Precipitation and growth of barite within hydrothermal vent deposits from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

Jamieson, John; Hannington, Mark D.; Tivey, Margaret K.; Hansteen, Thor H.; Williamson, Nicole M. B.; Stewart, Margaret; Fietzke, Jan; Butterfield, D. A.; Frische, Matthias; Allen, Leigh; Cousens, Brian; Langer, Julia

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2015.10.021

Cited by 61 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Numerous studies of modern marine environments have revealed that pelagic barite crystals mostly have uniform size and shape (submicron to 5 µm, subspherical, elliptical crystals), suggesting very stable nucleation and crystal growth environment. Ovoid and hexagonal barite crystals are interpreted as biotic forms of pelagic barite [10,[17][18][19][20]. Hydrothermal marine barite has been extensively studied, and the dominant hydrothermal barite crystal morphologies are well-formed tabular, acicular/radiating tapered, and bladed to dendritic crystals [10,17,[19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ovoid and hexagonal barite crystals are interpreted as biotic forms of pelagic barite [10,[17][18][19][20]. Hydrothermal marine barite has been extensively studied, and the dominant hydrothermal barite crystal morphologies are well-formed tabular, acicular/radiating tapered, and bladed to dendritic crystals [10,17,[19][20][21][22]. For example, hydrothermal and cold seep barite will form cross-cutting tabular crystals that form rosette structures [23][24][25], while diagenetic barite typically consists of flat, tabular-shaped crystals [26] or nodules within sedimentary layers [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Controls on Barite Crystal Morphology during Abiotic Precipitation

2018

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Barite (BaSO4) is a stable and widely distributed mineral in Earth’s crust. As such, barite has the potential to preserve specific geochemical and morphological characteristics representative of conditions at the time of its formation, which could be useful for interpretations of Earth’s ancient rocks and paleoenvironments. In this study, we used variations in saturation index, solution temperature, solution chemistry, presence of organics, and Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions to investigate variations in barite crystal morphology. Through 42 experiments, we simulated poorly understood, low temperature spring settings similar to Zodletone Spring in Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma. Using SEM/EDS, we identified barite rosettes, rounded barite, euhedral/square-shaped barite, and elliptical barite as the crystal morphologies that directly reflect different formational settings. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed different crystallographic characters of the four distinct barite crystal morphologies; in particular, the samples that precipitated from supersaturated SrSO4 solution exhibited double peaks at 43° 2-Theta, which matched barite with strontium substitution as barite might have incorporated strontium in its structure. Barite crystals that formed in the presence of organics in the initial solution exhibited a double peak at 33° 2-Theta, which was absent in other samples. Confocal Raman microscopy indicated that all of the samples had typical barium sulfate bands, with a few differences in bands between the samples; for example, the 638 cm−1 band showed splitting or a double band between different samples. The samples that precipitated from solution with organics had organic compounds from the experimental solution included in their composition. In both cases, C–H stretches from 2800 cm−1 to 3000 cm−1 were present as well as bands from 1350 cm−1 to 1500 cm−1, which are typical of organic compounds. Based on our experiments, the variation in barite crystal morphologies reflected changes in initial solution chemistry (or environmental settings).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controls on Barite Crystal Morphology during Abiotic Precipitation

2018

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“…The Ba, Sr, and Pb contents of the hydrothermal sediments correlate strongly (Figure ) suggesting that the same or similar process(es) may be controlling the behavior of these elements. The Sr/Ba of the hydrothermal component of the sediment core samples (0.07) is within uncertainty the same as that of barite from hydrothermal chimneys along the Endeavour segment (0.06) [ Jamieson et al ., ]. The sediment trap samples have somewhat higher Sr/Ba than the sediments collected in push cores or barite, possibly reflecting the existence of some Sr‐rich anhydrite that will not be preserved in sediments deposited on the seafloor (Figure ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“… Crossplots of Ba against (a) Pb and (b) Sr for the sediment core (red) and sediment trap (green) samples. The correlation of these element abundances, and the almost identical Sr/Ba of the sediments and barite in hydrothermal chimneys from the Endeavour area [ Jamieson et al ., ], suggests that these elements may all be controlled by the distribution of barite (±other sulfates) in the sediments. The somewhat higher Sr content of the sediment trap samples for a given Ba content probably reflects the existence of anhydrite in these samples.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The simplest explanation of the high Sr, Ba and Pb content of the sediments at intermediate distances from the vents is that these are incorporated into sulfates which are deposited a few 100 m from the vents. [Jamieson et al, 2016], suggests that these elements may all be controlled by the distribution of barite (6other sulfates) in the sediments. The somewhat higher Sr content of the sediment trap samples for a given Ba content probably reflects the existence of anhydrite in these samples.…”

Section: Sr Ba and Pbmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Near‐vent chemical processes in a hydrothermal plume: Insights from an integrated study of the Endeavour segment

