Manus Back-arc Basin Research Articles

Dispersion and Intersection of Hydrothermal Plumes in the Manus Back-Arc Basin, Western Pacific

The composition of hydrothermal plumes reflects the physical and chemical characteristics of seafloor hydrothermal fluids, which in turn reflects the host rock and subseafloor reaction conditions as well as the water column processes that act to alter the plumes as they disperse and age. Here, we show that the turbidity, current, pH value, dissolved Fe (dFe), and dissolved Mn (dMn) compositions of hydrothermal plumes can be used to understand the spatial distribution and source of hydrothermal systems in the submarine geological environment. Data were obtained from 18 hydrocast stations, among which the water column samples were collected at 8 stations during the MANUS cruise of R/V KEXUE in 2015. The results showed that the Satanic Mills plume and Fenway plume rose approximately 140 m and 220 m above the seafloor, respectively. In the Satanic Mills plume, dFe remained longer than dMn during lateral plume dispersal. There was a clear intersection of the Satanic Mills plume and Fenway plume between 1625 m and 1550 m in the PACMANUS hydrothermal field, and the varied dispersion trends of the mixed plumes were affected by current velocities at different depths. The physical and chemical properties of the seawater columns in the Manus Basin were affected by the input of high-Mn, high-Fe, and low-Mg vent fluids. The turbidity and dFe, dMn, and dissolved Mg concentrations in the sections of the plumes proximal to the Satanic Mills, Fenway, and Desmos vent sites were generally higher (turbidity, Mn, and Fe) and lower (Mg) than those in the sections of the plumes that were more distal from the vent sites. This implied that the plumes proximal to their vent fluid sources, which were interpreted to have relatively young ages, dispersed chemically over time, and their concentrations became more similar to those of the plumes that were more distal from their vent fluid sources.

Life on the edge: Microbial biomineralization in an arsenic- and lead-rich deep-sea hydrothermal vent

Unravelling complex microbial activity in modern hydrothermal vents can provide crucial insights into the evolution of ancient life on Earth. It is well established that microorganisms in hydrothermal vents have a significant impact on the cycling of metals and mineral formation. However, the detailed roles played by microorganisms in driving sulfide deposition and cycling of toxic metals, like arsenic (As) and lead (Pb), in high-temperature deep-sea hydrothermal vents remain unknown. The understanding of these mechanisms in extreme environments is of particular importance as As has been postulated as a driver of microbial activities on the early Earth. Here, we present the first geologic evidence of PbAs rich microbial filamentous clusters observed in a modern high-temperature black smoker from the Manus back-arc basin, Papua New Guinea. The clusters occur as net-like structures on the surface of barite and sulfides and are composed of multiple filaments and fine-grained PbAs sulfosalt. Each of the filaments includes an As-Pb-rich sulfosalt core and organic-rich shell structure with elevated carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Further synchrotron X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis shows that the clusters contain a mixture of As (II) and As (III). Additionally, those filaments show a close association with realgar (As4S4), by penetrating and dissolving this As-sulfide mineral. We interpret the filaments to be a result of As-related microbial activity in As- and Pb-enriched hydrothermal environments. The findings show possible processes through which extremophiles live in Pb and As-rich environments during chimney growth. In addition, as hydrothermal vents are regarded as modern analogs of ancient volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, the observed biominerals present the potential to be used as proxies to trace the signatures of early life in ancient geological systems.

Origin of Cu in the PACMANUS hydrothermal field from the eastern Manus back-arc basin: evidence from mass balance modeling

Hydrothermal precipitates associated with active vents in the eastern Manus Basin, an actively opening back-arc basin in the Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea, are among the most Cu-rich on the modern seafloor. The volcanic rocks associated with this mineralization may be insufficiently enriched in Cu to account for the Cu content of the sulfides by simple leaching. The PACMANUS hydrothermal field lies in the eastern portion of the eastern Manus Basin. Mass balance modeling of the PACMANUS hydrothermal system indicates that simple leaching of a stationary reaction zone (0.144 km3) by hydrothermal fluids cannot yield the Cu found in associated sulfide deposits because unacceptably high leaching, transportation and precipitation efficiencies are required to derive the Cu in sulfides by leaching processes. With 100% leaching, transport and precipitating efficiency, 0.166 km3 of volcanic rocks would need to be leached to account for the Cu budget of hydrothermal sulfide deposits. The key requirement for forming metal-rich magmatic fluids is a large amount of metals available to enter the exsolved vapor phase. Magmas generated in the eastern Manus Basin inherently have high fO2 because of metasomatism of the mantle source by oxidized materials from the subducted slab, leading to copper enrichment in the magma chamber. Moreover, the presence of Cu in gas-rich melt inclusi on bubbles in Pual Ridge andesite is evidence that degassing and partitioning of Cu into the magmatic volatile phase has occurred in the eastern Manus Basin. Numerical mass balance modeling indicates that approximately 0.236 Mt Cu was potentially transferred to the hydrothermal system per cubic kilometer magma. Magmatic degassing seems to play a more significant role than leaching.

