Characteristics and source of inorganic and organic compounds in the sediments from two hydrothermal fields of the Central Indian and Mid-Atlantic Ridges

Abstract

A combined inorganic and organic geochemical study was carried out on sediments collected from the Kairei hydrothermal field on the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and the Logatchev hydrothermal field on the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Analysis of the major and trace elements as well as the minerals shows that the Kairei hydrothermal sediments are formed by the mixing of silica-rich hydrothermal fluids with Mg-rich seawaters, but the Logatchev sediments are associated with pelagic carbonate oozes containing some precipitates derived from hydrothermal plume fall-out. The rare earth element (REE) patterns of Kairei sediments show a character of light REE (LREE) enrichment and positive Eu anomaly, whereas two of the three Logatchev sediment samples lack positive Eu anomaly and have negative Ce anomaly. Patterns of aliphatic hydrocarbon fractions in the sediments from both hydrothermal fields exhibit high relative concentrations of volatile resolved components, smooth n-alkane distributions and high concentrations of the isoprenoids pristane and phytane. The composition of organic matter and C isotope composition of individual n-alkanes indicate that they come from marine photosynthetic autotrophs and hydrothermal organisms, as well as terrestrial inputs in the Kairei and the Logatchev hydrothermal fields. Several parameters of organic geochemistry, used for assessing the maturity of bitumen, are well correlated with one another. In general, these parameters indicate that the Kairei sediments are more mature than the Logatchev sediments. The relationship between the inorganic parameters (REE/Fe and Eu/Eu ∗) and the organic parameter (bitumen maturity) might reflect changes of the hydrothermal influence on the sediments. The results of this study provide an insight into the variation of inorganic and organic geochemistry in deep-sea hydrothermal systems.