Hot vents in an ice-cold ocean: Indications for phase separation at the southernmost area of hydrothermal activity, Bransfield Strait, Antarctica

• Published in: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
• Main Authors: Dählmann, A., Wallmann, Klaus, Sahling, Heiko, Sarthou, Géraldine, Bohrmann, G., Petersenn, S., Chin, C., Klinkhammer, G.
• Other Authors: Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Corvallis (CEOAS), Oregon State University (OSU)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2001
• Subjects: liquid phase; separation; hydrothermal vents; Antarctica; Bransfield Strait; [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; Central Basin; Hook Ridge; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02639386; https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(01)00535-0

International audience During the expeditions ANT-XV/2 with R/V Polarstern in 1997/98 and NBP 99-04 with R/V IB N.B. Palmer in 1999, the first samples of hydrothermally influenced sediments of Bransfield Strait were obtained at Hook Ridge, a volcanic edifice in the Central Basin of the Strait. The vent sites are characterized by white siliceous crusts on top of the sediment layer and temperatures measured immediately on deck are up to 48.5°C. The shallow depth of these vent sites (1050 m) particularly controls the chemistry of the pore fluids that are enriched in silica and sulfide and show low pH values. Chloride is depleted up to 20% and the calculated hydrothermal endmember concentration is in the range of 1–84 mM. Since other mechanisms for Cl depletion can be ruled out clearly, the composition of this fluid is attributed to phase separation. While the Cl-depleted fluid is emanating at Hook Ridge, a Cl-enriched fluid can be identified in the adjacent King George Basin. Using a p,x diagram the two corresponding endmember concentrations reveal that the phase separation takes place at subcritical conditions (total depth: ∼2500 m), probably along the whole volcanic edifice.