

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