Hydrothermal Sites Research Articles

Layered Hydrothermal Barite-Sulfide Mound Field, East Diamante Caldera, Mariana Volcanic Arc

East Diamante is a submarine volcano in the southern Mariana arc that is host to a complex caldera ~5 × 10 km (elongated ENE-WSW) that is breached along its northern and southwestern sectors. A large field of barite-sulfide mounds was discovered in June 2009 and revisited in July 2010 with the R/V Natsushima , using the ROV Hyper-Dolphin . The mound field occurs on the northeast flank of a cluster of resurgent dacite domes in the central caldera, near an active black smoker vent field. A 40Ar/39Ar age of 20,000 ± 4000 years was obtained from a dacite sample. The mound field is aligned along a series of fractures and extends for more than 180 m east-west and >120 m north-south. Individual mounds are typically 1 to 3 m tall and 0.5 to 2 m wide, with lengths from about 3 to 8 m. The mounds are dominated by barite + sphalerite layers with the margins of each layer composed of barite with disseminated sulfides. Rare, inactive spires and chimneys sit atop some mounds and also occur as clusters away from the mounds. Iron and Mn oxides are currently forming small (<1-m diam, ~0.5-m tall) knolls on the top surface of some of the barite-sulfide mounds and may also drape their flanks. Both diffusely and focused fluids emanate from the small oxide knolls. Radiometric ages of the layered barite-sulfide mounds and chimneys vary from ~3,920 to 3,350 years. One layer, from an outcrop of 10- to 100-cm-thick Cu-rich layers, is notably younger with an age of 2,180 years. The Fe-Mn oxides were <5 years old at the time of collection in 2009. Most mound, chimney, and layered outcrop samples are dominated by barite, silica, and sphalerite; other sulfides, in decreasing order of abundance, are galena, chalcopyrite, and rare pyrite. Anglesite, cerussite, and unidentified Pb oxychloride and Pb phosphate minerals occur as late-stage interstitial phases. The samples contain high Zn (up to 23 wt %), Pb (to 16 wt %), Ag (to 487 ppm), and Au (to 19 ppm) contents. Some layered outcrop samples are dominated by chalcopyrite resulting in ≤4.78 wt % Cu in a bulk sample (28 wt % for a single lens), with a mean of 0.28 wt % for other samples. Other significant metal enrichments are Sb (to 1,320 ppm), Cd (to 1,150 ppm), and Hg (to 55 ppm). The East Diamante mound field has a unique set of characteristics compared to other hydrothermal sites in the Mariana arc and elsewhere. The geochemical differences may predominantly reflect the distribution of fractures and faults and consequently the rock/water ratio, temperature of the fluid in the upper parts of the circulation system, and extensive and prolonged mixing with seawater. The location of mineralization is controlled by fractures. Following resurgent doming within the caldera, mineralization resulted from focused flow along small segments of linear fractures rather than from a point source, typical of hydrothermal chimney fields. Based on the mineral assemblage, the maximum fluid temperatures were ~260°C, near the boiling point for the water depths of the mound field (367–406 m). Lateral fluid flow within the mounds precipitated interstitial sphalerite, silica, and Pb minerals within a network of barite with disseminated sulfides; silica was the final phase to precipitate. The current low-temperature precipitation of Fe and Mn oxides and silica may represent rejuvenation of the system.

Permeability of the Lucky Strike deep-sea hydrothermal system: Constraints from the poroelastic response to ocean tidal loading

We use the time delay between tidal loading and the induced subsurface flow response to constrain the poroelastic behavior and permeability of the Lucky Strike hydrothermal field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. We demonstrate that high-temperature (T>200°C) exit-fluid discharge records from four hydrothermal sites across the field are highly coherent with contemporaneously acquired bottom pressure records at tidal periods, with the thermal response lagging pressure by ∼155° (5.3 h) on average across all sites for the semi-diurnal (M2) frequency over a three-year observation period. In a one-dimensional poroelastic model of ocean tidal loading this phase lag corresponds to a high-permeability system where pore pressure perturbations at the seafloor rapidly propagate downward from the seafloor interface until they encounter a permeability boundary. Our results suggest that at the Lucky Strike field this tidal pumping is largely restricted to the ∼600 m thick extrusive layer (i.e., seismic layer 2A). Under a plausible set of matrix elastic parameters, the ∼5.3 h lag between pressure and exit-fluid temperature is consistent with an effective matrix permeability of ∼10−10 m2 and an average vertical flow velocity of ∼0.02 m/s within the extrusive layer. Our results argue against tidal pumping of the entire crustal section between the seafloor and the axial magma chamber (at ∼3.4 kmbsf) because this scenario requires unrealistically high effective permeabilities (∼10−9 m2) and average vertical flow velocities (∼0.15 m/s) over this depth range. Our effective permeability estimate for the extrusive layer is broadly consistent with previous results, and indicates that flow must be channeled in discrete permeable pathways (e.g., faults, fissures) that cut through the extrusive volcanic layer.