Coogan

Attar

Mihaly

et al. 2017

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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The Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca mid-ocean ridge is one of the best studied ridge segments and has recently been instrumented as part of Ocean Networks Canada's NEPTUNE cabled observatory. Here we investigate the interaction between high-temperature vent fluids and the overlying water column. A new tow-yo survey found that the average temperature anomaly in the neutrally buoyant plume was 0.0438C. The water column temperature and light attenuation anomalies correlate linearly in some areas of the plume but in other areas there is a low light attenuation anomaly relative to the temperature anomaly. This temperature excess is interpreted to reflect heat input through (particle-poor) diffuse flow. If this is correct, about half of the heat flux along the Endeavour segment comes from diffuse flow. Sediment trap and push core data show that the mass accumulation rate of the hydrothermal component of the sediments decreases rapidly with distance from the major vent fields. Large changes in the composition of the hydrothermal component of the sediments also occur with distance from the vent fields. The composition of the sediments indicates (i) sulfides precipitate early and accumulate most rapidly close to the vents with a preferential order of element removal from the plume of Cd > Ag > Cu > Co Fe; (ii) barite is deposited somewhat further from the vents. Strontium and Pb appear to be strongly incorporated in barite and/or other sulfate minerals; (iii) at most a few percent of the mass of these ''insoluble'' elements that is vented gets deposited within 1.5 km of the vents.

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Trace-element distribution and ore-forming processes in Au–Ag-rich hydrothermal chimneys and mounds in the TA25 West vent field of the Tonga Arc

et al. 2022

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We report detailed mineralogy and geochemistry of hydrothermal mounds and chimneys in the TA25 West vent field (TA25 WVF), a newly discovered magmatic–hydrothermal system in the Tonga (Tofua) arc. Chimney samples are classified as sulfate- or sulfide-rich, based on major sulfide, sulfosalt, and sulfate minerals. The former type represents a simple mineral assemblage of predominance of anhydrite/gypsum + barite + pyrite, whereas the sulfide-rich chimneys show three different stages of mineralization with decreasing fluid temperature: sphalerite–pyrite dominated stage I, sphalerite–sulfosalts dominated stage II, and stage III is dominated by seawater alteration. Mound samples are characterized by sulfide assemblages and paragenesis similar to those of sulfide-rich samples, but abundant chalcopyrite indicates a relatively high-temperature mineralization. The chimney and mound samples are enriched in Au (average 9.2 ppm), Ag (297 ppm), As (1897 ppm), Sb (689 ppm), Hg (157 ppm), and Se (34.6 ppm). LA–ICP–MS and FE–TEM studies indicate that most of these elements occur in sulfides or sulfosalts in solid solution, although some occur as nanoparticles. This is mainly controlled by the combined effects of fluid conditions (temperature and redox state) and influx of ambient seawater. Petrography and trace-element compositions of sulfides and/or sulfosalts suggest that most concentrations of Au and Ag in the TA25 WVF result from the precipitation and/or adsorption of Au–Ag-bearing nanoparticles on rapidly crystallized sulfides, the substitution of Au and Ag in sulfide and/or sulfosalt minerals, and the saturation of Ag in hydrothermal fluids during late, relatively low-temperature mineralization (< 150 °C). The maximum measured temperature (242 °C) of venting fluids and calculated formation temperatures of sphalerite (229–267 ℃) are below the boiling temperature of seawater at the depths (966–1096 m) of the TA25 WVF, suggesting fluid boiling had little effect on Au–Ag-rich mineralization in the TA25 WVF. The presence of enargite–tetrahedrite–tennantite assemblages, high concentrations of magma-derived elements (e.g., Au, Ag, As, Sb, Hg, and Se), low δ34S values (2.1 to 4.3‰) of sulfide minerals relative to the host rocks, and the distribution of CO2-rich hydrothermal plumes (500 to 1000 ppm) suggest that the TA25 WVF is a submarine hydrothermal system influenced by a magmatic contribution in an arc setting. Our results indicate that the magmatic contribution is most likely to play an important role in supplying various metals, including Au and Ag, to the TA25 WVF. Subsequently, the rapid crystallization of sulfides induced by abundant fluid-seawater mixing significantly contributes to the precipitation of Au–Ag-rich mineralization.

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Precipitation and growth of barite within hydrothermal vent deposits from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

Cited by 61 publications

References 77 publications

Controls on Barite Crystal Morphology during Abiotic Precipitation

Controls on Barite Crystal Morphology during Abiotic Precipitation

Near‐vent chemical processes in a hydrothermal plume: Insights from an integrated study of the Endeavour segment

Trace-element distribution and ore-forming processes in Au–Ag-rich hydrothermal chimneys and mounds in the TA25 West vent field of the Tonga Arc

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