Abstract
The circulation of seawater through newly formed ocean crust at mid-ocean ridge spreading centres is important in the oceanic heat and chemical budgets. The heat transfer in submarine hydrothermal systems accounts for ˜25% of the total global heat loss1. The transfer of mass resulting from basaltic alteration affects the geochemistry of seawater2 and is responsible for the formation of ore deposits on and beneath the seafloor3. Various geophysical techniques have been employed in efforts to determine the heat output from hydrothermal vent fields4–9; however, the magnitudes of the heat and chemical fluxes through these systems remain uncertain. Here we introduce a geochemical approach for estimating the flux from a vent field based on radon (222Rn) measurements in the overlying effluent plume. This method was applied successfully in September 1986 during a 23-day expedition to an active vent field on the 170-km Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge (Fig. la). We estimate the heat flux from this site to be l–5×l09 W.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