Phenotypic Variation and Fitness in a Metapopulation of Tubeworms (Ridgeia piscesae Jones) at Hydrothermal Vents

We examine the nature of variation in a hot vent tubeworm, Ridgeia piscesae, to determine how phenotypes are maintained and how reproductive potential is dictated by habitat. This foundation species at northeast Pacific hydrothermal sites occupies a wide habitat range in a highly heterogeneous environment. Where fluids supply high levels of dissolved sulphide for symbionts, the worm grows rapidly in a “short-fat” phenotype characterized by lush gill plumes; when plumes are healthy, sperm package capture is higher. This form can mature within months and has a high fecundity with continuous gamete output and a lifespan of about three years in unstable conditions. Other phenotypes occupy low fluid flux habitats that are more stable and individuals grow very slowly; however, they have low reproductive readiness that is hampered further by small, predator cropped branchiae, thus reducing fertilization and metabolite uptake. Although only the largest worms were measured, only 17% of low flux worms were reproductively competent compared to 91% of high flux worms. A model of reproductive readiness illustrates that tube diameter is a good predictor of reproductive output and that few low flux worms reached critical reproductive size. We postulate that most of the propagules for the vent fields originate from the larger tubeworms that live in small, unstable habitat patches. The large expanses of worms in more stable low flux habitat sustain a small, but long-term, reproductive output. Phenotypic variation is an adaptation that fosters both morphological and physiological responses to differences in chemical milieu and predator pressure. This foundation species forms a metapopulation with variable growth characteristics in a heterogeneous environment where a strategy of phenotypic variation bestows an advantage over specialization.

Identification and activity of acetate-assimilating bacteria in diffuse fluids venting from two deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

Diffuse hydrothermal fluids often contain organic compounds such as hydrocarbons, lipids, and organic acids. Microorganisms consuming these compounds at hydrothermal sites are so far only known from cultivation-dependent studies. To identify potential heterotrophs without prior cultivation, we combined microbial community analysis with short-term incubations using (13)C-labeled acetate at two distinct hydrothermal systems. We followed cell growth and assimilation of (13)C into single cells by nanoSIMS combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In 55 °C-fluids from the Menez Gwen hydrothermal system/Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a novel epsilonproteobacterial group accounted for nearly all assimilation of acetate, representing the first aerobic acetate-consuming member of the Nautiliales. In contrast, Gammaproteobacteria dominated the (13) C-acetate assimilation in incubations of 37 °C-fluids from the back-arc hydrothermal system in the Manus Basin/Papua New Guinea. Here, 16S rRNA gene sequences were mostly related to mesophilic Marinobacter, reflecting the high content of seawater in these fluids. The rapid growth of microorganisms upon acetate addition suggests that acetate consumers in diffuse fluids are copiotrophic opportunists, which quickly exploit their energy sources, whenever available under the spatially and temporally highly fluctuating conditions. Our data provide first insights into the heterotrophic microbial community, catalyzing an under-investigated part of microbial carbon cycling at hydrothermal vents.

