| Seafloor hydrothermal circulation through young oceanic crust results in the expulsion of fluids as both diffuse and focused flow in the form of hydrothermal venting. High-temperature hydrothermal fluids are enriched in reduced chemical species that rapidly oxidize upon interaction with ambient, oxygen-rich bottom waters, resulting in plumes that are detectable in the water column both by their dissolved chemical composition as well as by their particle concentration. This study employed a novel instrument package which detected both dissolved manganese and particle concentration in situ. This package also included a standard CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) and rosette for the collection of water samples. Because hydrothermal plumes integrate the output from an entire vent field, measurements in plumes can be used to estimate vent field fluxes. Some geochemical tracers from hydrothermal vents can also be detected thousands of kilometers from their sources. Thus, plumes provide the means to prospect for undiscovered hydrothermal sites, and can also predict characteristics of the venting site. This work includes studies of hydrothermal plumes along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge and in the Bransfield Strait backarc basin, Antarctica.;In recent years, the number of known hydrothermal sites on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) has increased from two to seven, and most other segments between 12° and 41° N have shown evidence of high-temperature hydrothermal activity. Furthermore, it appears that as one approaches the Azores Plateau, the concentration of dissolved delta3He in the bottom water (originating from hydrothermal venting) increases, suggesting that hydrothermal activity increases toward the plateau. This is consistent with the significant tectonic extension and crustal fissuring observed near the Azores Platform, which is expected to support increased convection.;The Bransfield Strait is a backarc basin between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. Evidence of hydrothermal activity had been reported previously, but hydrothermal sources had not been pinpointed. In this study, surveys in the Central and Eastern Bransfield Basins revealed evidence of hydrothermal activity. A more detailed search in the Central Basin detected Mn, 3He, temperature, and particle anomalies within confined regions on three of the volcanic edifices that lie along the Bransfield rift. |
