Chemistry of a serpentinization-controlled hydrothermal system at the Lost City hydrothermal vent field

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Ludwig, K. A.; Kelley, D. S.; Butterfield, D. A.; Nelson, B. K.; Karson, J. A.

2003-12-01

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF), at 30° N near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is an off-axis, low temperature, high-pH, ultramafic-hosted vent system. Within the field, carbonate chimneys tower up to 60 m above the seafloor, making them the tallest vent structures known. The chemistry of the vent structures and fluids at the LCHF is controlled by reactions between seawater and ultramafic rocks beneath the Atlantis massif. Mixing of warm alkaline vent fluids with seawater causes precipitation of calcium carbonate and growth of the edifaces, which range from tall, graceful pinnacles to fragile flanges and colloform deposits. Geochemical and petrological analyses of the carbonate rocks reveal distinct differences between the active and extinct structures. Actively venting chimneys and flanges are extremely porous, friable formations composed predominantly of aragonite and brucite. These structures provide important niches for well-developed microbial communities that thrive on and within the chimney walls. Some of the active chimneys may also contain the mineral ikaite, an unstable, hydrated form of calcium carbonate. TIMS and ICP-MS analyses of the carbonate chimneys show that the most active chimneys have low Sr isotope values and that they are low in trace metals (e.g., Mn, Ti, Pb). Active structures emit high-pH, low-Mg fluids at 40-90° C. The fluids also have low Sr values, indicating circulation of hydrothermal solutions through the serpentinite bedrock beneath the field. In contrast to the active structures, extinct chimneys are less porous, are well lithified, and they are composed predominantly of calcite that yields Sr isotopes near seawater values. Prolonged lower temperature seawater-hydrothermal fluid interaction within the chimneys results in the conversion of aragonite to calcite and in the enrichment of some trace metals (e.g., Mn, Ti, Co, Zn). It also promotes the incorporation of foraminifera within the outer, cemented walls of the carbonate

Biodiversity and trophic ecology of hydrothermal vent fauna associated with tubeworm assemblages on the Juan de Fuca Ridge

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Lelièvre, Yann; Sarrazin, Jozée; Marticorena, Julien; Schaal, Gauthier; Day, Thomas; Legendre, Pierre; Hourdez, Stéphane; Matabos, Marjolaine

2018-05-01

Hydrothermal vent sites along the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the north-east Pacific host dense populations of Ridgeia piscesae tubeworms that promote habitat heterogeneity and local diversity. A detailed description of the biodiversity and community structure is needed to help understand the ecological processes that underlie the distribution and dynamics of deep-sea vent communities. Here, we assessed the composition, abundance, diversity and trophic structure of six tubeworm samples, corresponding to different successional stages, collected on the Grotto hydrothermal edifice (Main Endeavour Field, Juan de Fuca Ridge) at 2196 m depth. Including R. piscesae, a total of 36 macrofaunal taxa were identified to the species level. Although polychaetes made up the most diverse taxon, faunal densities were dominated by gastropods. Most tubeworm aggregations were numerically dominated by the gastropods Lepetodrilus fucensis and Depressigyra globulus and polychaete Amphisamytha carldarei. The highest diversities were found in tubeworm aggregations characterised by the longest tubes (18.5 ± 3.3 cm). The high biomass of grazers and high resource partitioning at a small scale illustrates the importance of the diversity of free-living microbial communities in the maintenance of food webs. Although symbiont-bearing invertebrates R. piscesae represented a large part of the total biomass, the low number of specialised predators on this potential food source suggests that its primary role lies in community structuring. Vent food webs did not appear to be organised through predator-prey relationships. For example, although trophic structure complexity increased with ecological successional stages, showing a higher number of predators in the last stages, the food web structure itself did not change across assemblages. We suggest that environmental gradients provided by the biogenic structure of tubeworm bushes generate a multitude of ecological niches and contribute to the partitioning

Biogeographical distribution of Rimicaris exoculata resident gut epibiont communities along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent sites.

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Durand, Lucile; Roumagnac, Marie; Cueff-Gauchard, Valérie; Jan, Cyrielle; Guri, Mathieu; Tessier, Claire; Haond, Marine; Crassous, Philippe; Zbinden, Magali; Arnaud-Haond, Sophie; Cambon-Bonavita, Marie-Anne

2015-10-01

Rimicaris exoculata is a deep-sea hydrothermal vent shrimp whose enlarged gill chamber houses a complex trophic epibiotic community. Its gut harbours an autochthonous and distinct microbial community. This species dominates hydrothermal ecosystem megafauna along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, regardless of contrasting geochemical conditions prevailing in them. Here, the resident gut epibiont community at four contrasted hydrothermal vent sites (Rainbow, TAG, Logatchev and Ashadze) was analysed and compiled with previous data to evaluate the possible influence of site location, using 16S rRNA surveys and microscopic observations (transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses). Filamentous epibionts inserted between the epithelial cell microvilli were observed on all examined samples. Results confirmed resident gut community affiliation to Deferribacteres, Mollicutes, Epsilonproteobacteria and to a lesser extent Gammaproteobacteria lineages. Still a single Deferribacteres phylotype was retrieved at all sites. Four Mollicutes-related operational taxonomic units were distinguished, one being only identified on Rainbow specimens. The topology of ribotype median-joining networks illustrated a community diversification possibly following demographic expansions, suggesting a more ancient evolutionary history and/or a larger effective population size at Rainbow. Finally, the gill chamber community distribution was also analysed through ribotype networks based on sequences from R. exoculata collected at the Rainbow, Snake Pit, TAG, Logatchev and Ashadze sites. Results allow the refining of hypotheses on the epibiont role and transmission pathways. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Hydrothermal activity at slow-spreading ridges: variability and importance of magmatic controls

Science.gov (United States)

Escartin, Javier

2016-04-01

Hydrothermal activity along mid-ocean ridge axes is ubiquitous, associated with mass, chemical, and heat exchanges between the deep lithosphere and the overlying envelopes, and sustaining chemiosynthetic ecosystems at the seafloor. Compared with hydrothermal fields at fast-spreading ridges, those at slow spreading ones show a large variability as their location and nature is controlled or influenced by several parameters that are inter-related: a) tectonic setting, ranging from 'volcanic systems' (along the rift valley floor, volcanic ridges, seamounts), to 'tectonic' ones (rift-bounding faults, oceanic detachment faults); b) the nature of the host rock, owing to compositional heterogeneity of slow-spreading lithosphere (basalt, gabbro, peridotite); c) the type of heat source (magmatic bodies at depth, hot lithosphere, serpentinization reactions); d) and the associated temperature of outflow fluids (high- vs.- low temperature venting and their relative proportion). A systematic review of the distribution and characteristics of hydrothermal fields along the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge suggests that long-lived hydrothermal activity is concentrated either at oceanic detachment faults, or along volcanic segments with evidence of robust magma supply to the axis. A detailed study of the magmatically robust Lucky Strike segment suggests that all present and past hydrothermal activity is found at the center of the segment. The association of these fields to central volcanos, and the absence of indicators of hydrothermal activity along the remaining of the ridge segment, suggests that long-lived hydrothermal activity in these volcanic systems is maintained by the enhanced melt supply and the associated magma chamber(s) required to build these volcanic edifices. In this setting, hydrothermal outflow zones at the seafloor are systematically controlled by faults, indicating that hydrothermal fluids in the shallow crust exploit permeable fault zones to circulate. While

Hydrothermal plume anomalies over the southwest Indian ridge: magmatic control

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, X.; Li, H.; Tao, C.; Ren, J.; Zhou, J.; Chen, J.; Chen, S.; Wang, Y.

2017-12-01

Here we firstly reported the extensive survey results of the hydrothermal activity along the ultra-slow spreading southwest Indian ridge (SWIR). The study area is located at segment 27, between the Indomed and Gallieni transform faults, SWIR. The seismic crustal thickness reaches 9.5km in this segment (Li et al., 2015), which is much thicker than normal crustal. The anomaly thickened crust could be affected by the Crozet hotspot or highly focused melt delivery from the mantle. The Duanqiao hydrothermal field was reported at the ridge valley of the segment by Tao et al (2009). The Deep-towed Hydrothermal Detection System (DHDS) was used to collect information related with hydrothermal activity, like temperature, turbidity, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and seabed types. There are 15 survey lines at the interval of 2 to 3 km which are occupied about 1300 km2 in segment 27. After processing the raw data, including wiping out random noise points, 5-points moving average processing and subtracting the ambient, we got anomalous Nephelometric Turbidity Units values (ΔNTU). And dE/dt was used to identify the ORP anomalous as the raw data is easily influenced by electrode potentials drifting (Baker et al., 2016). According to the results of water column turbidity and ORP distributions, we confirmed three hydrothermal anomaly fields named A1, A2 and A3. The three fields are all located in the western part of the segment. The A1 field lies on the ridge valley, west side of Duanqiao field. The A2 and A3 field lie on the northern and southern of the ridge valley, respectively. We propose that recent magmatic activity probably focus on the western part of segment 27.And the extensive distribution of hydrothermal plume in the segment is the result of the discrete magma intrusion. References Baker E T, et al. How many vent fields? New estimates of vent field populations on ocean ridges from precise mapping of hydrothermal discharge locations. EPSL, 2016, 449:186-196. Li J

The discovery of new deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities in the southern ocean and implications for biogeography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex D Rogers

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Since the first discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the Galápagos Rift in 1977, numerous vent sites and endemic faunal assemblages have been found along mid-ocean ridges and back-arc basins at low to mid latitudes. These discoveries have suggested the existence of separate biogeographic provinces in the Atlantic and the North West Pacific, the existence of a province including the South West Pacific and Indian Ocean, and a separation of the North East Pacific, North East Pacific Rise, and South East Pacific Rise. The Southern Ocean is known to be a region of high deep-sea species diversity and centre of origin for the global deep-sea fauna. It has also been proposed as a gateway connecting hydrothermal vents in different oceans but is little explored because of extreme conditions. Since 2009 we have explored two segments of the East Scotia Ridge (ESR in the Southern Ocean using a remotely operated vehicle. In each segment we located deep-sea hydrothermal vents hosting high-temperature black smokers up to 382.8°C and diffuse venting. The chemosynthetic ecosystems hosted by these vents are dominated by a new yeti crab (Kiwa n. sp., stalked barnacles, limpets, peltospiroid gastropods, anemones, and a predatory sea star. Taxa abundant in vent ecosystems in other oceans, including polychaete worms (Siboglinidae, bathymodiolid mussels, and alvinocaridid shrimps, are absent from the ESR vents. These groups, except the Siboglinidae, possess planktotrophic larvae, rare in Antarctic marine invertebrates, suggesting that the environmental conditions of the Southern Ocean may act as a dispersal filter for vent taxa. Evidence from the distinctive fauna, the unique community structure, and multivariate analyses suggest that the Antarctic vent ecosystems represent a new vent biogeographic province. However, multivariate analyses of species present at the ESR and at other deep-sea hydrothermal vents globally indicate that vent biogeography is more

Investigation of extractable organic compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal vent fluids along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

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McCollom, Thomas M.; Seewald, Jeffrey S.; German, Christopher R.

2015-05-01

The possibility that deep-sea hydrothermal vents may contain organic compounds produced by abiotic synthesis or by microbial communities living deep beneath the surface has led to numerous studies of the organic composition of vent fluids. Most of these studies have focused on methane and other light hydrocarbons, while the possible occurrence of more complex organic compounds in the fluids has remained largely unstudied. To address this issue, the presence of higher molecular weight organic compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal fluids was assessed at three sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that span a range of temperatures (51 to >360 °C), fluid compositions, and host-rock lithologies (mafic to ultramafic). Samples were obtained at several sites within the Lucky Strike, Rainbow, and Lost City hydrothermal fields. Three methods were employed to extract organic compounds for analysis, including liquid:liquid extraction, cold trapping on the walls of a coil of titanium tubing, and pumping fluids through cartridges filled with solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents. The only samples to consistently yield high amounts of extractable organic compounds were the warm (51-91 °C), highly alkaline fluids from Lost City, which contained elevated concentrations of C8, C10, and C12n-alkanoic acids and, in some cases, trithiolane, hexadecanol, squalene, and cholesterol. Collectively, the C8-C12 acids can account for about 15% of the total dissolved organic carbon in the Lost City fluids. The even-carbon-number predominance of the alkanoic acids indicates a biological origin, but it is unclear whether these compounds are derived from microbial activity occurring within the hydrothermal chimney proximal to the site of fluid discharge or are transported from deeper within the system. Hydrothermal fluids from the Lucky Strike and Rainbow fields were characterized by an overall scarcity of extractable dissolved organic compounds. Trace amounts of aromatic hydrocarbons including

Biodiversity patterns, environmental drivers and indicator species on a high-temperature hydrothermal edifice, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

OpenAIRE

Sarrazin, Jozée; Legendre, Pierre; de Busserolles, Fanny; Fabri, Marie-Claire; Guilini, Katja; Ivanenko, Viatcheslav N.; Morineaux, Marie; Vanreusel, Ann; Sarradin, Pierre-Marie

2015-01-01

Knowledge on quantitative faunal distribution patterns of hydrothermal communities in slow-spreading vent fields is particularly scarce, despite the importance of these ridges in the global mid-ocean system. This study assessed the composition, abundance and diversity of 12 benthic faunal assemblages from various locations on the Eiffel Tower edifice (Lucky Strike vent field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and investigated the role of key environmental conditions (temperature, total dissolved iron (TdFe...

Metal interactions between the polychaete Branchipolynoe seepensis and the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus from Mid-Atlantic-Ridge hydrothermal vent fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Bebianno, Maria João; Cardoso, Cátia; Gomes, Tânia; Blasco, Julian; Santos, Ricardo Serrão; Colaço, Ana

2018-04-01

The vent blood-red commensal polynoid polychaete Branchipolynoe seepensis is commonly found in the pallial cavity of the vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus, the dominant bivalve species along the Mid-Atlantic-Ridge (MAR) and is known to be kleptoparasitic. Mussels were collected from three hydrothermal vent fields in the MAR: Menez Gwen (850 m depth, MG2, MG3 and MG4), Lucky Strike (1700 m depth, Montségur-MS and Eiffel Tower-ET) and Rainbow (2300 m depth). Polychaetes were absent in all Menez Gwen vent mussels, while the highest percentage was detected in mussels from Lucky Strike, where more than 70% of the mussels had at least one polychaete in their mantle cavity, followed by Rainbow with 33% of mussels with polychaetes. Total metal concentrations (Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn) were determined in polychaetes whole body and in the mussel tissues (gills, digestive gland and mantle). To understand the possible metal interactions between symbiont and host, the activity of antioxidant defence (catalase (CAT), metallothioneins (MTs)), biotransformation enzymes (glutathione-s-transferases (GST)) activities and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were determined in polychaete whole soft tissues and in mussel tissues (gills, digestive gland and mantle). Metal concentrations in polychaetes and mussels tissues indicated that the accumulation patterns were species specific and also influenced by, and possibly dependent upon, the inter- and intra-variation of vent physico-chemistry between hydrothermal fields. Despite not detecting any strong correlations between metal and enzymes activities in polychaetes and mussels, when in presence of polychaetes, mussels presented less metal concentrations in the gills and digestive gland and lower activity of enzymatic biomarkers. This leads to infer that the polychaete plays a role on the detoxification process, and the interaction between the polychaete mussel association is probably an adaptation to metals concentrations at the

Diversity patterns and isolation of Planctomycetes associated with metalliferous deposits from hydrothermal vent fields along the Valu Fa Ridge (SW Pacific).

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Storesund, Julia Endresen; Lanzèn, Anders; García-Moyano, Antonio; Reysenbach, Anna-Louise; Øvreås, Lise

2018-02-08

The microbial diversity associated with diffuse venting deep-sea hydrothermal deposits is tightly coupled to the geochemistry of the hydrothermal fluids. Previous 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (metabarcoding) of marine iron-hydroxide deposits along the Arctic Mid Ocean Ridge, revealed the presence of diverse bacterial communities associated with these deposits (Storesund and Øvreås in Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 104:569-584, 2013). One of the most abundant and diverse phyla detected was the enigmatic Planctomycetes. Here we report on the comparative analyses of the diversity and distribution patterns of Planctomycetes associated with metalliferous deposits from two diffuse-flow hydrothermal vent fields (Mariner and Vai Lili) from the Valu Fa Ridge in the Southwestern Pacific. Metabarcoding of 16S rRNA genes showed that the major prokaryotic phyla were Proteobacteria (51-73% of all 16S rRNA gene reads), Epsilonbacteraeota (0.5-19%), Bacteriodetes (5-17%), Planctomycetes (0.4-11%), Candidatus Latescibacteria (0-5%) and Marine Benthic Group E (Hydrothermarchaeota) (0-5%). The two different sampling sites differed considerably in overall community composition. The abundance of Planctomycetes also varied substantially between the samples and the sites, with the majority of the sequences affiliated with uncultivated members of the classes Planctomycetacia and Phycisphaerae, and other deep branching lineages. Seven different strains affiliated with the order Planctomycetales were isolated, mostly from the Vai Lili samples, where also the highest Planctomycetales diversity was seen. Most of the isolates were affiliated with the genera Gimesia, Rhodopirellula and Blastopirellula. One isolate was only distantly related to known cultured, but uncharacterized species within the Pir4 group. This study shows that the deep-sea Planctomycetes represent a very heterogeneous group with a high phylogenetic diversity and a substantial potential for novel organism discovery in these

Fine-scale heat flow, shallow heat sources, and decoupled circulation systems at two sea-floor hydrothermal sites, Middle Valley, northern Juan de Fuca Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, J. S.; Fisher, A. T.; Langseth, M.; Jin, W.; Iturrino, G.; Davis, E.

1998-12-01

Fine-scale heat-flow patterns at two areas of active venting in Middle Valley, a sedimented rift on the northern Juan de Fuca Ridge, provide thermal evidence of shallow hydrothermal reservoirs beneath the vent fields. The extreme variability of heat flow is explained by conductive heating immediately adjacent to vents and shallow circulation within sediments above the reservoir. This secondary circulation is hydrologically separated from the deeper system feeding the vents by a shallow conductive lid within the sediments. A similar separation of shallow and deep circulation may also occur at sediment-free ridge-crest hydrothermal environments.

Fungal diversity in deep-sea sediments of a hydrothermal vent system in the Southwest Indian Ridge

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Xu, Wei; Gong, Lin-feng; Pang, Ka-Lai; Luo, Zhu-Hua

2018-01-01

Deep-sea hydrothermal sediment is known to support remarkably diverse microbial consortia. In deep sea environments, fungal communities remain less studied despite their known taxonomic and functional diversity. High-throughput sequencing methods have augmented our capacity to assess eukaryotic diversity and their functions in microbial ecology. Here we provide the first description of the fungal community diversity found in deep sea sediments collected at the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) using culture-dependent and high-throughput sequencing approaches. A total of 138 fungal isolates were cultured from seven different sediment samples using various nutrient media, and these isolates were identified to 14 fungal taxa, including 11 Ascomycota taxa (7 genera) and 3 Basidiomycota taxa (2 genera) based on internal transcribed spacers (ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S) of rDNA. Using illumina HiSeq sequencing, a total of 757,467 fungal ITS2 tags were recovered from the samples and clustered into 723 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 79 taxa (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota contributed to 99% of all samples) based on 97% sequence similarity. Results from both approaches suggest that there is a high fungal diversity in the deep-sea sediments collected in the SWIR and fungal communities were shown to be slightly different by location, although all were collected from adjacent sites at the SWIR. This study provides baseline data of the fungal diversity and biogeography, and a glimpse to the microbial ecology associated with the deep-sea sediments of the hydrothermal vent system of the Southwest Indian Ridge.

Hydrothermal sediments as a potential record of seawater Nd isotope compositions: The Rainbow vent site (36°14'N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

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Chavagnac, ValéRie; Palmer, Martin R.; Milton, J. Andrew; Green, Darryl R. H.; German, Christopher R.

2006-09-01

Geochemical compositions and Sr and Nd isotopes were measured in two cores collected ˜2 and 5 km from the Rainbow hydrothermal vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Overall, the cores record enrichments in Fe and other metals from hydrothermal fallout, but sequential dissolution of the sediments allows discrimination between a leach phase (easily leachable) and a residue phase (refractory). The oxy-anion and transition metal distribution combined with rare earth element (REE) patterns suggest that (1) the leach fraction is a mixture of biogenic carbonate and hydrothermal Fe-Mn oxy-hydroxide with no significant contribution from detrital material and (2) >99.5% of the REE content of the leach fraction is of seawater origin. In addition, the leach fraction has an average 87Sr/86Sr ratio indistinguishable from modern seawater at 0.70916. Although we lack the ɛNd value of present-day deep water at the Rainbow vent site, we believe that the REE budget of the leach fraction is predominantly of seawater origin. We suggest therefore that the leach fraction provides a record of local seawater ɛNd values. Nd isotope data from these cores span the period of 4-14 ka (14C ages) and yield ɛNd values for North East Atlantic Deep Water (NEADW) that are higher (-9.3 to -11.1) than those observed in the nearby Madeira Abyssal Plain from the same depth (-12.4 ± 0.9). This observation suggests that either the Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and Lower Deep Water contributions to the formation of NEADW are higher along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge than in the surrounding basins or that the relative proportion of ISOW was higher during this period than is observed today. This study indicates that hydrothermal sediments have the potential to provide a higher-resolution record of deep water ɛNd values, and hence deepwater circulation patterns in the oceans, than is possible from other types of sediments.

Volcanism and hydrothermalism on a hotspot-influenced ridge: Comparing Reykjanes Peninsula and Reykjanes Ridge, Iceland

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Pałgan, Dominik; Devey, Colin W.; Yeo, Isobel A.

2017-12-01

Current estimates indicate that the number of high-temperature vents (one of the primary pathways for the heat extraction from the Earth's mantle) - at least 1 per 100 km of axial length - scales with spreading rate and should scale with crustal thickness. But up to present, shallow ridge axes underlain by thick crust show anomalously low incidences of high-temperature activity. Here we compare the Reykjanes Ridge, an abnormally shallow ridge with thick crust and only one high-temperature vent known over 900 km axial length, to the adjacent subaerial Reykjanes Peninsula (RP), which is characterized by high-temperature geothermal sites confined to four volcanic systems transected by fissure swarms with young (Holocene) volcanic activity, multiple faults, cracks and fissures, and continuous seismic activity. New high-resolution bathymetry (gridded at 60 m) of the Reykjanes Ridge between 62°30‧N and 63°30‧N shows seven Axial Volcanic Ridges (AVR) that, based on their morphology, geometry and tectonic regime, are analogues for the volcanic systems and fissure swarms on land. We investigate in detail the volcano-tectonic features of all mapped AVRs and show that they do not fit with the previously suggested 4-stage evolution model for AVR construction. Instead, we suggest that AVR morphology reflects the robust or weak melt supply to the system and two (or more) eruption mechanisms may co-exist on one AVR (in contrast to 4-stage evolution model). Our interpretations indicate that, unlike on the Reykjanes Peninsula, faults on and around AVRs do not cluster in orientation domains but all are subparallel to the overall strike of AVRs (orthogonal to spreading direction). High abundance of seamounts shows that the region centered at 62°47‧N and 25°04‧W (between AVR-5 and -6) is volcanically robust while the highest fault density implies that AVR-1 and southern part of AVR-6 rather undergo period of melt starvation. Based on our observations and interpretations we

Discovery and Distribution of Black Smokers on the Western Galapagos Spreading Center: Implications for Spatial and Temporal Controls on High Temperature Venting at Ridge/Hotspot Intersections

Science.gov (United States)

Haymon, R. M.; Anderson, P. G.; Baker, E. T.; Resing, J. A.; White, S. M.; MacDonald, K. C.

2006-12-01

Though nearly one-fifth of the mid-ocean ridge (MOR) lies on or near hotspots, it has been debated whether hotspots increase or decrease MOR hydrothermal flux, or affect vent biota. Despite hotspot enhancement of melt supply, high-temperature vent plumes are enigmatically sparse along two previously-surveyed ridge- hotspot intersections [Reykjanes Ridge (RR), Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR)]. This has been attributed to crustal thickening by excess volcanism. During the 2005-06 GalAPAGoS expedition, we conducted nested sonar, plume, and camera surveys along a 540 km-long portion of the Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) where the ridge intersects the Galapagos hotspot at lon. 94.5 -89.5 deg. W. Although MOR hydrothermal springs were first found along the eastern GSC crest in 1977 near lon. 86 deg. W, the GalAPAGoS smokers are the first active high-temperature vents to be found anywhere along the Cocos-Nazca plate boundary. Active and/or recently-inactive smokers were located beneath plumes at 5 sites on the seafloor between lon. 91 deg. W and 94.5 deg. W (see Anderson et al., this session) during near-bottom, real-time fiber-optic Medea camera surveys. Smokers occur along eruptive seafloor fissures atop axial volcanic ridges near the middles of ridge segments, mainly in areas underlain by relatively shallow, continuous axial magma chamber (AMC) seismic reflectors. These findings (1) support magmatic, rather than tectonic, control of GSC smoker distribution; (2) demonstrate that thick crust at MOR-hotspot intersections does not prevent high-temperature hydrothermal vents from forming; and, (3) appear to be inconsistent with models suggesting that enhanced hydrothermal cooling causes abrupt deepening of the AMC and transition from non-rifted to rifted GSC morphology near lon. 92.7 deg. W. The widely-spaced smoker sites located on different GSC segments exhibit remarkably similar characteristics and seafloor settings. Most sites are mature or extinct, and are on lava

Energy landscapes shape microbial communities in hydrothermal systems on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge

OpenAIRE

Dahle, H?kon; ?kland, Ingeborg; Thorseth, Ingunn H; Pederesen, Rolf B; Steen, Ida H

2015-01-01

Methods developed in geochemical modelling combined with recent advances in molecular microbial ecology provide new opportunities to explore how microbial communities are shaped by their chemical surroundings. Here, we present a framework for analyses of how chemical energy availability shape chemotrophic microbial communities in hydrothermal systems through an investigation of two geochemically different basalt-hosted hydrothermal systems on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge: the Soria Moria Vent f...

Estimating the Total Heat Flux from the ASHES Hydrothermal Vent Field Using the Sentry Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Crone, T. J.; Kinsey, J. C.; Mittelstaedt, E. L.

2017-12-01

Hydrothermal venting at mid-ocean ridges influences ocean chemistry, the thermal and chemical structure of the oceanic crust, and the evolution of unique and diverse autolithotrophically-supported ecosystems. Axially-hosted hydrothermal systems are responsible for 20-25% of the total heat flux out of Earth's interior, and likely play a large role in local as well as global biogeochemical cycles. Despite the importance of these systems, only a few studies have attempted to constrain the volume and heat flux of an entire hydrothermal vent field. In July of 2014 we used the Sentry autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to survey the water column over the ASHES hydrothermal vent field which is located within the caldera of Axial Seamount, an active submarine volcano located on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. To estimate the total heat and mass flux from this vent field, we equipped Sentry with a Nortek acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV), an inertial measurement unit (IMU), two acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs), and two SBE3 temperature probes, allowing us to obtain precise measurements of fluid temperature and water velocity. The survey was designed using a control volume approach in which Sentry was pre-programmed to survey a 150-m-square centered over the vent field flying a grid pattern with 5-m track line spacing followed by a survey of the perimeter. This pattern was repeated multiple times during several 10-h dives at different altitudes, including 10, 20, 40, and 60 m above the seafloor, and during one 40-h survey at an altitude of 10 m. During the 40-h survey, the pattern was repeated nine times allowing us to obtain observations over several tidal cycles. Water velocity data obtained with Sentry were corrected for platform motion and then combined with the temperature measurements to estimate heat flux. The analysis of these data will likely provide the most accurate and highest resolution heat and mass flux estimates at a seafloor hydrothermal field to date.

Light at deep sea hydrothermal vents

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dover, Cindy Lee; Cann, J. R.; Cavanaugh, Colleen; Chamberlain, Steven; Delaney, John R.; Janecky, David; Imhoff, Johannes; Tyson, J. Anthony

We usually think of the bottom of the sea as a dark environment, lit only by flashes of bioluminescent light. Discovery of light associated with geothermal processes at deep sea hydrothermal vents forces us to qualify our textbook descriptions of the seafloor as a uniformly dark environment. While a very dim glow emitted from high temperature (350°) vents (black smokers) at mid-oceanic ridge spreading centers has been documented [Van Dover et al, 1988], the source of this light and its role, if any, in the evolution and adaptation of photobiochemical processes have yet to be determined. Preliminary studies indicate that thermal radiation alone may account for the “glow” ]Smith and Delaney, 1989] and that a novel photoreceptor in shrimp-colonizing black smoker chimneys may detect this “glow” [Van Dover et al., 1989; Pelli and Chamberlain, 1989]. A more controversial question, posed by C. L. Van Dover, J. R. Cann, and J. R. Delaney at the 1993 LITE Workshop at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, is whether there may be sufficient light of appropriate wavelengths to support geothermally driven photosynthesis by microorganisms.

Arsenic speciation in food chains from mid-Atlantic hydrothermal vents

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Vivien F.; Jackson, Brian P.; Siegfried, Matthew R.; Navratilova, Jana; Francesconi, Kevin A.; Kirshtein, Julie; Voytek, Mary

2012-01-01

Arsenic concentration and speciation were determined in benthic fauna collected from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vents. The shrimp species, Rimicaris exoculata, the vent chimney-dwelling mussel, Bathymodiolus azoricus, Branchipolynoe seepensis, a commensal worm of B. azoricus and the gastropod Peltospira smaragdina showed variations in As concentration and in stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) signature between species, suggesting different sources of As uptake. Arsenic speciation showed arsenobetaine to be the dominant species in R. exoculata, whereas in B. azoricus and B. seepensis arsenosugars were most abundant, although arsenobetaine, dimethylarsinate and inorganic arsenic were also observed, along with several unidentified species. Scrape samples from outside the vent chimneys covered with microbial mat, which is a presumed food source for many vent organisms, contained high levels of total As, but organic species were not detectable. The formation of arsenosugars in pelagic environments is typically attributed to marine algae, and the pathway to arsenobetaine is still unknown. The occurrence of arsenosugars and arsenobetaine in these deep sea organisms, where primary production is chemolithoautotrophic and stable isotope analyses indicate food sources are of vent origin, suggests that organic arsenicals can occur in a foodweb without algae or other photosynthetic life.

Arsenic speciation in food chains from mid-Atlantic hydrothermal vents.