Tectonic structure, lithology, and hydrothermal signature of the Rainbow massif (Mid-Atlantic Ridge 36°14′N)

Rainbow is a dome-shaped massif at the 36°14′N nontransform offset along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It hosts three ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal sites: Rainbow is active and high temperature; Clamstone and Ghost City are fossil and low temperature. The MoMARDREAM cruises (2007, 2008) presented here provided extensive rock sampling throughout the massif that constrains the geological setting of hydrothermal activity. The lithology is heterogeneous with abundant serpentinites surrounding gabbros, troctolites, chromitites, plagiogranites, and basalts. We propose that a W dipping detachment fault, now inactive, uplifted the massif and exhumed these deep-seated rocks. Present-day deformation is accommodated by SSW-NNE faults and fissures, consistent with oblique teleseismic focal mechanisms and stress rotation across the discontinuity. Faults localize fluid flow and control the location of fossil and active hydrothermal fields that appear to be ephemeral and lacking in spatiotemporal progression. Markers of high-temperature hydrothermal activity (∼350°C) are restricted to some samples from the active field while a more diffuse, lower temperature hydrothermal activity (<220°C) is inferred at various locations through anomalously high As, Sb, and Pb contents, attributed to element incorporation in serpentines or microscale-sulfide precipitation. Petrographic and geochemical analyses show that the dominant basement alteration is pervasive peridotite serpentinization at ∼160–260°C, attributed to fluids chemically similar to those venting at Rainbow, and controlled by concomitant alteration of mafic-ultramafic units at depth. Rainbow provides a model for fluid circulation, possibly applicable to hydrothermalism at oceanic detachments elsewhere, where both low-temperature serpentinization and magmatic-driven high-temperature outflow develop contemporaneously, channeled by faults in the footwall and not along the detachment fault.

The magnetic signature of ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal sites

Unlike basalt-hosted hydrothermal sites, characterized by a lack of magnetization, the magnetic signature of ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal sites remains poorly known, despite their wide occurrence at slow-spreading ridges and their strong mineral potential. The first high-resolution magnetic surveys of such ultramafic-hosted sites, achieved by deep-sea submersible on four sites of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, reveal positive magnetic anomalies, and therefore a strong magnetization at the largest sites. This observation reflects the presence of a wide mineralized zone beneath these sites, the stockwork, where several chemical processes concur to create and preserve strongly magnetized magnetite. Beyond pointing out the importance of subsurface chemical processes in hydrothermal activity, the aging of oceanic lithosphere, and the ocean chemical budget, our results have immediate application for detecting and characterizing economically valuable deep-sea mineral deposits.

Anomalously high concentrations of metals in fluid of the Semenov modern hydrothermal system (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 13°31′ N): LA-ICP-MS study of fluid inclusions in minerals

How and how much do hydrothermal fluids trans� port metals from the area of their involvement in the oreforming process to the zone of their precipitation? What should the composition of fluids, which may transport metals in the proportions necessary for the formation of mineral deposits, be? These problems have been studied by more than one generation of researchers in the field of ore deposits. An important role in the solution of this problem was played by the experimental and thermodynamic studies of mineral solubility in aqueous fluids at high temperatures. In spite of significant achievements in these areas, we cannot assume that the obtained results reflect the chemical composition of the natural oreforming fluid adequately, since modeling of metal behavior in it is limited by our knowledge of the thermodynamic con� stants of minerals and components of fluid. Significant achievements in improving our knowledge on the chemistry of mineralforming fluids were gained dur� ing the study of modern hydrothermal systems and fluid inclusions in minerals of hydrothermal deposits (1). A huge volume of data was obtained after the dis� covery of modern hydrothermal sources precipitating sulfide ores on the floor of the World Ocean (21° N) on the East Pacific Rise in 1978. During the past 35 years, more than 300 hydrothermal sites have been discov� ered and studied by submersibles. The major data on the chemistry of fluid and concentrations of metals in it were mostly based on the results of the analyses of its samples collected on the hydrothermal fields by sub� mersibles. However, study of fluid inclusions in miner� als from modern sulfide edifices has shown that the conditions of deposition, the evolution of salinity, and the temperature of fluids discharged on the sea floor were much more variable than followed from direct measurements (2-4). Development of new highpre� cision apparatus and analytical methods has provided completely different possibilities for the study of a wide spectrum of chemical elements in fluids trapped by fluid inclusions during mineral crystallization. Study of fluid inclusions in minerals from a number of ore deposits and analysis of the concentrations of met� als in fluids precipitating ores have been performed (5-7). Using these methods, it is very interesting to analyze the fluid captured by minerals during the for� mation of modern sulfide ores. For this purpose, we carried out investigations of fluid inclusions in miner� als from the Semenov modern ore cluster.

