Origin of natural sulfur-metal chimney in the Tangyin hydrothermal field, Okinawa Trough: constraints from rare earth element and sulfur isotopic compositions

Hong Cao; Zhi-lei Sun; Chang-ling Liu; En-tao Liu; Xue-jun Jiang; Wei Huang

doi:10.31035/cg2018023

2018 Vol. 1, No. 2

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Article navigation > China Geology > 2018 > 1(2): 225-235

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Hong Cao, Zhi-lei Sun, Chang-ling Liu, En-tao Liu, Xue-jun Jiang, Wei Huang, 2018. Origin of natural sulfur-metal chimney in the Tangyin hydrothermal field, Okinawa Trough: constraints from rare earth element and sulfur isotopic compositions, China Geology, 1, 225-235. doi: 10.31035/cg2018023

Citation:

Origin of natural sulfur-metal chimney in the Tangyin hydrothermal field, Okinawa Trough: constraints from rare earth element and sulfur isotopic compositions

a.
The Key Laboratory of Gas Hydrate, Ministry of Land and Resources, Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Qingdao 266071, China
b.
Laboratory for Marine Mineral Resources, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
c.
College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China

More Information

Corresponding author: Zhi-lei Sun, zhileisun@yeah.net

Received Date: 03 March 2018

Revised Date: 30 May 2018

Accepted Date: 08 June 2018

Available Online: 15 June 2018

Publish Date: 25 June 2018

Abstract

Abstract

For the first time, we present the rare earth element (REE) and sulfur isotopic composition of hydrothermal precipitates recovered from the Tangyin hydrothermal field (THF), Okinawa Trough at a water depth of 1206 m. The natural sulfur samples exhibit the lowest ΣREE concentrations (ΣREE=0.65×10^–6–4.580×10^–6) followed by metal sulfides (ΣREE=1.71×10^–6–11.63×10^–6). By contrast, the natural sulfur-sediment samples have maximum ΣREE concentrations (ΣREE=11.54×10^–6–33.06×10^–6), significantly lower than those of the volcanic and sediment samples. Nevertheless, the δEu, δCe, (La/Yb)_N, La/Sm, (Gd/Yb)_N and normalized patterns of the natural sulfur and metal sulfide show the most similarity to the sediment. Most hydrothermal precipitate samples are characterized by enrichments of LREE (LREE/HREE=10.09–24.53) and slightly negative Eu anomalies or no anomaly (δEu=0.48–0.99), which are different from the hydrothermal fluid from sediment-free mid-oceanic ridges and back-arc basins, but identical to the sulfides from the Jade hydrothermal field. The lower temperature and more oxidizing conditions produced by the mixing between seawater and hydrothermal fluids further attenuate the leaching ability of hydrothermal fluid, inducing lower REE concentrations for natural sulfur compared with metal sulfide; meanwhile, the negative Eu anomaly is also weakened or almost absent. The sulfur isotopic compositions of the natural sulfur (δ³⁴S=3.20‰–5.01‰, mean 4.23‰) and metal sulfide samples (δ³⁴S=0.82‰–0.89‰, mean 0.85‰) reveal that the sulfur of the chimney is sourced from magmatic degassing.
- hydrothermal processes /
- natural sulfur /
- isotopic compositions /
- REE /
- Tangyin field /
- Okinawa Trough /
- China

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