Sea-floor massive sulfide deposits from 21 degrees N East Pacific Rise, Juan de Fuca Ridge, and Galapagos Rift; bulk chemical composition and economic implications

Bischoff, James L.; Rosenbauer, Robert J.; Aruscavage, P. J.; Baedecker, P. A.; Crock, J.G.

doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.78.8.1711

Cited by 68 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Iron-silicate minerals form during reaction, and vent fluids become enriched in reduced iron, hydrogen, and sulfide gases, depending on the temperature of the reaction (8,248,598). Well-studied basalt-hosted vent sites include the Loihi Seamount off Hawaii, the Juan de Fuca Ridge off the coast of Washington State, the East Pacific Rise offshore Central America, and many vent locations along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (49,171). In contrast, other vent sites-including the Rainbow vent field (169) and the Lost City field (280) on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge-are hosted in mantle-like crust (see "Oceanic Crust").…”

Section: Hydrothermal Vents-vent Fluids and Hydrothermal Chimneysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Ecology of the Dark Ocean above, at, and below the Seafloor

Orcutt

Sylvan

Knab

et al. 2011

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

598

499

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SUMMARY The majority of life on Earth—notably, microbial life—occurs in places that do not receive sunlight, with the habitats of the oceans being the largest of these reservoirs. Sunlight penetrates only a few tens to hundreds of meters into the ocean, resulting in large-scale microbial ecosystems that function in the dark. Our knowledge of microbial processes in the dark ocean—the aphotic pelagic ocean, sediments, oceanic crust, hydrothermal vents, etc.—has increased substantially in recent decades. Studies that try to decipher the activity of microorganisms in the dark ocean, where we cannot easily observe them, are yielding paradigm-shifting discoveries that are fundamentally changing our understanding of the role of the dark ocean in the global Earth system and its biogeochemical cycles. New generations of researchers and experimental tools have emerged, in the last decade in particular, owing to dedicated research programs to explore the dark ocean biosphere. This review focuses on our current understanding of microbiology in the dark ocean, outlining salient features of various habitats and discussing known and still unexplored types of microbial metabolism and their consequences in global biogeochemical cycling. We also focus on patterns of microbial diversity in the dark ocean and on processes and communities that are characteristic of the different habitats.

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Section: Hydrothermal Vents-vent Fluids and Hydrothermal Chimneysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Ecology of the Dark Ocean above, at, and below the Seafloor

Orcutt

Sylvan

Knab

et al. 2011

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

598

499

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“…The massive sulfide specimen is composed of aggregates of spherical isocubanite with chalcopyrite rims. In order to assess chemical characteristics of the Snake Pit sulfide deposit, we list in Table 3 the bulk chemical data reported previously for sulfiderich specimens from the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 2PN and the Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) (Bischoff et al, 1983).…”

Section: Bulk Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Average of three inactive basal mound sulfides from the EPR at 21°N (Bischoff et al, 1983). c Brassy, coarsely crystalline massive sulfide from Galapagos Spreading Center (Bischoff et al, 1983).…”

Section: Bulk Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…c Brassy, coarsely crystalline massive sulfide from Galapagos Spreading Center (Bischoff et al, 1983). enriched in copper than in zinc, (2) in general, their lead and silver contents are low, and (3) cobalt is present in significant amounts.…”

Section: Bulk Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some of the Zn-rich sulfides from the EPR at 2PN have high levels of lead and silver. Most of the Zn-rich sulfides known so far from the eastern Pacific (e.g., those from the Juan de Fuca Ridge and the Guaymas Basin) have chemical characteristics similar to those of the EPR at 21°N (Bischoff et al, 1983;Davis et al, 1987;Hannington et al, 1986;Koski et al, 1984). SULFUR ISOTOPES Sulfur isotope ratios were measured for eight massive sulfide fragments and the five friable, unconsolidated sulfide specimens.…”

Section: Bulk Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Copper-Rich Sulfide Deposit Near 23°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Chemical Composition, Mineral Chemistry, and Sulfur Isotopes

