Numerical simulation of a hydrophysical structure near the seafloor in a hydrothermal venting region

Abstract

The present study provides numerical simulations of the near-bottom circulation at the Endeavor segment of Juan de Fuca Ridge (ER) in the northeast Pacific that arises from the effect of hydrothermal vent sources. Numerical experiments have shown that the near-bottom current to the northeast along the ridge axial valley is generated solely by the hydrothermal venting. A near-steady background flow across the ridge does not create any significant near-bottom flow in the valley. However, model results show that the background current in the deep ocean does have an important influence on the direction and intensity of hydrothermal plume evolution above the axial valley. Additional investigations show that the model best captures the observed plume parameters and plume drift to the west when the external background flow has a westward velocity component. Studies of hydrothermal vent fields associated with the rift crests of mid-ocean ridges are important not only for understanding the biological activity of these regions but also for determining the impact of the hydrothermal input on near-bottom ocean circulation. Several major hydrothermal vent fields are situated within the rift valley between two crests of the Endeavor segment of the mid‐Pacific Ocean Juan de Fuca Ridge. The 100 m wide valley extends from the southwest to the northeast over a distance of about 10 km (Fig. 1), gradually shoaling by about 50 m to the northeast.