Geological characteristics at 51°E (Segment 26) of the Southwest Indian Ridge: implication to submarine hydrothermal activity

DONG Zhen; LIANG Jin; CAO Zhimin; HE Huizhong; CHEN Liang; LV Xiuya; SUN Jinye

doi:10.16028/j.1009-2722.2021.283

2023 Vol. 39, No. 4

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Article navigation > Marine Geology Frontiers > 2023 > 39(4): 14-22

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DONG Zhen, LIANG Jin, CAO Zhimin, HE Huizhong, CHEN Liang, LV Xiuya, SUN Jinye. Geological characteristics at 51°E (Segment 26) of the Southwest Indian Ridge: implication to submarine hydrothermal activity[J]. Marine Geology Frontiers, 2023, 39(4): 14-22. doi: 10.16028/j.1009-2722.2021.283

Citation:

DONG Zhen, LIANG Jin, CAO Zhimin, HE Huizhong, CHEN Liang, LV Xiuya, SUN Jinye. Geological characteristics at 51°E (Segment 26) of the Southwest Indian Ridge: implication to submarine hydrothermal activity[J]. Marine Geology Frontiers, 2023, 39(4): 14-22. doi: 10.16028/j.1009-2722.2021.283

Geological characteristics at 51°E (Segment 26) of the Southwest Indian Ridge: implication to submarine hydrothermal activity

1.
South China Sea Marine Survey Center, Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Survey Technology and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510275, China
2.
Second Institute of Oceanography, Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou 310012, China
3.
College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
4.
College of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

More Information

Corresponding author: LIANG Jin, kamleung@aliyun.com

Received Date: 08 November 2021

Accepted Date: 06 February 2023

Publish Date: 28 April 2023

Abstract

Abstract

In the survey of oceanic polymetallic sulphides, detailed geological mapping is needed for a known hydrothermal area, which often covers a small area, contains less geological elements, and is not connected with regional tectonism and magmatism. Based on the data of deep-towed optical system obtained from ocean voyages over the years in the Segment 26 (51°E) of the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), and combined with high-precision multi-beam bathymetric data, we proposed a systematic division principle of substrate hydrothermal anomaly, and identified four types of substrate hydrothermal anomaly: hydrothermal altered rocks or breccia, suspected hydrothermal sediments, hydrothermal organisms and their remains enrichment, and cemented carbonate rocks. The results of high-resolution submarine geological mapping show that there are 4 abnormal areas of hydrothermal activity in Segment 26. The hydrothermal activity occurrence rate of Segment 26 ranged 2～10, which is at least 1.8 times higher of the global one using empirical formula. Therefore, there may be more submarine hydrothermal activities in Segment 26 with melting anomalies or non-transform discontinuities of ultra-slow spreading ridge, and it also has the potential to form large polymetallic sulfide deposits.
- substrate type /
- hydrothermal anomaly /
- Segment 26 /
- Southwest Indian Ridge

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References

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