Rare earth elements as indicators of hydrothermal processes within the East Scotia subduction zone system

The East Scotia subduction zone, located in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, hosts a number of hydrothermal sites in both back-arc and island-arc settings. High temperature (>348°C) ‘black smoker’ vents have been sampled at three locations along segments E2 and E9 of the East Scotia back-arc spreading ridge, as well as ‘white smoker’ (<212°C) and diffuse (<28°C) hydrothermal fluids from within the caldera of the Kemp submarine volcano. The composition of the endmember fluids (Mg=0mmol/kg) is markedly different, with pH ranging from <1 to 3.4, [Cl−] from ∼90 to 536mM, [H2S] from 6.7 to ∼200mM and [F−] from 35 to ∼1000μM. All of the vent sites are basalt- to basaltic andesite-hosted, providing an ideal opportunity for investigating the geochemical controls on rare earth element (REE) behaviour. Endmember hydrothermal fluids from E2 and E9 have total REE concentrations ranging from 7.3 to 123nmol/kg, and chondrite-normalised distribution patterns are either light REE-enriched (LaCN/YbCN=12.8–30.0) with a positive europium anomaly (EuCN/Eu∗CN=3.45–59.5), or mid REE-enriched (LaCN/NdCN=0.61) with a negative Eu anomaly (EuCN/Eu∗CN=0.59). By contrast, fluids from the Kemp Caldera have almost flat REE patterns (LaCN/YbCN=2.1–2.2; EuCN/Eu∗CN=1.2–2.2).We demonstrate that the REE geochemistry of fluids from the East Scotia back-arc spreading ridge is variably influenced by ion exchange with host minerals, phase separation, competitive complexation with ligands, and anhydrite deposition, whereas fluids from the Kemp submarine volcano are also affected by the injection of magmatic volatiles which enhances the solubility of all the REEs. We also show that the REE patterns of anhydrite deposits from Kemp differ from those of the present-day fluids, potentially providing critical information about the nature of hydrothermal activity in the past, where access to hydrothermal fluids is precluded.

Diversity of prokaryotic community at a shallow marine hydrothermal site elucidated by Illumina sequencing technology.

To investigate the prokaryotic community structure and composition in an active hydrothermal site, named Black Point, off Panarea Island (Eolian Islands, Italy), we examined sediment and fluid samples, differing in temperature, by a massive parallel sequencing (Illumina) technique targeting the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The used technique enabled us to detect a greater prokaryotic diversity than that until now observed and to reveal also microorganisms occurring at very low abundance (≤0.01%). Most of sequences were assigned to Bacteria while Archaea were a minor component of the microbial community in both low- and high-temperature samples. Proteobacteria (mainly consisting of Alpha-, Gamma-, and Epsilonproteobacteria) dominated among all samples followed by Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Analyzed DNA obtained from samples taken at different temperatures indicated the presence of members of different dominant genera. The main differences were observed between sediment samples where Rhodovulum and Thiohalospira prevailed at high temperature, while Thalassomonas and Sulfurimonas at low temperature. Chlorobium, Acinetobacter, Sulfurimonas, and Brevundimonas were abundant in both low- and high-temperature fluid samples. Euryarchaeota dominated the archaeal community in all samples. Classes of Euryarchaeota embracing hyperthermophilic members (Thermococci and Thermoplasmata) and of Crenarchaeota (Thermoprotei) were more abundant in high-temperature samples. A great number of sequences referred to Bacteria and Archaea still remained unaffiliated, indicating that Black Point site represents a rich source of so-far uncharted prokaryotic diversity.

Composition of hydrothermal fluids and mineralogy of associated chimney material on the East Scotia Ridge back-arc spreading centre

