Abstract
A survey along the axis of the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge, between 27°N and 30°N, using a combination of geophysical imaging and geochemical sensing has assessed the regional extent of hydrothermal activity. As a result, three areas were identified as possible sources of hydrothermal activity: at 27°00′N, 29°10′N and 30°02′N. The location of the strongest signals of high-temperature activity, at 29°10′N, was examined with a combination of water column sensors and sea floor observations, including submersible studies. These studies confirmed the presence of a high-temperature hydrothermal vent field comprising three discrete ‘black smoker’ sources of fluid in excess of 350°C, as well as two weathered sulphide mounds with diffuse, low-temperature fluid seeps. This systematic regional survey of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge reinforces the earlier supposition that hydrothermal activity is spatially restricted on slow spreading ridges in comparison to fast spreading ridges.
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