Two new and two rarely known species of Branchinotogluma (Annelida: Polynoidae) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents of the Manus Back-Arc basin, with remarks on the diversity and biogeography of vent polynoids

The polynoid worms Branchinotogluma spp. are common and frequently abundant in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. They have the highest species diversity among the vent polynoids and various kinds of sexual dimorphism. Our investigation of polychaete specimens collected from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Manus Back-Arc Basin revealed four species of Branchinotogluma, including two new ones. These include Branchinotogluma segonzaci Miura and Desbruyères (1995); B. trifurcus Miura and Desbruyères (1995); B. pettiboneae sp. nov.; and B. ovata sp. nov. Branchinotogluma pettiboneae sp. nov. resembles B. tunnicliffeae (Pettibone, 1988), but can be distinguished from the latter by the reduced parapodia on segment 20 without notopodial lobes or notochaetae. Branchinotogluma ovata sp. nov. is most similar to B. elytropapillata Zhang et al., 2018, but differs from the latter in the structure of segment 19 in males, which is almost entirely wrapped inside segment 18 and invisible ventrally. The identities of the four species were well supported by genetic distance and phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and 28S rRNA genes. By combining reliable data on Branchinotogluma, Branchipolynoe, Lepidonotopodium, and Levensteiniella, the four most diverse polynoid genera occurring in hydrothermal vents, we evaluated their distribution pattern and delineated seven major hydrothermal biogeographic provinces worldwide. The Western Pacific harbors a higher species diversity of vent polynoids than the Eastern Pacific. Our analysis indicates that the Western Pacific is geographically complex and may have played an important role in the dispersal and speciation of vent polynoids.

Magma plumbing and hybrid magma formation at an active back-arc basin volcano: North Su, eastern Manus basin

North Su is the central volcanic edifice of the SuSu Knolls hydrothermal district, located in an extensional transform zone of the eastern Manus back-arc basin. The submarine volcano hosts a vigorous hydrothermal system with black and white smokers, diffuse fluid discharge, and accumulation of native sulfur. Among its dacitic to andesitic lavas are remarkable hybrid rocks, containing highly magnesian olivine (Fo81–94) phenocrysts with thin orthopyroxene reaction rims in a dacitic matrix. We investigated these rocks in order to understand their formation, to constrain temperature and depth of magma storage, and to identify links between magmatic processes and hydrothermal activity. The compositions, zonations and reaction rims of phenocrysts suggest that the hybrid lavas formed by mixing when dacitic to rhyodacitic magma was invaded by Mg-rich andesite to basaltic andesite with boninite affinities. The resulting melts show strong enrichment of large ion lithophile elements, moderate enrichment of light rare earth elements and depletion of Nb, Ta and Ti relative to N-MORB, characterizing them as back-arc basin magmas. Compositional zonations at the outermost rims of olivine phenocrysts suggest a period of no more than a few days between the inferred mixing event and eruption. Mineral-melt thermometers indicate a temperature of ∼1010 °C for the hybrid magma. Mineral-melt barometers give a wide range of pressures with a mean of 19 ± 217 MPa, reflecting equilibration at shallow depths as well as limited barometer performance at low pressures. In addition, many clinopyroxene phenocrysts lack equilibrium between their strongly zoned rims and the host melt. The H2O (0.9–5.3 wt%) and CO2 (70–4730 ppm) contents of melt inclusions in clinopyroxene and plagioclase phenocrysts provide better constraints on the pressure range for pre-eruptive magma storage. The data suggest that dacite phenocryst crystallization and magma mixing occurred at 40–140 MPa pressure, about 1–5 km beneath the summit of North Su. The sulfur–H2O relationship in melt inclusions reflect a degassing trend that is consistent with formation of an aqueous-sulfurous magmatic fluid, inferred to produce highly acidic vent fluids at North Su (Seewald et al., 2015). The melt inclusion data also indicate significant fractionation between F, Cl and H2O after magma degassing, possibly reflecting formation of a high-salinity brine at depth and fluorine fixation in minerals formed in the subsurface. Our results suggest that the dynamic magmatic system, with magma mixing occurring shortly before ascent and eruption, causes rapid changes in composition and quantity of exsolved fluids. Due to the short distance to the seafloor, such fluid fluctuations are rapidly transferred to the hydrothermal systems. This may be the main cause for the observed temporal, spatial and compositional variations in hydrothermal activity at North Su, and possibly at other vent fields of the Manus basin.