The East Scotia Ridge is an active back-arc spreading centre located to the west of the South Sandwich island arc in the Southern Ocean. Initial exploration of the ridge by deep-tow surveys provided the first evidence for hydrothermal activity in a back-arc setting outside of the western Pacific, and we returned in 2010 with a remotely operated vehicle to precisely locate and sample hydrothermal sites along ridge segments E2 and E9. Here we report the chemical and isotopic composition of high- and low-temperature vent fluids, and the mineralogy of associated high-temperature chimney material, for two sites at E2 (Dog’s Head and Sepia), and four sites at E9 (Black & White, Ivory Tower, Pagoda and Launch Pad). The chemistry of the fluids is highly variable between the ridge segments. Fluid temperatures were ∼350°C at all vent sites except Black & White, which was significantly hotter (383°C). End-member chloride concentrations in E2 fluids (532–536mM) were close to background seawater (540mM), whereas Cl in E9 fluids was much lower (98–220mM) indicating that these fluids are affected by phase separation. Concentrations of the alkali elements (Na, Li, K and Cs) and the alkaline earth elements (Ca, Sr and Ba) co-vary with Cl, due to charge balance constraints. Similarly, concentrations of Mn and Zn are highest in the high Cl fluids but, by contrast, Fe/Cl ratios are higher in E9 fluids (3.8–8.1×10−3) than they are in E2 fluids (1.5–2.4×10−3) and fluids with lowest Cl have highest Cu. Although both ridge segments are magmatically inflated, there is no compelling evidence for input of magmatic gases to the vent fluids. Fluid δD values range from 0.2‰ to 1.5‰, pH values (3.02–3.42) are not especially low, and F concentrations (34.6–54.4μM) are lower than bottom seawater (62.8μM). The uppermost sections of conjugate chimney material from E2, and from Ivory Tower and Pagoda at E9, typically exhibit inner zones of massive chalcopyrite enclosed within an outer zone of disseminated sulphide, principally sphalerite and pyrite, in an anhydrite matrix. By contrast, the innermost part of the chimneys that currently vent fluids with lowest Cl (Black & White and Launch Pad), is dominated by anhydrite. By defining and assessing the controls on the chemical composition of these vent fluids, and associated mineralisation, this study provides new information for evaluating the significance of hydrothermal processes at back-arc basins for ocean chemistry and the formation of seafloor mineral deposits.

Comparative analysis of symbiont ratios and gene expression in natural populations of two Bathymodiolus mussel species

Bathymodiolus mussels associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps harbor chemosynthetic endosymbiotic bacteria in bacteriocytes located in the gill epithelium. Two distinct morphotypes of γ-proteobacteria, sulfur- and methane-oxidizing, have been identified and form a dual symbiosis in B. azoricus mussels from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and in B. aff. boomerang from cold seeps in the Gulf of Guinea. Thiotrophic bacteria (SOX) are capable of fixing CO2 in the presence of sulfide or thiosulfate and methanotrophic bacteria (MOX) use methane both as a carbon and an energy source. In this study we used quantitative real-time PCR to test whether symbiont abundance and gene expression varied between the two mussel species. Results showed that B. azoricus from two hydrothermal sites had similar ratios and gene expression pattern for both symbiont types. In B. aff. boomerang, SOX ratio and ATP sulfurylase gene expression show differences between specimens collected on the different sites. Analysis of symbiont ratios in both species indicated a clear dominance of MOX symbionts in B. aff. boomerang and SOX symbionts in B. azoricus. We also evidenced that the species from the deeper sites (B. aff. boomerang) and mussels collected from sulfur and methane rich habitats showed higher symbiont ratio suggesting that environmental parameters may have significant impacts on the symbiont ratios in Bathymodiolus mussels.

Morphotypes of virus-like particles in two hydrothermal vent fields on the East Scotia Ridge, Antarctica.

Viruses from extreme environments are still largely unexplored and may harbor unseen genetic potential. Here, we present a first glance at the morphological diversity of virus like particles (VLPs) from an environment that is extreme in more than one respect: two recently discovered hydrothermal vent fields on the East Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. They are the southernmost hydrothermal sites found to date and have been shown to present a new biogeographic province, containing several new macrofaunal species and associated microbial organisms. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a range of tailed and untailed VLPs of various morphologies as well as an unusual long rod-shaped VLP with three long filaments. Based on its distant similarity with several known archaeal viruses, we hypothesize that this presents a new viral morphology that most likely infects an archaeon. Notably absent in the samples we analyzed were lemon- or spindle-shaped VLPs that have previously been described in other hydrothermal vent settings.