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Taylor, Vivien F; Jackson, Brian P; Siegfried, Matthew; Navratilova, Jana; Francesconi, Kevin A; Kirshtein, Julie; Voytek, Mary

2012-05-04

Arsenic concentration and speciation were determined in benthic fauna collected from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vents. The shrimp species, Rimicaris exoculata , the vent chimney-dwelling mussel, Bathymodiolus azoricus , Branchipolynoe seepensis , a commensal worm of B. azoricus , and the gastropod Peltospira smaragdina showed variations in As concentration and in stable isotope (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) signature between species, suggesting different sources of As uptake. Arsenic speciation showed arsenobetaine to be the dominant species in R. exoculata , whereas in B. azoricus and B. seepensis arsenosugars were most abundant, although arsenobetaine, dimethylarsinate, and inorganic arsenic were also observed, along with several unidentified species. Scrape samples from outside the vent chimneys, covered with microbial mat, which is a presumed food source for many vent organisms, contained high levels of total As, but organic species were not detectable. The formation of arsenosugars in pelagic environments is typically attributed to marine algae, and the pathway to arsenobetaine is still unknown. The occurrence of arsenosugars and arsenobetaine in these deep sea organisms, where primary production is chemolithoautotrophic and stable isotope analyses indicate food sources are of vent origin, suggests that organic arsenicals can occur in a food web without algae or other photosynthetic life.

Genetic diversity of archaea in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.

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Takai, K; Horikoshi, K

1999-08-01

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of naturally occurring archaeal communities in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments was carried out by PCR-mediated small subunit rRNA gene (SSU rDNA) sequencing. As determined through partial sequencing of rDNA clones amplified with archaea-specific primers, the archaeal populations in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments showed a great genetic diversity, and most members of these populations appeared to be uncultivated and unidentified organisms. In the phylogenetic analysis, a number of rDNA sequences obtained from deep-sea hydrothermal vents were placed in deep lineages of the crenarchaeotic phylum prior to the divergence of cultivated thermophilic members of the crenarchaeota or between thermophilic members of the euryarchaeota and members of the methanogen-halophile clade. Whole cell in situ hybridization analysis suggested that some microorganisms of novel phylotypes predicted by molecular phylogenetic analysis were likely present in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments. These findings expand our view of the genetic diversity of archaea in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments and of the phylogenetic organization of archaea.

Crustal structure and mantle transition zone thickness beneath a hydrothermal vent at the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (49°39'E): a supplementary study based on passive seismic receiver functions

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Ruan, Aiguo; Hu, Hao; Li, Jiabiao; Niu, Xiongwei; Wei, Xiaodong; Zhang, Jie; Wang, Aoxing

2017-06-01

As a supplementary study, we used passive seismic data recorded by one ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) station (49°41.8'E) close to a hydrothermal vent (49°39'E) at the Southwest Indian Ridge to invert the crustal structure and mantle transition zone (MTZ) thickness by P-to-S receiver functions to investigate previous active seismic tomographic crustal models and determine the influence of the deep mantle thermal anomaly on seafloor hydrothermal venting at an ultra-slow spreading ridge. The new passive seismic S-wave model shows that the crust has a low velocity layer (2.6 km/s) from 4.0 to 6.0 km below the sea floor, which is interpreted as partial melting. We suggest that the Moho discontinuity at 9.0 km is the bottom of a layer (2-3 km thick); the Moho (at depth of 6-7 km), defined by active seismic P-wave models, is interpreted as a serpentinized front. The velocity spectrum stacking plot made from passive seismic data shows that the 410 discontinuity is depressed by 15 km, the 660 discontinuity is elevated by 18 km, and a positive thermal anomaly between 182 and 237 K is inferred.

Heavy metals from Kueishantao shallow-sea hydrothermal vents, offshore northeast Taiwan

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Chen, Xue-Gang; Lyu, Shuang-Shuang; Garbe-Schönberg, Dieter; Lebrato, Mario; Li, Xiaohu; Zhang, Hai-Yan; Zhang, Ping-Ping; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Ye, Ying

2018-04-01

Shallow water hydrothermal vents are a source of heavy metals leading to their accumulation in marine organisms that manage to live under extreme environmental conditions. This is the case at Kueishantao (KST) shallow-sea vents system offshore northeast Taiwan, where the heavy metal distribution in vent fluids and ambient seawater is poorly understood. This shallow vent is an excellent natural laboratory to understand how heavy and volatile metals behave in the nearby water column and ecosystem. Here, we investigated the submarine venting of heavy metals from KST field and its impact on ambient surface seawater. The total heavy metal concentrations in the vent fluids and vertical plumes were 1-3 orders of magnitude higher than the overlying seawater values. When compared with deep-sea hydrothermal systems, the estimated KST end-member fluids exhibited much lower concentrations of transition metals (e.g., Fe and Mn) but comparable concentrations of toxic metals such as Pb and As. This may be attributed to the lower temperature of the KST reaction zone and transporting fluids. Most of the heavy metals (Fe, Mn, As, Y, and Ba) in the plumes and seawater mainly originated from hydrothermal venting, while Cd and Pb were largely contributed by external sources such as contaminated waters (anthropogenic origin). The spatial distribution of heavy metals in the surface seawater indicated that seafloor venting impacts ambient seawater. The measurable influence of KST hydrothermal activity, however, was quite localized and limited to an area of heavy metals emanating from the yellow KST hydrothermal vent were: 430-2600 kg Fe, 24-145 kg Mn, 5-32 kg Ba, 10-60 kg As, 0.3-1.9 kg Cd, and 2-10 kg Pb. This study provides important data on heavy metals from a shallow-sea hydrothermal field, and it helps to better understand the environmental impact of submarine shallow hydrothermal venting.

Population subdivision of hydrothermal vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana across equatorial and Easter Microplate boundaries.

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Jang, Sook-Jin; Park, Eunji; Lee, Won-Kyung; Johnson, Shannon B; Vrijenhoek, Robert C; Won, Yong-Jin

2016-10-28

The Equator and Easter Microplate regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean exhibit geomorphological and hydrological features that create barriers to dispersal for a number of animals associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vent habitats. This study examined effects of these boundaries on geographical subdivision of the vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana. DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and eleven nuclear genes were examined in samples collected from ten vent localities that comprise the species' known range from 23°N latitude on the East Pacific Rise to 38°S latitude on the Pacific Antarctic Ridge. Multi-locus genotypes inferred from these sequences clustered the individual worms into three metapopulation segments - the northern East Pacific Rise (NEPR), southern East Pacific Rise (SEPR), and northeastern Pacific Antarctic Ridge (PAR) - separated by the Equator and Easter Microplate boundaries. Genetic diversity estimators were negatively correlated with tectonic spreading rates. Application of the isolation-with-migration (IMa2) model provided information about divergence times and demographic parameters. The PAR and NEPR metapopulation segments were estimated to have split roughly 4.20 million years ago (Mya) (2.42-33.42 Mya, 95 % highest posterior density, (HPD)), followed by splitting of the SEPR and NEPR segments about 0.79 Mya (0.07-6.67 Mya, 95 % HPD). Estimates of gene flow between the neighboring regions were mostly low (2 Nm  SEPR > PAR. Highly effective dispersal capabilities allow A. pompejana to overcome the temporal instability and intermittent distribution of active hydrothermal vents in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Consequently, the species exhibits very high levels of genetic diversity compared with many co-distributed vent annelids and mollusks. Nonetheless, its levels of genetic diversity in partially isolated populations are inversely correlated with tectonic spreading rates. As for many other vent taxa, this pioneering colonizer is

Geochemical and visual indicators of hydrothermal fluid flow through a sediment-hosted volcanic ridge in the Central Bransfield Basin (Antarctica.

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Alfred Aquilina

Full Text Available In the austral summer of 2011 we undertook an investigation of three volcanic highs in the Central Bransfield Basin, Antarctica, in search of hydrothermal activity and associated fauna to assess changes since previous surveys and to evaluate the extent of hydrothermalism in this basin. At Hook Ridge, a submarine volcanic edifice at the eastern end of the basin, anomalies in water column redox potential (E(h were detected close to the seafloor, unaccompanied by temperature or turbidity anomalies, indicating low-temperature hydrothermal discharge. Seepage was manifested as shimmering water emanating from the sediment and from mineralised structures on the seafloor; recognisable vent endemic fauna were not observed. Pore fluids extracted from Hook Ridge sediment were depleted in chloride, sulfate and magnesium by up to 8% relative to seawater, enriched in lithium, boron and calcium, and had a distinct strontium isotope composition ((87Sr/(86Sr = 0.708776 at core base compared with modern seawater ((87Sr/(86Sr ≈ 0.70918, indicating advection of hydrothermal fluid through sediment at this site. Biogeochemical zonation of redox active species implies significant moderation of the hydrothermal fluid with in situ diagenetic processes. At Middle Sister, the central ridge of the Three Sisters complex located about 100 km southwest of Hook Ridge, small water column E(h anomalies were detected but visual observations of the seafloor and pore fluid profiles provided no evidence of active hydrothermal circulation. At The Axe, located about 50 km southwest of Three Sisters, no water column anomalies in E(h, temperature or turbidity were detected. These observations demonstrate that the temperature anomalies observed in previous surveys are episodic features, and suggest that hydrothermal circulation in the Bransfield Strait is ephemeral in nature and therefore may not support vent biota.

Expression patterns of mRNAs for methanotrophy and thiotrophy in symbionts of the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus puteoserpentis

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Wendeberg, Annelie; Zielinski, Frank U; Borowski, Christian; Dubilier, Nicole

2012-01-01

The hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus puteoserpentis (Mytilidae) from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hosts symbiotic sulfur- and methane-oxidizing bacteria in its gills. In this study, we investigated the activity and distribution of these two symbionts in juvenile mussels from the Logatchev hydrothermal vent field (14°45′N Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Expression patterns of two key genes for chemosynthesis were examined: pmoA (encoding subunit A of the particulate methane monooxygenase) as an indicator for methanotrophy, and aprA (encoding the subunit A of the dissimilatory adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate reductase) as an indicator for thiotrophy. Using simultaneous fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of rRNA and mRNA we observed highest mRNA FISH signals toward the ciliated epithelium where seawater enters the gills. The levels of mRNA expression differed between individual specimens collected in a single grab from the same sampling site, whereas no obvious differences in symbiont abundance or distribution were observed. We propose that the symbionts respond to the steep temporal and spatial gradients in methane, reduced sulfur compounds and oxygen by modifying gene transcription, whereas changes in symbiont abundance and distribution take much longer than regulation of mRNA expression and may only occur in response to long-term changes in vent fluid geochemistry. PMID:21734728

Metabasalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: new insights into hydrothermal systems in slow-spreading crust

Science.gov (United States)

Gillis, Kathryn M.; Thompson, Geoffrey

1993-12-01

An extensive suite of hydrothermally altered rocks were recovered by Alvin and dredging along the MARK [Mid-Atlantic Ridge, south of the Kane Fracture Zone (23 24°N)] where detachment faulting has provided a window into the crustal component of hydrothermal systems. Rocks of basaltic composition are altered to two assemblages with these characteristics: (i) type I: albitic plagioclase (An02 10)+mixed-layer smectite/chlorite or chlorite±actinolite±quartz±sphene, 20% of the clinopyroxene is altered, and Cu and Zn are leached. The geochemical signature of these alteration types reflects the relative proportion and composition of secondary minerals, and the degree of alteration of primary phases, and does not show simple predictive relationships. Element mobilities indicate that both alteration types formed at low water/rock ratios. The MARK assemblages are typical of the greenschist and transition to the amphibolite facies, and represent two distinct, albeit overlapping, temperature regimes: type I-180 to 300°C and type II-250 to 450°C. By analogy with DSDP/ODP Hole 504B and many ophiolites, the MARK metabasalts were altered within the downwelling limb of a hydrothermal cell and type I and II samples formed in the upper and lower portions of the sheeted like complex, respectively. Episodic magmatic and hydrothermal events at slow-spreading ridges suggest that these observed mineral assemblages represent the cumulative effects of more than one hydrothermal event. Groundmass and vein assemblages in the MARK metabasalts indicate either that alteration conditions did not change during successive hydrothermal events or that these assemblages record only the highest temperature event. Lack of retrograde reactions or overprinting of lower temperature assemblages (e.g., zeolites) suggests that there is a continuum in alteration conditions while crustal segments remain in the ridge axis environment. The type II samples may be representative of the reaction zone where

Changes in Fe Oxidation Rate in Hydrothermal Plumes as a Potential Driver of Enhanced Hydrothermal Input to Near-Ridge Sediments During Glacial Terminations

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Cullen, J. T.; Coogan, L. A.

2017-12-01

Recent studies have hypothesized that changes in sea level due to glacial-interglacial cycles lead to changes in the rate of melt addition to the crust at mid-ocean ridges with globally significant consequences. Arguably the most compelling evidence for this comes from increases in the hydrothermal component in near-ridge sediments during glacial-interglacial transitions. Here we explore the hypothesis that changes in ocean bottom water [O2] and pH across glacial-interglacial transitions would lead to changes in the rate of Fe oxidation in hydrothermal plumes. A simple model shows that a several fold increase in the rate of Fe oxidation is expected at glacial-interglacial transitions. Uncertainty in bottom water chemistry and the relationship between oxidation and sedimentation rates prevent direct comparison of the model and data. However, it appears that the null hypothesis of invariant hydrothermal vent fluxes into ocean bottom water that changed in O2 content and pH across these transitions cannot currently be discounted.

Permeability changes due to mineral diagenesis in fractured crust: implications for hydrothermal circulation at mid-ocean ridges

Science.gov (United States)

Fontaine, Fabrice Jh.; Rabinowicz, Michel; Boulègue, Jacques

2001-01-01

The hydrothermal processes at ridge crests have been extensively studied during the last two decades. Nevertheless, the reasons why hydrothermal fields are only occasionally found along some ridge segments remain a matter of debate. In the present study we relate this observation to the mineral precipitation induced by hydrothermal circulation. Our study is based on numerical models of convection inside a porous slot 1.5 km high, 2.25 km long and 120 m wide, where seawater is free to enter and exit at its top while the bottom is held at a constant temperature of 420°C. Since the fluid circulation is slow and the fissures in which seawater circulates are narrow, the reactions between seawater and the crust achieve local equilibrium. The rate of mineral precipitation or dissolution is proportional to the total derivative of the temperature with respect to time. Precipitation of minerals reduces the width of the fissures and thus percolation. Using conventional permeability versus porosity laws, we evaluate the evolution of the permeability field during the hydrothermal circulation. Our computations begin with a uniform permeability and a conductive thermal profile. After imposing a small random perturbation on the initial thermal field, the circulation adopts a finger-like structure, typical of convection in vertical porous slots thermally influenced by surrounding walls. Due to the strong temperature dependence of the fluid viscosity and thermal expansion, the hot rising fingers are strongly buoyant and collide with the top cold stagnant water layer. At the interface of the cold and hot layers, a horizontal boundary layer develops causing massive precipitation. This precipitation front produces a barrier to the hydrothermal flow. Consequently, the flow becomes layered on both sides of the front. The fluid temperature at the top of the layer remains quite low: it never exceeds a temperature of 80°C, well below the exit temperature of hot vent sites observed at

Sulfur Metabolism of Hydrogenovibrio thermophilus Strain S5 and Its Adaptations to Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Environment

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Lijing Jiang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Hydrogenovibrio bacteria are ubiquitous in global deep-sea hydrothermal vents. However, their adaptations enabling survival in these harsh environments are not well understood. In this study, we characterized the physiology and metabolic mechanisms of Hydrogenovibrio thermophilus strain S5, which was first isolated from an active hydrothermal vent chimney on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Physiological characterizations showed that it is a microaerobic chemolithomixotroph that can utilize sulfide, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur, tetrathionate, thiocyanate or hydrogen as energy sources and molecular oxygen as the sole electron acceptor. During thiosulfate oxidation, the strain produced extracellular sulfur globules 0.7–6.0 μm in diameter that were mainly composed of elemental sulfur and carbon. Some organic substrates including amino acids, tryptone, yeast extract, casamino acids, casein, acetate, formate, citrate, propionate, tartrate, succinate, glucose and fructose can also serve as carbon sources, but growth is weaker than under CO2 conditions, indicating that strain S5 prefers to be chemolithoautotrophic. None of the tested organic carbons could function as energy sources. Growth tests under various conditions confirmed its adaption to a mesophilic mixing zone of hydrothermal vents in which vent fluid was mixed with cold seawater, preferring moderate temperatures (optimal 37°C, alkaline pH (optimal pH 8.0, microaerobic conditions (optimal 4% O2, and reduced sulfur compounds (e.g., sulfide, optimal 100 μM. Comparative genomics showed that strain S5 possesses more complex sulfur metabolism systems than other members of genus Hydrogenovibrio. The genes encoding the intracellular sulfur oxidation protein (DsrEF and assimilatory sulfate reduction were first reported in the genus Hydrogenovibrio. In summary, the versatility in energy and carbon sources, and unique physiological properties of this bacterium have facilitated its adaptation to deep

Different TDM/CH4 hydrothermal plume signatures: TAG site at 26N and serpentinized ultrabasic diapir at 15 degrees 05'N on the Mid-Atlantic ridge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charlou, J.L.; Bougault, H. (IFREMER Centre de Brest, Plouzane (France)); Appriou, P. (Univ. de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest (France)); Nelsen, T.; Rona, P. (NOAA-AOML-OCD, Miami, FL (United States))

1991-11-01

As a part of the 1988 NOAA VENTS Program, CH{sub 4} and Mn tracers were used to identify and compare hydrothermal plumes found above the TAG Field (26{degrees}N) and in the rift valley at 15{degrees}N close to the eastern intersection of the ridge axis with the 15{degrees}20'N Fracture Zone at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Active hydrothermal venting was confirmed at TAG, based on elevated concentrations of total dissolved Mn (TDM up to 30 nmol/kg), high CH{sub 4} concentrations (up to 200 nL/L), and elevated nephelometry signals. Plumes of a different composition were identified at 15{degree}N with high CH{sub 4} concentrations (up to 400 nL/L), low total dissolved Mn concentrations (TDM < 1 nmol/kg) and no significant nephelometry signal. The different properties of these tracers and the different tracer ratios can be used to deduce vent fluid characteristics and compare one hydrothermal area to another. TDM/CH{sub 4} and Nephel/CH{sub 4} ratios at TEG are of the same order of magnitude as those observed at other spreading axis hydrothermal fields. At 15{degrees}N, the low TDM/CH{sub 4} ratio provides evidence of fluid circulation into ultrabasic rocks and offers a potentially useful and single method of exploring for hydrothermal activity associated with serpentinization. Mantle degassing through hydrothermal activity associated with serpentinization is an important process with respect to chemical and thermal exchanges between the upper mantle and the ocean. Different ratios of hydrothermal tracers (i.e., TDM/CH{sub 4}) provide a useful framework for identifying subseafloor processes along mid-oceanic ridges.

Hydrothermal Processes

Science.gov (United States)

German, C. R.; von Damm, K. L.

2003-12-01

What is Hydrothermal Circulation?Hydrothermal circulation occurs when seawater percolates downward through fractured ocean crust along the volcanic mid-ocean ridge (MOR) system. The seawater is first heated and then undergoes chemical modification through reaction with the host rock as it continues downward, reaching maximum temperatures that can exceed 400 °C. At these temperatures the fluids become extremely buoyant and rise rapidly back to the seafloor where they are expelled into the overlying water column. Seafloor hydrothermal circulation plays a significant role in the cycling of energy and mass between the solid earth and the oceans; the first identification of submarine hydrothermal venting and their accompanying chemosynthetically based communities in the late 1970s remains one of the most exciting discoveries in modern science. The existence of some form of hydrothermal circulation had been predicted almost as soon as the significance of ridges themselves was first recognized, with the emergence of plate tectonic theory. Magma wells up from the Earth's interior along "spreading centers" or "MORs" to produce fresh ocean crust at a rate of ˜20 km3 yr-1, forming new seafloor at a rate of ˜3.3 km2 yr-1 (Parsons, 1981; White et al., 1992). The young oceanic lithosphere formed in this way cools as it moves away from the ridge crest. Although much of this cooling occurs by upward conduction of heat through the lithosphere, early heat-flow studies quickly established that a significant proportion of the total heat flux must also occur via some additional convective process (Figure 1), i.e., through circulation of cold seawater within the upper ocean crust (Anderson and Silbeck, 1981). (2K)Figure 1. Oceanic heat flow versus age of ocean crust. Data from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, averaged over 2 Ma intervals (circles) depart from the theoretical cooling curve (solid line) indicating convective cooling of young ocean crust by circulating seawater

Energy landscapes shape microbial communities in hydrothermal systems on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge.

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Dahle, Håkon; Økland, Ingeborg; Thorseth, Ingunn H; Pederesen, Rolf B; Steen, Ida H

2015-07-01

Methods developed in geochemical modelling combined with recent advances in molecular microbial ecology provide new opportunities to explore how microbial communities are shaped by their chemical surroundings. Here, we present a framework for analyses of how chemical energy availability shape chemotrophic microbial communities in hydrothermal systems through an investigation of two geochemically different basalt-hosted hydrothermal systems on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge: the Soria Moria Vent field (SMVF) and the Loki's Castle Vent Field (LCVF). Chemical energy landscapes were evaluated through modelling of the Gibbs energy from selected redox reactions under different mixing ratios between seawater and hydrothermal fluids. Our models indicate that the sediment-influenced LCVF has a much higher potential for both anaerobic and aerobic methane oxidation, as well as aerobic ammonium and hydrogen oxidation, than the SMVF. The modelled energy landscapes were used to develop microbial community composition models, which were compared with community compositions in environmental samples inside or on the exterior of hydrothermal chimneys, as assessed by pyrosequencing of partial 16S rRNA genes. We show that modelled microbial communities based solely on thermodynamic considerations can have a high predictive power and provide a framework for analyses of the link between energy availability and microbial community composition.

Simulating Electrochemistry of Hydrothermal Vents on Enceladus and Other Ocean Worlds

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Barge, L. M.; Krause, F. C.; Jones, J. P.; Billings, K.; Sobron, P.

2017-12-01

Gradients generated in hydrothermal systems provide a significant source of free energy for chemosynthetic life, and may play a role in present-day habitability on ocean worlds such as Enceladus that are thought to host hydrothermal activity. Hydrothermal vents are similar in some ways to typical fuel cell devices: redox/pH gradients between seawater and hydrothermal fluid are analogous to the oxidant and fuel reservoirs; conductive natural mineral deposits are analogous to electrodes; and, in hydrothermal chimneys, the porous chimney wall can function as a separator or ion-exchange membrane. Electrochemistry, founded on quantitative study of redox and other chemical disequilibria as well as the chemistry of interfaces, is uniquely suited to studying these systems. We have performed electrochemical studies to better understand the catalytic potential of seafloor minerals and vent chimneys, using samples from a black smoker vent chimney as an initial demonstration. Fuel cell experiments with electrodes made from black smoker chimney material accurately simulated the redox reactions that occur in a geological setting with this particular catalyst. Similar methods with other geo-catalysts (natural or synthetic) could be utilized to test which redox reactions or metabolisms could be driven in other hydrothermal systems, including putative vent systems on other worlds.

Dispersion of deep-sea hydrothermal vent effluents and larvae by submesoscale and tidal currents

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Vic, Clément; Gula, Jonathan; Roullet, Guillaume; Pradillon, Florence

2018-03-01

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents provide sources of geochemical materials that impact the global ocean heat and chemical budgets, and support complex biological communities. Vent effluents and larvae are dispersed and transported long distances by deep ocean currents, but these currents are largely undersampled and little is known about their variability. Submesoscale (0.1-10 km) currents are known to play an important role for the dispersion of biogeochemical materials in the ocean surface layer, but their impact for the dispersion in the deep ocean is unknown. Here, we use a series of nested regional oceanic numerical simulations with increasing resolution (from δx = 6 km to δx = 0.75 km) to investigate the structure and variability of highly-resolved deep currents over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and their role on the dispersion of the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent effluents and larvae. We shed light on a submesoscale regime of oceanic turbulence over the MAR at 1500 m depth, contrasting with open-ocean - i.e., far from topographic features - regimes of turbulence, dominated by mesoscales. Impacts of submesoscale and tidal currents on larval dispersion and connectivity among vent populations are investigated by releasing neutrally buoyant Lagrangian particles at the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent. Although the absolute dispersion is overall not sensitive to the model resolution, submesoscale currents are found to significantly increase both the horizontal and vertical relative dispersion of particles at O(1-10) km and O(1-10) days, resulting in an increased mixing of the cloud of particles. A fraction of particles are trapped in submesoscale coherent vortices, which enable transport over long time and distances. Tidal currents and internal tides do not significantly impact the horizontal relative dispersion. However, they roughly double the vertical dispersion. Specifically, particles undergo strong tidally-induced mixing close to rough topographic features

A thermoelectric cap for seafloor hydrothermal vents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Yu; Wu, Shi-jun; Yang, Can-jun

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We developed a thermoelectric cap (TC) to harvest hydrothermal energy. • The TC was deployed at a hydrothermal vent site near Kueishantao islet, Taiwan. • The TC monitored the temperature of the hydrothermal fluids during the field test. • The TC could make the thermal energy of hydrothermal fluids a viable power source. - Abstract: Long-term in situ monitoring is crucial to seafloor scientific investigations. One of the challenges of operating sensors in seabed is the lifespan of the sensors. Such sensors are commonly powered by batteries when other alternatives, such as tidal or solar energy, are unavailable. However, the batteries have a limited lifespan and must be recharged or replaced periodically, which is costly and impractical. A thermoelectric cap, which harvests the thermal energy of hydrothermal fluids through a conduction pipe and converts the heat to electrical energy by using thermoelectric generators, was developed to avoid these inconveniences. The thermoelectric cap was combined with a power and temperature measurement system that enables the thermoelectric cap to power a light-emitting diode lamp, an electronic load (60 Ω), and 16 thermocouples continuously. The thermoelectric cap was field tested at a shallow hydrothermal vent site near Kueishantao islet, which is located offshore of northeastern Taiwan. By using the thermal gradient between hydrothermal fluids and seawater, the thermoelectric cap obtained a sustained power of 0.2–0.5 W during the field test. The thermoelectric cap successfully powered the 16 thermocouples and recorded the temperature of the hydrothermal fluids during the entire field test. Our results show that the thermal energy of hydrothermal fluids can be an alternative renewable power source for oceanographic research.

Three-Dimensional Seismic Structure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: An Investigation of Tectonic, Magmatic, and Hydrothermal Processes in the Rainbow Area

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Dunn, Robert A.; Arai, Ryuta; Eason, Deborah E.; Canales, J. Pablo; Sohn, Robert A.

2017-12-01

To test models of tectonic, magmatic, and hydrothermal processes along slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges, we analyzed seismic refraction data from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge INtegrated Experiments at Rainbow (MARINER) seismic and geophysical mapping experiment. Centered at the Rainbow area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (36°14'N), this study examines a section of ridge with volcanically active segments and a relatively amagmatic ridge offset that hosts the ultramafic Rainbow massif and its high-temperature hydrothermal vent field. Tomographic images of the crust and upper mantle show segment-scale variations in crustal structure, thickness, and the crust-mantle transition, which forms a vertical gradient rather than a sharp boundary. There is little definitive evidence for large regions of sustained high temperatures and melt in the lower crust or upper mantle along the ridge axes, suggesting that melts rising from the mantle intrude as small intermittent magma bodies at crustal and subcrustal levels. The images reveal large rotated crustal blocks, which extend to mantle depths in some places, corresponding to off-axis normal fault locations. Low velocities cap the Rainbow massif, suggesting an extensive near-surface alteration zone due to low-temperature fluid-rock reactions. Within the interior of the massif, seismic images suggest a mixture of peridotite and gabbroic intrusions, with little serpentinization. Here diffuse microearthquake activity indicates a brittle deformation regime supporting a broad network of cracks. Beneath the Rainbow hydrothermal vent field, fluid circulation is largely driven by the heat of small cooling melt bodies intruded into the base of the massif and channeled by the crack network and shallow faults.

Genetic diversity of archaea in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.

OpenAIRE

Takai, K; Horikoshi, K

1999-01-01

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of naturally occurring archaeal communities in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments was carried out by PCR-mediated small subunit rRNA gene (SSU rDNA) sequencing. As determined through partial sequencing of rDNA clones amplified with archaea-specific primers, the archaeal populations in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments showed a great genetic diversity, and most members of these populations appeared to be uncultivated and unidentified organisms. In the...

Linking geology, fluid chemistry, and microbial activity of basalt- and ultramafic-hosted deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Perner, M; Hansen, M; Seifert, R; Strauss, H; Koschinsky, A; Petersen, S

2013-07-01

Hydrothermal fluids passing through basaltic rocks along mid-ocean ridges are known to be enriched in sulfide, while those circulating through ultramafic mantle rocks are typically elevated in hydrogen. Therefore, it has been estimated that the maximum energy in basalt-hosted systems is available through sulfide oxidation and in ultramafic-hosted systems through hydrogen oxidation. Furthermore, thermodynamic models suggest that the greatest biomass potential arises from sulfide oxidation in basalt-hosted and from hydrogen oxidation in ultramafic-hosted systems. We tested these predictions by measuring biological sulfide and hydrogen removal and subsequent autotrophic CO2 fixation in chemically distinct hydrothermal fluids from basalt-hosted and ultramafic-hosted vents. We found a large potential of microbial hydrogen oxidation in naturally hydrogen-rich (ultramafic-hosted) but also in naturally hydrogen-poor (basalt-hosted) hydrothermal fluids. Moreover, hydrogen oxidation-based primary production proved to be highly attractive under our incubation conditions regardless whether hydrothermal fluids from ultramafic-hosted or basalt-hosted sites were used. Site-specific hydrogen and sulfide availability alone did not appear to determine whether hydrogen or sulfide oxidation provides the energy for primary production by the free-living microbes in the tested hydrothermal fluids. This suggests that more complex features (e.g., a combination of oxygen, temperature, biological interactions) may play a role for determining which energy source is preferably used in chemically distinct hydrothermal vent biotopes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Numerical Modeling of Hydrothermal Circulation at the Longqi-1 Field: Southwest Indian Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Z.; Lowell, R. P.; Tao, C.; Rupke, L.; Lewis, K. C.