Levensteiniella manusensis sp. nov., a new polychaete species (Annelida: Polynoidae) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Manus Back-Arc Basin, Western Pacific.

A new species belonging to the subfamily Macellicephalinae (Annelida: Polynoidae), Levensteiniella manusensis sp. nov., is described based on material collected from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Manus Back-Arc Basin. The new species is readily distinguished from the congeners by having two pairs of ventral papillae on segments 11 and 12, the first pair of which is distally dichotomous. Levensteiniella manusensis is also characterized by the combination of the notochaetae which are smooth or serrated on the curved side, and the elytra with micro- and macropapillae on the surface and thickened bulbous projections on the posterior border. Based on morphological comparisons of the main features, we provide two keys to six species of Levensteiniella described to date based on males and females respectively.

Arsenic and Antimony in Hydrothermal Plumes from the Eastern Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea

Studies on the concentrations of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in seawater columns are very important for tracing hydrothermal plumes and understanding fluid characteristics of seafloor hydrothermal systems. The total As, Sb, Mn, and Cl− concentrations of three hydrothermal plume seawater column samples have been studied at Stations 18G, 18K, and 18B in the eastern Manus back-arc basin, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea. At Stations 18G and 18K, the plumes above North Su and near the Suzette site in the SuSu Knolls hydrothermal field are both enriched in As, Sb, and Mn and depleted in Cl, as a result of contribution of As-Sb-Mn-enriched and Cl-depleted vent fluid outputs to the hydrothermal plume, which is most likely generated in the subseafloor by fluid-rock interaction, magma degassing, or phase separation (boiling of hydrothermal fluid). The plume at Station 18B is enriched in As, Sb, Mn, and Cl, suggesting that As-Sb-Mn-Cl-enriched fluid discharges from vents, which have been generated by fluid-rock interaction. The concentrations of As and Sb anomalous layers, like manganese (Mn), are higher than those of the other layers in the three hydrothermal plume seawater columns. As and Sb with Mn showed a positive correlation (R2>0.8, p<0.05), and the distributions of As and Sb within the hydrothermal plume are not controlled by particle adsorption or biogeochemical cycles, suggesting that As and Sb, like Mn, can be used to detect and describe the characteristics of hydrothermal plumes in seawater environment. In addition, anomalous layer with As/Sb ratio lower than those of ambient seawater at the same temperature is found in the eastern Manus basin, suggesting that the As/Sb ratio may also act as an effective tracer reflecting the effect of hydrothermal activity on As and Sb in the seawater column.

A new species of the genus Phymorhynchus (Neogastropoda: Raphitomidae) from a hydrothermal vent in the Manus Back-Arc Basin

During an investigation carried out by the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), three living raphitomid specimens were collected from a hydrothermal vent site in the Manus Back-Arc Basin. Observations of the shell, external anatomy and radular morphology reveal that they represent an undescribed species of the genus Phymorhynchus Dall, 1908. In this paper, we describe and illustrate this species as Phymorhynchus oculatus sp. nov. The new species is most similar in general shell shape to Phymorhynchus buccinoides Okutani, Fujikura & Sasaki, 1993, but can be distinguished from it by having spiral cords over the whole shell surface and much longer marginal tooth with a distal barb. A list of species of Phymorhynchus from vent/seep habitats is also given.

Two new species of Margarites (Gastropoda: Margaritidae) from hydrothermal vent areas, Western Pacific

During research dives by the submersible ROV Faxian, two margaritid species were collected in Okinawa Trough and Manus Back-Arc Basin. In present study, we describe and illustrate them as Margarites similis sp. nov. and Margarites manusensis sp. nov., respectively. The generic allocation is based on shell morphology and radula features. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene also supports their placements within Margarites.