What causes low magnetization at basalt-hosted hydrothermal sites? Insights from inactive site Krasnov (MAR 16°38′N)

High-resolution magnetic surveys acquired near the seafloor show that active basalt-hosted hydrothermal sites are associated with zones of lower magnetization. This observation may reflect the thermal demagnetization of a hot hydrothermal zone, the alteration of basalt affected by hydrothermal circulation, and/or the presence of thick, nonmagnetic hydrothermal deposits. In order to discriminate among these inferences, we acquired vector magnetic data 50 m above inactive hydrothermal site Krasnov using the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Victor. This deep hydrothermal site, located 7 km east of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) axis at 16°38′N, is dissected by major normal faults and shows no evidence of recent hydrothermal activity. It is therefore a perfect target for investigating the magnetic signature of an inactive basalt-hosted hydrothermal site. Krasnov exhibits a strong negative magnetic anomaly, which implies that the lower magnetization observed at basalt-hosted hydrothermal sites is not a transient effect associated with hydrothermal activity, but remains after activity ceases. Thermal demagnetization plays only a secondary role, if any, in the observed magnetic low. Forward models suggest that both the nonmagnetic hydrothermal deposits and an altered zone of demagnetized basalt are required to account for the observed magnetic low. The permanence of this magnetic signature makes it a useful tool to explore midocean ridges and detect inactive hydrothermal sites.

Crystal-chemistry of interstratified Mg/Fe-clay minerals from seafloor hydrothermal sites

Seafloor hydrothermal sites generate abundant Mg- and Fe-rich clays. These clays are structurally and compositionally interesting because these environments are characterized by large, dynamic temperature and chemical gradients in their deposition environment, which promote the formation of chemically and structurally complex clays, including interstratified phases. The system is also interesting as a proxy for the study of the large Mg- and Fe-rich phyllosilicate deposits on Mars, which are broadly characterized as smectitic clay of hydrothermal, volcanic or sedimentary origin. Thirty submarine samples and four terrestrial ones, for comparison, were studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), mid-IR and Mössbauer spectroscopies and chemical analysis. The samples include nontronite and the mixed-layer phases glauconite–nontronite, talc–nontronite and talc–saponite. Some of the talc–saponite samples have Fe contents well above those typical for these Mg-rich, trioctahedral phases (up to 1.69 Fe per O10[OH]2, in the tetrahedral and octahedral sheets). Tetrahedral Fe ranges from 0 to 0.66atoms per O10[OH]2 across the samples. As found in previous studies of similar specimens, Fe promotes the retention of molecular water that is released upon heating above 200C, and is mainly emplaced in non-expandable layers (talc and glauconite layers). In talc–nontronite and talc–saponite octahedral Fe (both di- and trivalent) appears to be bound to this trapped molecular water, whereas in glauconite–nontronite the bond appears to be with tetrahedral Fe. Samples typically show more than one dehydroxylation event in the TG analysis. The weight loss at each dehydroxylation event is broadly consistent with the proportion of individual layers as determined by means of XRD, but there is no good correlation between both. By contrast, the weight loss at each dehydroxylation event correlates with the chemistry of the layers, where certain cations promote chemical domains in the octahedral sheet (e.g., trioctahedral, nontronite-like, and montmorillonite-like) that dehydroxylate at the several temperatures. The correlations found for talc–nontronite and glauconite–nontronite samples suggest that the distribution of cations in the octahedral sheets of most, but not all, samples is intermediate between total dispersion and total segregation, perhaps random. The talc–nontronite samples have talc layers with cation-deficient octahedral sheets. The above results are best explained by layers of polar character, where the octahedral sheets are composed of domains with different chemical characteristics corresponding to the two types of layers in the interstratified clay. The existence of molecular water (bands at 1635 and 3300–3500cm−1, or ~6.1 and 2.9–3.1μm, respectively) bound in non-expanding layers is relevant to the mineral characterization of Martian Fe-rich clays with spectroscopic methods, where molecular water is so far assumed to be linked to smectite. The variety of mixed-layer clays in which Fe is found in the submarine samples suggests that mixed-layering may be important in Martian clays, which are spectroscopically variable but generally Fe-rich.