2017-12-01

The Longqi-1(Dragon Flag) hydrothermal field is the first high-temperature hydrothermal system observed on the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. Hydrothermal vents with temperatures near 380 °C are localized by detachment faulting within which extensional deformation likely increases permeability to provide preferred pathways for hydrothermal discharge. To better understand the Longqi-1 circulation system, we construct a 2-D numerical simulations in a NaCl- H2O fluid constrained by key observational data, such as vent temperature and heat output, crust structure derived from seismic data, and fault zone geometry deduced from seismicity. Heat output from AUV surveys is estimated to be » 300 ± 100 MW, and this value, in conjunction with vent temperature was used with the single-pass modeling approach to obtain an average permeability of 10-13 m-2 within the fault zone. In analogy with other fault-controlled hydrothermal systems such as Logatchev-1 we assume a lower background permeability of 10-14 m-2. The top boundary of the system is permeable and maintained at constant seafloor pressure, which is divided into two parts by the detachment fault. The pressure of the southern part is lower than the northern part to simulate the effect of the seafloor topography. The top boundary is upstream weighted to allow high temperature fluid to exit, while recharging fluid is maintained at 10°C. The bottom boundary is impermeable and is given a fixed temperature distribution at a depth of 7 km below the seafloor. The highest value Tmax is maintained over a distance given lateral distance and decreases linearly towards two ends to 300 °C. The salinity is set to 3.2 wt. % NaCl, and the simulations are assumed to be single phase. The results show that with a 7 km deep circulation system, Tmax = 550 oC gives a reasonable temperature and heat output of venting plume.We infer that the observed high salinity results from serpentinization reactions. Assuming all salinity

Primary Formation Path of Formaldehyde in Hydrothermal Vents

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Inaba, Satoshi

2018-03-01

Formaldehyde is abundant in the universe and one of the fundamental molecules for life. Hydrothermal vents produce a substantial amount of hydrogen molecules by serpentinization and promote reductive reactions of single carbon compounds. The abundance of formaldehyde is expected to be low due to the high Gibbs free energy in hydrothermal vents. We consider two competing formation pathways of formaldehyde: (1) the reduction of CO by H2 and (2) the reduction of HCOOH by H2 to form a methanediol, followed by the dehydration of the methanediol. We performed a number of quantum chemical simulations to examine the formation of formaldehyde in the gas phase as well as in aqueous solution. The energy barrier is significantly reduced by the catalytic effect of water molecules in aqueous solution and becomes lowest when a water cluster consisted of 5 water molecules catalyzes the reduction. The energy barrier to form a methanediol by the reduction of HCOOH is lower by 17.5 kcal/mol than that to form a formaldehyde by the reduction of CO. Considering the low energy barrier to dehydrate methanediol, the primary pathway to form formaldehyde in hydrothermal vents is concluded to be the reduction of HCOOH by H2, followed by the dehydration of methanediol.

Long-term hydrothermal temperature and pressure monitoring equipped with a Kuroko cultivation apparatus on the deep-sea artificial hydrothermal vent at the middle Okinawa Trough

Science.gov (United States)

Masaki, Y.; Nozaki, T.; Saruhashi, T.; Kyo, M.; Sakurai, N.; Yokoyama, T.; Akiyama, K.; Watanabe, M.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.; Kinoshita, M.

2017-12-01

The middle Okinawa Trough, located along the Ryukyu- arc on the margin of the East China Sea, has several active hydrothermal fields. From February to March 2016, Cruise CK16-01 by D/V Chikyu targeted the Iheya-North Knoll and southern flank of the Iheya Minor Ridge to comprehend sub-seafloor geological structure and polymetallic sulfide mineralization. In this cruise, we installed two Kuroko cultivation apparatuses equipped with P/T sensors, flowmeter and load cell to monitor pressure, temperature and flow rate of hydrothermal fluid discharged from the artificial hydrothermal vent together with weight of hydrothermal precipitate. During Cruise KR16-17 in January 2017, two cultivation cells with sensor loggers were successfully recovered by ROV Kaiko MK-IV and R/V Kairei. We report these physical sensor data obtained by more than 10 months monitoring at two deep-sea artificial hydrothermal vents through many first and challenging operations.Hole C9017B at southern flank of the Iheya Minor Ridge (water depth of 1,500 mbsl), fluid temperature was constant ca. 75 ºC for 5 months from the beginning of monitoring. Then temperature gradually decrease to be 40 ºC. In November 2016, temperature and pressure suddenly dropped and quickly recovered due to the disturbance of subseafloor hydrology, induced by another drilling operation at Hole C9017A which is 10.8 meters northeastward from Hole C9017B during Cruise CK16-05. Temperature data exhibit conspicuous periodic 12.4hour cycles and this is attributable to oceanic tidal response. The amplitude of temperature variations increased along with decline of the temperature variations increased along with decline of the temperature. The average flow rate was 67 L/min for 9 hours from the onset of monitoring.Hole C9024A at the Iheya-North Knoll (water depth of 1,050 msl), the maximum temperature reached 308 ºC, which is similar to the maximum value of 311 ºC obtained from the ROV thermometer. The average flow rate was 289 L

Composition of hydrothermal fluids and mineralogy of associated chimney material on the East Scotia Ridge back-arc spreading centre

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James, Rachael H.; Green, Darryl R. H.; Stock, Michael J.; Alker, Belinda J.; Banerjee, Neil R.; Cole, Catherine; German, Christopher R.; Huvenne, Veerle A. I.; Powell, Alexandra M.; Connelly, Douglas P.

2014-08-01

The East Scotia Ridge is an active back-arc spreading centre located to the west of the South Sandwich island arc in the Southern Ocean. Initial exploration of the ridge by deep-tow surveys provided the first evidence for hydrothermal activity in a back-arc setting outside of the western Pacific, and we returned in 2010 with a remotely operated vehicle to precisely locate and sample hydrothermal sites along ridge segments E2 and E9. Here we report the chemical and isotopic composition of high- and low-temperature vent fluids, and the mineralogy of associated high-temperature chimney material, for two sites at E2 (Dog’s Head and Sepia), and four sites at E9 (Black & White, Ivory Tower, Pagoda and Launch Pad). The chemistry of the fluids is highly variable between the ridge segments. Fluid temperatures were ∼350 °C at all vent sites except Black & White, which was significantly hotter (383 °C). End-member chloride concentrations in E2 fluids (532-536 mM) were close to background seawater (540 mM), whereas Cl in E9 fluids was much lower (98-220 mM) indicating that these fluids are affected by phase separation. Concentrations of the alkali elements (Na, Li, K and Cs) and the alkaline earth elements (Ca, Sr and Ba) co-vary with Cl, due to charge balance constraints. Similarly, concentrations of Mn and Zn are highest in the high Cl fluids but, by contrast, Fe/Cl ratios are higher in E9 fluids (3.8-8.1 × 10-3) than they are in E2 fluids (1.5-2.4 × 10-3) and fluids with lowest Cl have highest Cu. Although both ridge segments are magmatically inflated, there is no compelling evidence for input of magmatic gases to the vent fluids. Fluid δD values range from 0.2‰ to 1.5‰, pH values (3.02-3.42) are not especially low, and F concentrations (34.6-54.4 μM) are lower than bottom seawater (62.8 μM). The uppermost sections of conjugate chimney material from E2, and from Ivory Tower and Pagoda at E9, typically exhibit inner zones of massive chalcopyrite enclosed

Microbial anaerobic methane cycling in the subseafloor at the Von Damm hydrothermal vent field, Mid-Cayman Rise

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Huber, J. A.; Reveillaud, J. C.; Stepanauskas, R.; McDermott, J. M.; Sylva, S. P.; Seewald, J.

2013-12-01

The Mid-Cayman Rise (MCR) is Earth's deepest and slowest spreading mid-ocean ridge located in the western Caribbean. With an axial rift valley floor at a depth of ~4200-6500 m, it represents one of the deepest sections of ridge crest worldwide. In 2009, the world's deepest hydrothermal vents (Piccard at 4960 m) and an ultramafic-influenced system only 20 km away on top of an oceanic core complex (Von Damm at 2350 m) were discovered along the MCR. Each site is hosted in a distinct geologic setting with different thermal and chemical regimes. The Von Damm site is a particularly interesting location to examine chemolithoautotrophic subseafloor microbial communities due to the abundant hydrogen, methane, and organic compounds in the venting fluids. Here, we used a combination of stable isotope tracing, next-generation sequencing, and single cell techniques to determine the identity, activity, and genomic repertoire of subseafloor anaerobic archaea involved in methane cycling in hydrothermal fluids venting at the Von Damm site. Molecular sequencing of phylogenetic marker genes revealed the presence of diverse archaea that both generate and consume methane across a geochemical and thermal spectrum of vents. Stable isotope tracing experiments were used to detect biological utilization of formate and dissolved inorganic carbon, and methane generation at 70 °C under anaerobic conditions. Results indicate that methanogenesis with formate as a substrate is occurring at 70 °C at two Von Damm sites, Ginger Castle and the Main Orifice. The results are consistent with thermodynamic predictions for carbon speciation at the temperatures encountered at the ultramafic-hosted Von Damm, where formate is predicted to be thermodynamically stable, and may thus serve as a an important source of carbon. Diverse thermophilic methanogenic archaea belonging to the genera Methanothermococcus were detected at all vent sites with both 16S rRNA tag sequencing and single cell sorting. Other

Pathways of carbon and energy metabolism of the epibiotic community associated with the deep-sea hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata.

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Hügler, Michael; Petersen, Jillian M; Dubilier, Nicole; Imhoff, Johannes F; Sievert, Stefan M

2011-01-07

The shrimp Rimicaris exoculata dominates the faunal biomass at many deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In its enlarged gill chamber it harbors a specialized epibiotic bacterial community for which a nutritional role has been proposed. We analyzed specimens from the Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge by complementing a 16S rRNA gene survey with the analysis of genes involved in carbon, sulfur and hydrogen metabolism. In addition to Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, the epibiotic community unexpectedly also consists of Deltaproteobacteria of a single phylotype, closely related to the genus Desulfocapsa. The association of these phylogenetic groups with the shrimp was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Based on functional gene analyses, we hypothesize that the Gamma- and Epsilonproteobacteria are capable of autotrophic growth by oxidizing reduced sulfur compounds, and that the Deltaproteobacteria are also involved in sulfur metabolism. In addition, the detection of proteobacterial hydrogenases indicates the potential for hydrogen oxidation in these communities. Interestingly, the frequency of these phylotypes in 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from the mouthparts differ from that of the inner lining of the gill chamber, indicating potential functional compartmentalization. Our data show the specific association of autotrophic bacteria with Rimicaris exoculata from the Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field, and suggest that autotrophic carbon fixation is contributing to the productivity of the epibiotic community with the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle as one important carbon fixation pathway. This has not been considered in previous studies of carbon fixation and stable carbon isotope composition of the shrimp and its epibionts. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of sulfur-oxidizing and sulfur-reducing epibionts raises the possibility that both may be involved in the syntrophic exchange of sulfur compounds

Preservation of iron(II) by carbon-rich matrices in a hydrothermal plume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toner, Brandy M.; Fakra, Sirine C.; Manganini, Steven J.; Santelli, Cara M.; Marcus, Matthew A.; Moffett, James W.; Rouxel, Olivier; German, Christopher R.; Edwards, Katrina J.

2008-09-20

Hydrothermal venting associated with mid-ocean ridge volcanism is globally widespread. This venting is responsible for a dissolved iron flux to the ocean that is approximately equal to that associated with continental riverine runoff. For hydrothermal fluxes, it has long been assumed that most of the iron entering the oceans is precipitated in inorganic forms. However, the possibility of globally significant fluxes of iron escaping these mass precipitation events and entering open-ocean cycles is now being debated, and two recent studies suggest that dissolved organic ligands might influence the fate of hydrothermally vented metals. Here we present spectromicroscopic measurements of iron and carbon in hydrothermal plume particles at the East Pacific Rise mid-ocean ridge. We show that organic carbon-rich matrices, containing evenly dispersed iron(II)-rich materials, are pervasive in hydrothermal plume particles. The absence of discrete iron(II) particles suggests that the carbon and iron associate through sorption or complexation. We suggest that these carbon matrices stabilize iron(II) released from hydrothermal vents in the region, preventing its oxidation and/or precipitation as insoluble minerals. Our findings have implications for deep-sea biogeochemical cycling of iron, a widely recognized limiting nutrient in the oceans.

Electron microscopy study of microbial mat in the North Fiji basin hydrothermal vent

Science.gov (United States)

Park, H.; Kim, J. W.; Lee, J. W.

2017-12-01

Hydrothermal vent systems consisting of hydrothermal vent, hydrothermal sediment and microbial mat are widely spread around the ocean, particularly spreading axis, continental margin and back-arc basin. Scientists have perceived that the hydrothermal systems, which reflect the primeval earth environment, are one of the best places to reveal the origin of life and extensive biogeochemical process of microbe-mineral interaction. In the present study multiline of analytical methods (X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)) were utilized to investigate the mineralogy/chemistry of microbe-mineral interaction in hydrothermal microbial mat. Microbial mat samples were recovered by Canadian scientific submersible ROPOS on South Pacific North Fiji basin KIOST hydrothermal vent expedition 1602. XRD analysis showed that red-colored microbial mat contains Fe-oxides and Fe-oxyhydroxides. Various morphologies of minerals in the red-colored microbial mat observed by SEM are mainly showed sheath shaped, resembled with Leptothrix microbial structure, stalks shaped, similar with Marioprofundus microbial structure and globule shaped microbial structures. They are also detected with DNA analysis. The cross sectional observation of microbial structures encrusted with Fe-oxide and Fe-oxyhydroxide at a nano scale by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technique was developed to verify the structural/biogeochemical properties in the microbe-mineral interaction. Systematic nano-scale measurements on the biomineralization in the microbial mat leads the understandings of biogeochemical environments around the hydrothermal vent.

Ca isotope fractionation and Sr/Ca partitioning associated with anhydrite formation at mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems: An experimental approach

Science.gov (United States)

Syverson, D. D.; Scheuermann, P.; Pester, N. J.; Higgins, J. A.; Seyfried, W. E., Jr.

2016-12-01

The elemental and isotopic mass balance of Ca and Sr between seawater and basalt at mid-ocean ridge (MOR) hydrothermal systems is an integrated reflection of the various physiochemical processes, which induce chemical exchange, in the subseafloor. Specifically, the processes of anhydrite precipitation and recrystallization are recognized to be important controls on governing the Ca and Sr elemental and isotope compositions of high temperature vent fluids, however, few experimental data exist to constrain these geochemical effects. Thus, to better understand the associated Sr/Ca partitioning and Ca isotope fractionation and rate of exchange between anhydrite and dissolved constituents, anhydrite precipitation and recrystallization experiments were performed at 175, 250, and 350°C and 500 bar at chemical conditions indicative of active MOR hydrothermal systems. The experimental data suggest that upon entrainment of seawater into MOR hydrothermal systems, anhydrite will precipitate rapidly and discriminate against the heavy isotopes of Ca (Δ44/40Ca(Anh-Fluid) = -0.68 - -0.25 ‰), whereas Sr/Ca partitioning depends on the saturation state of the evolving hydrothermal fluid with respect to anhydrite at each PTX (KD(Anh-Fluid) = 1.24 - 0.55). Coupling experimental constraints with the temperature gradient inferred for high temperature MOR hydrothermal systems in the oceanic crust, data suggest that the Ca isotope and Sr elemental composition of anhydrite formed near the seafloor will be influenced by disequilibrium effects, while, at higher temperatures further into the oceanic crust, anhydrite will be representative of equilibrium Sr/Ca partitioning and Ca isotope fractionation conditions. These experimental observations are consistent with analyzed Sr/Ca and Ca isotope compositions of anhydrites and vent fluids sampled from modern MOR hydrothermal systems1,2 and can be used to further constrain the geochemical effects of hydrothermal circulation in the oceanic crust

Spatial scaling of bacterial community diversity at shallow hydrothermal vents: a global comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Pop Ristova, P.; Hassenrueck, C.; Molari, M.; Fink, A.; Bühring, S. I.

2016-02-01

Marine shallow hydrothermal vents are extreme environments, often characterized by discharge of fluids with e.g. high temperatures, low pH, and laden with elements toxic to higher organisms. They occur at continental margins around the world's oceans, but represent fragmented, isolated habitats of locally small areal coverage. Microorganisms contribute the main biomass at shallow hydrothermal vent ecosystems and build the basis of the food chain by autotrophic fixation of carbon both via chemosynthesis and photosynthesis, occurring simultaneously. Despite their importance and unique capacity to adapt to these extreme environments, little is known about the spatial scales on which the alpha- and beta-diversity of microbial communities vary at shallow vents, and how the geochemical habitat heterogeneity influences shallow vent biodiversity. Here for the first time we investigated the spatial scaling of microbial biodiversity patterns and their interconnectivity at geochemically diverse shallow vents on a global scale. This study presents data on the comparison of bacterial community structures on large (> 1000 km) and small (0.1 - 100 m) spatial scales as derived from ARISA and Illumina sequencing. Despite the fragmented global distribution of shallow hydrothermal vents, similarity of vent bacterial communities decreased with geographic distance, confirming the ubiquity of distance-decay relationship. Moreover, at all investigated vents, pH was the main factor locally structuring these communities, while temperature influenced both the alpha- and beta-diversity.

Geomicrobiology of Hydrothermal Vents in Yellowstone Lake: Phylogenetic and Functional Analysis suggest Importance of Geochemistry (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Inskeep, W. P.; Macur, R.; Jay, Z.; Clingenpeel, S.; Tenney, A.; Lavalvo, D.; Shanks, W. C.; McDermott, T.; Kan, J.; Gorby, Y.; Morgan, L. A.; Yooseph, S.; Varley, J.; Nealson, K.

2010-12-01

Yellowstone Lake (Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA) is a large, high-altitude, fresh-water lake that straddles the most recent Yellowstone caldera, and is situated on top of significant hydrothermal activity. An interdisciplinary study is underway to evaluate the geochemical and geomicrobiological characteristics of several hydrothermal vent environments sampled using a remotely operated vehicle, and to determine the degree to which these vents may influence the biology of this young freshwater ecosystem. Approximately six different vent systems (locations) were sampled during 2007 and 2008, and included water obtained directly from the hydrothermal vents as well as biomass and sediment associated with these high-temperature environments. Thorough geochemical analysis of these hydrothermal environments reveals variation in pH, sulfide, hydrogen and other potential electron donors that may drive primary productivity. The concentrations of dissolved hydrogen and sulfide were extremely high in numerous vents sampled, especially the deeper (30-50 m) vents located in the Inflated Plain, West Thumb, and Mary Bay. Significant dilution of hydrothermal fluids occurs due to mixing with surrounding lake water. Despite this, the temperatures observed in many of these hydrothermal vents range from 50-90 C, and elevated concentrations of constituents typically associated with geothermal activity in Yellowstone are observed in waters sampled directly from vent discharge. Microorganisms associated with elemental sulfur mats and filamentous ‘streamer’ communities of Inflated Plain and West Thumb (pH range 5-6) were dominated by members of the deeply-rooted bacterial Order Aquificales, but also contain thermophilic members of the domain Archaea. Assembly of metagenome sequence from the Inflated Plain vent biomass and to a lesser extent, West Thumb vent biomass reveal the importance of Sulfurihydrogenibium-like organisms, also important in numerous terrestrial geothermal

Detection of putatively thermophilic anaerobic methanotrophs in diffuse hydrothermal vent fluids.

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Merkel, Alexander Y; Huber, Julie A; Chernyh, Nikolay A; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Elizaveta A; Lebedinsky, Alexander V

2013-02-01

The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is carried out by a globally distributed group of uncultivated Euryarchaeota, the anaerobic methanotrophic arachaea (ANME). In this work, we used G+C analysis of 16S rRNA genes to identify a putatively thermophilic ANME group and applied newly designed primers to study its distribution in low-temperature diffuse vent fluids from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. We found that the G+C content of the 16S rRNA genes (P(GC)) is significantly higher in the ANME-1GBa group than in other ANME groups. Based on the positive correlation between the P(GC) and optimal growth temperatures (T(opt)) of archaea, we hypothesize that the ANME-1GBa group is adapted to thrive at high temperatures. We designed specific 16S rRNA gene-targeted primers for the ANME-1 cluster to detect all phylogenetic groups within this cluster, including the deeply branching ANME-1GBa group. The primers were successfully tested both in silico and in experiments with sediment samples where ANME-1 phylotypes had previously been detected. The primers were further used to screen for the ANME-1 microorganisms in diffuse vent fluid samples from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean, and sequences belonging to the ANME-1 cluster were detected in four individual vents. Phylotypes belonging to the ANME-1GBa group dominated in clone libraries from three of these vents. Our findings provide evidence of existence of a putatively extremely thermophilic group of methanotrophic archaea that occur in geographically and geologically distinct marine hydrothermal habitats.

An abyssal mobilome: viruses, plasmids and vesicles from deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

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Lossouarn, Julien; Dupont, Samuel; Gorlas, Aurore; Mercier, Coraline; Bienvenu, Nadege; Marguet, Evelyne; Forterre, Patrick; Geslin, Claire

2015-12-01

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as viruses, plasmids, vesicles, gene transfer agents (GTAs), transposons and transpovirions, which collectively represent the mobilome, interact with cellular organisms from all three domains of life, including those thriving in the most extreme environments. While efforts have been made to better understand deep-sea vent microbial ecology, our knowledge of the mobilome associated with prokaryotes inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents remains limited. Here we focus on the abyssal mobilome by reviewing accumulating data on viruses, plasmids and vesicles associated with thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Bacteria and Archaea present in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Lipid Biomarkers and Molecular Carbon Isotopes for Elucidating Carbon Cycling Pathways in Hydrothermal Vents

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Zhang, C. L.; Dai, J.; Campbell, B.; Cary, C.; Sun, M.

2003-12-01

Increasing molecular evidence suggests that hydrothermal vents in mid-ocean ridges harbor large populations of free-living bacteria, particularly the epsilon Proteobacteria. However, pathways for carbon metabolism by these bacteria are poorly known. We are addressing this question by analyzing the lipid biomarkers and their isotope signatures in environments where the epsilon Proteobacteria are likely predominant. Solid materials were collected from hydrothermal vents in the East Pacific Rise and at the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California. Fatty acids extracted from these samples are dominated by 16:0 (27-41%), 18:0 (16-48%), 18:1 (11-42%), 16:1 (7-12%), and 14:0 (5-28%). In addition, 15:0 and anteiso-15:0 are significantly present (2-3%) in samples from the Guaymas Basin. The isotopic compositions of these fatty acids range from -15.0\\permil to -33.1\\permil with the most positive values occurring only in monounsaturated fatty acids (16:1 and 18:1). We are currently unable to assign these biomarkers to any of the epsilon Proteobacteria because biomarkers are poorly known for these organisms isolated from the vents. However, no polyunsaturated fatty acids were detected in these samples, which are consistent with the absence of vent animals at the sampling sites. Signature biomarkers of 20:1 and cy21:0, which are characteristic of the thermophilic chemolithoautotrophs such as Aquificales, are also absent in these samples. These results imply that the deeply branched Aquificales species do not constitute the major microbial community in these vent environments. The large range of molecular isotopic compositions suggests that these lipids are synthesized from various carbon sources with different isotopic compositions or through different biosynthetic pathways, or both. We are currently measuring the isotopic compositions of the total organic carbon in the bulk samples and will determine the fractionations between lipid biomarkers and the total organic carbon

Metagenomic Signatures of Microbial Communities in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Sediments of Azores Vent Fields.

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Cerqueira, Teresa; Barroso, Cristina; Froufe, Hugo; Egas, Conceição; Bettencourt, Raul

2018-01-21

The organisms inhabiting the deep-seafloor are known to play a crucial role in global biogeochemical cycles. Chemolithoautotrophic prokaryotes, which produce biomass from single carbon molecules, constitute the primary source of nutrition for the higher organisms, being critical for the sustainability of food webs and overall life in the deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems. The present study investigates the metabolic profiles of chemolithoautotrophs inhabiting the sediments of Menez Gwen and Rainbow deep-sea vent fields, in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Differences in the microbial community structure might be reflecting the distinct depth, geology, and distance from vent of the studied sediments. A metagenomic sequencing approach was conducted to characterize the microbiome of the deep-sea hydrothermal sediments and the relevant metabolic pathways used by microbes. Both Menez Gwen and Rainbow metagenomes contained a significant number of genes involved in carbon fixation, revealing the largely autotrophic communities thriving in both sites. Carbon fixation at Menez Gwen site was predicted to occur mainly via the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, likely reflecting the dominance of sulfur-oxidizing Epsilonproteobacteria at this site, while different autotrophic pathways were identified at Rainbow site, in particular the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. Chemolithotrophy appeared to be primarily driven by the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds, whether through the SOX-dependent pathway at Menez Gwen site or through reverse sulfate reduction at Rainbow site. Other energy-yielding processes, such as methane, nitrite, or ammonia oxidation, were also detected but presumably contributing less to chemolithoautotrophy. This work furthers our knowledge of the microbial ecology of deep-sea hydrothermal sediments and represents an important repository of novel genes with potential biotechnological interest.

Borders of life: lessons from Microbiology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents

Science.gov (United States)

Prieur, D.

Thirty years ago, the deep-sea was known as a low density biotope due to coldness, darkness and famine-like conditions. The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Eastern Pacific in 1977 and the associated black smokers in 1979 considerably changed our views about life on Earth. For the first time, an ecosystem almost independent (at least for tens of years) of solar nergy was discovered. Besides the spectacular and unexpected communities of invertebrates based on symbiotic associations with chemo-litho-autotrophic bacteria, prokaryotic communities associated with high temperature black smokers fascinated microbiologists of extreme environments. Within mineral structures where temperature gradients may fluctuate from ambient seawater temperatures (2°C) up to 350°C, thermophilic (optimal growth above 60°C) and hyperthermophilic (optimal growth above 80°C) microorganisms thrived under very severe conditions due to elevated hydrostatic pressure, toxic compounds or strong ionizing radiations. These organisms belong to both domains of Bacteria and Archaea and live aerobically but mostly anaerobically, using a variety of inorganic and organic carbon sources, and a variety of electron donnors and acceptors as well. The most thermophilic organism known on Earth was isolated from a mid-Atlantic-Ridge hydrotermal vent: Pyrolobus fumarii grows optimally at 110°c and its upper temperature limit for life is 113°C. Such an organism survived to autoclaving conditions currently used for sterilization procedures. Many other hyperthermophilic organisms were isolated and described, including fermenters, sulphate and sulphur reducers, hydrogen oxidizers, nitrate reducers, methanogens, etc. Although most of anaerobes are killed when exposed to oxygen, several deep-sea hyperthermophiles appeared to survive to both oxygen and starvation exposures, indicating that they probably can colonize rather distant environments Because of elevated hydrostatic pressure that exists at

Hydrothermal vent fields discovered in the southern Gulf of California clarify role of habitat in augmenting regional diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Goffredi, Shana K; Johnson, Shannon; Tunnicliffe, Verena; Caress, David; Clague, David; Escobar, Elva; Lundsten, Lonny; Paduan, Jennifer B; Rouse, Greg; Salcedo, Diana L; Soto, Luis A; Spelz-Madero, Ronald; Zierenberg, Robert; Vrijenhoek, Robert

2017-07-26

Hydrothermal vent communities are distributed along mid-ocean spreading ridges as isolated patches. While distance is a key factor influencing connectivity among sites, habitat characteristics are also critical. The Pescadero Basin (PB) and Alarcón Rise (AR) vent fields, recently discovered in the southern Gulf of California, are bounded by previously known vent localities (e.g. Guaymas Basin and 21° N East Pacific Rise); yet, the newly discovered vents differ markedly in substrata and vent fluid attributes. Out of 116 macrofaunal species observed or collected, only three species are shared among all four vent fields, while 73 occur at only one locality. Foundation species at basalt-hosted sulfide chimneys on the AR differ from the functional equivalents inhabiting sediment-hosted carbonate chimneys in the PB, only 75 km away. The dominant species of symbiont-hosting tubeworms and clams, and peripheral suspension-feeding taxa, differ between the sites. Notably, the PB vents host a limited and specialized fauna in which 17 of 26 species are unknown at other regional vents and many are new species. Rare sightings and captured larvae of the 'missing' species revealed that dispersal limitation is not responsible for differences in community composition at the neighbouring vent localities. Instead, larval recruitment-limiting habitat suitability probably favours species differentially. As scenarios develop to design conservation strategies around mining of seafloor sulfide deposits, these results illustrate that models encompassing habitat characteristics are needed to predict metacommunity structure. © 2017 The Authors.

Free-living nematode species (Nematoda) dwelling in hydrothermal sites of the North Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Tchesunov, Alexei V.

2015-12-01

Morphological descriptions of seven free-living nematode species from hydrothermal sites of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are presented. Four of them are new for science: Paracanthonchus olgae sp. n. (Chromadorida, Cyatholaimidae), Prochromadora helenae sp. n. (Chromadorida, Chromadoridae), Prochaetosoma ventriverruca sp. n. (Desmodorida, Draconematidae) and Leptolaimus hydrothermalis sp. n. (Plectida, Leptolaimidae). Two species have been previously recorded in hydrothermal habitats, and one species is recorded for the first time in such an environment. Oncholaimus scanicus (Enoplida, Oncholaimidae) was formerly known from only the type locality in non-hydrothermal shallow milieu of the Norway Sea. O. scanicus is a very abundant species in Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike and Lost City hydrothermal sites, and population of the last locality differs from other two in some morphometric characteristics. Desmodora marci (Desmodorida, Desmodoridae) was previously known from other remote deep-sea hydrothermal localities in south-western and north-eastern Pacific. Halomonhystera vandoverae (Monhysterida, Monhysteridae) was described and repeatedly found in mass in Snake Pit hydrothermal site. The whole hydrothermal nematode assemblages are featured by low diversity in comparison with either shelf or deep-sea non-hydrothermal communities. The nematode species list of the Atlantic hydrothermal vents consists of representatives of common shallow-water genera; the new species are also related to some shelf species. On the average, the hydrothermal species differ from those of slope and abyssal plains of comparable depths by larger sizes, diversity of buccal structures, presence of food content in the gut and ripe eggs in uteri.

First Survey For Submarine Hydrothermal Vents In NE Sulawesi, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

McConachy, T.; Binns, R.; Permana, H.

2001-12-01

The IASSHA-2001 cruise (Indonesia-Australia Survey for Submarine Hydrothermal Activity) was successfully conducted from June 1 to June 29 on board Baruna Jaya VIII. Preliminary results are reported of the first expedition to locate and study submarine hydrothermal activity in north east Sulawesi. Leg A focussed on Tomini Bay, a virtually unexplored Neogene sedimentary basin. Its objective was to test whether modern sediment-hosted hydrothermal activity occurred on the sea floor. The results of new bathymetric mapping, sediment coring and CTD/transmissometer hydrocasts negate the likely presence in central Tomini Bay of large-scale modern analogues of hydrothermal massive sulfide environments involving hydrothermal venting of basinal or magma-derived fluids into reduced sediments. It is possible that the "heat engine" required to drive circulation of basinal and hydrothermal fluids is today too weak. Surveys around Colo volcano indicate that it may be in its final stage of evolution. Leg B studied the arc and behind-arc sectors of the Sangihe volcanic island chain extending northwards from Quaternary volcanoes on the northeastern tip of Sulawesi's North Arm, near Manado. West of the main active chain and extending northwards from Manado there is a subparallel ridge surmounted by a number of high (>2000 m) seamounts of uncertain age. Fifteen relatively high-standing submarine edifices were crossed during this leg, of which nine were tested for hydrothermal activity by hydrocast and dredging. Eight sites were known from previous bathymetric surveys, and seven are new discoveries made by narrow-beam or multibeam echo sounding. Two submarine edifices at least 1000 m high were discovered in the strait immediately north of Awu volcano on Sangihe Island. One, with crest at 206 m, is surrounded by a circular platform 300m deep which we infer to be a foundered fringing reef to a formerly emergent island. The other, lacking such a platform, appears relatively young and may be

Community Structure Comparisons of Hydrothermal Vent Microbial Mats Along the Mariana Arc and Back-arc

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Hager, K. W.; Fullerton, H.; Moyer, C. L.

