The Mid-Cayman spreading centre is an ultraslow-spreading ridge in the Caribbean Sea. Its extreme depth and geographic isolation from other mid-ocean ridges offer insights into the effects of pressure on hydrothermal venting, and the biogeography of vent fauna. Here we report the discovery of two hydrothermal vent fields on the Mid-Cayman spreading centre. The Von Damm Vent Field is located on the upper slopes of an oceanic core complex at a depth of 2,300 m. High-temperature venting in this off-axis setting suggests that the global incidence of vent fields may be underestimated. At a depth of 4,960 m on the Mid-Cayman spreading centre axis, the Beebe Vent Field emits copper-enriched fluids and a buoyant plume that rises 1,100 m, consistent with >400 °C venting from the world's deepest known hydrothermal system. At both sites, a new morphospecies of alvinocaridid shrimp dominates faunal assemblages, which exhibit similarities to those of Mid-Atlantic vents.

[1] Geological, biological, morphological, and hydrochemical data are presented for the newly discovered Moytirra vent field at 45 o N. This is the only high temperature hydrothermal vent known between the Azores and Iceland, in the North Atlantic and is located on a slow to ultraslowspreading mid-ocean ridge uniquely situated on the 300 m high fault scarp of the eastern axial wall, 3.5 km from the axial volcanic ridge crest. Furthermore, the Moytirra vent field is, unusually for tectonically controlled hydrothermal vents systems, basalt hosted and perched midway up on the median valley wall and presumably heated by an off-axis magma chamber. The Moytirra vent field consists of an alignment of four sites of venting, three actively emitting ''black smoke,'' producing a complex of chimneys and beehive diffusers. The largest chimney is 18 m tall and vigorously venting. The vent fauna described here are the only ones documented for the North Atlantic (Azores to Reykjanes Ridge) and significantly expands our knowledge of North Atlantic biodiversity. The surfaces of the vent chimneys are occupied by aggregations of gastropods (Peltospira sp.) and populations of alvinocaridid shrimp (Mirocaris sp. with Rimicaris sp. also present). Other fauna present include bythograeid crabs (Segonzacia sp.) and zoarcid fish (Pachycara sp.), but bathymodiolin mussels and actinostolid anemones were not observed in the vent field. The discovery of the Moytirra vent field therefore expands the known latitudinal distributions of several ventendemic genera in the north Atlantic, and reveals faunal affinities with vents south of the Azores rather than north of Iceland.Components: 8,953 words, 11 figures, 2 tables.

An overview of the distribution of volcanic facies units was compiled over the North Atlantic region. The new maps establish the pattern of volcanism associated with breakup and the initiation of seafloor spreading over the main part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP). The maps include new analysis of the Faroe-Shetlands region that allows for a consistent volcanic facies map to be constructed over the entire eastern margin of the North Atlantic for the first time. A key result is that the various conjugate margin segments show a number of asymmetric patterns that are interpreted to result in part from pre-existing crustal and lithospheric structures. The compilation further shows that while the lateral extent of volcanism extends equally far to the south of the Iceland hot spot as it does to the north, the volume of material emplaced to the south is nearly double of that to the north. This suggests that a possible southward deflection of the Iceland mantle plume is a long-lived phenomenon originating during or shortly after impact of the plume.

Re-Os geochronometry is combined with fluid inclusion microthermometry to investigate the granite molybdenite system associated with the late-Caledonian Omey Granite, Connemara, western Ireland. Molybdenite in the Omey pluton is hosted by thin vertical quartz veins (,5 cm wide) that trend in a NE-SW direction. The 187 Re and 187 Os systematics yield a model age of 422?5¡1?7 Ma for the vein molybdenite. Three fluid inclusion types occur in the molybdenite bearing quartz veins: Type 1(aqueous-carbonic fluid), Type 2 (carbonic fluid) and Type 3 (aqueous fluid), Type 1 and Type 3 also occur in granite quartz. The Type 1 and 2 fluid inclusions are interpreted as representing the molybdenite mineralising fluid as is the case elsewhere in the Connemara granites. The 422?5¡1?7 Ma age for molybdenite mineralisation is the oldest reported from this region and implies that the Omey Granite was emplaced before the main Galway Batholith and during activity on the major orogen parallel lineaments like the Great Glen and Southern Uplands Faults.

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