• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.179-187
• /
• 2014

Directly searching for undiscovered hydrothermal vent sites is inefficient due to the practical difficulty of comprehensively imaging vent fields. Thus, most searches for hydrothermal vent sites rely on the detection of hydrothermal plumes from water column observation. Detecting and measuring the hydrothermal plumes are the most efficient way to infer the presence and distribution of hydrothermal vents. Both the array of vertical casting and lateral towing are the most common methods to discover hydrothermal plumes. In this study, we compared results of cast and tow-yo operations along the same section of a spreading center with a distance of 20.5 km in the North Fiji Basin for mapping hydrothermal plumes. Operation of CTD tow-yo provides a detailed pattern of plumes which enable us to locate the hydrothermal vents. On the other hand, identification of hydrothermal activity can be determined effectively by CTD cast with additional analysis of geochemical tracers. Reduction in the operating time is another advantage of CTD cast operation, especially for regional-scale survey. Our results show that the combination of CTD cast and tow-yo would improve the efficiency of the hydrothermal plume survey to locate new hydrothermal vent sites.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.363-373
• /
• 2000

To understand and investigate chemical characteristics of thermal environment in the southwestern Paciflc, we have measured hydrological and chemical parameters such as temperature, salinity, transparency, pH, nutrients and hydrogen sulfide (H$_2$S). Samples were collected with CTD-casting at 12 station, in Manus Basin including PACMANUS, DESMOS and Susu Knolls, Hydrothermal systems consist of circulation zones where seawater interacts with rock, thereby changing chemical and physical characteristics of both the seawater and the rock. The altered seawater, called hydrothermal fluid, is injected back into the ocean from the hydrothermal vent fields and forms hydrothermal plumes. Consequently, we detected hydrothermal plume with transparency and sulfide anomalies at PACMANUS and Susu Knolls. Sulfide, as geochemical tracer of hydrothermal plume, ranged 0-3.31 ${\mu}$M, and averaged 0.63 ${\mu}$M in the study area. The height, flux and activity of the plume are affected by circulations in the deep water and the spread of plume follows along the isopycnal surface. Therefore the observed H$_2$S anomaly can provide important clue for the source location and it appears that the targestsource in the PACMANUS is aligned in the north-south direction.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.359-372
• /
• 2011

TA26 seamount, which is located at south part of Tonga arc, occurs widely hydrothermal plume and is area that sampled hostrock, hydrothermal ore and hydrothermal alteration rock for this study. Hostrocks are basalt and basaltic andesite. Altered rocks by hydrothermal solution consists of plagioclase, pyroxene, pyrite, ilmenite, amorphous silica, barite, smectite, iron sulfates, Fe-Si sulfates and Fe silicates. Gains and losses of major, trace and rare earth elements during wallrock alteration suggest that $K_2O$(+0.04~+0.45 g), $SiO_2$(-6.52~+10.56 g), $H_2O$(-0.03~+6.04 g), $SO_4$(-0.46~+17.54 g), S(-0.46~+13.45 g), total S(-0.51~+16.93 g), Ba(-7.60~+185078.62 g), Sr(-36.18~+3033.08 g), Ag(+54.83 g), Au(+1467.49 g), As(-5.80~+1030.80 g), Cd(+249.78 g), Cu(-100.57~+1357.85 g), Pb(+4.91~+532.65 g), Sb(-0.32~+66.59 g), V(-113.58~+102.94 g) and Zn(-49.56~+14989.92 g) elements are enriched from hydrothermal solution. Therefore, gained(enriched) elements(($K_2O$, $H_2O$, $SO_4$, S, total S, Ba, Sr, Ag, Au, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, V, Zn) represent a potentially tools for exploration of sea-floor hydrothermal deposits from the Tonga arc.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.383-394
• /
• 2014

The surface sediments from the manganese nodule exploration area of Korea in the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone were investigated to understand the resource potential of and emplacement mechanism for rare earth elements (REEs). The sediments are categorized into three lithological units (Unit I, II and III from top to bottom), but into two groups (Unit I/II and Unit III) based on the distribution pattern of REEs. The distribution pattern of REEs in Unit I/II is similar to that of Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS), but shows a negative Ce anomaly and enrichment in heavy REEs (HREEs). In Unit III, the HREE enrichment and Ce anomaly is much more remarkable than Unit I/II when normalized to PAAS, which are interpreted as resulting from the absorption of REEs from seawater by Fe oxyhydroxides that were transported along the buoyant plume from remotely-located hydrothermal vents. It is supported by the PAAS-normalized REE pattern of Unit III which is similar to those of seawater and East Pacific Rise sediments. Meanwhile, the PAAS-normalized REE pattern of Unit I/II is explained by the 4:1 mixing of terrestrial eolian sediment and Unit III from each, indicating the much smaller contribution of hydrothermal origin material to Unit I/II. The studied sediments have the potentiality of a low-grade and large tonnage REE resource. However, the mining of REE-bearing sediment needs a large size extra collecting, lifting and treatment system to dress and refine low-grade sediments if the sediment is exploited with manganese nodules. It is economically infeasible to develop low-grade REE sediments at this moment in time because the exploitation of REE-bearing sediments with manganese nodules increase the mining cost.