The behavior of chalcophile elements during magmatic differentiation as observed in Kilauea Iki lava lake, Hawaii

We quantify the behavior of Cu, Ga, Ge, As, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, W, Tl, Pb, and Bi during the differentiation of a picritic magma in the Kilauea Iki lava lake, Hawaii, using whole rock and glass differentiation trends, as well as partition coefficients in Cu-rich sulfide blebs and minerals. Such data allow us to constrain the partitioning behavior of these elements between sulfide and silicate melts, as well as the chalcophile element characteristics of the mantle source of the Kilauea lavas. Nearly all of the elements are generally incompatible on a whole-rock scale, with concentrations increasing exponentially below ∼6wt% MgO. However, in-situ laser ablation data reveal that Cu, Ag, Bi, Cd, In, Pb, and Sn are chalcophile; As, Ge, Sb, and Tl are weakly chalcophile to lithophile; and Mo, Ga, and W are lithophile. The average Dsulfide/silicate melt values are: DAg=1252±1201 (2SD), DBi=663±576, DCd=380±566, DIn=40±34, DPb=34±18, DSn=5.3±3.6, DAs=2.4±7.6, DGe=1.6±1.4, DSb=1.3±1.5, DTl=1.1±1.7, DMo=0.56±0.6, DGa=0.10±0.3, and DW=0.11±0.1. These findings are consistent with experimental partitioning studies and observations of Ni-rich sulfide liquid in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB), despite the different compositions of the KI sulfides. The KI glasses and whole rocks are enriched in As, Ag, Sb, W, and Bi, relative to elements of similar compatibility (as established by abundances in MORB), mimicking enrichments found in basalts from the Manus back arc basin (Jenner et al., 2012) and the upper continental crust (UCC). These enrichments suggest the presence of terrigenous sediments in the Kilauea mantle source. The KI source is calculated to be a mixture of depleted MORB mantle (DMM) and 10–20% recycled crust composed of MORB and minor terrigenous sediments.

Development of a new deep-sea hybrid Raman insertion probe and its application to the geochemistry of hydrothermal vent and cold seep fluids

Hydrothermal vent fluids, cold seep fluids, their associated chemosynthetic communities, and the biogeochemical anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) play very important roles in the biogeochemical sulfur and carbon cycles in the ocean. Based on our previous success developing and deploying a deep-sea sediment pore water Raman probe, we developed a new deep-sea hybrid Raman insertion probe (RiP) designed to operate at temperatures up to 450°C that can be inserted directly into high-temperature fluids emerging from hydrothermal vents. By routinely exchanging the various tips and optics of the probe, we can analyze the geochemistry of hydrothermal vent fluids, cold seep fluids, and sediment pore water profiles (0–60cm) in situ. The instrument ensemble also includes a new deep-sea laser Raman spectrometer in a custom-designed, 6000-m titanium pressure housing, which is powered, controlled and deployed by the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Faxian down to a maximum water depth of 4500m. The new RiP was deployed at the Izena Hole hydrothermal area in the middle Okinawa Trough back-arc basin; the Papua–Australia–Canada–Manus (PACManus) hydrothermal vent area in the Manus back-arc basin, Papua New Guinea; and a cold seep field at Formosa Ridge in the northern South China Sea. The Raman peaks of CO2, CH4, H2S, HS-, SO42- and S8 were obtained in situ from high-temperature hydrothermal vents (290°C), low-temperature cold seep fluids (2°C) and the surrounding sediment pore water. Dissolved CH4 and S8 were identified for the first time in the fluids under the lush chemosynthetic communities of the cold seep. Several sediment pore water profiles collected near the cold seep were characterized by the loss of SO42- and increased CH4, H2S and HS- peaks. Additionally, the in situ pH range of the pore water profile was between 6.95 and 7.22. Thus, the RiP system provides a very useful tool for investigating the geochemistry of hydrothermal vent and cold seep fluids.

Redox state of seafloor hydrothermal fluids and its effect on sulfide mineralization