Kase¹,

Yamamoto²,

Shibata³

1990

Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program

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In Snake Pit massive sulfide fragments and friable, unconsolidated material recovered during ODP Leg 106, isocubanite and pyrite are generally the predominant phases, followed by marcasite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and pyrrhotite. Detailed analyses of paragenetic relations of minerals indicate that isocubanite first precipitated together with pyrrhotite. With decreasing temperature, chalcopyrite and sphalerite precipitated, and at the latest stage colloform sphalerite-pyrite (or colloform marcasite) formed. Isocubanite usually has exsolution lamellae of chalcopyrite and less commonly of pyrrhotite.The average bulk chemical composition of the friable, unconsolidated material indicates that it is rich in copper, reflecting the dominance of isocubanite in the specimens, and is characterized by high Co, low Pb, and Ag contents. Sulfur isotope ratios are very uniform, ranging in S 34 S from +1.2 to +2.8%c. The obtained values are apparently low, compared to those for the eastern Pacific sulfide samples, reflecting a smaller contribution of seawater sulfate in the Snake Pit sulfide deposit.

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Impacts of deep‐sea mining on microbial ecosystem services

Orcutt

Bradley

Brazelton

et al. 2020

Limnology & Oceanography

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Interest in extracting mineral resources from the seafloor through deep-sea mining has accelerated in the past decade, driven by consumer demand for various metals like zinc, cobalt, and rare earth elements. While there are ongoing studies evaluating potential environmental impacts of deep-sea mining activities, these focus primarily on impacts to animal biodiversity. The microscopic spectrum of seafloor life and the services that this life provides in the deep sea are rarely considered explicitly. In April 2018, scientists met to define the microbial ecosystem services that should be considered when assessing potential impacts of deep-sea mining, and to provide recommendations for how to evaluate and safeguard these services. Here, we indicate that the potential impacts of mining on microbial ecosystem services in the deep sea vary substantially, from minimal expected impact to loss of services that cannot be remedied by protected area offsets. For example, we (1) describe potential major losses of microbial ecosystem services at active hydrothermal vent habitats impacted by mining, (2) speculate that there could be major ecosystem service degradation at inactive massive sulfide deposits without extensive mitigation efforts, (3) suggest minor impacts to carbon sequestration within manganese nodule fields coupled with potentially important impacts to primary production capacity, and (4) surmise that assessment of impacts to microbial ecosystem services at seamounts with ferromanganese crusts is too poorly understood to be definitive. We conclude by recommending that baseline assessments of microbial diversity, biomass, and, importantly, biogeochemical function need to be considered in environmental impact assessments of deep-sea mining.With increasing demand for rare and critical metals-such as cobalt, copper, manganese, tellurium, and zinc-there is increasing interest in mining these resources from the seafloor (Hein et al. 2013; Wedding et al. 2015;Thompson et al. 2018). The primary mineral resources in the deep sea that attract attention fall into four categories (Figs. 1, 2): (1) massive sulfide deposits created at active high-temperature hydrothermal vent systems along mid-ocean ridges, back-arc spreading centers, and volcanic arcs, from the mixing of mineral-rich, advecting hydrothermal fluids with bottom seawater; (2) similar deposits at inactive hydrothermal vent sites, where fluid advection has ceased but mineral deposits remain; (3) polymetallic nodules that form on the seafloor of the open ocean

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Sea-floor massive sulfide deposits from 21 degrees N East Pacific Rise, Juan de Fuca Ridge, and Galapagos Rift; bulk chemical composition and economic implications

Cited by 68 publications

References 0 publications

Microbial Ecology of the Dark Ocean above, at, and below the Seafloor

Microbial Ecology of the Dark Ocean above, at, and below the Seafloor

Copper-Rich Sulfide Deposit Near 23°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Chemical Composition, Mineral Chemistry, and Sulfur Isotopes

Impacts of deep‐sea mining on microbial ecosystem services

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