&lt;i&gt;Spinaxinus&lt;/i&gt; (Bivalvia: Thyasiroidea) from sulfide biogenerators in the Gulf of Mexico and hydrothermal vents in the Fiji Back Arc: chemosymbiosis and taxonomy

Two new species of the thyasirid genus Spinaxinus (S. emicatus Oliver n. sp. and S. phrixicus Oliver n. sp.) are described from the Gulf of Mexico and the southwest Pacific, respectively. Both are compared with the type species of the genus, the eastern Atlantic S. sentosus Oliver and Holmes, 2006. Living specimens from the Gulf of Mexico were retrieved from artificial sulfide bio-generators on the upper Louisiana Slope. Gill morphology and molecular markers from the symbiotic bacteria confirm that Spinaxinus is chemosynthetic and that the chemoautotrophic bacteria are related to sulfide oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria. Living specimens from the southwest Pacific were retrieved from hydrothermal vent sites in the Fiji and Lau Back Arc Basins. In the Atlantic Spinaxinus is now recorded from two anthropogenic situations and appears to be generally absent from natural cold seep sites and not yet recorded at any hydrothermal sites. The primarily anthropogenic distribution of Spinaxinus in the Atlantic is discussed with reference to the natural hydrothermal vent habitat of the Pacific S. phrixicus .

Visible‐near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy of volcanic acid‐sulfate alteration in Nicaragua: Analogs for early Mars

Acid‐sulfate weathering at Nicaraguan hydrothermal sites Cerro Negro, Momotombo, and Telica volcanoes and Hervidores de San Jacinto mudpots was characterized as an analog for similar processes that likely operated on early Mars. In situ mineralogical analyses were conducted with a field portable visible near‐infrared spectrometer for comparison to similar Martian data sets. Three classes of alteration minerals were identified: sulfates (gypsum and natroalunite), oxides/hydroxides (hematite and goethite), and phyllosilicates (kaolinite/halloysite, montmorillonite, and saponite), as well as elemental sulfur and hydrated silica phases. Our sites had similar suites of minerals, but frequencies varied with location. The results of this field campaign allow inferences regarding the paleo‐environmental conditions that were likely present at similar relic hydrothermal sites identified on Mars. In particular, sulfates and phyllosilicates could have coevolved under hydrothermal conditions at Noctis Labyrinthus as is seen in Nicaragua. Fe/Mg smectites were detected in areas with pH of 3–4. Alunite spectra at Terra Sirenum demonstrated mineral mixing effects on spectroscopy. Mineral mixing can cause uncertainties in spectral identification due to a dominant spectrum, such as iron minerals, masking another or the suppression of weaker bands. When viewed from orbit, our field sites would likely be dominated by hydrated silica and Mars sites, such as one in Syrtis Major, could have a more diverse mineralogy than the data reveal. Concentrated amorphous silica, such as at Gusev crater, can result from acidic fumarolic activity, while Mg sulfates may indicate a lack of reworking by water. This field spectroscopy study helps confirm and provide insight into hydrothermal processes on ancient Mars.

Mineralogical assemblages forming at hyperalkaline warm springs hosted on ultramafic rocks: A case study of Oman and Ligurian ophiolites

We report on the mineralogical assemblages found in the hyperalkaline springs hosted on Liguria and Oman ophiolites based on exhaustive X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microprobe analyses. In Liguria, hyperalkaline springs produce a thin brownish calcite precipitate that covers the bedrock due to the concomitant atmospheric CO2 uptake and neutralization of the hyperalkaline waters. No brucite and portlandite minerals are observed. The discharge of alkaline waters in Oman ophiolite forms white‐orange precipitates. Calcium carbonate minerals (calcite and/or aragonite) are the most abundant and ubiquitous precipitates and are produced by the same mechanism as in Liguria. This process is observed as a thin surface crust made of rhombohedral calcite. Morphological features of aragonite vary from needle‐, bouquet‐, dumbbell‐, spheroidal‐like habitus according to the origin of carbon, temperature, and ionic composition of the hyperalkaline springs, and the biochemical and organic compounds. Brucite is observed both at hyperalkaline springs located at the thrust plane and at the paleo‐Moho. The varying mixing proportions between the surface runoff waters and the hyperalkaline ones control brucite precipitation. The layered double hydroxide minerals occur solely in the vicinity of hyperalkaline springs emerging within the bedded gabbros. Finally, the dominant mineralogical associations we found in Oman (Ca‐bearing carbonates and brucite) in a serpentinizing environment driven by the meteoric waters are surprisingly the same as those observed at the Lost City hydrothermal site in a totally marine environment.