2015-12-01

Hydrothermal vents along the Mariana Arc and back-arc represent a hotspot of microbial diversity that has not yet been fully recognized. The Mariana Arc and back-arc contain hydrothermal vents with varied vent effluent chemistry and temperature, which translates to diverse community composition. We have focused on iron-rich sites where the dominant primary producers are iron oxidizing bacteria. Because microbes from these environments have proven elusive in culturing efforts, we performed culture independent analysis among different microbial communities found at these hydrothermal vents. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and Illumina sequencing of small subunit ribosomal gene amplicons were used to characterize community members and identify samples for shotgun metagenomics. Used in combination, these methods will better elucidate the composition and characteristics of the bacterial communities at these hydrothermal vent systems. The overarching goal of this study is to evaluate and compare taxonomic and metabolic diversity among different communities of microbial mats. We compared communities collected on a fine scale to analyze the bacterial community based on gross mat morphology, geography, and nearby vent effluent chemistry. Taxa richness and evenness are compared with rarefaction curves to visualize diversity. As well as providing a survey of diversity this study also presents a juxtaposition of three methods in which ribosomal small subunit diversity is compared with T-RFLP, next generation amplicon sequencing, and metagenomic shotgun sequencing.

Three-Dimensional Slowness Images of the Upper Crust Beneath the Lucky Strike Hydrothermal Vent Sites

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Seher, T.; Crawford, W.; Singh, S.; Canales, J. P.; Combier, V.; Cannat, M.; Carton, H.; Dusunur, D.; Escartin, J.; Miranda, M. J.; Pouillet-Erguy, A.

2005-12-01

In June-July 2005 we carried out the SISMOMAR cruise, as part of the MOMAR project (Monitoring the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Within this cruise, we conducted a 3D seismic reflection survey over an 18 km km x 3.8 km area covering both the Lucky Strike volcano and hydrothermal vents field. In order to have a full coverage inside the 3D box, shots continued for 2.25 km on either side of the box and extended out to the median valley bounding faults. To complement the streamer measurements 25 Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) were placed in an 18 km x 18 km area. 11 OBS positions lie inside the 3D box and can be used to determine a very detailed image of the 3D velocity structure beneath the Lucky Strike volcano and hydrothermal vents field. For the 3D box a tuned array of 14 air guns (2600 cubic inches) was fired at an interval of 37.5 m for a total of 39 lines. We will present the first results of the OBS measurements near the Lucky Strike volcano. As a first step towards a joint 3D travel time and slowness (the inverse of velocity at turning depth) tomography, we present the 3D slowness function (latitude, longitude, offset), which can be considered as a 3D brute stack velocity image of the sub-surface (c.f. Barton and Edwards, 1999). The presence of fluid in the upper crust due to hydrothermal circulation should appear as a low velocity anomaly beneath the hydrothermal vents. In the next step the OBS measurements will be used to corroborate the reflection images of layer 2A observed in the streamer data for the 3D box. The OBS inside the 3D box recorded turning ray arrivals from the upper crust at a very fine sampling interval (37.5 m x 100 m) over a large azimuth. This provides the unique opportunity for jointly inverting travel time and slowness. Hence the measurements contain information on local gradients and should provide a very detailed velocity model of the subsurface, including information on hydrothermal systems and a possilbe anisotropy (e.g. Cherret and Singh

Mineralogy and Geochemistry from Trollveggen Vent Field Chimneys and Metalliferous Sediments (Mohns Ridge, West Jan Mayen Fracture Zone at 71°N)

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, S.; Cruz, I.; Fonseca, R.; Barriga, F. J.; Pedersen, R.

2010-12-01

The Jan Mayen vent fields were discovered in the Mohns Ridge during an expedition with the Norwegian research vessel "G.O. Sars" in July 2005. They comprise two main active areas: (1) Soria Moria and (2) Gallionella Garden & Trollveggen. The Trollveggen vent field is located at depths of 700-750 m. Venting takes place mainly through white smoker chimneys with fluid temperatures reaching up to 260-270°C. Here we present mineralogical and geochemical data from vent chimneys and metalliferous sediments collected at the Trollveggen vent field with an ROV. Cross-sections of chimneys present evident mineralogical zonation, showing acicular barite crystals in the outer parts and sulfide enrichments in the interior (Sph + Cpy +/- Py - Po). Sediments are mainly formed by vent fragments but also by minerals precipitated by diffuse fluid circulation, showing a mineral assemblage similar to that of chimneys. Microprobe analyses were obtained both in sulfates and sulphides revealing a particular sphalerite composition, characterized by low Fe (< 2%) and high total trace metal contents (up to 4%, including Cu, Ag and Au). Geochemical profiles of gravity cores collected in the area surrounding Jan Mayen were also performed in order to investigate the presence of additional hydrothermal activity in the area. Total geochemical analyses showed a slight enrichment in trace metals, such as Cu, Zn and Fe, with exception of one core that reached 85 ppm for Cu, 150 ppm for Zn and 20% for Fe. The metal enrichment in this core suggests hydrothermal activity in the neighboring area.

Microbiological characterization of post-eruption "snowblower" vents at Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie L Meyer

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Microbial processes within the subseafloor can be examined during the ephemeral and uncommonly observed phenomena known as snowblower venting. Snowblowers are characterized by the large quantity of white floc that is expelled from the seafloor following mid-ocean ridge eruptions. During these eruptions, rapidly cooling lava entrains seawater and hydrothermal fluids enriched in geochemical reactants, creating a natural bioreactor that supports a subseafloor microbial bloom. Previous studies hypothesized that the eruption-associated floc is made by sulfide-oxidizing bacteria; however, the microbes involved were never identified. Here we present the first molecular analysis combined with microscopy of microbial communities in snowblower vents from samples collected shortly after the 2011 eruption at Axial Seamount, an active volcano on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. We obtained fluid samples and white flocculent material from active snowblower vents as well as orange flocculent material found on top of newly formed lava flows. Both flocculent types revealed diverse cell types and particulates when examined by phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy. Distinct archaeal and bacterial communities were detected in each sample type through Illumina tag sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and through sequencing of the sulfide oxidation gene, soxB. In fluids and white floc, the dominant bacteria were sulfur-oxidizing Epsilonproteobacteria and the dominant archaea were thermophilic Methanococcales. In contrast, the dominant organisms in the orange floc were Gammaproteobacteria and Thaumarchaeota Marine Group I. In all samples, bacteria greatly outnumbered archaea. The presence of anaerobic methanogens and microaerobic Epsilonproteobacteria in snowblower communities provides evidence that these blooms are seeded by subseafloor microbes, rather than from microbes in bottom seawater. These eruptive events thus provide a unique opportunity to observe subseafloor

Transfer and partitioning of energy and mass through seafloor hydrothermal systems: comparative studies at the Ridge2000 Integrated Study Sites (ISS) (Invited)

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Tivey, M. K.

2010-12-01

Seafloor hydrothermal systems are major players in the transfer of mass and energy from the mantle and crust to the ocean and biosphere. Over the past thirty years, much has been learned about this transfer to the ocean, but considerably less is known about the transfer to the biosphere. Study of hydrothermal systems in a diverse range of geologic settings has shown relationships between spreading rate and hydrothermal heat flux, substrate composition (including rock geochemistry, presence/absence of sediment) and hydrothermal fluid composition, and magmatic/tectonic events and temporal variability of fluid composition (e.g., German and Von Damm, Treatise On Geochemistry, 2004; Baker et al. AGU Monograph Series 91, 1995). Studies in arc and back-arc settings are documenting the effects of magmatic acid volatiles on fluid-rock reaction and fluid and vent deposit compositions (e.g., Ishibashi and Urabe, Backarc Basins: Tectonics and Magmatism, 1995). These comparative studies in a wide range of geologic settings, including at the three Ridge2000 ISS, have provided a fairly good understanding of the flux of heat and many elements to the ocean associated with high temperature seafloor hydrothermal systems. Considerably less is known, however, about the partitioning of heat and mass (particularly metals and sulfur) in hydrothermal systems. The deposits that form at vent sites are intimately linked within paths of energy and mass transport from the mantle and crust to the oceans. Transport differs greatly through different types of deposits (e.g., black smokers, white smokers/diffusers, flanges). Estimates of heat flux from measured temperatures of flow (unless integrated over and around an entire vent field) require an understanding of the partitioning of flow between focused black smokers and more diffuse flow from diffusers, flanges, and surfaces of deposits, and from the igneous substrate. Estimates of mass flux into the ocean require an understanding of the

Microbial diversity in subseafloor fluids from Explorer Ridge, Northeast Pacific

Science.gov (United States)

Bolton, S.; Huber, J. A.; Embley, R.; Butterfield, D. A.; Baross, J. A.

2003-12-01

The Gorda, Juan de Fuca and Explorer Ridges are first order spreading centers located in the northeast Pacific. While the Gorda and Juan de Fuca Ridges have been extensively sampled for chemical and microbiological analyses, what little is known about the Explorer Ridge is from preliminary observations made in the mid-1980's. A cruise in 2002 revisited the area and discovered vigorous hydrothermal activity at Magic Mountain, a site located outside the primary rift valley. Explorer Ridge is an important site to compare with other well-described vent sites on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Our research has focused on describing the phylogenetic and physiological diversity of bacteria and archaea in low temperature hydrothermal fluids in an effort to identify subseafloor indicator organisms and to use the physiological characteristics of these organisms to help constrain subseafloor habitat characteristics. We have previously established that there are microbial taxa that are unique to subseafloor habitats associated with diffuse flow fluids at Axial Seamount and at Endeavour both located on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. These included cultured anaerobic, thermophilic and hyperthermophilic heterotrophs, methanogens and sulfur metabolizers. Moreover, results from molecular phylogeny analyses using the 16S rRNA sequences identified a phylogenetically diverse group of bacteria belonging to the epsilon-proteobacteria. While anaerobic hyperthermophiles were cultured from some diffuse-flow vent sites at Explorer, they were less abundant than at Axial Volcano and Endeavour, and curiously, no methanogens were cultured or detected in 16S rRNA clonal libraries. Like Axial, a diverse group of epsilon-proteobacterial clones were found with many similar to those identified from Axial Seamount and other hydrothermal vent sites, although there appears to be some unique species. The overall bacterial diversity at Explorer appears different than at Axial, possibly linked to temperature or chemical

Experimentally Testing Hydrothermal Vent Origin of Life on Enceladus and Other Icy/Ocean Worlds.

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Barge, Laura M; White, Lauren M

2017-09-01

We review various laboratory strategies and methods that can be utilized to simulate prebiotic processes and origin of life in hydrothermal vent systems on icy/ocean worlds. Crucial steps that could be simulated in the laboratory include simulations of water-rock chemistry (e.g., serpentinization) to produce hydrothermal fluids, the types of mineral catalysts and energy gradients produced in vent interfaces where hydrothermal fluids interface with the surrounding seawater, and simulations of biologically relevant chemistry in flow-through gradient systems (i.e., far-from-equilibrium experiments). We describe some examples of experimental designs in detail, which are adaptable and could be used to test particular hypotheses about ocean world energetics or mineral/organic chemistry. Enceladus among the ocean worlds provides an ideal test case, since the pressure at the ocean floor is more easily simulated in the lab. Results for Enceladus could be extrapolated with further experiments and modeling to understand other ocean worlds. Key Words: Enceladus-Ocean worlds-Icy worlds-Hydrothermal vent-Iron sulfide-Gradient. Astrobiology 17, 820-833.

Food-web complexity across hydrothermal vents on the Azores triple junction

Science.gov (United States)

Portail, Marie; Brandily, Christophe; Cathalot, Cécile; Colaço, Ana; Gélinas, Yves; Husson, Bérengère; Sarradin, Pierre-Marie; Sarrazin, Jozée

2018-01-01

The assessment and comparison of food webs across various hydrothermal vent sites can enhance our understanding of ecological processes involved in the structure and function of biodiversity. The Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike and Rainbow vent fields are located on the Azores triple junction of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These fields have distinct depths (from 850 to 2320 m) and geological contexts (basaltic and ultramafic), but share similar faunal assemblages defined by the presence of foundation species that include Bathymodiolus azoricus, alvinocarid shrimp and gastropods. We compared the food webs of 13 faunal assemblages at these three sites using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses (SIA). Results showed that photosynthesis-derived organic matter is a negligible basal source for vent food webs, at all depths. The contribution of methanotrophy versus autotrophy based on Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) or reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycles varied between and within vent fields according to the concentrations of reduced compounds (e.g. CH4, H2S). Species that were common to vent fields showed high trophic flexibility, suggesting weak trophic links to the metabolism of chemosynthetic primary producers. At the community level, a comparison of SIA-derived metrics between mussel assemblages from two vent fields (Menez Gwen & Lucky Strike) showed that the functional structure of food webs was highly similar in terms of basal niche diversification, functional specialization and redundancy. Coupling SIA to functional trait approaches included more variability within the analyses, but the functional structures were still highly comparable. These results suggest that despite variable environmental conditions (physico-chemical factors and basal sources) and faunal community structure, functional complexity remained relatively constant among mussel assemblages. This functional similarity may be favoured by the propensity of species to adapt to fluid variations and

The importance of shallow hydrothermal island arc systems in ocean biogeochemistry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hawkes, J.A.; Connelly, D.P.; Rijkenberg, M.J.A.; Achterberg, E.P.

2014-01-01

Hydrothermal venting often occurs at submarine volcanic calderas on island arc chains, typically at shallower depths than mid-ocean ridges. The effect of these systems on ocean biogeochemistry has been under-investigated to date. Here we show that hydrothermal effluent from an island arc caldera was

Evolutionary strategies of viruses, bacteria and archaea in hydrothermal vent ecosystems revealed through metagenomics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rika E Anderson

Full Text Available The deep-sea hydrothermal vent habitat hosts a diverse community of archaea and bacteria that withstand extreme fluctuations in environmental conditions. Abundant viruses in these systems, a high proportion of which are lysogenic, must also withstand these environmental extremes. Here, we explore the evolutionary strategies of both microorganisms and viruses in hydrothermal systems through comparative analysis of a cellular and viral metagenome, collected by size fractionation of high temperature fluids from a diffuse flow hydrothermal vent. We detected a high enrichment of mobile elements and proviruses in the cellular fraction relative to microorganisms in other environments. We observed a relatively high abundance of genes related to energy metabolism as well as cofactors and vitamins in the viral fraction compared to the cellular fraction, which suggest encoding of auxiliary metabolic genes on viral genomes. Moreover, the observation of stronger purifying selection in the viral versus cellular gene pool suggests viral strategies that promote prolonged host integration. Our results demonstrate that there is great potential for hydrothermal vent viruses to integrate into hosts, facilitate horizontal gene transfer, and express or transfer genes that manipulate the hosts' functional capabilities.

Evolutionary strategies of viruses, bacteria and archaea in hydrothermal vent ecosystems revealed through metagenomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Rika E; Sogin, Mitchell L; Baross, John A

2014-01-01

The deep-sea hydrothermal vent habitat hosts a diverse community of archaea and bacteria that withstand extreme fluctuations in environmental conditions. Abundant viruses in these systems, a high proportion of which are lysogenic, must also withstand these environmental extremes. Here, we explore the evolutionary strategies of both microorganisms and viruses in hydrothermal systems through comparative analysis of a cellular and viral metagenome, collected by size fractionation of high temperature fluids from a diffuse flow hydrothermal vent. We detected a high enrichment of mobile elements and proviruses in the cellular fraction relative to microorganisms in other environments. We observed a relatively high abundance of genes related to energy metabolism as well as cofactors and vitamins in the viral fraction compared to the cellular fraction, which suggest encoding of auxiliary metabolic genes on viral genomes. Moreover, the observation of stronger purifying selection in the viral versus cellular gene pool suggests viral strategies that promote prolonged host integration. Our results demonstrate that there is great potential for hydrothermal vent viruses to integrate into hosts, facilitate horizontal gene transfer, and express or transfer genes that manipulate the hosts' functional capabilities.

Identification and activity of acetate-assimilating bacteria in diffuse fluids venting from two deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkel, Matthias; Pjevac, Petra; Kleiner, Manuel; Littmann, Sten; Meyerdierks, Anke; Amann, Rudolf; Mußmann, Marc

2014-12-01

Diffuse hydrothermal fluids often contain organic compounds such as hydrocarbons, lipids, and organic acids. Microorganisms consuming these compounds at hydrothermal sites are so far only known from cultivation-dependent studies. To identify potential heterotrophs without prior cultivation, we combined microbial community analysis with short-term incubations using (13)C-labeled acetate at two distinct hydrothermal systems. We followed cell growth and assimilation of (13)C into single cells by nanoSIMS combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In 55 °C-fluids from the Menez Gwen hydrothermal system/Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a novel epsilonproteobacterial group accounted for nearly all assimilation of acetate, representing the first aerobic acetate-consuming member of the Nautiliales. In contrast, Gammaproteobacteria dominated the (13) C-acetate assimilation in incubations of 37 °C-fluids from the back-arc hydrothermal system in the Manus Basin/Papua New Guinea. Here, 16S rRNA gene sequences were mostly related to mesophilic Marinobacter, reflecting the high content of seawater in these fluids. The rapid growth of microorganisms upon acetate addition suggests that acetate consumers in diffuse fluids are copiotrophic opportunists, which quickly exploit their energy sources, whenever available under the spatially and temporally highly fluctuating conditions. Our data provide first insights into the heterotrophic microbial community, catalyzing an under-investigated part of microbial carbon cycling at hydrothermal vents. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hunting for Hydrothermal Vents at the Local-Scale Using AUV's and Machine-Learning Classification in the Earth's Oceans

Science.gov (United States)

White, S. M.

2018-05-01

New AUV-based mapping technology coupled with machine-learning methods for detecting individual vents and vent fields at the local-scale raise the possibility of understanding the geologic controls on hydrothermal venting.

An abyssal mobilome: Viruses, plasmids and vesicles from deep-sea hydrothermal vents

OpenAIRE

Lossouarn, Julien; Dupont, Samuel; Gorlas, Aurore; Mercier, Coraline; Bienvenu, Nadege; Marguet, Evelyne; Forterre, Patrick; Geslin, Claire

2015-01-01

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as viruses, plasmids, vesicles, gene transfer agents (GTAs), transposons and transpovirions, which collectively represent the mobilome, interact with cellular organisms from all three domains of life, including those thriving in the most extreme environments. While efforts have been made to better understand deep-sea vent microbial ecology, our knowledge of the mobilome associated with prokaryotes inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents remains limited. Here...

Biogeography of Persephonella in deep-sea hydrothermal vents of the Western Pacific.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayaka eMino

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields are areas on the seafloor with high biological productivity fueled by microbial chemosynthesis. Members of the Aquificales genus Persephonella are obligately chemosynthetic bacteria, and appear to be key players in carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen cycles in high temperature habitats at deep-sea vents. Although this group of bacteria has cosmopolitan distribution in deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystem around the world, little is known about their population structure such as intraspecific genomic diversity, distribution pattern, and phenotypic diversity. We developed the multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA scheme for their genomic characterization. Sequence variation was determined in five housekeeping genes and one functional gene of 36 P. hydrogeniphila strains originated from the Okinawa Trough and the South Mariana Trough. Although the strains share > 98.7% similarities in 16S rRNA gene sequences, MLSA revealed 35 different sequence types, indicating their extensive genomic diversity. A phylogenetic tree inferred from all concatenated gene sequences revealed the clustering of isolates according to the geographic origin. In addition, the phenotypic clustering pattern inferred from whole-cell matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS analysis can be correlated to their MLSA clustering pattern. This study represents the first MLSA combined with phenotypic analysis indicative of allopatric speciation of deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria.

Unveiling the transformation and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in contrasting hydrothermal vents using fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC.

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Yang, Liyang; Zhuang, Wan-E; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Wang, Bing-Jye; Kuo, Fu-Wen

2017-03-15

The submarine hydrothermal systems are extreme environments where active cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) may occur. However, little is known about the optical properties and bioavailability of hydrothermal DOM, which could provide valuable insights into its transformation processes and biogeochemical reactivity. The quantity, quality, and bioavailability of DOM were investigated for four very different hydrothermal vents east of Taiwan, using dissolved organic carbon (DOC), absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). The DOC and absorption coefficient a 280 were both lower in the two hydrothermal vents off the Orchid Island and on the Green Island than in the surrounding seawater and the two vents off the Kueishantao Island, indicating effective removals of DOM in the former two hydrothermal systems owing to possible adsorption/co-precipitation and thermal degradation respectively. The four hydrothermal DOM showed notable differences in the absorption spectral slope S 275-295 , humification index HIX, biological index BIX, EEM spectra, and the relative distributions of seven PARAFAC components. The results demonstrated a high diversity of chemical composition and transformation history of DOM under contrasting hydrothermal conditions. The little change in the hydrothermal DOC after 28-day microbial incubations indicated a low bioavailability of the bulk DOM, and different PARAFAC components showed contrasting bioavailability. The results have profound implications for understanding the biogeochemical cycling and environmental effects of hydrothermal DOM in the marine environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioural study of two hydrothermal crustacean decapods: Mirocaris fortunata and Segonzacia mesatlantica, from the Lucky Strike vent field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

Science.gov (United States)

Matabos, M.; Cuvelier, D.; Brouard, J.; Shillito, B.; Ravaux, J.; Zbinden, M.; Barthelemy, D.; Sarradin, P. M.; Sarrazin, J.

2015-11-01

Identifying the factors driving community dynamics in hydrothermal vent communities, and in particular biological interactions, is challenged by our ability to make direct observations and the difficulty to conduct experiments in those remote ecosystems. As a result, we have very limited knowledge on species' behaviour and interactions in these communities and how they in turn influence community dynamics. Interactions such as competition or predation significantly affect community structure in vent communities, and video time-series have successfully been used to gain insights in biological interactions and species behaviour, including responses to short-term changes in temperature or feeding strategies. In this study, we combined in situ and ex situ approaches to characterise the behaviour and interactions among two key species encountered along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR): the shrimp Mirocaris fortunata and the crab Segonzacia mesatlantica. In situ, species small-scale distribution, interactions and behaviour were studied using the TEMPO observatory module deployed on the seafloor at the base of the active Eiffel Tower edifice in the Lucky Strike vent field as part of the EMSO-Açores MoMAR observatory. TEMPO sampled 2 min of video four times a day from July 2011 to April 2012. One week of observations per month was used for 'long-term' variations, and a full video data set was analysed for January 2012. In addition, observations of crab and shrimp individuals maintained for the first time under controlled conditions in atmospheric pressure (classic tank) and pressurised (AbyssBox) aquaria allowed better characterisation and description of the different types of behaviour and interactions observed in nature. While the identified in situ spatial distribution pattern was stable over the nine months, both species displayed a significant preference for mussel bed and anhydrite substrata, and preferentially occupied the area located directly in the fluid flow axis

Diversity and phylogenetic analyses of bacteria from a shallow-water hydrothermal vent in Milos island (Greece).

Science.gov (United States)

Giovannelli, Donato; d'Errico, Giuseppe; Manini, Elena; Yakimov, Michail; Vetriani, Costantino

2013-01-01

Studies of shallow-water hydrothermal vents have been lagging behind their deep-sea counterparts. Hence, the importance of these systems and their contribution to the local and regional diversity and biogeochemistry is unclear. This study analyzes the bacterial community along a transect at the shallow-water hydrothermal vent system of Milos island, Greece. The abundance and biomass of the prokaryotic community is comparable to areas not affected by hydrothermal activity and was, on average, 1.34 × 10(8) cells g(-1). The abundance, biomass and diversity of the prokaryotic community increased with the distance from the center of the vent and appeared to be controlled by the temperature gradient rather than the trophic conditions. The retrieved 16S rRNA gene fragments matched sequences from a variety of geothermal environments, although the average similarity was low (94%), revealing previously undiscovered taxa. Epsilonproteobacteria constituted the majority of the population along the transect, with an average contribution to the total diversity of 60%. The larger cluster of 16S rRNA gene sequences was related to chemolithoautotrophic Sulfurovum spp., an Epsilonproteobacterium so far detected only at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The presence of previously unknown lineages of Epsilonproteobacteria could be related to the abundance of organic matter in these systems, which may support alternative metabolic strategies to chemolithoautotrophy. The relative contribution of Gammaproteobacteria to the Milos microbial community increased along the transect as the distance from the center of the vent increased. Further attempts to isolate key species from these ecosystems will be critical to shed light on their evolution and ecology.

600 kyr of Hydrothermal Activity on the Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, J. L.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Langmuir, C. H.; Costa, K.; McManus, J. F.; Katz, R. F.; Huybers, P. J.; Winckler, G.; Li, Y.

2017-12-01

Pressure fluctuations caused by glacially driven variations in sea level may modulate magmatic and hydrothermal output at submarine volcanic centers, with falling sea level driving increased volcanic activity. In turn, glacially paced changes in submarine volcanism could induce globally synchronous variations in the delivery of bioavailable iron and CO2 from mid-ocean ridges and thus provide solid-Earth feedbacks into the climate system. While evaluation of submarine volcanic output on orbital-timescales is technically challenging, near-ridge sediment cores hosting hydrothermal plume precipitates provide continuous, spatially integrated, and datable records to investigate the long-term behavior of hydrothermal systems. We will present new sedimentary records of hydrothermal variability spanning the past 600 kyr on the Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Northeast Pacific. As an intermediate spreading-rate ridge, the Juan de Fuca Ridge is hypothesized to be particularly sensitive to sea level forcing at the Milankovitch frequencies of Pleistocene glacial cycles. Thus, the new records can be used to examine the connection between sea level and hydrothermal activity over multiple glacial cycles. Hydrothermal input is determined from iron and copper, with a titanium-based correction for lithogenic contributions. Sedimentary fluxes are then constrained using excess thorium-230 and extraterrestrial helium-3 as constant flux proxies. Preliminary results indicate 10-fold changes in hydrothermal iron and copper fluxes over the past 600 kyr and suggest a quasiperiodic variability in hydrothermal deposition on 100 to 120 kyr cycles. Comparison of the Juan de Fuca record with model predictions for an intermediate spreading ridge forced by Pleistocene glacial cycles finds frequent coincidence between predicted positive anomalies in magmatic output and observed peaks in hydrothermal deposition. This work encourages the continued exploration of the relationship between

Biodiversity patterns, environmental drivers and indicator species on a High-temperature Hydrothermal edifice, mid-Atlantic ridge

KAUST Repository

Sarrazin, Jozée

2015-04-25

Knowledge on quantitative faunal distribution patterns of hydrothermal communities in slow-spreading vent fields is particularly scarce, despite the importance of these ridges in the global mid-ocean system. This study assessed the composition, abundance and diversity of 12 benthic faunal assemblages from various locations on the Eiffel Tower edifice (Lucky Strike vent field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and investigated the role of key environmental conditions (temperature, total dissolved iron (TdFe), sulfide (TdS), copper (TdCu) and pH) on the distribution of macro- and meiofaunal species at small spatial scales (< 1 m). There were differences in macro- and meiofaunal community structure between the different sampling locations, separating the hydrothermal community of the Eiffel Tower edifice into three types of microhabitats: (1) cold microhabitats characterized by low temperatures (<6 °C), high TdCu (up to 2.4±1.37 µmol l−1), high pH (up to 7.34±0.13) but low TdS concentrations (<6.98±5.01 µmol l−1); (2) warm microhabitats characterized by warmer temperatures (>6 °C), low pH (<6.5) and high TdS/TdFe concentrations (>12.8 µmol l−1/>1.1 µmol l−1 respectively); and (3) a third microhabitat characterized by intermediate abiotic conditions. Environmental conditions showed more variation in the warm microhabitats than in the cold microhabitats. In terms of fauna, the warm microhabitats had lower macro- and meiofaunal densities, and lower richness and Shannon diversity than the cold microhabitats. Six macrofaunal species (Branchipolynoe seepensis, Amathys lutzi, Bathymodiolus azoricus, Lepetodrilus fucensis, Protolira valvatoides and Chorocaris chacei) and three meiofaunal taxa (Paracanthonchus, Cephalochaetosoma and Microlaimus) were identified as being significant indicator species/taxa of particular microhabitats. Our results also highlight very specific niche separation for copepod juveniles among the different hydrothermal microhabitats. Some sampling

High potential for temperate viruses to drive carbon cycling in chemoautotrophy-dominated shallow-water hydrothermal vents.

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Rastelli, Eugenio; Corinaldesi, Cinzia; Dell'Anno, Antonio; Tangherlini, Michael; Martorelli, Eleonora; Ingrassia, Michela; Chiocci, Francesco L; Lo Martire, Marco; Danovaro, Roberto

2017-11-01

Viruses are the most abundant life forms in the world's oceans and they are key drivers of biogeochemical cycles, but their impact on the microbial assemblages inhabiting hydrothermal vent ecosystems is still largely unknown. Here, we analysed the viral life strategies and virus-host interactions in the sediments of a newly discovered shallow-water hydrothermal field of the Mediterranean Sea. Our study reveals that temperate viruses, once experimentally induced to replicate, can cause large mortality of vent microbes, significantly reducing the chemoautotrophic carbon production, while enhancing the metabolism of microbial heterotrophs and the re-cycling of the organic matter. These results provide new insights on the factors controlling primary and secondary production processes in hydrothermal vents, suggesting that the inducible provirus-host interactions occurring in these systems can profoundly influence the functioning of the microbial food web and the efficiency in the energy transfer to the higher trophic levels. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Subseafloor Microbial Life in Venting Fluids from the Mid Cayman Rise Hydrothermal System

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Huber, J. A.; Reveillaud, J.; Reddington, E.; McDermott, J. M.; Sylva, S. P.; Breier, J. A.; German, C. R.; Seewald, J.

2012-12-01

In hard rock seafloor environments, fluids emanating from hydrothermal vents are one of the best windows into the subseafloor and its resident microbial community. The functional consequences of an extensive population of microbes living in the subseafloor remains unknown, as does our understanding of how these organisms interact with one another and influence the biogeochemistry of the oceans. Here we report the abundance, activity, and diversity of microbes in venting fluids collected from two newly discovered deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the ultra-slow spreading Mid-Cayman Rise (MCR). Fluids for geochemical and microbial analysis were collected from the Von Damm and Piccard vent fields, which are located within 20 km of one another, yet have extremely different thermal, geological, and depth regimes. Geochemical data indicates that both fields are highly enriched in volatiles, in particular hydrogen and methane, important energy sources for and by-products of microbial metabolism. At both sites, total microbial cell counts in the fluids ranged in concentration from 5 x 10 4 to 3 x 10 5 cells ml-1 , with background seawater concentrations of 1-2 x 10 4 cells ml-1 . In addition, distinct cell morphologies and clusters of cells not visible in background seawater were seen, including large filaments and mineral particles colonized by microbial cells. These results indicate local enrichments of microbial communities in the venting fluids, distinct from background populations, and are consistent with previous enumerations of microbial cells in venting fluids. Stable isotope tracing experiments were used to detect utilization of acetate, formate, and dissolve inorganic carbon and generation of methane at 70 °C under anaerobic conditions. At Von Damm, a putatively ultra-mafic hosted site located at ~2200 m with a maximum temperature of 226 °C, stable isotope tracing experiments indicate methanogenesis is occurring in most fluid samples. No activity was detected

Hydrothermal alteration in oceanic ridge volcanics: A detailed study at the Galapagos Fossil Hydrothermal Field

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Ridley, W.I.; Perfit, M.R.; Josnasson, I.R.; Smith, M.F.

1994-01-01

The Galapagos Fossil Hydrothermal Field is composed of altered oceanic crust and extinct hydrothermal vents within the eastern Galapagos Rift between 85??49???W and 85??55???W. The discharge zone of the hydrothermal system is revealed along scarps, thus providing an opportunity to examine the uppermost mineralized, and highly altered interior parts of the crust. Altered rocks collected in situ by the submersible ALVIN show complex concentric alteration zones. Microsamples of individual zones have been analysed for major/minor, trace elements, and strontium isotopes in order to describe the complex compositional details of the hydrothermal alteration. Interlayered chlorite-smectite and chlorite with disequilibrium compositions dominate the secondary mineralogy as replacement phases of primary glass and acicular pyroxene. Phenocrysts and matrix grains of plagioclase are unaffected during alteration. Using a modification of the Gresens' equation we demonstrate that the trivalent rare earth elements (REEs) are relatively immobile, and calculate degrees of enrichment and depletion in other elements. Strontium isotopic ratios increase as Sr concentrations decrease from least-altered cores to most-altered rims and cross-cutting veins in individual samples, and can be modeled by open system behaviour under low fluid-rock ratio (< 10) conditions following a period of lower-temperature weathering of volcanics within the rift zone. The complex patterns of element enrichment and depletion and strontium isotope variations indicate mixing between pristine seawater and ascending hot fluids to produce a compositional spectrum of fluids. The precipitation of base-metal sulfides beneath the seafloor is probably a result of fluid mixing and cooling. If, as suggested here, the discharge zone alteration occurred under relatively low fluid-rock ratios, then this shallow region must play an important role in determining the exit composition of vent fluids in marine hydrothermal systems

The distribution and stabilisation of dissolved Fe in deep-sea hydrothermal plumes

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Bennett, Sarah A.; Achterberg, Eric P.; Connelly, Douglas P.; Statham, Peter J.; Fones, Gary R.; German, Christopher R.

2008-06-01

We have conducted a study of hydrothermal plumes overlying the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 5° S to investigate whether there is a significant export flux of dissolved Fe from hydrothermal venting to the oceans. Our study combined measurements of plume-height Fe concentrations from a series of 6 CTD stations together with studies of dissolved Fe speciation in a subset of those samples. At 2.5 km down plume from the nearest known vent site dissolved Fe concentrations were ˜ 20 nM. This is much higher than would be predicted from a combination of plume dilution and dissolved Fe(II) oxidation rates, but consistent with stabilisation due to the presence of organic Fe complexes and Fe colloids. Using Competitive Ligand Exchange-Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (CLE-CSV), stabilised dissolved Fe complexes were detected within the dissolved Fe fraction on the edges of one non-buoyant hydrothermal plume with observed ligand concentrations high enough to account for stabilisation of ˜ 4% of the total Fe emitted from the 5° S vent sites. If these results were representative of all hydrothermal systems, submarine venting could provide 12-22% of the global deep-ocean dissolved Fe budget.

Vitellibacter nionensis sp. nov., isolated from shallow water hydrothermal vent of Espalamaca, Azores.

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Rajasabapathy, R.; Mohandass, C; Yoon, J; Dastager, S.G.; Liu, Q.; Khieu, T.-N.; Son, C; Li, W.-J; Colaco, A.

A novel, Gram-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped yellow pigmented bacterium, designated VBW088T was isolated from shallow water hydrothermal vent of Espalamaca, Azores. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain VBW088...

Seawater bicarbonate removal during hydrothermal circulation

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Proskurowski, G. K.; Seewald, J.; Sylva, S. P.; Reeves, E.; Lilley, M. D.

2013-12-01

High temperature fluids sampled at hydrothermal vents represent a complex alteration product of water-rock reactions on a multi-component mixture of source fluids. Sources to high-temperature hydrothermal samples include the 'original' seawater present in the recharge limb of circulation, magmatically influenced fluids added at depth as well as any seawater entrained during sampling. High-temperature hydrothermal fluids are typically enriched in magmatic volatiles, with CO2 the dominant species, characterized by concentrations of 10's-100's of mmol/kg (1, 2). Typically, the high concentration of CO2 relative to background seawater bicarbonate concentrations (~2.3 mmol/kg) obscures a full analysis of the fate of seawater bicarbonate during high-temperature hydrothermal circulation. Here we present data from a suite of samples collected over the past 15 years from high-temperature hydrothermal vents at 9N, Endeavour, Lau Basin, and the MAR that have endmember CO2 concentrations less than 10 mmol/kg. Using stable and radiocarbon isotope measurements these samples provide a unique opportunity to examine the balance between 'original' seawater bicarbonate and CO2 added from magmatic sources. Multiple lines of evidence from multiple hydrothermal settings consistently points to the removal of ~80% of the 'original' 2.3 mmol/kg seawater bicarbonate. Assuming that this removal occurs in the low-temperature, 'recharge' limb of hydrothermal circulation, this removal process is widely occurring and has important contributions to the global carbon cycle over geologic time. 1. Lilley MD, Butterfield DA, Lupton JE, & Olson EJ (2003) Magmatic events can produce rapid changes in hydrothermal vent chemistry. Nature 422(6934):878-881. 2. Seewald J, Cruse A, & Saccocia P (2003) Aqueous volatiles in hydrothermal fluids from the Main Endeavour Field, northern Juan de Fuca Ridge: temporal variability following earthquake activity. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 216(4):575-590.

Panmixia in a fragmented and unstable environment: the hydrothermal shrimp Rimicaris exoculata disperses extensively along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

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Sara Teixeira

Full Text Available Dispersal plays a fundamental role in the evolution and persistence of species, and especially for species inhabiting extreme, ephemeral and highly fragmented habitats as hydrothermal vents. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge endemic shrimp species Rimicaris exoculata was studied using microsatellite markers to infer connectivity along the 7100-Km range encompassing the sampled sites. Astonishingly, no genetic differentiation was found between individuals from the different geographic origins, supporting a scenario of widespread large-scale dispersal despite the habitat distance and fragmentation. We hypothesize that delayed metamorphosis associated to temperature differences or even active directed migration dependent on physical and/or chemical stimuli could explain these results and warrant further studies on adaptation and dispersal mechanisms.

Spatial and Temporal Population Genetics at Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents Along the East Pacific Rise and Galapagos Rift

Science.gov (United States)

2008-09-01

frequent physical disturbance. Earval dispersal among disjunct vent sites facilitates the persistence of sessile invertebrate species in these...among disjunct vent sites facilitates the persistence of sessile invertebrate species in these geologically and chemically dynamic habitats despite...the reproductive biology of the hydrothermal vent tube worm Riftia pachyptila. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 52, 89-94. Chevaldonne P, Jollivet D

Linkages between mineralogy, fluid chemistry, and microbial communities within hydrothermal chimneys from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

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Lin, T. J.; Ver Eecke, H. C.; Breves, E. A.; Dyar, M. D.; Jamieson, J. W.; Hannington, M. D.; Dahle, H.; Bishop, J. L.; Lane, M. D.; Butterfield, D. A.; Kelley, D. S.; Lilley, M. D.; Baross, J. A.; Holden, J. F.

2016-02-01

Rock and fluid samples were collected from three hydrothermal chimneys at the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge to evaluate linkages among mineralogy, fluid chemistry, and microbial community composition within the chimneys. Mössbauer, midinfrared thermal emission, and visible-near infrared spectroscopies were utilized for the first time to characterize vent mineralogy, in addition to thin-section petrography, X-ray diffraction, and elemental analyses. A 282°C venting chimney from the Bastille edifice was composed primarily of sulfide minerals such as chalcopyrite, marcasite, and sphalerite. In contrast, samples from a 300°C venting chimney from the Dante edifice and a 321°C venting chimney from the Hot Harold edifice contained a high abundance of the sulfate mineral anhydrite. Geochemical modeling of mixed vent fluids suggested the oxic-anoxic transition zone was above 100°C at all three vents, and that the thermodynamic energy available for autotrophic microbial redox reactions favored aerobic sulfide and methane oxidation. As predicted, microbes within the Dante and Hot Harold chimneys were most closely related to mesophilic and thermophilic aerobes of the Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria and sulfide-oxidizing autotrophic Epsilonproteobacteria. However, most of the microbes within the Bastille chimney were most closely related to mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobes of the Deltaproteobacteria, especially sulfate reducers, and anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaea. The predominance of anaerobes in the Bastille chimney indicated that other environmental factors promote anoxic conditions. Possibilities include the maturity or fluid flow characteristics of the chimney, abiotic Fe2+ and S2- oxidation in the vent fluids, or O2 depletion by aerobic respiration on the chimney outer wall.

Hydrothermal and Chemosynthetic Ecosystems in the Southern Ocean: Current Knowledge on their Biology Paper 217790

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Linse, K.; Rogers, A. D.; Bohrmann, G.; Copley, J.; Tyler, P. A.

2017-12-01

The existence of hydrothermal and other chemosynthetic ecosystems is not surprising in the Antarctic, with its active volcanoes, mid-ocean ridges and back-arc basins, and abundance of marine mammals. In the last two decades a variety of active chemosynthetic ecosystems have been discovered in the Southern Ocean, including low- and high-temperature hydrothermal vents, methane seeps, and whalefalls. Here a summary of the data from the known chemosynthetic communites will be presented, comparing the faunas of vent sites in the Bransfield Strait with those of the East Scotia Ridge (ESR) and the South Sandwich Arc, assessing the fauna at the South Georgia methane seep sites, and discussing the fauna on Antarctic whale falls. As the faunal assemblages of the ESR vents are the most studied in detail to date, this talk therefore focusses on the diversity and composition of the ESR macrofaunal assemblages, their foodweb structure and microdistributions in relation to fluid chemistry and microbiology, and their phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships. The Southern Ocean drives the global ocean conveyor belt, and is suggested to be the centre of origin for global deep-sea fauna, as well as a region of high deep-sea species diversity. In the context of chemosynthetic environments, it may provide a gateway connecting the global vent and seep systems. The mostly endemic species of Southern Ocean vent macrofauna show links to either one or more oceans (Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific), with some evidence for circum-Antarctic connection. The ESR species Gigantopelta chessoia, Kiwa tyleri and Vulcanolepas scotiaensis have their closest known relatives at the Longqi Vent Field on the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), and one species of polynoid polychaete is known from ESR and SWIR vents. Meanwhile, Lepetdrilus sp. and a vesiocomyid clam are linked with species in the Atlantic vent fields. The stichasterid Paulasterias tyleri, the polychaete Rarricirrus jennae and the anthozoan

Evolution of the Mothra Hydrothermal Field, Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

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Glickson, D.; Kelley, D. S.; Delaney, J.

2005-12-01

The Mothra Hydrothermal Field (MHF) is a 600 m long, high-temperature hydrothermal field. It is located 2.7 km south of the Main Endeavour Field at the southern end of the central Endeavour Segment. Mothra is the most areally extensive field along the Endeavour Segment, composed of six active sulfide clusters that are 40-200 m apart. Each cluster contains rare black smokers (venting up to 319°C), numerous diffusely venting chimneys, and abundant extinct chimneys and sulfide talus. From north to south, these clusters include Cauldron, Twin Peaks, Faulty Towers, Crab Basin, Cuchalainn, and Stonehenge. As part of the Endeavour Integrated Study Site (ISS), the MHF is a site of intensive interdisciplinary studies focused on linkages among geology, geochemistry, fluid chemistry, seismology, and microbiology. Axial valley geology at MHF is structurally complex, consisting of lightly fissured flows that abut the walls and surround a core of extensively fissured, collapsed terrain. Fissure abundance and distribution indicates that tectonism has been the dominant process controlling growth of the axial graben. Past magmatic activity is shown by the 200 m long chain of collapse basins between Crab Basin and Stonehenge, which may have held at least ~7500 m3 of lava. Assuming a flow thickness of 0.5 m, this amount of lava could cover over half the valley floor during a single volcanic event. At a local scale, MHF clusters vary in size, activity, and underlying geology. They range in size from 400-1600 m2 and consist of isolated chimneys and/or coalesced cockscomb arrays atop ramps of sulfide talus. In the northern part of the field, Cauldron, Twin Peaks, Faulty Towers, and Crab Basin are located near the western valley wall, bounded by basalt talus and a combination of collapsed sheet flows, intermixed lobate and sulfide, disrupted terrain, and isolated pillow ridges. The southern clusters, Cuchalainn and Stonehenge, are associated with collapse basins in the central valley

Microbial communities and chemosynthesis in Yellowstone Lake sublacustrine hydrothermal vent waters

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Tingting eYang

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Five sublacustrine hydrothermal vent locations from 1-109 m water depth in Yellowstone Lake were surveyed by ribosomal RNA sequencing in relation to their chemical composition and dark CO2 fixation rates. They harbor distinct chemosynthetic bacterial communities, depending on temperature (16 - 110ºC and electron donor supply (H2S <1 - >100µM; NH3 <0.5 - >10µM. Members of the Aquificales, most closely affiliated with the genus Sulfurihydrogenibium, are the most frequently recovered bacterial 16S rRNA gene phylotypes in the hottest samples; the detection of these thermophilic sulfur-oxidizing autotrophs coincided with maximal dark CO2 fixation rates reaching near 9 µM C h-1 at temperatures of 50 to 60°C. Vents at lower temperatures yielded mostly phylotypes related to the mesophilic gammaproteobacterial sulfur oxidizer Thiovirga. In contrast, cool vent water with low chemosynthetic activity yielded predominantly phylotypes related to freshwater Actinobacterial clusters with a cosmopolitan distribution.

Investigation of bacterial communities within the digestive organs of the hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata provide insights into holobiont geographic clustering.

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Dominique A Cowart

Full Text Available Prokaryotic communities forming symbiotic relationships with the vent shrimp, Rimicaris exoculata, are well studied components of hydrothermal ecosystems at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR. Despite the tight link between host and symbiont, the observed lack of spatial genetic structure seen in R. exoculata contrasts with the geographic differentiation detected in specific bacterial ectosymbionts. The geographic clustering of bacterial lineages within a seemingly panmictic host suggests either the presence of finer scale restriction to gene flow not yet detected in the host, horizontal transmission (environmental selection of its endosymbionts as a consequence of unique vent geochemistry, or vertically transmitted endosymbionts that exhibit genetic differentiation. To identify which hypothesis best fits, we tested whether bacterial assemblages exhibit differentiation across sites or host populations by performing a 16S rRNA metabarcoding survey on R. exoculata digestive prokaryote samples (n = 31 taken from three geochemically distinct vents across MAR: Rainbow, Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse (TAG and Logatchev. Analysis of communities across two organs (digestive tract, stomach, three molt colors (white, red, black and three life stages (eggs, juveniles, adults also provided insights into symbiont transmission mode. Examining both whole communities and operational taxonomic units (OTUs confirmed the presence of three main epibionts: Epsilonproteobacteria, Mollicutes and Deferribacteres. With these findings, we identified a clear pattern of geographic segregation by vent in OTUs assigned to Epsilonproteobacteria. Additionally, we detected evidence for differentiation among all communities associated to vents and life stages. Overall, results suggest a combination of environmental selection and vertical inheritance of some of the symbiotic lineages.

The spatial scale of genetic subdivision in populations of Ifremeria nautilei, a hydrothermal-vent gastropod from the southwest Pacific

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Thaler Andrew D

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Deep-sea hydrothermal vents provide patchy, ephemeral habitats for specialized communities of animals that depend on chemoautotrophic primary production. Unlike eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents, where population structure has been studied at large (thousands of kilometres and small (hundreds of meters spatial scales, population structure of western Pacific vents has received limited attention. This study addresses the scale at which genetic differentiation occurs among populations of a western Pacific vent-restricted gastropod, Ifremeria nautilei. Results We used mitochondrial and DNA microsatellite markers to infer patterns of gene flow and population subdivision. A nested sampling strategy was employed to compare genetic diversity in discrete patches of Ifremeria nautilei separated by a few meters within a single vent field to distances as great as several thousand kilometres between back-arc basins that encompass the known range of the species. No genetic subdivisions were detected among patches, mounds, or sites within Manus Basin. Although I. nautilei from Lau and North Fiji Basins (~1000 km apart also exhibited no evidence for genetic subdivision, these populations were genetically distinct from the Manus Basin population. Conclusions An unknown process that restricts contemporary gene flow isolates the Manus Basin population of Ifremeria nautilei from widespread populations that occupy the North Fiji and Lau Basins. A robust understanding of the genetic structure of hydrothermal vent populations at multiple spatial scales defines natural conservation units and can help minimize loss of genetic diversity in situations where human activities are proposed and managed.

Geochemical features of sulfides from the Deyin-1 hydrothermal field at the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 15°S

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Wang, Shujie; Li, Huaiming; Zhai, Shikui; Yu, Zenghui; Cai, Zongwei

2017-12-01

In this study, geochemical compositions of elements in sulfide samples collected from the Deyin-1 hydrothermal field near the 15°S southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) were analyzed by the X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to examine the enrichment regulations of ore-forming elements and hydrothermal mineralization. These sulfide precipitates can be classified macroscopically into three types: Fe-rich sulfide, Fe-Cu-rich sulfide and Fe-Zn-rich sulfide, and are characterized by the enrichment of base metal elements along with a sequence of Fe>Zn>Cu. Compared with sulfides from other hydrothermal fields on MAR, Zn concentrations of sulfides in the research area are significantly high, while Cu concentrations are relatively low. For all major, trace or rare-earth elements (REE), their concentrations and related characteristic parameters exhibit significant variations (up to one or two orders of magnitude), which indicates the sulfides from different hydrothermal vents or even a same station were formed at different stages of hydrothermal mineralization, and suggests the variations of chemical compositions of the hydrothermal fluid with respect to time. The hydrothermal temperatures of sulfides precipitation decreased gradually from station TVG10 (st.TVG10) to st.TVG12, and to st.TVG11, indicating that the precipitation of hydrothermal sulfides is subjected to conditions changed from high temperature to low temperature, and that the hydrothermal activity of study area was at the late stage of a general trend of evolution from strong to weak. The abnormally low concentrations of REE in sulfides and their similar chondrite-normalized REE patterns show that REEs in all sulfides were derived from a same source, but underwent different processes of migration or enrichment, or sulfides were formed at different stages of hydrothermal mineralization. The sulfides collected from the active hydrothermal vent were

Characterization of chemosynthetic microbial mats associated with intertidal hydrothermal sulfur vents in White Point, San Pedro, CA, USA

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Priscilla J Miranda

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The shallow-sea hydrothermal vents at White Point (WP in Palos Verdes (PV on the southern California coast support microbial mats and provide easily accessed settings in which to study chemolithoautotrophic sulfur cycling. Previous studies have cultured sulfur-oxidizing bacteria from the WP mats; however, almost nothing is known about the in situ diversity and activity of the microorganisms in these habitats. We studied the diversity, micron-scale spatial associations and metabolic activity of the mat community via sequence analysis of 16S rRNA and aprA genes, Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH microscopy and sulfate-reduction rate (SRR measurements. Sequence analysis revealed a diverse group of bacteria, dominated by sulfur cycling gamma-, epsilon- and deltaproteobacterial lineages such as Marithrix, Sulfurovum and Desulfuromusa. FISH microscopy suggests a close physical association between sulfur-oxidizing and sulfur-reducing genotypes, while radiotracer studies showed low, but detectable, SRR. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses indicate the WP sulfur vent microbial mat community is similar, but distinct from other hydrothermal vent communities representing a range of biotopes and lithologic settings. These findings suggest a complete biological sulfur cycle is operating in the WP mat ecosystem mediated by diverse bacterial lineages, with some similarity with deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities.

Highly sensitive avoidance plays a key role in sensory adaptation to deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.

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Tetsuya Ogino

Full Text Available The environments around deep-sea hydrothermal vents are very harsh conditions for organisms due to the possibility of exposure to highly toxic compounds and extremely hot venting there. Despite such extreme environments, some indigenous species have thrived there. Alvinellid worms (Annelida are among the organisms best adapted to high-temperature and oxidatively stressful venting regions. Although intensive studies of the adaptation of these worms to the environments of hydrothermal vents have been made, little is known about the worms' sensory adaptation to the severe chemical conditions there. To examine the sensitivity of the vent-endemic worm Paralvinella hessleri to low pH and oxidative stress, we determined the concentration of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide that induced avoidance behavior of this worm, and compared these concentrations to those obtained for related species inhabiting intertidal zones, Thelepus sp. The concentrations of the chemicals that induced avoidance behavior of P. hessleri were 10-100 times lower than those for Thelepus sp. To identify the receptors for these chemicals, chemical avoidance tests were performed with the addition of ruthenium red, a blocker of transient receptor potential (TRP channels. This treatment suppressed the chemical avoidance behavior of P. hessleri, which suggests that TRP channels are involved in the chemical avoidance behavior of this species. Our results revealed for the first time hypersensitive detection systems for acid and for oxidative stress in the vent-endemic worm P. hessleri, possibly mediated by TRP channels, suggesting that such sensory systems may have facilitated the adaptation of this organism to harsh vent environments.

The Biological Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent as a Model to Study Carbon Dioxide Capturing Enzymes

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Premila D. Thongbam

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Deep sea hydrothermal vents are located along the mid-ocean ridge system, near volcanically active areas, where tectonic plates are moving away from each other. Sea water penetrates the fissures of the volcanic bed and is heated by magma. This heated sea water rises to the surface dissolving large amounts of minerals which provide a source of energy and nutrients to chemoautotrophic organisms. Although this environment is characterized by extreme conditions (high temperature, high pressure, chemical toxicity, acidic pH and absence of photosynthesis a diversity of microorganisms and many animal species are specially adapted to this hostile environment. These organisms have developed a very efficient metabolism for the assimilation of inorganic CO2 from the external environment. In order to develop technology for the capture of carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, enzymes involved in CO2 fixation and assimilation might be very useful. This review describes some current research concerning CO2 fixation and assimilation in the deep sea environment and possible biotechnological application of enzymes for carbon dioxide capture.

Post-capture immune gene expression studies in the deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus acclimatized to atmospheric pressure.

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Barros, Inês; Divya, Baby; Martins, Inês; Vandeperre, Frederic; Santos, Ricardo Serrão; Bettencourt, Raul

2015-01-01

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are extreme habitats that are distributed worldwide in association with volcanic and tectonic events, resulting thus in the establishment of particular environmental conditions, in which high pressure, steep temperature gradients, and potentially toxic concentrations of sulfur, methane and heavy metals constitute driving factors for the foundation of chemosynthetic-based ecosystems. Of all the different macroorganisms found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus is the most abundant species inhabiting the vent ecosystems from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). In the present study, the effect of long term acclimatization at atmospheric pressure on host-symbiotic associations were studied in light of the ensuing physiological adaptations from which the immune and endosymbiont gene expressions were concomitantly quantified by means of real-time PCR. The expression of immune genes at 0 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h, 72 h, 1 week and 3 weeks post-capture acclimatization was investigated and their profiles compared across the samples tested. The gene signal distribution for host immune and bacterial genes followed phasic changes in gene expression at 24 h, 1 week and 3 weeks acclimatization when compared to other time points tested during this temporal expression study. Analyses of the bacterial gene expression also suggested that both bacterial density and activity could contribute to shaping the intricate association between endosymbionts and host immune genes whose expression patterns seem to be concomitant at 1 week acclimatization. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to assess the distribution and prevalence of endosymbiont bacteria within gill tissues confirming the gradual loss of sulfur-oxidizing (SOX) and methane-oxidizing (MOX) bacteria during acclimatization. The present study addresses the deep-sea vent mussel B. azoricus as a model organism to study how acclimatization in aquaria and the

Hydrothermal processes in the Edmond deposits, slow- to intermediate-spreading Central Indian Ridge

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Cao, Hong; Sun, Zhilei; Zhai, Shikui; Cao, Zhimin; Jiang, Xuejun; Huang, Wei; Wang, Libo; Zhang, Xilin; He, Yongjun

2018-04-01

The Edmond hydrothermal field, located on the Central Indian Ridge (CIR), has a distinct mineralization history owing to its unique magmatic, tectonic, and alteration processes. Here, we report the detailed mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of hydrothermal metal sulfides recovered from this area. Based on the mineralogical investigations, the Edmond hydrothermal deposits comprise of high-temperature Fe-rich massive sulfides, medium-temperature Zn-rich sulfide chimney and low-temperature Ca-rich sulfate mineral assemblages. According to these compositions, three distinctive mineralization stages have been identified: (1) low-temperature consisting largely of anhydrite and pyrite/marcasite; (2) medium-high temperature distinguished by the mineral assemblage of pyrite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite; and (3) low-temperature stage characterized by the mineral assemblage of colloidal pyrite/marcasite, barite, quartz, anglesite. Several lines of evidence suggest that the sulfides were influenced by pervasive low-temperature diffuse flows in this area. The hydrothermal deposits are relatively enriched in Fe (5.99-18.93 wt%), Zn (2.10-10.00 wt%) and Ca (0.02-19.15 wt%), but display low Cu (0.28-0.81 wt%). The mineralogical varieties and low metal content of sulfides in the Edmond hydrothermal field both indicate that extensive water circulation is prevalent below the Edmond hydrothermal field. With regard to trace elements, the contents of Pb, Ba, Sr, As, Au, Ag, and Cd are significantly higher than those in other sediment-starved mid-ocean ridges, which is indicative of contribution from felsic rock sources. Furthermore, the multiphase hydrothermal activity and the pervasive water circulation underneath are speculated to play important roles in element remobilization and enrichment. Our findings deepen our understanding about the complex mineralization process in slow- to intermediate-spreading ridges globally.

Chemical environments of submarine hydrothermal systems

Science.gov (United States)

Shock, Everett L.

1992-01-01

Perhaps because black-smoker chimneys make tremendous subjects for magazine covers, the proposal that submarine hydrothermal systems were involved in the origin of life has caused many investigators to focus on the eye-catching hydrothermal vents. In much the same way that tourists rush to watch the spectacular eruptions of Old Faithful geyser with little regard for the hydrology of the Yellowstone basin, attention is focused on the spectacular, high-temperature hydrothermal vents to the near exclusion of the enormous underlying hydrothermal systems. Nevertheless, the magnitude and complexity of geologic structures, heat flow, and hydrologic parameters which characterize the geyser basins at Yellowstone also characterize submarine hydrothermal systems. However, in the submarine systems the scale can be considerably more vast. Like Old Faithful, submarine hydrothermal vents have a spectacular quality, but they are only one fascinating aspect of enormous geologic systems operating at seafloor spreading centers throughout all of the ocean basins. A critical study of the possible role of hydrothermal processes in the origin of life should include the full spectrum of probable environments. The goals of this chapter are to synthesize diverse information about the inorganic geochemistry of submarine hydrothermal systems, assemble a description of the fundamental physical and chemical attributes of these systems, and consider the implications of high-temperature, fluid-driven processes for organic synthesis. Information about submarine hydrothermal systems comes from many directions. Measurements made directly on venting fluids provide useful, but remarkably limited, clues about processes operating at depth. The oceanic crust has been drilled to approximately 2.0 km depth providing many other pieces of information, but drilling technology has not allowed the bore holes and core samples to reach the maximum depths to which aqueous fluids circulate in oceanic crust. Such

Absolute Magnetization Distribution on Back-arc Spreading Axis Hosting Hydrothermal Vents; Insight from Shinkai 6500 Magnetic Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Fujii, M.; Okino, K.; Honsho, C.; Mochizuki, N.; Szitkar, F.; Dyment, J.

2013-12-01

Near-bottom magnetic profiling using submersible, deep-tow, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) make possible to conduct high-resolution surveys and depict detailed magnetic features reflecting, for instance, the presence of fresh lavas or hydrothermal alteration, or geomagnetic paleo-intensity variations. We conducted near-bottom three component magnetic measurements onboard submersible Shinkai 6500 in the Southern Mariana Trough, where five active hydrothermal vent fields (Snail, Yamanaka, Archean, Pica, and Urashima sites) have been found in both on- and off-axis areas of the active back-arc spreading center, to detect signals from hydrothermally altered rock and to distinguish old and new submarine lava flows. Fourteen dives were carried out at an altitude of 1-40 m during the R/V Yokosuka YK10-10 and YK10-11 cruises in 2010. We carefully corrected the effect of the induced and permanent magnetizations of the submersible by applying the correction method for the shipboard three-component magnetometer measurement modified for deep-sea measurement, and subtracted the IGRF values from the corrected data to obtain geomagnetic vector anomalies along the dive tracks. We then calculated the synthetic magnetic vector field produced by seafloor, assumed to be uniformly magnetized, using three dimensional forward modeling. Finally, values of the absolute magnetizations were estimated by using a linear transfer function in the Fourier domain from the observed and synthetic magnetic anomalies. The distribution of estimated absolute magnetization generally shows low values around the five hydrothermal vent sites. This result is consistent with the equivalent magnetization distribution obtained from previous AUV survey data. The areas of low magnetization are also consistent with hydrothermal deposits identified in video records. These results suggest that low magnetic signals are due to hydrothermal alteration zones where host rocks are

Basin-scale transport of hydrothermal dissolved metals across the South Pacific Ocean.

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Resing, Joseph A; Sedwick, Peter N; German, Christopher R; Jenkins, William J; Moffett, James W; Sohst, Bettina M; Tagliabue, Alessandro

2015-07-09

Hydrothermal venting along mid-ocean ridges exerts an important control on the chemical composition of sea water by serving as a major source or sink for a number of trace elements in the ocean. Of these, iron has received considerable attention because of its role as an essential and often limiting nutrient for primary production in regions of the ocean that are of critical importance for the global carbon cycle. It has been thought that most of the dissolved iron discharged by hydrothermal vents is lost from solution close to ridge-axis sources and is thus of limited importance for ocean biogeochemistry. This long-standing view is challenged by recent studies which suggest that stabilization of hydrothermal dissolved iron may facilitate its long-range oceanic transport. Such transport has been subsequently inferred from spatially limited oceanographic observations. Here we report data from the US GEOTRACES Eastern Pacific Zonal Transect (EPZT) that demonstrate lateral transport of hydrothermal dissolved iron, manganese, and aluminium from the southern East Pacific Rise (SEPR) several thousand kilometres westward across the South Pacific Ocean. Dissolved iron exhibits nearly conservative (that is, no loss from solution during transport and mixing) behaviour in this hydrothermal plume, implying a greater longevity in the deep ocean than previously assumed. Based on our observations, we estimate a global hydrothermal dissolved iron input of three to four gigamoles per year to the ocean interior, which is more than fourfold higher than previous estimates. Complementary simulations with a global-scale ocean biogeochemical model suggest that the observed transport of hydrothermal dissolved iron requires some means of physicochemical stabilization and indicate that hydrothermally derived iron sustains a large fraction of Southern Ocean export production.

Geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids from the PACMANUS, Northeast Pual and Vienna Woods hydrothermal fields, Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea

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Reeves, Eoghan P.; Seewald, Jeffrey S.; Saccocia, Peter; Bach, Wolfgang; Craddock, Paul R.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Sylva, Sean P.; Walsh, Emily; Pichler, Thomas; Rosner, Martin

2011-01-01

Processes controlling the composition of seafloor hydrothermal fluids in silicic back-arc or near-arc crustal settings remain poorly constrained despite growing evidence for extensive magmatic-hydrothermal activity in such environments. We conducted a survey of vent fluid compositions from two contrasting sites in the Manus back-arc basin, Papua New Guinea, to examine the influence of variations in host rock composition and magmatic inputs (both a function of arc proximity) on hydrothermal fluid chemistry. Fluid samples were collected from felsic-hosted hydrothermal vent fields located on Pual Ridge (PACMANUS and Northeast (NE) Pual) near the active New Britain Arc and a basalt-hosted vent field (Vienna Woods) located farther from the arc on the Manus Spreading Center. Vienna Woods fluids were characterized by relatively uniform endmember temperatures (273-285 degrees C) and major element compositions, low dissolved CO2 concentrations (4.4 mmol/kg) and high measured pH (4.2-4.9 at 25 degrees C). Temperatures and compositions were highly variable at PACMANUS/NE Pual and a large, newly discovered vent area (Fenway) was observed to be vigorously venting boiling (358 degrees C) fluid. All PACMANUS fluids are characterized by negative delta DH2O values, in contrast to positive values at Vienna Woods, suggesting substantial magmatic water input to circulating fluids at Pual Ridge. Low measured pH (25 degrees C) values (~2.6-2.7), high endmember CO2 (up to 274 mmol/kg) and negative delta 34SH2S values (down to -2.7 permille) in some vent fluids are also consistent with degassing of acid-volatile species from evolved magma. Dissolved CO2 at PACMANUS is more enriched in 13C (-4.1 permille to -2.3 permille) than Vienna Woods (-5.2 permille to -5.7 permille), suggesting a contribution of slab-derived carbon. The mobile elements (e.g. Li, K, Rb, Cs and B) are also greatly enriched in PACMANUS fluids reflecting increased abundances in the crust there relative to the Manus

Microbial analysis of Zetaproteobacteria and co-colonizers of iron mats in the Troll Wall Vent Field, Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Vander Roost

Full Text Available Over the last decade it has become increasingly clear that Zetaproteobacteria are widespread in hydrothermal systems and that they contribute to the biogeochemical cycling of iron in these environments. However, how chemical factors control the distribution of Zetaproteobacteria and their co-occurring taxa remains elusive. Here we analysed iron mats from the Troll Wall Vent Field (TWVF located at the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge (AMOR in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. The samples were taken at increasing distances from high-temperature venting chimneys towards areas with ultraslow low-temperature venting, encompassing a large variety in geochemical settings. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of biogenic iron stalks in all samples. Using 16S rRNA gene sequence profiling we found that relative abundances of Zetaproteobacteria in the iron mats varied from 0.2 to 37.9%. Biogeographic analyses of Zetaproteobacteria, using the ZetaHunter software, revealed the presence of ZetaOtus 1, 2 and 9, supporting the view that they are cosmopolitan. Relative abundances of co-occurring taxa, including Thaumarchaeota, Euryarchaeota and Proteobacteria, also varied substantially. From our results, combined with results from previous microbiological and geochemical analyses of the TWVF, we infer that the distribution of Zetaproteobacteria is connected to fluid-flow patterns and, ultimately, variations in chemical energy landscapes. Moreover, we provide evidence for iron-oxidizing members of Gallionellaceae being widespread in TWVF iron mats, albeit at low relative abundances.

Hydrothermal Vents and Methane Seeps: Rethinking the Sphere of Influence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Ann Levin

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Although initially viewed as oases within a barren deep ocean, hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities are now recognized to interact with surrounding ecosystems on the sea floor and in the water column, and to affect global geochemical cycles. The importance of understanding these interactions is growing as the potential rises for disturbance from oil and gas extraction, seabed mining and bottom trawling. Here we synthesize current knowledge of the nature, extent and time and space scales of vent and seep interactions with background systems. We document an expanded footprint beyond the site of local venting or seepage with respect to elemental cycling and energy flux, habitat use, trophic interactions, and connectivity. Heat and energy are released, global biogeochemical and elemental cycles are modified, and particulates are transported widely in plumes. Hard and biotic substrates produced at vents and seeps are used by benthic background fauna for attachment substrata, shelter, and access to food via grazing or through position in the current, while particulates and fluid fluxes modify planktonic microbial communities. Chemosynthetic production provides nutrition to a host of benthic and planktonic heterotrophic background species through multiple horizontal and vertical transfer pathways assisted by flow, gamete release, animal movements, and succession, but these pathways remain poorly known. Shared species, genera and families indicate that ecological and evolutionary connectivity exists among vents, seeps, organic falls and background communities in the deep sea; the genetic linkages with inactive vents and seeps and background assemblages however, are practically unstudied. The waning of venting or seepage activity generates major transitions in space and time that create links to surrounding ecosystems, often with identifiable ecotones or successional stages. The nature of all these interactions is dependent on water depth, as

Hydrothermal vents and methane seeps: Rethinking the sphere of influence

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Lisa A.; Baco, Amy; Bowden, David; Colaco, Ana; Cordes, Erik E.; Cunha, Marina; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.; Gobin, Judith; Grupe, Ben; Le, Jennifer; Metaxas, Anna; Netburn, Amanda; Rouse, Greg; Thurber, Andrew; Tunnicliffe, Verena; Van Dover, Cindy L.; Vanreusel, Ann; Watling, Les

2016-01-01

Although initially viewed as oases within a barren deep ocean, hydrothermal vent and methane seep communities are now recognized to interact with surrounding ecosystems on the sea floor and in the water column, and to affect global geochemical cycles. The importance of understanding these interactions is growing as the potential rises for disturbance from oil and gas extraction, seabed mining and bottom trawling. Here we synthesize current knowledge of the nature, extent and time and space scales of vent and seep interactions with background systems. We document an expanded footprint beyond the site of local venting or seepage with respect to elemental cycling and energy flux, habitat use, trophic interactions, and connectivity. Heat and energy are released, global biogeochemical and elemental cycles are modified, and particulates are transported widely in plumes. Hard and biotic substrates produced at vents and seeps are used by “benthic background” fauna for attachment substrata, shelter, and access to food via grazing or through position in the current, while particulates and fluid fluxes modify planktonic microbial communities. Chemosynthetic production provides nutrition to a host of benthic and planktonic heterotrophic background species through multiple horizontal and vertical transfer pathways assisted by flow, gamete release, animal movements, and succession, but these pathways remain poorly known. Shared species, genera and families indicate that ecological and evolutionary connectivity exists among vents, seeps, organic falls and background communities in the deep sea; the genetic linkages with inactive vents and seeps and background assemblages however, are practically unstudied. The waning of venting or seepage activity generates major transitions in space and time that create links to surrounding ecosystems, often with identifiable ecotones or successional stages. The nature of all these interactions is dependent on water depth, as well as

Anhydrite precipitation in seafloor hydrothermal systems

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Theissen-Krah, Sonja; Rüpke, Lars H.

2016-04-01

The composition and metal concentration of hydrothermal fluids venting at the seafloor is strongly temperature-dependent and fluids above 300°C are required to transport metals to the seafloor (Hannington et al. 2010). Ore-forming hydrothermal systems and high temperature vents in general are often associated with faults and fracture zones, i.e. zones of enhanced permeabilities that act as channels for the uprising hydrothermal fluid (Heinrich & Candela, 2014). Previous numerical models (Jupp and Schultz, 2000; Andersen et al. 2015) however have shown that high permeabilities tend to decrease fluid flow temperatures due to mixing with cold seawater and the resulting high fluid fluxes that lead to short residence times of the fluid near the heat source. A possible mechanism to reduce the permeability and thereby to focus high temperature fluid flow are mineral precipitation reactions that clog the pore space. Anhydrite for example precipitates from seawater if it is heated to temperatures above ~150°C or due to mixing of seawater with hydrothermal fluids that usually have high Calcium concentrations. We have implemented anhydrite reactions (precipitation and dissolution) in our finite element numerical models of hydrothermal circulation. The initial results show that the precipitation of anhydrite efficiently alters the permeability field, which affects the hydrothermal flow field as well as the resulting vent temperatures. C. Andersen et al. (2015), Fault geometry and permeability contrast control vent temperatures at the Logatchev 1 hydrothermal field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Geology, 43(1), 51-54. M. D. Hannington et al. (2010), Modern Sea-Floor Massive Sulfides and Base Metal Resources: Toward an Estimate of Global Sea-Floor Massive Sulfide Potential, in The Challenge of Finding New Mineral Resources: Global Metallogeny, Innovative Exploration, and New Discoveries, edited by R. J. Goldfarb, E. E. Marsh and T. Monecke, pp. 317-338, Society of Economic Geologists

Hydrothermal fluid composition at Middle Valley, Northern Juan de Fuca Ridge: Temporal and spatial variability

Science.gov (United States)

Cruse, Anna M.; Seewald, Jeffrey S.; Saccocia, Peter J.; Zierenberg, Robert

Hydrothermal fluids were collected in July 2000 from the Dead Dog and Ore Drilling Program (ODP) Mound vent fields at Middle Valley, a sediment-covered spreading center on the northern Juan de Fuca Ridge. Measured fluid temperatures varied from 187° to 281°C in focused flow vents and 40°C in ODP Hole 1035F. Cl concentrations indicate that ODP Mound fluids undergo phase separation in the subsurface, whereas Dead Dog fluids do not. The lack of phase separation at Dead Dog is consistent with other geochemical indicators of lower subsurface temperatures. Cooling and equilibration with quartz after phase separation at the ODP Mound results in exit temperatures and silica concentrations that are indistinguishable from those at Dead Dog. The sulfur isotopic composition of aqueous ΣH2S indicates extensive reduction of seawater SO4 and leaching of basaltic sulfur at both areas. A new area of venting, which resulted from drilling operations during ODP Leg 169, was discovered on the eastern side of the ODP Mound. The fluids in the new area have compositions that are similar to those of Hole 1035H and Shiner Bock, except for lower H2 and higher H2S concentrations. These differences reflect the conversion of pyrite to pyrrhotite in the ODP Mound as fluids react with sulfide minerals during upflow. Fluid temperatures and compositions have remained constant between 1990 and 2000 indicating that subsurface reaction zone conditions did not change over this period. Near constant concentrations of sediment-derived mobile trace elements suggest that the residence time of fluids in a high-temperature reservoir exceeds 10 years.

Comparative metagenomic analysis of the microbial communities in the surroundings of Iheya north and Iheya ridge hydrothermal fields reveals insights into the survival strategy of microorganisms in deep-sea environments

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Wang, Hai-liang; Sun, Li

2018-04-01

In this study, metagenomic analysis was performed to investigate the taxonomic compositions and metabolic profiles of the microbial communities inhabiting the sediments in the surroundings of Iheya North and Iheya Ridge hydrothermal fields. The microbial communities in four different samples were found to be dominated by bacteria and, to a much lesser extent, archaea belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Deinococcus-Thermus, and Nitrospirae, which play important roles in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. All four microbial communities (i) contained chemoautotrophs and heterotrophs, the former probably fixed CO2 via various carbon fixation pathways, and the latter may degrade organic matters using nitrate and sulfate as electron acceptors, (ii) exhibited an abundance of DNA repair genes and bacterial sulfur oxidation mediated by reverse sulfate reduction, and (iii) harbored bacteria and archaea involved in anaerobic methane oxidation via intra-aerobic denitrification and reverse methanogenesis, which were found for the first time in hydrothermal areas. Furthermore, genes involved in DNA repair, reductive acetyl-CoA pathway, and ammonia metabolism were possibly affected by distance to the vent fields. These findings facilitate our understanding of the strategies of the microbial communities to adapt to the environments in deep sea areas associated with hydrothermal vents.

Hydrothermal signature in the axial-sediments from the Carlsberg Ridge in the northwest Indian Ocean

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Yu, Zenghui; Li, Huaiming; Li, Mengxing; Zhai, Shikui

2018-04-01

30 sediments grabbed from 24 sites between the equator and 10°N along the Carlsberg Ridge (CR) in the northwest Indian Ocean has been analyzed for bulk chemical compositions. Hydrothermal components in the sediments are identified and characterized. They mainly occur at 6.3°N as sulfide debris and at 3.6°N as both sulfide and high temperature water-rock interaction products. The enrichment of chalcophile elements such as Zn, Cu, Pb and the depletion of alkalis metals such as K and Rb are the typical features of hydrothermal components. High U/Fe, low (Nd/Yb)N and negative Ce anomaly infer the uptake of seawater in the hydrothermal deposits by oxidizing after deposition. However, the general enrichment of Mn in hydrothermal plumed-derived materials is not found in the sediments, which may indicate the limited diffusion of fluids or plumes, at least in the direction along the Carlsberg spreading center. The hydrothermal components show their similarity to the hydrothermal deposits from the Indian Ocean Ridge. At 3.6°N ultramafic rocks or gabbroic intrusions, may be involved in the hydrothermal system.

Microbial Sulfate Reduction in Deep-Sea Sediments at the Guaymas Basin - Hydrothermal Vent Area - Influence of Temperature and Substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

ELSGAARD, L.; ISAKSEN, MF; JØRGENSEN, BB

1994-01-01

Microbial sulfate reduction was studied by a S-35 tracer technique in sediments from the hydrothermal vent site in Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico. In situ temperatures ranged from 2.7-degrees-C in the overlying seawater to > 120-degrees-C at 30 cm depth in the hydrothermal sediment...

Molecular biomineralization: toward an understanding of the biogenic origin of polymetallic nodules, seamount crusts, and hydrothermal vents.

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Wang, Xiaohong; Wiens, Matthias; Schröder, Heinz C; Schloßmacher, Ute; Müller, Werner E G

2011-01-01

Polymetallic nodules and crusts, hydrothermal vents from the Deep Sea are economically interesting, since they contain alloying components, e.g., manganese or cobalt, that are used in the production of special steels; in addition, they contain rare metals applied for plasma screens, for magnets in hard disks, or in hybrid car motors. While hydrothermal vents can regenerate in weeks, polymetallic nodules and seamount crusts grow slowly. Even though the geochemical basis for the growth of the nodules and crusts has been well studied, the contribution of microorganisms to the formation of these minerals remained obscure. Recent HR-SEM (high-resolution scanning electron microscopy) analyses of nodules and crusts support their biogenic origin. Within the nodules, bacteria with surface S-layers are arranged on biofilm-like structures, around which Mn deposition starts. In crusts, coccoliths represent the dominant biologically formed structures that act as bio-seeds for an initial Mn deposition. In contrast, hydrothermal vents have apparently an abiogenic origin; however, their minerals are biogenically transformed by bacteria. In turn, strategies can now be developed for biotechnological enrichment as well as selective dissolution of metals from such concretions. We are convinced that the recent discoveries will considerably contribute to our understanding of the participation of organic matrices in the enrichment of those metals and will provide the basis for feasibility studies for biotechnological applications.

Diffuse flow environments within basalt- and sediment-based hydrothermal vent ecosystems harbor specialized microbial communities.

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Campbell, Barbara J; Polson, Shawn W; Zeigler Allen, Lisa; Williamson, Shannon J; Lee, Charles K; Wommack, K Eric; Cary, S Craig

2013-01-01

Hydrothermal vents differ both in surface input and subsurface geochemistry. The effects of these differences on their microbial communities are not clear. Here, we investigated both alpha and beta diversity of diffuse flow-associated microbial communities emanating from vents at a basalt-based hydrothermal system along the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and a sediment-based hydrothermal system, Guaymas Basin. Both Bacteria and Archaea were targeted using high throughput 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analyses. A unique aspect of this study was the use of a universal set of 16S rRNA gene primers to characterize total and diffuse flow-specific microbial communities from varied deep-sea hydrothermal environments. Both surrounding seawater and diffuse flow water samples contained large numbers of Marine Group I (MGI) Thaumarchaea and Gammaproteobacteria taxa previously observed in deep-sea systems. However, these taxa were geographically distinct and segregated according to type of spreading center. Diffuse flow microbial community profiles were highly differentiated. In particular, EPR dominant diffuse flow taxa were most closely associated with chemolithoautotrophs, and off axis water was dominated by heterotrophic-related taxa, whereas the opposite was true for Guaymas Basin. The diversity and richness of diffuse flow-specific microbial communities were strongly correlated to the relative abundance of Epsilonproteobacteria, proximity to macrofauna, and hydrothermal system type. Archaeal diversity was higher than or equivalent to bacterial diversity in about one third of the samples. Most diffuse flow-specific communities were dominated by OTUs associated with Epsilonproteobacteria, but many of the Guaymas Basin diffuse flow samples were dominated by either OTUs within the Planctomycetes or hyperthermophilic Archaea. This study emphasizes the unique microbial communities associated with geochemically and geographically distinct hydrothermal diffuse flow environments.

Biogeography and ecology of the rare and abundant microbial lineages in deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

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Anderson, Rika E; Sogin, Mitchell L; Baross, John A

2015-01-01

Environmental gradients generate countless ecological niches in deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems, which foster diverse microbial communities. The majority of distinct microbial lineages in these communities occur in very low abundance. However, the ecological role and distribution of rare and abundant lineages, particularly in deep, hot subsurface environments, remain unclear. Here, we use 16S rRNA tag sequencing to describe biogeographic patterning and microbial community structure of both rare and abundant archaea and bacteria in hydrothermal vent systems. We show that while rare archaeal lineages and almost all bacterial lineages displayed geographically restricted community structuring patterns, the abundant lineages of archaeal communities displayed a much more cosmopolitan distribution. Finally, analysis of one high-volume, high-temperature fluid sample representative of the deep hot biosphere described a unique microbial community that differed from microbial populations in diffuse flow fluid or sulfide samples, yet the rare thermophilic archaeal groups showed similarities to those that occur in sulfides. These results suggest that while most archaeal and bacterial lineages in vents are rare and display a highly regional distribution, a small percentage of lineages, particularly within the archaeal domain, are successful at widespread dispersal and colonization. © FEMS 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Arsenic bioaccumulation and biotransformation in deep-sea hydrothermal vent organisms from the PACMANUS hydrothermal field, Manus Basin, PNG

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Price, Roy E.; Breuer, Christian; Reeves, Eoghan; Bach, Wolfgang; Pichler, Thomas

2016-11-01

Hydrothermal vents are often enriched in arsenic, and organisms living in these environments may accumulate high concentrations of this and other trace elements. However, very little research to date has focused on understanding arsenic bioaccumulation and biotransformation in marine organisms at deep-sea vent areas; none to date have focused organisms from back-arc spreading centers. We present for the first time concentration and speciation data for As in vent biota from several hydrothermal vent fields in the eastern Manus basin, a back-arc basin vent field located in the Bismark Sea, western Pacific Ocean. The gastropods Alviniconcha hessleri and Ifremeria nautilei, and the mussel Bathymodiolus manusensis were collected from diffuse venting areas where pH was slightly lower (6.2-6.8), and temperature (26.8-10.5 °C) and arsenic concentrations (169.5-44.0 nM) were higher than seawater. In the tissues of these organisms, the highest total measured As concentrations were in the gills of A. hessleri (5580 mg kg-1), with 721 mg kg-1 and 43 mg kg-1 in digestive gland and muscle, respectively. I. nautilei contained 118 mg kg-1 in the gill, 108 mg kg-1 in the digestive gland and 22 mg kg-1 in the muscle. B. manusensis contained 15.7 mg kg-1 in the digestive gland, followed by 9.8 mg kg-1 and 4.5 mg kg-1 in its gill and muscle tissue, respectively. We interpret the decreasing overall total concentrations in each organism as a function of distance from the source of hydrothermally derived As. The high concentration of arsenic in A. hessleri gills may be associated with elemental sulfur known to occur in this organism as a result of symbiotic microorganisms. Arsenic extracted from freeze-dried A. hessleri tissue was dominated by AsIII and AsV in the digestive gland (82% and 16%, respectively) and gills (97% AsIII, 2.3% AsV), with only 1.8% and 0.2% arsenobetaine (As-Bet) in the digestive gland and gills, respectively. However, the muscle contained substantial amounts of

Bacterial and Archaeal Community Dynamics at CO2-RICH Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal Vents (panarea, Italy)

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Schubotz, F.; Huang, C.; Meyerdierks, A.; Amend, J.; Price, R. E.; Amann, R.; Hinrichs, K.; Summons, R. E.

2013-12-01

Shallow marine hydrothermal vents are highly dynamic systems with unique habitats that can support both chemosynthetic and photosynthetic communities at steep temperature and geochemical gradients. Here, we present a combined organic geochemical and microbiological approach to describe the microbial community composition and their metabolism at the CO2-rich shallow hydrothermal vents off Panarea Island, in Sicily. We investigated two contrasting hydrothermal environments: Hot Lake, a depression filled with hydrothermal fluids diffusing gradually out of the seafloor, with temperatures ranging from 40 to 70°C, and Blackpoint, a site with vigorous venting of hydrothermal gasses and fluids with temperatures as high as 135°C. At Hot Lake, Bacteria dominate the microbial community composition in the sediments. 16S rRNA clone libraries revealed Bacteriodetes-, Epsilonproteobacteria- and Deltaproteobacteria-related sequences as the most abundant members. Bacterial intact polar membrane lipids (IPLs) were dominated by the non-phosphorous containing ornithine lipids throughout all depths, indicating an important role of this aminolipid at elevated temperatures and/or low pH. At Hot Lake, archaeal IPLs were comprised mainly of glycosidic tetraethers and increased up to 20% of total IPLs with increasing temperature and depth. At the same site, archaeal 16S rRNA clone libraries were mainly comprised of Euryarchaea-affiliated sequences; crenarchaeotal sequences were only found in deeper sediment layers with temperatures of ca. 70°C. In contrast to Hot Lake, Archaea dominated sediments at the much hotter site at Blackpoint. Here, novel methylated H-shaped archaeal tetraethers, with multiple sugars as head groups, were the most abundant membrane lipids. Reports on these lipids in cultures are very limited, but their abundant occurrence at elevated temperatures suggests an important role in membrane homeostastis in thermophilic Archaea. Stable carbon isotope values of -35‰ to

The pH and pCO2 dependence of sulfate reduction in shallow-sea hydrothermal CO2 - venting sediments (Milos Island, Greece).

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Bayraktarov, Elisa; Price, Roy E; Ferdelman, Timothy G; Finster, Kai

2013-01-01

Microbial sulfate reduction (SR) is a dominant process of organic matter mineralization in sulfate-rich anoxic environments at neutral pH. Recent studies have demonstrated SR in low pH environments, but investigations on the microbial activity at variable pH and CO2 partial pressure are still lacking. In this study, the effect of pH and pCO2 on microbial activity was investigated by incubation experiments with radioactive (35)S targeting SR in sediments from the shallow-sea hydrothermal vent system of Milos, Greece, where pH is naturally decreased by CO2 release. Sediments differed in their physicochemical characteristics with distance from the main site of fluid discharge. Adjacent to the vent site (T ~40-75°C, pH ~5), maximal sulfate reduction rates (SRR) were observed between pH 5 and 6. SR in hydrothermally influenced sediments decreased at neutral pH. Sediments unaffected by hydrothermal venting (T ~26°C, pH ~8) expressed the highest SRR between pH 6 and 7. Further experiments investigating the effect of pCO2 on SR revealed a steep decrease in activity when the partial pressure increased from 2 to 3 bar. Findings suggest that sulfate reducing microbial communities associated with hydrothermal vent system are adapted to low pH and high CO2, while communities at control sites required a higher pH for optimal activity.

In situ Raman-based detections of the hydrothermal vent and cold seep fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Du, Zengfeng; Zheng, Ronger; Luan, Zhendong; Qi, Fujun; Cheng, Kai; Wang, Bing; Ye, Wangquan; Liu, Xiaorui; Chen, Changan; Guo, Jinjia; Li, Ying; Yan, Jun

2016-04-01

Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, and their associated biological communities play an important role in global carbon and sulphur biogeochemical cycles. Most of the studies of fluid composition geochemistry are based on recovered samples, both with gas-tight samplers and as open specimens, but the in situ conditions are difficult to maintain in recovered samples. Determination in situ of the chemical signals of the emerging fluids are challenging due to the high pressure, often strongly acidic and temperature in which few sensors can survive. Most of those sensors used so far are based on electrochemistry, and can typically detect only a few chemical species. Here we show that direct measurement of critical chemical species of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps can be made rapidly and in situ by means of a new hybrid version of earlier deep-sea pore water Raman probe carried on the ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) Faxian. The fluid was drawn through the probe by actuating a hydraulic pump on the ROV, and measured at the probe optical cell through a sapphire window. We have observed the concentrations of H2S, HS-, SO42-, HSO4-, CO2, and H2 in hydrothermal vent fluids from the Pacmanus and Desmos vent systems in the Manus back-arc basin, Papua New Guinea. Two black smokers (279° C and 186° C) at the Pacmanus site showed the characteristic loss of SO42-, and the increase of CO2 and well resolved H2S and HS- peaks. At the white smoker of Onsen site the strong HSO4-peak observed at high temperature quickly dropped with strong accompanying increase of SO42-and H2 peaks when the sample contained in the Raman sensing cell was removed from the hot fluid due to rapid thermal deprotonation. We report here also the finding of a new lower temperature (88° C) white smoker "Kexue" field at the Desmos site with strong H2S, HS- and CO2 signals. We also have detected the concentrations of CH4,H2S, HS-, SO42-, and S8 in cold seep fluids and the surrounding sediment pore water from

Imprint of past environmental regimes on structure and succession of a deep-sea hydrothermal vent community.

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Mullineaux, Lauren S; Micheli, Fiorenza; Peterson, Charles H; Lenihan, Hunter S; Markus, Nilauro

2009-08-01

Dramatic perturbations of ecological communities through rapid shifts in environmental regime do not always result in complete mortality of residents. Instead, legacy individuals may remain and influence the succession and composition of subsequent communities. We used a reciprocal transplant experiment to investigate whether a legacy effect is detectable in communities experiencing an abrupt increase or decrease in hydrothermal fluid flux at deep-sea vents. Vent habitats are characterized by strong gradients in productivity and physico-chemical stressors, both of which tend to increase with increasing vent fluid flux. In our experiments, many species survived transplantation from cool (water temperatures theory developed in the rocky intertidal that predicts the predominance of physical control at the high-stress end of an environmental gradient. Prediction of successional transitions in vents and other habitats experiencing regime shifts in which remnant species may survive must take into account the possible influence of historical effects.

Seafloor Uplift in Middle Valley, Juan de Fuca Ridge: New High-Resolution Pressure Data

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Inderbitzen, K. E.; Becker, K.; Davis, E. E.

2011-12-01

Currently, in-situ seafloor and basement pressures are continuously monitored and recorded by an ODP subseafloor hydrogeological observatory (CORK) located in Middle Valley, Juan de Fuca Ridge. Hole 857D was drilled in 1991 in thickly sedimented crust to a depth of 936 mbsf and instrumented with an original CORK that was replaced in 1996. A large hydrothermal field (Dead Dog) lies roughly 1.7 km north of the hole, and two isolated chimneys and several diffuse flow sites are located ~800 meters northeast. The borehole and the vent fields have been visited periodically by submersible/ROV since 1999. Recent results from the CORK at 857D have shown apparent seafloor uplift, supported by depth records from the submersible Alvin. A constant rate of pressure change of ~6 kPa/yr, from its initiation in 2005 to the visit in 2010, has reduced mean seafloor pressure by ~28 kPa, equivalent to nearly 3 meters of head. This uplift rate is several times the typical pre-eruption inflation rates observed at Axial Seamount further south along the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Initially, the apparent uplift at 857D did not seem to have any effect on local high-temperature hydrothermal venting, however recent operations in Middle Valley revealed distinct changes at not only the hydrothermal field to the northeast, but also a shutdown of high-temperature venting to the north of 857D. We will present new data from Middle Valley, including the first year of data collected by a high-resolution pressure data logger deployed at 857D in June, 2010.

Constraints on the Lost City Hydrothermal System from borehole thermal data; 3-D models of heat flow and hydrothermal circulation in an oceanic core complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Titarenko, S.; McCaig, A. M.

2014-12-01

A perennial problem in near-ridge hydrothermal circulation is that the only directly measurable data to test models is often vent fluid temperature. Surface heat flow measurements may be available but without the underlying thermal structure it is not known if they are transient and affected by local hydrothermal flow, or conductive. The Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex at 30 °N on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, offers a unique opportunity to better constrain hydrothermal circulation models. The temperature profile in gabbroic rocks of IODP Hole 1309D was measured in IODPExpedition 340T, and found to be near-conductive, but with a slight inflexion at ~750 mbsf indicating downward advection of fluid above that level. The lack of deep convection is especially remarkable given that the long-lived Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) is located only 5km to the south. We have modelled hydrothermal circulation in the Massif using Comsol Multiphysics, comparing 2-D and 3-D topographic models and using temperature-dependent conductivity to give the best estimate of heatflow into the Massif. We can constrain maximum permeability in gabbro below 750 mbsf to 5e-17 m2. The thermal gradient in the upper part of the borehole can be matched with a permeability of 3e-14 m2 in a 750 m thick layer parallel to the surface of the massif, with upflow occurring in areas of high topography and downflow at the location of the borehole. However in 3-D the precise flow pattern is quite model dependent, and the thermal structure can be matched either by downflow centred on the borehole at lower permeability or centred a few hundred metres from the borehole at higher permeability. The borehole gradient is compatible with the longevity (>120 kyr) and outflow temperature (40-90 °C) of the LCHF either with a deep more permeable (1e-14 m2 to 1e-15 m2) domain beneath the vent site in 2-D or a permeable fault slot 500 to 1000m wide and parallel to the transform fault in 3-D. In both cases topography

Pito Seamount revisited: the discovery and mapping of new black smoker vents

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Cheadle, M. J.; John, B. E.; German, C. R.; Gee, J. S.; Coogan, L. A.; Gillis, K. M.; Swapp, S.

2017-12-01

In February 2017, the RV Atlantis PMaG (PaleoMagnetism and Gabbro) cruise re-visited a black smoker site originally discovered 24 years ago on Pito Seamount, by the submersible Nautile during the French Pito expedition (1993). Pito Seamount (111.639oW, 23.333oS) marks the northern tip of the propagating East Pacific Rise, bounding the east side of the Easter Microplate. There the seafloor rises to 2250mbsl and has a 900m wide, 50m deep axial valley, which hosts at least two separate fields of active hydrothermal vents. AUV Sentry mapping of the summit of Pito seamount (0.5-1m resolution) highlights over 50 active and inactive chimneys amid recent basaltic sheet flows, pillow mounds and ponded lava. The vents occur in two fields/sub-fields; the first covers an area of 800 x 200m, and lies parallel to the ridge axis, along incipient faults forming on the northeastern flank of the axial valley. The second field occurs in a 250m diameter area in the centre of the axial valley. Jason II dive 961 visited, sampled, measured vent orifice temperatures, and acquired 4k video of the chimneys, and re-discovered the active (Magnificent Village) vent first found by Nautile, in the now named Nautile vent field, together with five additional active hydrothermal vents (Jason, Medea, Sentry, Abe and Scotty's Castle). The Magnificent Village, the largest active vent, is 25m tall and has multiple active spires in three main groups surrounding a hollow amphitheater. Measured vent orifice temperatures ranged from 338oC (Magnificent Village) to 370oC (Jason). The vents host a fauna of alvinellid worms, bythograidid crabs, alvincardid shrimps, phymorhynchus gastropods, Corallimorphid anenomes and bathymodiolid mussels, but no vestimentiferan worms. Brisingid brittle stars colonize inactive chimneys.

The pH and pCO2 dependence of sulfate reduction in shallow-sea hydrothermal CO2 – venting sediments (Milos Island, Greece)

Science.gov (United States)

Bayraktarov, Elisa; Price, Roy E.; Ferdelman, Timothy G.; Finster, Kai

2013-01-01

Microbial sulfate reduction (SR) is a dominant process of organic matter mineralization in sulfate-rich anoxic environments at neutral pH. Recent studies have demonstrated SR in low pH environments, but investigations on the microbial activity at variable pH and CO2 partial pressure are still lacking. In this study, the effect of pH and pCO2 on microbial activity was investigated by incubation experiments with radioactive 35S targeting SR in sediments from the shallow-sea hydrothermal vent system of Milos, Greece, where pH is naturally decreased by CO2 release. Sediments differed in their physicochemical characteristics with distance from the main site of fluid discharge. Adjacent to the vent site (T ~40–75°C, pH ~5), maximal sulfate reduction rates (SRR) were observed between pH 5 and 6. SR in hydrothermally influenced sediments decreased at neutral pH. Sediments unaffected by hydrothermal venting (T ~26°C, pH ~8) expressed the highest SRR between pH 6 and 7. Further experiments investigating the effect of pCO2 on SR revealed a steep decrease in activity when the partial pressure increased from 2 to 3 bar. Findings suggest that sulfate reducing microbial communities associated with hydrothermal vent system are adapted to low pH and high CO2, while communities at control sites required a higher pH for optimal activity. PMID:23658555

Rhodopsin in the Dark Hot Sea: Molecular Analysis of Rhodopsin in a Snailfish, Careproctus rhodomelas, Living near the Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent.

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Rie Sakata

Full Text Available Visual systems in deep-sea fishes have been previously studied from a photobiological aspect; however, those of deep-sea fish inhabiting the hydrothermal vents are far less understood due to sampling difficulties. In this study, we analyzed the visual pigment of a deep-sea snailfish, Careproctus rhodomelas, discovered and collected only near the hydrothermal vents of oceans around Japan. Proteins were solubilized from the C. rhodomelas eyeball and subjected to spectroscopic analysis, which revealed the presence of a pigment characterized by an absorption maximum (λmax at 480 nm. Immunoblot analysis of the ocular protein showed a rhodopsin-like immunoreactivity. We also isolated a retinal cDNA encoding the entire coding sequence of putative C. rhodomelas rhodopsin (CrRh. HEK293EBNA cells were transfected with the CrRh cDNA and the proteins extracted from the cells were subjected to spectroscopic analysis. The recombinant CrRh showed the absorption maximum at 480 nm in the presence of 11-cis retinal. Comparison of the results from the eyeball extract and the recombinant CrRh strongly suggests that CrRh has an A1-based 11-cis-retinal chromophore and works as a photoreceptor in the C. rhodomelas retina, and hence that C. rhodomelas responds to dim blue light much the same as other deep-sea fishes. Because hydrothermal vent is a huge supply of viable food, C. rhodomelas likely do not need to participate diel vertical migration and may recognize the bioluminescence produced by aquatic animals living near the hydrothermal vents.

Study of Hydrothermal Particulate Matter from a Shallow Venting System, offshore Nayarit, Mexico

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Ortega-Osorio, A.; Prol-Ledesma, R. M.; Reyes, A. G.; Rubio-Ramos, M. A.; Torres-Vera, M. A.

2001-12-01

A shallow (30 ft) hydrothermal site named ``Cora'' (after the indigenous people thereby) was surveyed and sampled throughout direct observation with SCUBA diving during November 25 to December 4, 2000. A total of 10 dives were conducted in order to obtain representative samples from an 85oC fluid source of approximately 10 cm in diameter. Inherent difficulties to the sampling, such as poor visibility and strong bottom currents were overcome and samples of hydrothermal fluid, gas, rocks, and particulate matter were collected directly from the vent. Water samples and hydrothermal fluid were taken with a homemade 1 l cylindrical bottles of two lines by flushing in from the bottom for about ten minutes until total displacement of the seawater; similar procedure was carried out for gas samples. Particulate matter was collected with 0.4mm polycarbonate membrane filters and preserved in a desiccators at a fridge temperature until analysis onshore. Preliminary description of the rock samples suggest that pyritization is the main mineralisation process. Filters containing hydrothermal particulate matter were surveyed under the scanning electron microscope in order to identify the nature (inorganic and organic), as well as the chemistry of the particles. SEM examination revealed the presence of particles of different kind that suggests high degree of mixing and re-suspension: Planctonic organisms and organic matter appeared to be abundant; 25 micron particles of different carbonate faces and inorganic particles of silicates were also recognized. Distinctive euhedral colloidal grains were identified as the resulting process of precipitation from the solution. Microanalysis of iron and sulfur content of 10 micron particles indicate a very likely sulphide mineral face (greigite); 8 micron cinnabar particles are consistent with the mineralization conditions, observed as well in the inner walls of the vent. Analyses of dissolved and particulate trace metals are still ongoing at

Non-traditional Stable Isotope Systematics of Seafloor Hydrothermal Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rouxel, O. J.

2009-05-01

Seafloor hydrothermal activity at mid-ocean ridges is one of the fundamental processes controlling the chemistry of the oceans and the altered oceanic crust. Past studies have demonstrated the complexity and diversity of seafloor hydrothermal systems and have highlighted the importance of subsurface environments in controlling the composition of hydrothermal fluids and mineralization types. Traditionally, the behavior of metals in seafloor hydrothermal systems have been investigated by integrating results from laboratory studies, theoretical models, mineralogy and fluid and mineral chemistry. Isotope ratios of various metals and metalloids, such as Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Cd and Sb have recently provided new approaches for the study of seafloor hydrothermal systems. Despite these initial investigations, the cause of the isotopic variability of these elements remains poorly constrained. We have little understanding of the isotope variations between vent types (black or white smokers) as well as the influence of source rock composition (basalt, felsic or ultrabasic rocks) and alteration types. Here, I will review and present new results of metal isotope systematics of seafloor hydrothermal systems, in particular: (1) determination of empirical isotope fractionation factors for Zn, Fe and Cu-isotopes through isotopic analysis of mono-mineralic sulfide grains lining the internal chimney wall in contact with hydrothermal fluid; (2) comparison of Fe- and Cu-isotope signatures of vent fluids from mid- oceanic and back-arc hydrothermal fields, spanning wide ranges of pH, temperature, metal concentrations and contributions of magmatic fluids enriched in SO2. Ultimately, the use of complementary non-traditional stable isotope systems may help identify and constrain the complex interactions between fluids,minerals, and organisms in seafloor hydrothermal systems.

High-throughput sequencing and analysis of the gill tissue transcriptome from the deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus

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Gomes Paula

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bathymodiolus azoricus is a deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussel found in association with large faunal communities living in chemosynthetic environments at the bottom of the sea floor near the Azores Islands. Investigation of the exceptional physiological reactions that vent mussels have adopted in their habitat, including responses to environmental microbes, remains a difficult challenge for deep-sea biologists. In an attempt to reveal genes potentially involved in the deep-sea mussel innate immunity we carried out a high-throughput sequence analysis of freshly collected B. azoricus transcriptome using gills tissues as the primary source of immune transcripts given its strategic role in filtering the surrounding waterborne potentially infectious microorganisms. Additionally, a substantial EST data set was produced and from which a comprehensive collection of genes coding for putative proteins was organized in a dedicated database, "DeepSeaVent" the first deep-sea vent animal transcriptome database based on the 454 pyrosequencing technology. Results A normalized cDNA library from gills tissue was sequenced in a full 454 GS-FLX run, producing 778,996 sequencing reads. Assembly of the high quality reads resulted in 75,407 contigs of which 3,071 were singletons. A total of 39,425 transcripts were conceptually translated into amino-sequences of which 22,023 matched known proteins in the NCBI non-redundant protein database, 15,839 revealed conserved protein domains through InterPro functional classification and 9,584 were assigned with Gene Ontology terms. Queries conducted within the database enabled the identification of genes putatively involved in immune and inflammatory reactions which had not been previously evidenced in the vent mussel. Their physical counterpart was confirmed by semi-quantitative quantitative Reverse-Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reactions (RT-PCR and their RNA transcription level by quantitative PCR (q

Exploring the Ecology of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents in a Metacommunity Framework

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Lauren S. Mullineaux

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Species inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents are strongly influenced by the geological setting, as it provides the chemical-rich fluids supporting the food web, creates the patchwork of seafloor habitat, and generates catastrophic disturbances that can eradicate entire communities. The patches of vent habitat host a network of communities (a metacommunity connected by dispersal of planktonic larvae. The dynamics of the metacommunity are influenced not only by birth rates, death rates and interactions of populations at the local site, but also by regional influences on dispersal from different sites. The connections to other communities provide a mechanism for dynamics at a local site to affect features of the regional biota. In this paper, we explore the challenges and potential benefits of applying metacommunity theory to vent communities, with a particular focus on effects of disturbance. We synthesize field observations to inform models and identify data gaps that need to be addressed to answer key questions including: (1 what is the influence of the magnitude and rate of disturbance on ecological attributes, such as time to extinction or resilience in a metacommunity; (2 what interactions between local and regional processes control species diversity, and (3 which communities are “hot spots” of key ecological significance. We conclude by assessing our ability to evaluate resilience of vent metacommunities to human disturbance (e.g., deep-sea mining. Although the resilience of a few highly disturbed vent systems in the eastern Pacific has been quantified, these values cannot be generalized to remote locales in the western Pacific or mid Atlantic where disturbance rates are different and information on local controls is missing.

Highlighting of quorum sensing lux genes and their expression in the hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata ectosymbiontic community. Possible use as biogeographic markers.

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Simon Le Bloa

Full Text Available Rimicaris exoculata is a caridean shrimp that dominates the fauna at several hydrothermal vent sites of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has two distinct and stable microbial communities. One of these epibiontic bacterial communities is located in the shrimp gut and has a distribution and role that are poorly understood. The second colonizes its enlarged gill chamber and is involved in host nutrition. It is eliminated after each molt, and has colonization processes reminiscent of those of a biofilm. The presence and expression of genes usually involved in quorum sensing (QS were then studied. At four sites, Rainbow, TAG, Snake Pit and Logatchev, two lux genes were identified in the R. exoculata epibiontic community at different shrimp molt stages and life stages. RT-PCR experiments highlighted lux gene expression activity at TAG, Snake Pit and Rainbow vent sites. Their potential QS activity and their possible roles in epibiont colonization processes are discussed. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis has shown the presence of three clades for luxS (Epsilonproteobacteria and four clades for luxR (Gammaproteobacteria genes, each clade being restricted to a single site. These genes are more divergent than the 16S rRNA one. They could therefore be used as biogeographical genetic markers.

Culturable bacterial phylogeny from a shallow water hydrothermal vent of Espalamaca (Faial, Azores) reveals a variety of novel taxa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rajasabapathy, R.; Mohandass, C.; Colaco, A.; Dastager, S.G.; Santos, R.S.; Meena, R.M.

by 1% agarose gel elec- trophoresis with TAE buffer. The PCR products were gel- purified using a Gel Extraction Kit or purified with PCR cleanup kit (Sigma) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The purified PCR products were sequenced... productivity at the deep sea hydrothermal vents (> 200 m) is not maintained by photosynthetic products, but by the chemosynthesis of organic matter by vent microbes, using energy from chemical oxidation to produce organic matter from CO2 and mineral...

Hydrothermal impacts on trace element and isotope ocean biogeochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

German, C R; Casciotti, K A; Dutay, J-C; Heimbürger, L E; Jenkins, W J; Measures, C I; Mills, R A; Obata, H; Schlitzer, R; Tagliabue, A; Turner, D R; Whitby, H

2016-11-28

Hydrothermal activity occurs in all ocean basins, releasing high concentrations of key trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) into the oceans. Importantly, the calculated rate of entrainment of the entire ocean volume through turbulently mixing buoyant hydrothermal plumes is so vigorous as to be comparable to that of deep-ocean thermohaline circulation. Consequently, biogeochemical processes active within deep-ocean hydrothermal plumes have long been known to have the potential to impact global-scale biogeochemical cycles. More recently, new results from GEOTRACES have revealed that plumes rich in dissolved Fe, an important micronutrient that is limiting to productivity in some areas, are widespread above mid-ocean ridges and extend out into the deep-ocean interior. While Fe is only one element among the full suite of TEIs of interest to GEOTRACES, these preliminary results are important because they illustrate how inputs from seafloor venting might impact the global biogeochemical budgets of many other TEIs. To determine the global impact of seafloor venting, however, requires two key questions to be addressed: (i) What processes are active close to vent sites that regulate the initial high-temperature hydrothermal fluxes for the full suite of TEIs that are dispersed through non-buoyant hydrothermal plumes? (ii) How do those processes vary, globally, in response to changing geologic settings at the seafloor and/or the geochemistry of the overlying ocean water? In this paper, we review key findings from recent work in this realm, highlight a series of key hypotheses arising from that research and propose a series of new GEOTRACES modelling, section and process studies that could be implemented, nationally and internationally, to address these issues.This article is part of the themed issue 'Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry'. © 2015 The Authors.

Gas Chemistry of Submarine Hydrothermal Venting at Maug Caldera, Mariana Arc

Science.gov (United States)

Embley, R. W.; Lupton, J. E.; Butterfield, D. A.; Lilley, M. D.; Evans, L. J.; Olson, E. J.; Resing, J. A.; Buck, N.; Larson, B. I.; Young, C.

2014-12-01

Maug volcano consists of 3 islands that define the perimeter of a submerged caldera that was formed by an explosive eruption. The caldera reaches a depth of ~225 meters, and has a prominent central cone or pinnacle that ascends within 20 meters of the sea surface. Our exploration of Maug began in 2003, when a single hydrocast in the caldera detected a strong suspended particle and helium plume reaching a maximum of δ3He = 250% at ~180 meters depth, clearly indicating hydrothermal activity within the caldera. In 2004 we returned armed with the ROPOS ROV, and two ROPOS dives discovered and sampled low temperature (~4 °C) diffuse venting associated with bacterial mats on the NE flank of the central pinnacle at 145 m depth. Samples collected with titanium gas tight bottles were badly diluted with ambient seawater but allowed an estimate of end-member 3He/4He of 7.3 Ra. Four vertical casts lowered into the caldera in 2004 all had a strong 3He signal (δ3He = 190%) at 150-190 meters depth. A recent expedition in 2014 focused on the shallow (~10 m) gas venting along the caldera interior. Scuba divers were able to collect samples of the gas bubbles using evacuated SS bottles fitted with plastic funnels. The gas samples had a consistent ~170 ppm He, 8 ppmNe, 60% CO2, 40%N2, and 0.8% Ar, and an end-member 3He/4He ratio of 6.9 Ra. This 3He/4He ratio falls within the range for typical arc volcanoes. The rather high atmospheric component (N2, Ar, Ne) in these samples is not contamination but appears to be derived from subsurface exchange between the ascending CO2 bubbles and air saturated seawater. A single vertical cast in 2014 had a maximum δ3He = 55% at 140 m depth, much lower than in 2003 and 2004. This decrease is possibly due to recent flushing of the caldera by a storm event, or may reflect a decrease in the deep hydrothermal activity. This area of shallow CO2 venting in Maug caldera is of particular interest as a natural laboratory for studying the effects of ocean

Food-Web Complexity in Guaymas Basin Hydrothermal Vents and Cold Seeps.

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Marie Portail

Full Text Available In the Guaymas Basin, the presence of cold seeps and hydrothermal vents in close proximity, similar sedimentary settings and comparable depths offers a unique opportunity to assess and compare the functioning of these deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. The food webs of five seep and four vent assemblages were studied using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses. Although the two ecosystems shared similar potential basal sources, their food webs differed: seeps relied predominantly on methanotrophy and thiotrophy via the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB cycle and vents on petroleum-derived organic matter and thiotrophy via the CBB and reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA cycles. In contrast to symbiotic species, the heterotrophic fauna exhibited high trophic flexibility among assemblages, suggesting weak trophic links to the metabolic diversity of chemosynthetic primary producers. At both ecosystems, food webs did not appear to be organised through predator-prey links but rather through weak trophic relationships among co-occurring species. Examples of trophic or spatial niche differentiation highlighted the importance of species-sorting processes within chemosynthetic ecosystems. Variability in food web structure, addressed through Bayesian metrics, revealed consistent trends across ecosystems. Food-web complexity significantly decreased with increasing methane concentrations, a common proxy for the intensity of seep and vent fluid fluxes. Although high fluid-fluxes have the potential to enhance primary productivity, they generate environmental constraints that may limit microbial diversity, colonisation of consumers and the structuring role of competitive interactions, leading to an overall reduction of food-web complexity and an increase in trophic redundancy. Heterogeneity provided by foundation species was identified as an additional structuring factor. According to their biological activities, foundation species may have the potential to

Molecular isotopic evidence for anaerobic oxidation of methane in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environment in Okinawa Trough

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, M.; Takai, K.; Inagaki, F.

2003-04-01

Large amount of methane in anoxic marine sediments as well as cold seeps and hydrothermal vents is recycled through for an anoxic oxidation of methane processes. Now that combined results of field and laboratory studies revealed that microbiological activity associated with syntrophic consortium of archaea performing reversed methanogenesis and sulfate-reducing bacteria is significant roles in methane recycling, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). In this study, we examined the diversity of archaeal and bacterial assemblages of AOM using compound-specific stable carbon isotopic and phylogenetic analyses. "Iheya North" in Okinawa Trough is sediment-rich, back arc type hydrothermal system (27^o47'N, 126^o53'E). Sediment samples were collected from three sites where are "bubbling sites", yellow-colored microbial mats are formed with continuous bubbling from the seafloor bottom, vent mussel's colonies site together with slowly venting and simmering, and control site off 100 m distance from thermal vent. This subsea floor structure has important effect in the microbial ecosystem and interaction between their activity and geochemical processes in the subseafloor habitats. Culture-independent, molecular biological analysis clearly indicated the presence of thermophilic methanogens in deeper area having higher temperatures and potential activity of AMOs consortium in the shallower area. AMO is composed with sulfate-reducing bacterial components (Desulfosarcina spp.) and anoxic methane oxidizing archaea (ANME-2). These results were consistent with the results of compound-specific carbon analysis of archaeal biomarkers. They showed extremely depleted 13C contents (-80 ppm ˜ -100 ppm), which also appeared to be capable of directly oxidizing methane.

Newly discovered hydrothermal system on the Alarcón Rise, Mexico

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Paduan, J. B.; Clague, D. A.; Caress, D. W.; Lundsten, L.; Martin, J. F.; Nieves-Cardoso, C.

2012-12-01

The Alarcón Rise lies at the mouth of the Gulf of California, and is the last segment of the East Pacific Rise before the plate boundary redirects into the gulf. As part of MBARI's expedition to the gulf in 2012, the neovolcanic zone of the entire ridge segment was mapped by MBARI's mapping AUV. 110 potential hydrothermal chimneys were identified in the new high resolution maps, and 70 were visited with the ROV Doc Ricketts, after having been sought in vain without the maps on an expedition in 2003. Two active vent fields were found, and have been named Meyibó and Ja sít from local native languages. They lie 2.5km apart at ~2300m depth, and are associated with a large, young sheet flow 1/3 of the way along the ridge from the south, on the most inflated part of the ridge. The southern field, Meyibó, contains 14 active chimneys (confirmed with ROV observations) nestled in grabens of several highly fractured cones surrounded by the sheet flow, and generally aligned with its discontinuous, 8km-long fissure system. The northern field, Ja sít, is a broad cluster of 8 active chimneys (also confirmed) rising above the sheet flow's channel system, more than 150m from the fissure. The chimneys stand as tall as 18 m. The most vigorous vent "black smoke" (mineral-rich fluid) >300°C and others are bathed in "white smoke". The active chimneys are populated with bacterial mat and dense clumps of Riftia pachyptila with tubes as long as 1.5m. Abundant limpets, Bythograea thermydron and galatheid crabs, and the pink vent fish Thermarces cerberus were on and near the giant tube worms. Alvinellid worms were observed at 2 chimneys. Some cracks in nearby lava flows vented clear fluid and were populated with tubeworms or Calyptogena magnifica clams. Several chimneys exhibited signs of waning activity: dead tubeworms were still attached and only a minor portion of the edifice supported bacterial mat and live tubeworms. Inactive chimneys are more numerous (48 were confirmed with ROV

Immunomodulatory N-acyl Dopamine Glycosides from the Icelandic Marine Sponge Myxilla incrustans Collected at a Hydrothermal Vent Site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einarsdottir, Eydis; Liu, Hong Bing; Freysdottir, Jona

2016-01-01

A chemical investigation of the sponge (Porifera) Myxilla incrustans collected from the unique submarine hydrothermal vent site Strytan, North of Iceland, revealed a novel family of closely related N-acyl dopamine glycosides. Three new compounds, myxillin A (1), B (2) and C (3), were isolated...

Dietary carbon sources of mussels and tubeworms from Galapagos hydrothermal vents determined from tissue adC activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, P M; Smith, K L; Druffel, E M; Linick, T W

1981-07-30

The large quantities of reduced carbon that are required to support the filter-feeding mytilid mussels (Mytilus sp.), vesicomyid clams (Clayptogena sp.) and various other animals in the Galapagos hydrothermal vent systems are thought to be derived from either the in situ synthesis of particulate organic matter by chemoautotrophic, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria or by the advection of sedimentary organic carbon into the vent environment from surrounding areas. In contrast, the dense populations of vestimentiferan tubeworms (Riftia pachyptila), which lack mouth organs and digestive tracts, apparently utilize organic carbon synthesized by symbiotic chemoautotrophs. We present evidence here, based on adC activities and acC/abC ratios, that the principal source of dietary carbon for mussels and tubeworms is derived from the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIOC) in the vent effluent waters.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the alvinocaridid shrimp Shinkaicaris leurokolos (Decapoda, Caridea): Insight into the mitochondrial genetic basis of deep-sea hydrothermal vent adaptation in the shrimp.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shao'e; Hui, Ming; Wang, Minxiao; Sha, Zhongli

2018-03-01

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent is one of the most extreme environments on Earth with low oxygen and high levels of toxins. Decapod species from the family Alvinocarididae have colonized and successfully adapted to this extremely harsh environment. Mitochondria plays a vital role in oxygen usage and energy metabolism, thus it may be under selection in the adaptive evolution of the hydrothermal vent shrimps. In this study, the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of alvinocaridid shrimp Shinkaicaris leurokolos (Kikuchi & Hashimoto, 2000) was determined through Illumina sequencing. The mitogenome of S. leurokolos was 15,903bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs, and 22 tRNAs. The gene order and orientation were identical to those of sequenced alvinocaridids. It has the longest concatenated sequences of protein-coding genes, tRNAs and shortest pooled rRNAs among the alvinocaridids. The control regions (CRs) of alvinocaridid were significantly longer (penergy metabolism to adapt to the hydrothermal environment. Phylogenetic analysis supported that the deep-sea hydrothermal vent shrimps may have originated from those living in shallow area. Positive selection analysis reveals the evidence of adaptive change in the mitogenome of Alvinocarididae. Thirty potentially important adaptive residues were identified, which were located in atp6, cox1, cox3, cytb and nad1-5. This study explores the mitochondrial genetic basis of hydrothermal vent adaptation in alvinocaridid for the first time, and provides valuable clues regarding the adaptation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Results on Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Loki's Castle Arctic Vents and Host Sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Barriga, Fernando; Carvalho, Carlos; Inês Cruz, M.; Dias, Ágata; Fonseca, Rita; Relvas, Jorge; Pedersen, Rolf

2010-05-01

The Loki's Castle hydrothermal vent field was discovered in the summer of 2008, during a cruise led by the Centre of Geobiology of the University of Bergen, integrated in the H2Deep Project (Eurocores, ESF). Loki's Castle is the northernmost hydrothermal vent field discovered to date. It is located at the junction between the Mohns Ridge and the South Knipovich Ridge, in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea, at almost 74°N. This junction shows unique features and apparently there is no transform fault to accommodate the deformation generated by the bending of the rift valley from WSW-ENE to almost N-S. The Knipovich Rigde, being a complex structure, is an ultra-slow spreading ridge, with an effective spreading rate of only ~ 6 mm/y. It is partly masked by a substantial cover of glacial and post-glacial sediments, estimated to be between 12 and 20 ky old, derived from the nearby Bear Island fan, to the East of the ridge. The Loki's Castle vent site is composed of several active, over 10 m tall chimneys, producing up to 320°C fluid, at the top of a very large sulphide mound, which is estimated to be around 200 m in diameter. About a dozen gravity cores were obtained in the overall area. From these we collected nearly 200 subsamples. Eh and pH were measured in all subsamples. The Portuguese component of the H2Deep project is aimed at characterizing, chemically and mineralogically, the sulphide chimneys and the collected sediments around the vents (up to 5 meters long gravity cores). These studies are aimed at understanding the ore-forming system, and its implications for submarine mineral exploration, as well as the relation of the microbial population with the hydrothermal component of sediments. Here we present an overview of preliminary data on the mineralogical assemblage found in the analyzed sediments and chimneys. The identification of the different mineral phases was obtained through petrographic observations of polished thin sections under the microscope (with both

Methane- and Hydrogen-Influenced Microbial Communities in Hydrothermal Plumes above the Atlantis Massif, Mid Atlantic Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, C. L.; Schrenk, M.

2017-12-01

Ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems associated with slow-spreading mid ocean ridges emit copious amounts of hydrogen and methane into the deep-sea, generated through a process known as serpentinization. Hydrothermal plumes carrying the reduced products of water-rock interaction dissipate and mix with deep seawater, and potentially harbor microbial communities adapted to these conditions. Methane and hydrogen enriched hydrothermal plumes were sampled from 3 sites near the Atlantis Massif (30°N, Mid Atlantic Ridge) during IODP Expedition 357 and used to initiate cultivation experiments targeting methanotrophic and hydrogenotrophic microorganisms. One set of experiments incubated the cultures at in situ hydrostatic pressures and gas concentrations resulting in the enrichment of gammaproteobacterial assemblages, including Marinobacter spp. That may be involved in hydrocarbon degradation. A second set of experiments pursued the anaerobic enrichment of microbial communities on solid media, resulting in the enrichment of alphaproteobacteria related to Ruegeria. The most prodigious growth in both case occurred in methane-enriched media, which may play a role as both an energy and carbon source. Ongoing work is evaluating the physiological characteristics of these isolates, including their metabolic outputs under different physical-chemical conditions. In addition to providing novel isolates from hydrothermal habitats near the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, these experiments will provide insight into the ecology of microbial communities from serpentinization influenced hydrothermal systems that may aid in future exploration of these sites.

Citreicella manganoxidans sp. nov., a novel manganese oxidizing bacterium isolated from a shallow water hydrothermal vent in Espalamaca (Azores)

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rajasabapathy, R.; Mohandass, C; Dastager, S.G.; Liu, Q.; Li, W.-J; Colaco, A.

A Gram-stain negative, non-motile, non-spore forming, aerobic and rod or narrow lemon-shaped bacterial strain, VSW210^T, was isolated from surface seawater in a shallow water hydrothermal vent region in Espalamaca (Azores). Strain VSW210...

Noble Gas geochemistry of the newly discovered hydrothermal fields in the Gulf of California: preliminary He-isotope ratios from the Alarcon Rise and Pescadero basin vent sites

Science.gov (United States)

Spelz, R. M.; Lupton, J. E.; Evans, L. J.; Zierenberg, R. A.; Clague, D. A.; Neumann, F.; Paduan, J. B.

2015-12-01

Numerous submarine deep-sea hydrothermal vents related to volcanic activity of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) are situated along the Pacific margins of Mexico. Until recently, active hydrothermal venting was unknown between the Guaymas Basin and 21°N on the EPR. MBARI's recent oceanographic surveys have added 7 new active vent sites. In this study, we aimed to sample the high-temperature hydrothermal fluids emanating from two distinct vent sites, named Meyibo and Auka, located in the Alarcon Rise and Pescadero Basin, respectively. Mantle-derived He have long been identified in hydrothermal fluid releases. The presence of He in aqueous fluids with 3He/4He ratios greater than in-situ production values (~0.05 RA, where RA = air He or 1.4 x 10-6) indicates the presence of mantle-derived melts. Preliminary analyses of He-isotope ratios derived from the newly discovered Meyibo and Auka hydrothermal fields show high 3He/4He ratios (~8RA), typical of MORB's. Auka vent field, characterized by chimneys composed of light carbonate minerals and oil-like hydrocarbons, and temperatures between 250-290oC, show average values of ~7.87RA. In contrast, the black-smokers at the Meyibo field, composed of dark sulfide minerals and temperatures over 350oC, yielded a higher He ratio of ~8.24RA. Recently, it has become clear that regional maximum mantle He values correlate with the velocity structure in the mantle, therefore, He has the potential to map regions of the underlying mantle that are undergoing partial melting. Seismic records could then be compared with the geochemical He ratio signal and supply information regarding tectonics and other processes involved in the generation of these gases. The data presented here will be completing a totally new inventory of He results from hydrothermal vents in the EPR and fault-termination basins distributed along the P-NA plate boundary in the Gulf of California. The results will be further coupled with the analysis of other geochemical

Rare-earth elements and uranium in high-temperature solutions from East Pacific Rise hydrothermal vent field (130N)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michard, A.; Albarede, F.; Michard, G.; Minster, J.F.; Charlou, J.L.