The redox conditions (fO2-fS2) of seafloor hydrothermal fluids were calculated from dissolved H2 and H2S concentrations at conditions of 300 and 350°C, 71–409bars, and seawater salinity. The results were compared with fO2-fS2 conditions estimated from black smoker mineralogy as reported by previous studies and our own investigations for various geological settings, including the Okinawa Trough (sediment-rich Hakurei and sediment-poor Jade fields), the Manus back-arc basin (felsic-hosted PACMANUS and basalt-hosted Vienna Woods fields), and the Central Indian Ridge (mafic/ultramafic-hosted Kairei and basalt-hosted Edmond fields). In most cases, the calculated fluid fO2-fS2 conditions agree well with estimates from primary mineral assemblages and FeS contents in sphalerite/wurtzite. This correlation suggests that the redox states of sulfide mineralization in chimneys typically reflect dissolved H2 and H2S concentrations in vent fluids. It should be noted that variable H2 concentrations in vent fluids (0.01–19mmol/kg) dominantly control not only fluid fO2 but also fS2, whereas the more uniform H2S concentrations (1–20mmol/kg) have less of an influence on fluid fS2. Fluid-sediment interaction elevates H2 concentrations to over 1mmol/kg, which sufficiently lowers fO2-fS2 to the pyrrhotite stability field; however, low H2S concentrations do not necessarily account for low fS2. Calculations for the H2-poor (≤0.1mmol/kg) and H2S-rich (~10mmol/kg) fluids in some felsic-hosted arc-backarc systems indicate relatively high fO2-fS2 states consistent with the bornite-pyrite-chalcopyrite assemblages. These redox conditions result from a combination of fluid-mineral equilibria at relatively oxidizing conditions±elevated H2S concentrations from magmatic degassing. Redox calculations at 350°C indicate that neither pyrite nor pyrrhotite is stable in the initial hot fluids of the TAG and ultramafic-hosted Mid-Atlantic Ridge systems due to the low H2S concentrations. With cooling of these fluids, either conductively or by interacting with seawater, higher fS2 and fO2 result and Fe-sulfides are stable, in agreement with the higher-fO2-fS2 mineral assemblages observed.

Enargite-luzonite hydrothermal vents in Manus Back-Arc Basin: submarine analogues of high-sulfidation epithermal mineralization

Active and inactive hydrothermal chimneys composed almost entirely of enargite and luzonite, rare minerals in seafloor hydrothermal deposits, were found at the summits of two submarine volcanoes, North Su and Kaia Natai, in the Manus Back-Arc Basin. Detailed mineralogical and geochemical studies revealed that most probably these deposits precipitated at T=200°–330°C and high fS2. The negative δ34S values (−8.58 to −3.70‰) of the enargite-luzonite are best explained by disproportionation reactions of magmatic SO2 and suggest that the high fS2 is likely provided by direct magmatic input of SO2 into the hydrothermal system. Fractionation of Cu stable isotopes during the precipitation of enargite-luzonite (δ65Cu ranges from −0.20 to +0.35‰) is inferred to be associated with either Rayleigh-type fractionation, or redox processes (Cu+ oxidation to Cu2+) and the mass balance of dissolved Cu+ and Cu2+ species in the hydrothermal fluid. The trace element composition of enargite and luzonite indicates a temporal fluctuation of the chemistry of the ore-forming fluid with an increase of Fe, Ga, Tl, Au, Hg, Pb and Ag, and decrease of Sb, Sn, Te, Ge and V concentrations with time and points out that this type of deposits is the richest in Au (average 11.9ppm) and Te (average 169ppm) among all other types of seafloor metal deposits.In addition to the widespread inorganic precipitation of enargite and luzonite in this setting, there is evidence that this mineralization may be biogenically mediated on the external surfaces of the active vents. Fungi-like filaments mineralized by luzonite imply that the fungi (Dikarya subkingdom) may be implicated in a mechanism of bio-sequestration of As, S and Cu, and provide the initial substrate for luzonite precipitation.The studied enargite-luzonite deposits have characteristics similar to those of subaerial high-sulfidation epithermal mineralization: back-arc basin setting; acid-sulfate and boiling ore-forming fluids; altered (advanced argillic stage) dacitic host rocks; major enargite-luzonite and minor pyrite, barite and S0; δ34S<0‰. Therefore, they may be considered as submarine analogues of subaerial high-sulfidation epithermal deposits with the potential for concealed porphyry Cu(Au) mineralization at depth.

Episodic Subseafloor Hydrothermal Activity Within the Eastern Manus Back-Arc Basin Determined by Uranium-Series Disequilibrium in Barite

The geochronology of seafloor hydrothermal activity from several mineralized, active and inactive vent fields at Suzette and Pual Ridge, eastern Manus back-arc basin, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea, has been established using the 228Th/228Ra, 228Ra/226Ra, and 226Ra/Ba uranium-series disequilibrium methods for barite-rich samples. These hydrothermal systems underwent episodes of hydrothermal fluid circulation that produced barite over the last ~6,000 years. Precipitation of hydrothermal barite, disseminated within the host rock and lining fractures, vugs, and conduits, was controlled by decreasing temperatures and mixing of hydrothermal fluids with oxidized seawater. Repeated fluctuations in hydrothermal fluid temperature and chemistry resulted in complex sequences of barite and sulfide minerals lining vugs and conduits, whereas rapid cooling following fracture events led to precipitation of only barite and some Fe oxide coatings on barite crystals. A wide range in ages of barite within drill cores (i.e., 380–5,990 yrs before present (BP)) reflect repeated pulses of hydrothermal fluids through the altered volcanic and mineralized rocks that make up the hydrothermal mound structures, with the younger ages (i.e., 34–220 yrs BP), representing more recent barite-precipitating fluid circulation accessing fractures, veins, and vugs. Barite from chimney samples is mostly young (i.e., 23–1,680 yrs BP), with the majority precipitated between 23 to 41 yrs BP; reflecting the structural stability (standing life) of the chimneys and possible influences from varying hydrothermal fluid chemistry or reactivation of vent fields. Three generalized age groupings, representing major episodes of barite-precipitating hydrothermal fluid circulation, are resolved from the Suzette area (19–45, 810–1,900, and 3,740–4,710 yrs BP, including 1σ errors); with the most recent ages recorded from both the Suzette and Pual Ridge areas. Fast-spreading rates within the Manus basin, an abundance of faults and variable magmatic inputs are major factors controlling the frequency and longevity of these episodes of hydrothermal activity. Mineral resource models and comparisons indicate that the Cu-Zn-Ag-Au–rich Suzette deposit is small; however the measured age range is comparable to ages given for modeled (typical) seafloor massive sulfide deposits from back-arc and arc environments. We suggest that the scale of the Suzette deposit may have been limited during formation by a low hydrothermal fluid flux and/or inappropriate physical and chemical conditions for sufficient metal precipitation from hydrothermal fluids.

Deep Sea Mining of Submarine Hydrothermal Deposits and its Possible Environmental Impact in Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea

The Manus back-arc basin host three distinct well known submarine hydrothermal deposits of Vienna Wood, Pacmanus and Onsen sites. The Vienna Wood site is a typical Cu-Zn type of mineralization consisting predominantly of pyrite, marcasite, sphalerite, wurtzite and chalcopyrite. The Pacmanus site is a polymetallic type of mineral deposit consisting of sphalerite, chalcopyrite, bornite, wurtzite, pyrite, marcasite, enargite, tennantite, galena, Pb-As-Sulphosalt, gold, covellite, digenite and chalcocite. The Onsen site is the first deep sea acid sulfate type of mineralisationconsisting ofenargite, covellite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and marcasite.The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government has granted exploration license to Nautilus Mineral Cooperation to explore for submarin e hydrothermal deposit in the Manus Basin. It has done extensive exploration around the existing hydrothermal depos its of Vienna Wood, Pacmanus and Onsen site. This has resulted in the discoveries of well over twenty hydrothermal deposits (Solwara 1 to Solwara 20). Nautilus Minerals has done resource drilling on Solwara 1 and Solwara 12 deposit due to its polymetallic type of mineralization and its geochemicalsimilarities to the Pacmanus site. From resources drilling, Nautilus Minerals reported an indicated and inferred mineral resource of 1030 kt and 1540 kt respectively for the Solwara 1 project at 2.6% Cu equivalent cut off grade. The PNG government has granted mining lease (ML154) to Nautilus Minerals to mine the Solwara 1 deposit in January 2012. If mining activity commences at the Solwara 1 site then Nautilus needs to address possible environmental impacts of water usage and discharge, water quality, sedimentation and dewatering and preservation of hydrothermal vent communities.

Long-term preservation of slab signatures in the mantle inferred from hydrogen isotopes

Subduction transports water into the mantle, but it is uncertain whether the water is preserved in the slab or is rapidly diffused. Analysis of hydrogen and boron isotopes in volcanic rocks sourced from an ancient subducted slab beneath the southwestern Pacific Ocean provides evidence for the long-term preservation of subducted water in the mantle. Seismic tomographic images indicate that subducted lithosphere is transported into the deep mantle1. Petrologic modelling shows that water contained in subducted slabs can be carried to depths of at least 200 km (ref. 2); however, whether the hydrated slab signature is preserved at greater depths depends on diffusion rates. Experimental studies give conflicting results on the question of hydrogen preservation. On a small scale, hydrogen equilibration with ambient mantle should be rapid3,4, implying that the slab hydrogen signature may not be preserved in the deep mantle5. However, on large scales the time required for diffusive equilibration is longer and hydrogen anomalies may persist6,7. Here we present hydrogen and boron data from submarine volcanic glasses erupted in the Manus back-arc basin, southwestern Pacific Ocean. We find that samples with low hydrogen-isotope values also exhibit the geochemical signature of dehydrated, subducted lithosphere. Combined with additional geochemical and geophysical data, we interpret this as direct evidence for the preservation of hydrogen anomalies in an ancient slab in the mantle. Our geochemical data are consistent with experimental estimates of diffusion for the upper mantle6 and transition zone7. We conclude that hydrogen anomalies can persist in the mantle without suffering complete diffusive equilibration over timescales of up to a billion years.

Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids from the PACMANUS, Northeast Pual and Vienna Woods hydrothermal fields, Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea

Processes controlling the composition of seafloor hydrothermal fluids in silicic back-arc or near-arc crustal settings remain poorly constrained despite growing evidence for extensive magmatic–hydrothermal activity in such environments. We conducted a survey of vent fluid compositions from two contrasting sites in the Manus back-arc basin, Papua New Guinea, to examine the influence of variations in host rock composition and magmatic inputs (both a function of arc proximity) on hydrothermal fluid chemistry. Fluid samples were collected from felsic-hosted hydrothermal vent fields located on Pual Ridge (PACMANUS and Northeast (NE) Pual) near the active New Britain Arc and a basalt-hosted vent field (Vienna Woods) located farther from the arc on the Manus Spreading Center. Vienna Woods fluids were characterized by relatively uniform endmember temperatures (273–285 °C) and major element compositions, low dissolved CO 2 concentrations (4.4 mmol/kg) and high measured pH (4.2–4.9 at 25 °C). Temperatures and compositions were highly variable at PACMANUS/NE Pual and a large, newly discovered vent area (Fenway) was observed to be vigorously venting boiling (358 °C) fluid. All PACMANUS fluids are characterized by negative δ D H 2 O values, in contrast to positive values at Vienna Woods, suggesting substantial magmatic water input to circulating fluids at Pual Ridge. Low measured pH (25 °C) values (∼2.6–2.7), high endmember CO 2 (up to 274 mmol/kg) and negative δ 34 S H 2 S values (down to −2.7‰) in some vent fluids are also consistent with degassing of acid-volatile species from evolved magma. Dissolved CO 2 at PACMANUS is more enriched in 13C (−4.1‰ to −2.3‰) than Vienna Woods (−5.2‰ to −5.7‰), suggesting a contribution of slab-derived carbon. The mobile elements (e.g. Li, K, Rb, Cs and B) are also greatly enriched in PACMANUS fluids reflecting increased abundances in the crust there relative to the Manus Spreading Center. Variations in alkali and dissolved gas abundances with Cl at PACMANUS and NE Pual suggest that phase separation has affected fluid chemistry despite the low temperatures of many vents. In further contrast to Vienna Woods, substantial modification of PACMANUS/NE Pual fluids has taken place as a result of seawater ingress into the upflow zone. Consistently high measured Mg concentrations as well as trends of increasingly non-conservative SO 4 behavior, decreasing endmember Ca/Cl and Sr/Cl ratios with increased Mg indicate extensive subsurface anhydrite deposition is occurring as a result of subsurface seawater entrainment. Decreased pH and endmember Fe/Mn ratios in higher Mg fluids indicate that the associated mixing/cooling gives rise to sulfide deposition and secondary acidity production. Several low temperature (⩽80 °C) fluids at PACMANUS/NE Pual also show evidence for anhydrite dissolution and water–rock interaction (fixation of B) subsequent to seawater entrainment. Hence, the evolution of fluid compositions at Pual Ridge reflects the cumulative effects of water/rock interaction, admixing and reaction of fluids exsolved from silicic magma, phase separation/segregation and seawater ingress into upflow zones.

Rare earth element abundances in hydrothermal fluids from the Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea: Indicators of sub-seafloor hydrothermal processes in back-arc basins

Rare earth element (REE) concentrations are reported for a large suite of seafloor vent fluids from four hydrothermal systems in the Manus back-arc basin (Vienna Woods, PACMANUS, DESMOS and SuSu Knolls vent areas). Sampled vent fluids show a wide range of absolute REE concentrations and chondrite-normalized (REE N) distribution patterns (La N /Sm N ∼ 0.6–11; La N /Yb N ∼ 0.6 – 71; Eu N / Eu N ∗ ∼ 1 – 55 ). REE N distribution patterns in different vent fluids range from light-REE enriched, to mid- and heavy-REE enriched, to flat, and have a range of positive Eu-anomalies. This heterogeneity contrasts markedly with relatively uniform REE N distribution patterns of mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal fluids. In Manus Basin fluids, aqueous REE compositions do not inherit directly or show a clear relationship with the REE compositions of primary crustal rocks with which hydrothermal fluids interact. These results suggest that the REEs are less sensitive indicators of primary crustal rock composition despite crustal rocks being the dominant source of REEs in submarine hydrothermal fluids. In contrast, differences in aqueous REE compositions are consistently correlated with differences in fluid pH and ligand (chloride, fluoride and sulfate) concentrations. Our results suggest that the REEs can be used as an indicator of the type of magmatic acid volatile (i.e., presence of HF, SO 2) degassing in submarine hydrothermal systems. Additional fluid data suggest that near-seafloor mixing between high-temperature hydrothermal fluid and locally entrained seawater at many vent areas in the Manus Basin causes anhydrite precipitation. Anhydrite effectively incorporates REE and likely affects measured fluid REE concentrations, but does not affect their relative distributions.

Insights to magmatic–hydrothermal processes in the Manus back-arc basin as recorded by anhydrite

Microchemical analyses of rare earth element (REE) concentrations and Sr and S isotope ratios of anhydrite are used to identify sub-seafloor processes governing the formation of hydrothermal fluids in the convergent margin Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea. Samples comprise drill-core vein anhydrite and seafloor massive anhydrite from the PACMANUS (Roman Ruins, Snowcap and Fenway) and SuSu Knolls (North Su) active hydrothermal fields. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns in anhydrite show remarkable heterogeneity on the scale of individual grains, different from the near uniform REE N patterns measured in anhydrite from mid-ocean ridge deposits. The REE N patterns in anhydrite are correlated with REE distributions measured in hydrothermal fluids venting at the seafloor at these vent fields and are interpreted to record episodes of hydrothermal fluid formation affected by magmatic volatile degassing. 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios vary dramatically within individual grains between that of contemporary seawater and that of endmember hydrothermal fluid. Anhydrite was precipitated from a highly variable mixture of the two. The intra-grain heterogeneity implies that anhydrite preserves periods of contrasting hydrothermal versus seawater dominant near-seafloor fluid circulation. Most sulfate δ 34S values of anhydrite cluster around that of contemporary seawater, consistent with anhydrite precipitating from hydrothermal fluid mixed with locally entrained seawater. Sulfate δ 34S isotope ratios in some anhydrites are, however, lighter than that of seawater, which are interpreted as recording a source of sulfate derived from magmatic SO 2 degassed from underlying felsic magmas in the Manus Basin. The range of elemental and isotopic signatures observed in anhydrite records a range of sub-seafloor processes including high-temperature hydrothermal fluid circulation, varying extents of magmatic volatile degassing, seawater entrainment and fluid mixing. The chemical and isotopic heterogeneity recorded in anhydrite at the inter- and intra-grain scale captures the dynamics of hydrothermal fluid formation and sub-seafloor circulation that is highly variable both spatially and temporally on timescales over which hydrothermal deposits are formed. Microchemical analysis of hydrothermal minerals can provide information about the temporal history of submarine hydrothermal systems that are variable over time and cannot necessarily be inferred only from the study of vent fluids.

Characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci in Chorocaris sp. (Crustacea, Caridea, Alvinocarididae) from deep-sea hydrothermal vents

Species in the genus Chorocaris are caridean shrimp found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents at mid-ocean spreading centers. Nine unlinked polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for this Chorocaris sp. 2 from the Manus back-arc basin, southwest Pacific. Three loci deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Average observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.17 to 0.74 (mean HO = 0.45, SD = 0.21). Eight out of nine loci cross-amplified in one or two additional species of alvinocaridid shrimp that co-occur with Chorocaris sp. 2 at western Pacific vent habitats. The efficacy of our markers to detect genetic population structure is demonstrated using 362 individuals from 3 sites in Manus Basin. Microsatellites developed for Chorocaris sp. 2 are being deployed to study connectivity among populations of this species colonizing geographically discrete back-arc basin vent systems.