Inorganic and biogenic As-sulfide precipitation at seafloor hydrothermal fields

Highlights: • As-sulfides are minor minerals at volcanic arc and back-arc hydrothermal settings. • There are two modes of As-sulfide precipitation: inorganic and biogenic. • The most stable As-sulfide at low-T seafloor hydrothermal conditions is orpiment. • Biogenic type of orpiment represents completely mineralized fungal hyphae. • Fungal orpiment precipitation is a mechanism of bio-sequestration of hydrothermal As. We investigated As-sulfides (orpiment, As2S3 and realgar, As4S4) from four seafloor hydrothermal fields: three from back-arc and one from mid-ocean ridge settings. Our studies suggest two different modes of As-sulfide precipitation at the seafloor hydrothermal sites: inorganic and biogenic. The Eh–pH modeling shows that the most stable As-sulfide at low-temperature (T < 100 °C) seafloor hydrothermal conditions is orpiment, whereas realgar appears as a stable As-sulfide phase at T = 25 °C and under a narrow range of Eh–pH values. Inorganically precipitated realgar forms euhedral crystals whereas the orpiment is mostly colloform. The biogenic type of orpiment (no realgar of this type was found) represents completely mineralized fungal hyphae. The proposed scenario of biogenic orpiment formation assumes that crack-dwelling fungal filaments in the sub-seafloor were killed by an As-rich hydrothermal fluid moving along the same crack network. The fungal organic matter served as a geochemical trap for hydrothermal As which reacted with S (leached from the basement or reduced from seawater sulfate) and mineralized the fungal hyphae as As2S3. This process of fungal orpiment precipitation is a mechanism of bio-sequestration of hydrothermal As and another mode of soft-tissue fossilization not described so far.

Mobile elements in a single-filament orange Guaymas Basin Beggiatoa ("Candidatus Maribeggiatoa") sp. draft genome: evidence for genetic exchange with cyanobacteria.

The draft genome sequence of a single orange Beggiatoa ("Candidatus Maribeggiatoa") filament collected from a microbial mat at a hydrothermal site in Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California, Mexico) shows evidence of extensive genetic exchange with cyanobacteria, in particular for sensory and signal transduction genes. A putative homing endonuclease gene and group I intron within the 23S rRNA gene; several group II catalytic introns; GyrB and DnaE inteins, also encoding homing endonucleases; multiple copies of sequences similar to the fdxN excision elements XisH and XisI (required for heterocyst differentiation in some cyanobacteria); and multiple sequences related to an open reading frame (ORF) (00024_0693) of unknown function all have close non-Beggiatoaceae matches with cyanobacterial sequences. Sequences similar to the uncharacterized ORF and Xis elements are found in other Beggiatoaceae genomes, a variety of cyanobacteria, and a few phylogenetically dispersed pleiomorphic or filamentous bacteria. We speculate that elements shared among filamentous bacterial species may have been exchanged in microbial mats and that some of them may be involved in cell differentiation.

Microbial community structure and diversity in deep-sea hydrothermal vent sediments along the Eastern Lau Spreading Centre

The aim of this study is to investigate microbial structures and diversities in five active hydrothermal fields’ sediments along the Eastern Lau Spreading Centre (ELSC) in the Lau Basin (southwest Pacific). Microbial communities were surveyed by denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone library analysis of 16S rRNA genes. The differences in microbial community structures among sediment samples from the five deep-sea hydrothermal sites were revealed by DGGE profiles. Cluster analysis of DGGE profiles separated the five hydrothermal samples into two groups. Four different 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, representing two selected hydrothermal samples (19-4TVG8 and 19-4TVG11), were constructed. Twenty-three and 32 phylotypes were identified from166 and 160 bacterial clones respectively, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Nitrospirae and Planctomycetes. The phylum Proteobacteria is dominant in both bacterial libraries with a predominance of Gamma-Proteobacteria. A total of 31 and 25 phylotypes were obtained from 160 and 130 archaeal clones respectively, including Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group, Marine Group I and III, Marine Benthic Group E, Terrestrial Hot Spring Crenarchaeota and Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vent Euryarchaeota. These results show a variety of clones related to those involved in sulfur cycling, suggesting that the cycling and utilization of sulfur compounds may extensively occur in the Lau Basin deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystem.