Sulfur in peridotites and gabbros at Lost City (30°N, MAR): Implications for hydrothermal alteration and microbial activity during serpentinization

Abstract

Variations in sulfur mineralogy and chemistry of serpentinized peridotites and gabbros beneath the Lost City Hydrothermal Field at the southern face of the Atlantis Massif (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 30°N) were examined to better understand serpentinization and alteration processes and to study fluid fluxes, redox conditions, and the influence of microbial activity in this active, peridotite-hosted hydrothermal system. The serpentinized peridotites are characterized by low total sulfur contents and high bulk δ 34S values close to seawater composition. Low concentrations of 34S-enriched sulfide phases and the predominance of sulfate with seawater-like δ 34S values indicate oxidation, loss of sulfide minerals and incorporation of seawater sulfate into the serpentinites. The predominance of pyrite in both serpentinites and gabbros indicates relatively high fO 2 conditions during progressive serpentinization and alteration, which likely result from high fluid fluxes during hydrothermal circulation and evolution of the Lost City system from temperatures of ∼250 to 150 °C. Sulfate and sulfide minerals in samples from near the base of hydrothermal carbonate towers at Lost City show δ 34S values that reflect the influence of microbial activity. Our study highlights the variations in sulfur chemistry of serpentinized peridotites in different marine environments and the influence of long-lived, moderate temperature peridotite-hosted hydrothermal system and high seawater fluxes on the global sulfur cycle.