The deep structure of a sea-floor hydrothermal deposit

Robert A. Zierenberg (), Yves Fouquet, D. J. Miller, J. M. Bahr, P. A. Baker, T. Bjerkgård, C. A. Brunner, R. C. Duckworth, R. Gable, J. Gieskes, W. D. Goodfellow, H. M. Gröschel-Becker, G. Guèrin, J. Ishibashi, G. Iturrino, R. H. James, K. S. Lackschewitz, L. L. Marquez, P. Nehlig, J. M. Peter, C. A. Rigsby, P. Schultheiss, W. C. Shanks, B. R. T. Simoneit, M. Summit, D. A. H. Teagle, M. Urbat and G. G. Zuffa
Additional contact information
Robert A. Zierenberg: University of California-Davis
Yves Fouquet: Institut Française de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, Centre de Brest
D. J. Miller: Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M Research Park
J. M. Bahr: University of Wisconsin-Madison
P. A. Baker: Duke University
T. Bjerkgård: Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse
C. A. Brunner: Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center
R. C. Duckworth: James Cook University
R. Gable: Départment Hydrologie et Transeferts, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières
J. Gieskes: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California-San Diego
W. D. Goodfellow: Geological Survey of Canada
H. M. Gröschel-Becker: Marine Geology and Geophysics, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami
G. Guèrin: Borehole Research Group, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
J. Ishibashi: Laboratory for Earthquake Chemistry, University of Tokyo
G. Iturrino: Borehole Research Group, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
R. H. James: University of Bristol
K. S. Lackschewitz: Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel
L. L. Marquez: Northwestern University
P. Nehlig: Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières
J. M. Peter: Geological Survey of Canada
C. A. Rigsby: East Carolina University
P. Schultheiss: GEOTEK Ltd.
W. C. Shanks: US Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center MS 973
B. R. T. Simoneit: College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University
M. Summit: School of Oceanography, University of Washington
D. A. H. Teagle: Geological Sciences, University of Michigan
M. Urbat: Geologisches Institut, Universität zu Köln
G. G. Zuffa: Università di Bologna

Nature, 1998, vol. 392, issue 6675, 485-488

Abstract: Abstract Hydrothermal circulation at the crests of mid-ocean ridges plays an important role in transferring heat from the interior of the Earth1,2,3. A consequence of this hydrothermal circulation is the formation of metallic ore bodies known as volcanic-associated massive sulphide deposits. Such deposits, preserved on land, were important sources of copper for ancient civilizations and continue to provide a significant source of base metals (for example, copper and zinc)4,5,6. Here we present results from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 169, which drilled through a massive sulphide deposit on the northern Juan de Fuca spreading centre and penetrated the hydrothermal feeder zone through which the metal-rich fluids reached the sea floor. We found that the style of feeder-zone mineralization changes with depth in response to changes in the pore pressure of the hydrothermal fluids and discovered a stratified zone of high-grade copper-rich replacement mineralization below the massive sulphide deposit. This copper-rich zone represents a type of mineralization not previously observed below sea-floor deposits, and may provide new targets for land-based mineral exploration.

Date: 1998
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DOI: 10.1038/33126

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