1983-01-01

The mobility of rare-earth elements (REE) and U during hydrothermal alteration of the basalts at spreading centres has long been a matter of concern because of its bearing on the evolution and recycling of the oceanic crust. Previous approaches to this problem have been indirect, through studies on altered dredged basalts or ophiolites. Sampling of hydrothermal vent waters from the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 13 0 N is reported. It provides the first direct evidence of REE-enriched solutions which, however, leave the budget of these elements in the crust and the ocean rather unmodified. In constrast, uranium, like magnesium, is quantitatively taken up from the seawater during the hydrothermal process. (author)

Exploring the Habitability of Ice-covered Waterworlds: The Deep-Sea Hydrothermal System of the Aurora Mount at Gakkel Ridge, Arctic Ocean (82°54' N, 6°15W, 3900 m)

Science.gov (United States)

Boetius, A.; Bach, W.; Borowski, C.; Diehl, A.; German, C. R.; Kaul, N. E.; Koehler, J.; Marcon, Y.; Mertens, C.; Molari, M.; Schlindwein, V. S. N.; Tuerke, A.; Wegener, G.

2014-12-01

The geographic remoteness of the ultraslow Gakkel Ridge in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean raises many questions about the nature and biogeography of its habitats. In 2001, the two-ice-breaker mission AMORE (RV POLARSTERN and USCGC HEALY) detected hydrothermal plumes and evidence for seafloor venting associated with volcanic ridges rising from the rift valley floor of 4.2 km depth (Edmonds et al., 2003; Michael et al., 2003). The AURORA expedition in July 2014 (RV POLARSTERN Cruise PS86) targeted this "Aurora" field at the SW limit of Gakkel Ridge, to investigate its habitats, communities and their energy sources. No robots can yet be deployed through ice-cover to explore such deep habitats and ice-breaking research vessels cannot hold position in the thick multiyear ice. Instead, we estimated ice-drift to predict suitable start positions, then attached POLARSTERN to a matching ice floe, to achieve the bottom trajectories that we required for targeted exploration. The Aurora mount is volcanic in origin formed from mounded pillow basalts overlain by about a meter of sediment and cut through by steep cliffs revealing basalt pillows in outcrop and in talus piles. We identified persistent plume activity in the water column above the mount at 3100-3600 m (800-300 m off-bottom of its top) characterized by anomalies in turbidity, Eh, methane, temperature, density, and elevated microbial chemoautotrophic activity. Using a towed camera-, and multisensor- platform (OFOS) we located active venting as the source of this plume together with inactive chimneys and associated craters on the SW flank of Mt.Aurora. Its dominantly filter-feeding fauna is apparently sustained by venting of energy-rich fluids and microbial transfer of this geofuel into nutrition. This communication presents first results of our recent fieldwork and experimental investigations in Summer 2014 to explore deep-sea ecosystems in ice-covered oceans.

The origin of methanethiol in midocean ridge hydrothermal fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, Eoghan P; McDermott, Jill M; Seewald, Jeffrey S

2014-04-15

Simple alkyl thiols such as methanethiol (CH3SH) are widely speculated to form in seafloor hot spring fluids. Putative CH3SH synthesis by abiotic (nonbiological) reduction of inorganic carbon (CO2 or CO) has been invoked as an initiation reaction for the emergence of protometabolism and microbial life in primordial hydrothermal settings. Thiols are also presumptive ligands for hydrothermal trace metals and potential fuels for associated microbial communities. In an effort to constrain sources and sinks of CH3SH in seafloor hydrothermal systems, we determined for the first time its abundance in diverse hydrothermal fluids emanating from ultramafic, mafic, and sediment-covered midocean ridge settings. Our data demonstrate that the distribution of CH3SH is inconsistent with metastable equilibrium with inorganic carbon, indicating that production by abiotic carbon reduction is more limited than previously proposed. CH3SH concentrations are uniformly low (∼10(-8) M) in high-temperature fluids (>200 °C) from all unsedimented systems and, in many cases, suggestive of metastable equilibrium with CH4 instead. Associated low-temperature fluids (<200 °C) formed by admixing of seawater, however, are invariably enriched in CH3SH (up to ∼10(-6) M) along with NH4(+) and low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons relative to high-temperature source fluids, resembling our observations from a sediment-hosted system. This strongly implicates thermogenic interactions between upwelling fluids and microbial biomass or associated dissolved organic matter during subsurface mixing in crustal aquifers. Widespread thermal degradation of subsurface organic matter may be an important source of organic production in unsedimented hydrothermal systems and may influence microbial metabolic strategies in cooler near-seafloor and plume habitats.

Bacterial Sulfate Reduction Above 100-Degrees-C in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

JØRGENSEN, BB; ISAKSEN, MF; JANNASCH, HW

1992-01-01

-reducing bacteria was done in hot deep-sea sediments at the hydrothermal vents of the Guaymas Basin tectonic spreading center in the Gulf of California. Radiotracer studies revealed that sulfate reduction can occur at temperatures up to 110-degrees-C, with an optimum rate at 103-degrees to 106-degrees......-C. This observation expands the upper temperature limit of this process in deep-ocean sediments by 20-degrees-C and indicates the existence of an unknown groUp of hyperthermophilic bacteria with a potential importance for the biogeochemistry of sulfur above 100-degrees-C....

Near-inertial motions over a mid-Ocean Ridge; Effects of topography and hydrothermal plumes

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Richard E.; Roth, Sharon E.; Dymond, Jack

1990-05-01

motions in the superinertial band and may arise through critical-layer absorption of downward propagating waves as they encounter increased vertical shear in the background flow. The increased shear is most likely associated with buoyancy-induced flow formed by the extensive hydrothermal plume emanating from vent sites in the axial valley along the ridge crest, but it could also be related to bottom-trapped oscillations over the steep ridge topography. Near-inertial motions are estimated to have vertical coherence scales of the order of 10-100 m, while horizontal coherence scales exceed the 50-km separation between the mooring locations. Minimum vertical and horizontal coherences are found for the depth zone 1600-1800 m, while maximum correlation occurs for near-bottom motions immediately above the crest of the ridge. Weak near-inertial motions are observed within the 100-m-deep axial valley.

Hydrogen limitation and syntrophic growth among natural assemblages of thermophilic methanogens at deep-sea hydrothermal vents

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Begüm D. Topçuoğlu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Thermophilic methanogens are common autotrophs at hydrothermal vents, but their growth constraints and dependence on H2 syntrophy in situ are poorly understood. Between 2012 and 2015, methanogens and H2-producing heterotrophs were detected by growth at 80°C and 55°C at most diffuse (7-40°C hydrothermal vent sites at Axial Seamount. Microcosm incubations of diffuse hydrothermal fluids at 80°C and 55°C demonstrated that growth of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic methanogens is primarily limited by H2 availability. Amendment of microcosms with NH4+ generally had no effect on CH4 production. However, annual variations in abundance and CH4 production were observed in relation to the eruption cycle of the seamount. Microcosm incubations of hydrothermal fluids at 80°C and 55°C supplemented with tryptone and no added H2 showed CH4 production indicating the capacity in situ for methanogenic H2 syntrophy. 16S rRNA genes were found in 80°C microcosms from H2-producing archaea and H2-consuming methanogens, but not for any bacteria. In 55°C microcosms, sequences were found from the H2-producing bacteria and H2-consuming methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. A co-culture of representative organisms showed that Thermococcus paralvinellae supported the syntrophic growth of Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens at 82°C and Methanothermococcus sp. strain BW11 at 60°C. The results demonstrate that modeling of subseafloor methanogenesis should focus primarily on H2 availability and temperature, and that thermophilic H2 syntrophy can support methanogenesis within natural microbial assemblages and may be an important energy source for thermophilic autotrophs in marine geothermal environments.

Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Viruses Compensate for Microbial Metabolism in Virus-Host Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Tianliang; Li, Hongyun; Zhang, Xiaobo

2017-07-11

Viruses are believed to be responsible for the mortality of host organisms. However, some recent investigations reveal that viruses may be essential for host survival. To date, it remains unclear whether viruses are beneficial or harmful to their hosts. To reveal the roles of viruses in the virus-host interactions, viromes and microbiomes of sediment samples from three deep-sea hydrothermal vents were explored in this study. To exclude the influence of exogenous DNAs on viromes, the virus particles were purified with nuclease (DNase I and RNase A) treatments and cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation. The metagenomic analysis of viromes without exogenous DNA contamination and microbiomes of vent samples indicated that viruses had compensation effects on the metabolisms of their host microorganisms. Viral genes not only participated in most of the microbial metabolic pathways but also formed branched pathways in microbial metabolisms, including pyrimidine metabolism; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; nitrogen metabolism and assimilation pathways of the two-component system; selenocompound metabolism; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism. As is well known, deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems exist in relatively isolated environments which are barely influenced by other ecosystems. The metabolic compensation of hosts mediated by viruses might represent a very important aspect of virus-host interactions. IMPORTANCE Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in the oceans and have very important roles in regulating microbial community structure and biogeochemical cycles. The relationship between virus and host microbes is broadly thought to be that of predator and prey. Viruses can lyse host cells to control microbial population sizes and affect community structures of hosts by killing specific microbes. However, viruses also influence their hosts through manipulation of bacterial metabolism. We found

Increased diversity of sessile epibenthos at subtidal hydrothermal vents: seven hypotheses based on observations at Milos Island, Aegean Sea

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Carlo Nike Bianchi

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Research on subtidal hydrothermal vent ecosystems at Milos, Hellenic Volcanic Arc (Aegean Sea, suggested that vent activity increased the species richness of sessile epibenthic assemblages. Based on 303 species found in 6 sites (3 close to vents, 3 farther away, the present paper uses correspondence analysis and species/samples curves to examine the species composition and richness of these assemblages. Differences due to vent proximity were more important than those due to bottom depth and distance from the shore. Diversity was confirmed to be higher near the vents, although none of the 266 species found at the vent sites can be considered as obligate vent-associated species. Seven different, although not mutually exclusive, hypotheses are discussed to explain the pattern of increased epibenthic species diversity at the vent sites, namely: (i vents represent an intermediate disturbance, inducing mortality by the emission of toxic fluids; (ii higher winter temperature allows for the occurrence of warm-water species, which add to the regional background; (iii venting disrupts the homogeneity of the water bottom layer, increasing bottom roughness and hence habitat heterogeneity; (iv deposition of minerals and enhanced bioconstruction by Ca enrichment increment habitat provision; (v fluid emission induces advective mechanisms that favour recruitment; (vi vents emit CO2, nutrients and trace elements that enhance primary productivity; and (vii bacterial chemosynthesis add to photosynthesis to provide a diversity of food sources for the fauna.

Hydrothermal Fe-Si-Mn oxide deposits from the Central and South Valu Fa Ridge, Lau Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Zhilei; Zhou Huaiyang; Yang Qunhui; Sun Zhixue; Bao Shenxu; Yao Huiqiang

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The Fe-Mn crust in the HHF has seawater contribution, whereas the Fe-Si oxide in the MHF is dominated by hydrothermal fluid → The Nd isotope of diffuse flow Fe-Si-Mn deposits indicates the obvious hydrothermal origin. → The Mn/Fe ratio in hydrothermal deposit may be a good indicator of propagating activities of the Valu Fa Ridge. - Abstract: A series of samples from the Hine Hina hydrothermal field (HHF) and the Mariner hydrothermal field (MHF) in the Central and Southern Valu Fa Ridge (VFR), Lau Basin were examined to explain the source origin and formation of the hydrothermal Fe-Si-Mn oxide deposits. The mineralogy was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Moessbauer spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). For the Fe-Mn oxide crusts in the HHF, varying amounts of volcanic fragments and some seawater contributions were recognized, along with higher concentrations of Mn, Al, Co, Ni, Zn, Sr, Mo, elevated ΣREE and negative Ce anomalies. In contrast, the Si-rich oxide samples of the MHF were enriched in Cu, Pb and Ba, indicative of proximity to a hydrothermal jet. Moreover, conductive cooling of hydrothermal fluid evoked the Si-rich deposit formation in the MHF. The Sr, Nd and Pb isotope data provided further constraints regarding the source and formation of the Fe-Si-Mn deposits in the VFR by showing that the samples of the HHF are a mixture of three components, namely, hydrothermal fluid, seawater and volcanic materials, whereas the samples of the MHF were dominated by hydrothermal fluids. The seawater had a minor influence on the Nd isotope data, and the Pb isotope data exhibited a close association with the substrate rock and preformed volcaniclastic layers in this area. The occurrence of relatively high Mn/Fe ratios in the hydrothermal deposits of this area may be a good indicator of the propagating activities of the VFR over geological time.

Morphology of First Zoeal Stage of Four Genera of Alvinocaridid Shrimps from Hydrothermal Vents and Cold Seeps: Implications for Ecology, Larval Biology and Phylogeny.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iván Hernández-Ávila

Full Text Available Alvinocaridid shrimps are endemic species inhabiting hydrothermal vents and/or cold seeps. Although indirect evidences (genetic and lipid markers suggest that their larval stages disperse widely and support large scale connectivity, larval life and mechanisms underlying dispersal are unknown in alvinocaridids. Here we provide for the first time detailed descriptions of the first larval stage (zoea I of four alvinocaridid species: Rimicaris exoculata and Mirocaris fortunata from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Alvinocaris muricola from the Congo Basin and Nautilocaris saintlaurentae from the Western Pacific. The larvae were obtained from onboard hatching of brooding females (either at atmospheric pressure or at habitat pressure in hyperbaric chambers and from the water column near adult habitats, sampled with plankton pumps or sediment traps. Major characteristics of the alvinocaridid larvae include undeveloped mandible and almost complete absence of setation in the inner margin of the mouth parts and maxillipeds. Although the larvae are very similar between the four species studied, some morphological features could be used for species identification. In addition, undeveloped mouthparts and the large amount of lipid reserves strongly support the occurrence of primary lecithotrophy in the early stage of alvinocaridids. Although lecithotrophy in decapod crustaceans is usually associated with abbreviated larval development, as a mechanism of larval retention, morphological and physiological evidences suggest the occurrence of an extended and lecithotrophic larval stage in the Alvinocarididae. These traits permit the colonization of widely dispersed and fragmented environments of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. Distribution of larval traits along the phylogenetic reconstruction of the Alvinocarididae and related families suggest that lecithotrophy/planktotrophy and extended/abbreviated development have evolved independently along related families in all

Biotic and Abiotic Interactions of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent-Endemic Fish on the East Pacific Rise

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

variable oxygen levels in comparison to ambient bottom water. A fragment of Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase was successfully amplified from T. hollisi mRNA...Zoarcide des sites hydrothermaux de la dorsale medio -Atlantiqu. Cybium 18(2): 109-115. Geistdoerfer P (1996) L’ichthyofaune des ecosystems associés à...mixed with the hydrothermal fluid, the habitat chemistry is still measurably different from that of ambient temperature, non vent-influenced areas

Iron oxide deposits associated with the ectosymbiotic bacteria in the hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata

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P. Compère

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The Rimicaris exoculata shrimp is considered as a primary consumer that dominates the fauna of most Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR hydrothermal ecosystems. These shrimps harbour in their gill chambers an important ectosymbiotic community of chemoautotrophic bacteria associated with iron oxide deposits. The structure and elemental composition of the mineral concretions associated with these bacteria have been investigated by using LM, ESEM, TEM STEM and EDX microanalyses. The nature of the iron oxides in shrimps obtained from the Rainbow vent field has also been determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy. This multidisciplinary approach has revealed that the three layers of mineral crust in the Rimicaris exoculata shrimps consist of large concretions formed by aggregated nanoparticles of two-line ferrihydrite and include other minor elements as Si, Ca, Mg, S and P, probably present as silicates cations, sulphates or phosphates respectively that may contribute to stabilise the ferrihydrite form of iron oxides. TEM-observations on the bacteria have revealed their close interactions with these minerals. Abiotic and biotic precipitation could occur within the gill chamber of Rimicaris exoculata, suggesting the biologically-mediated formation of the iron oxide deposits. The difference of the bacterial density in the three-mineral crust layers could be correlated to the importance of the iron oxide concretions and suggest that the first mineral particles precipitates on the lower layer which could be considered as the most likely location of iron-oxidizing bacteria.

Sexually Dimorphic Scale Worms (Annelida: Polynoidae From Hydrothermal Vents in the Okinawa Trough: Two New Species and Two New Sex Morphs

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Yanjie Zhang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Scale worms in the family Polynoidae are common inhabitants of both shallow-water and deep-sea ecosystems, but their diversity in the deep-sea remains poorly known. In the West Pacific, only 10 polynoid species have been described from deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems including hydrothermal vents and methane seeps. Here, we described two new species of polynoids based on specimens collected from hydrothermal vents in the Okinawa Trough. Levensteiniella undomarginata sp. nov. is distinguished from other congeners by having elytra with a wave-shaped edge, and that males possess two pairs of nephridial papillae. Branchinotogluma elytropapillata sp. nov. differs from other congeners by having papillae on the elytral edge, and by having a single pair of nephridial papillae and five pairs of C-shaped lamellae in males. Furthermore, we redescribed Lepidonotopodium okinawae (Sui and Li, 2017 and Branchinotogluma japonicus Miura and Hashimoto, 1991, because the original description of the former species did not cover males and that of the latter did not cover females. Sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI gene in these four species confirmed the sexual dimorphism in vent polynoids for the first time, and provided reliable barcoding sequences for identifying these polychaetes.

Microbial utilization of naturally occurring hydrocarbons at the Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vent site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazylinski, D.A.; Wirsen, C.O.; Jannasch, H.W.

1989-01-01

The Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California; depth, 2,000 m) is a site of hydrothermal activity in which petroliferous materials is formed by thermal alteration of deposited planktonic and terrestrial organic matter. We investigated certain components of these naturally occurring hydrocarbons as potential carbon sources for a specific microflora at these deep-sea vent sites. Respiratory conversion of [1- 14 C]hexadecane and [1(4,5,8)- 14 C]naphthalene to 14 CO 2 was observed at 4 degree C and 25 degree C, and some was observed at 55 degree C, but none was observed at 80 degree C. Bacterial isolates were capable of growing on both substrates as the sole carbon source. All isolates were aerobic and mesophilic with respect to growth on hydrocarbons but also grew at low temperatures (4 to 5 degree C). These results correlate well with previous geochemical analyses, indicating microbial hydrocarbon degradation, and show that at least some of the thermally produced hydrocarbons at Guaymas Basin are significant carbon sources to vent microbiota

Genetic diversity and demographic instability in Riftia pachyptila tubeworms from eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents

Science.gov (United States)

Coykendall, D.K.; Johnson, S.B.; Karl, S.A.; Lutz, R.A.; Vrijenhoek, R.C.

2011-01-01

Background: Deep-sea hydrothermal vent animals occupy patchy and ephemeral habitats supported by chemosynthetic primary production. Volcanic and tectonic activities controlling the turnover of these habitats contribute to demographic instability that erodes genetic variation within and among colonies of these animals. We examined DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and three nuclear gene loci to assess genetic diversity in the siboglinid tubeworm, Riftia pachyptila, a widely distributed constituent of vents along the East Pacific Rise and Galpagos Rift. Results: Genetic differentiation (FST) among populations increased with geographical distances, as expected under a linear stepping-stone model of dispersal. Low levels of DNA sequence diversity occurred at all four loci, allowing us to exclude the hypothesis that an idiosyncratic selective sweep eliminated mitochondrial diversity alone. Total gene diversity declined with tectonic spreading rates. The southernmost populations, which are subjected to superfast spreading rates and high probabilities of extinction, are relatively homogenous genetically. Conclusions: Compared to other vent species, DNA sequence diversity is extremely low in R. pachyptila. Though its dispersal abilities appear to be effective, the low diversity, particularly in southern hemisphere populations, is consistent with frequent local extinction and (re)colonization events. ?? 2011 Coykendall et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Acquisition of epibiotic bacteria along the life cycle of the hydrothermal shrimp Rimicaris exoculata.

Science.gov (United States)

Guri, Mathieu; Durand, Lucile; Cueff-Gauchard, Valérie; Zbinden, Magali; Crassous, Philippe; Shillito, Bruce; Cambon-Bonavita, Marie-Anne

2012-03-01

The caridean shrimp Rimicaris exoculata dominates the fauna at several Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent sites. This shrimp has an enlarged gill chamber, harboring a dense ectosymbiotic community of chemoautotrophic bacteria associated with mineral oxide deposits. Until now, their acquisition is not fully understood. At three hydrothermal vent sites, we analyzed the epibionts diversity at different moult stages and also in the first stages of the shrimp life (eggs, hatched eggs (with larvae) and juveniles). Hatched eggs associated with young larvae were collected for the first time directly from gravid females at the Logachev vent site during the Serpentine cruise. An approach using 16S rRNA clone libraries, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescent in situ hybridization was used. Molecular results and microscope observations indicated a switch in the composition of the bacterial community between early R. exoculata life cycle stage (egg libraries dominated by the Gammaproteobacteria) and later stages (juvenile/adult libraries dominated by the Epsilonproteobacteria). We hypothesized that the epibiotic phylotype composition could vary according to the life stage of the shrimp. Our results confirmed the occurrence of a symbiosis with Gammaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria, but more complex than previously assumed. We revealed the presence of active type-I methanotrophic bacteria colonizing the cephalothorax of shrimps from the Rainbow site. They were also present on the eggs from the Logachev site. This could be the first 'epibiotic' association between methanotrophic bacteria and hydrothermal vent crustacean. We discuss possible transmission pathways for epibionts linked to the shrimp life cycle.

Distal transport of dissolved hydrothermal iron in the deep South Pacific Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzsimmons, Jessica N; Boyle, Edward A; Jenkins, William J

2014-11-25

Until recently, hydrothermal vents were not considered to be an important source to the marine dissolved Fe (dFe) inventory because hydrothermal Fe was believed to precipitate quantitatively near the vent site. Based on recent abyssal dFe enrichments near hydrothermal vents, however, the leaky vent hypothesis [Toner BM, et al. (2012) Oceanography 25(1):209-212] argues that some hydrothermal Fe persists in the dissolved phase and contributes a significant flux of dFe to the global ocean. We show here the first, to our knowledge, dFe (Pacific Ocean, where dFe of 1.0-1.5 nmol/kg near 2,000 m depth (0.4-0.9 nmol/kg above typical deep-sea dFe concentrations) was determined to be hydrothermally derived based on its correlation with primordial (3)He and dissolved Mn (dFe:(3)He of 0.9-2.7 × 10(6)). Given the known sites of hydrothermal venting in these regions, this dFe must have been transported thousands of kilometers away from its vent site to reach our sampling stations. Additionally, changes in the size partitioning of the hydrothermal dFe between soluble (Pacific Rise only leaks 0.02-1% of total Fe vented into the abyssal Pacific, this dFe persists thousands of kilometers away from the vent source with sufficient magnitude that hydrothermal vents can have far-field effects on global dFe distributions and inventories (≥3% of global aerosol dFe input).

Geochemistry of fluids from Earth's deepest ridge-crest hot-springs: Piccard hydrothermal field, Mid-Cayman Rise

Science.gov (United States)

McDermott, Jill M.; Sylva, Sean P.; Ono, Shuhei; German, Christopher R.; Seewald, Jeffrey S.

2018-05-01

Hosted in basaltic substrate on the ultra-slow spreading Mid-Cayman Rise, the Piccard hydrothermal field is the deepest currently known seafloor hot-spring (4957-4987 m). Due to its great depth, the Piccard site is an excellent natural system for investigating the influence of extreme pressure on the formation of submarine vent fluids. To investigate the role of rock composition and deep circulation conditions on fluid chemistry, the abundance and isotopic composition of organic, inorganic, and dissolved volatile species in high temperature vent fluids at Piccard were examined in samples collected in 2012 and 2013. Fluids from the Beebe Vents and Beebe Woods black smokers vent at a maximum temperature of 398 °C at the seafloor, however several lines of evidence derived from inorganic chemistry (Cl, SiO2, Ca, Br, Fe, Cu, Mn) support fluid formation at much higher temperatures in the subsurface. These high temperatures, potentially in excess of 500 °C, are attainable due to the great depth of the system. Our data indicate that a single deep-rooted source fluid feeds high temperature vents across the entire Piccard field. High temperature Piccard fluid H2 abundances (19.9 mM) are even higher than those observed in many ultramafic-influenced systems, such as the Rainbow (16 mM) and the Von Damm hydrothermal fields (18.2 mM). In the case of Piccard, however, these extremely high H2 abundances can be generated from fluid-basalt reaction occurring at very high temperatures. Magmatic and thermogenic sources of carbon in the high temperature black smoker vents are described. Dissolved ΣCO2 is likely of magmatic origin, CH4 may originate from a combination of thermogenic sources and leaching of abiotic CH4 from mineral-hosted fluid inclusions, and CO abundances are at equilibrium with the water-gas shift reaction. Longer-chained n-alkanes (C2H6, C3H8, n-C4H10, i-C4H10) may derive from thermal alteration of dissolved and particulate organic carbon sourced from the original

Sulfide geochronlogy along the Southwest Indian Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, W.; Tao, C.; Li, H.; Liang, J.; Liao, S.

2017-12-01

Dragon Flag and Duanqiao hydrothermal field is located between the Indomed and Gallieni fracture zones in the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). Ten subsamples from active and inactive vents of Dragon Flag hydrothermal field and twenty-eight subsamples from Duanqiao hydrothermal field were dated using the 230Th/238U method. Four main episodes of hydrothermal activity of Duanqiao were determined according to the restricted results: 68.9-84.3, 43.9-48.4, 25.3-34.8, and 0.7-17.3 kyrs. Hydrothermal activity of Duanqiao probably started about 84.3 (±0.5) kyrs ago and ceased about 0.737 (±0.023) kyrs ago. And sulfide samples from the nearby Dragon Flag filed at the same time and the results show that the ages of most sulfides from Dragon Flag field range from 1.496(±0.176) to 5.416 (±0.116) kyrs with the oldest age estimated at 15.997 (±0.155) kyrs Münch et al. (2001) reconstructed the evolution history of Mt. Jourdanne hydrothermal field. The age dating results indicate activity in two episodes, at 70-40 and 27-13 kyrs. The hydrothermal activity in Dragon Flag field is much more recent than that of Duanqiao or Mt. Jourdanne fields. The massive sulfides are younger than the sulfides from other hydrothermal fields such as Rainbow, Sonne and Ashadze-2. All these results suggest that hydrothermal activity of Dragon Flag field is much more recent than that of Duanqiao or Mt. Jourdanne fields. Mt. Jourdanne is situated on an axial volcanic ridge which has both volcanic and tectonic activity. This is necessary to develop the heat source and pathways for the fluid convection, which enables the hydrothermal circulation. Hydrothermal activity in Dragon Flag Field is located next to the detachment fault termination. The detachment fault system provides a pathway for hydrothermal convection. Such style of heat source can contribute to continuous hydrothermal activity for over 1000 years. Duanqiao field is located near the central volcano and there is a hot

Heat Flow and Hydrothermal Circulation of the Lucky Strike Segment, Mid Atlantic Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Bonneville, A.; Escartin, J.; Lucazeau, F.; Cannat, M.; Gouze, P.; von Herzen, R. P.; Adam, C.; Le Bars, M.; Monoury, E.; Vidal, V.

2003-12-01

In June 2003, expedition Luckyflux aboard the R/V Poseidon conducted a heat flow survey of a zone centred on the Lucky Strike segment of the Mid Atlantic ridge south of the Azores between ˜35° N and 39° N. Using a 5 m-long lance with 7 outrigger thermal probes, about 150 successful thermal gradient measurements were obtained, 140 of these with in-situ thermal conductivity. Measurements were made at ˜1 mile intervals along several profiles, where adequately sedimented sites were identified using 6-channel and 3.5 kHz seismic data from the previous Sudazores'98 cruise. We conducted heat flow measurements in two areas: a near axis region within the V-shaped ridge of overthickened crust that emanated from the Azores hotspot between ˜14 and 4 Ma, and an off-axis region East of the V-shaped ridge. The off-axis region is characterized by an homogeneous sediment cover, 300-400 m thick, and crustal ages varying between ˜6 and >10 Ma. Long wavelength (tens of km) low heat flow anomalies can be identified but the mean of 160 mWm-2 is comparable to the conductive heat flow expected for a crust of that age. Along two 80-km profiles perpendicular to the ridge, we observed coherent but different patterns. On the first profile, low heat flow values of 20-50 mWm-2 are observed at the base of the V-shaped ridge. These values are 100 mWm-2 below the profile average, showing that hydrothermal circulations can also affect oceanic crust beneath a thick and relatively impermeable sediment cover. On the other profile, heat flow generally decreases from west to east. On both profiles, higher than average values of heat flow are also present, associated on one of them with a nearly outcropping basement elevation. These contrasting overall heat flow patterns in similar geological context indicate that the likely pattern of hydrothermal circulations is mainly 3D, and not driven only by the presence of basement outcrops. In the near-axis region, where the tectonic structure is more

Variability of Fe isotope compositions of hydrothermal sulfides and oxidation products at mid-ocean ridges

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Li, Xiaohu; Wang, Jianqiang; Chu, Fengyou; Wang, Hao; Li, Zhenggang; Yu, Xing; Bi, Dongwei; He, Yongsheng

2018-04-01

Significant Fe isotopic fractionation occurs during the precipitation and oxidative weathering of modern seafloor hydrothermal sulfides, which has an important impact on the cycling of Fe isotopes in the ocean. This study reports the Fe-isotope compositions of whole-rock sulfides and single-mineral pyrite collected from hydrothermal fields at the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) and the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and discusses the impacts of precipitation and late-stage oxidative weathering of sulfide minerals on Fe isotopic fractionation. The results show large variation in the Fe-isotope compositions of the sulfides from the different hydrothermal fields on the mid-oceanic ridges, indicating that relatively significant isotope fractionation occurs during the sulfide precipitation and oxidative weathering processes. The Fe-isotope compositions of the sulfides from the study area at the SMAR vary across a relatively small range, with an average value of 0.01‰. This Fe-isotope composition is similar to the Fe-isotope composition of mid-oceanic ridge basalt, which suggests that Fe was mainly leached from basalt. In contrast, the Fe-isotope composition of the sulfides from the study area at the EPR are significantly enriched in light Fe isotopes (average value - 1.63‰), mainly due to the kinetic fractionation during the rapid precipitation process of hydrothermal sulfide. In addition, the pyrite from different hydrothermal fields is enriched in light Fe isotopes, which is consistent with the phenomenon in which light Fe isotopes are preferentially enriched during the precipitation of pyrite. The red oxides have the heaviest Fe-isotope compositions (up to 0.80‰), indicating that heavy Fe isotopes are preferentially enriched in the oxidation product during the late-stage oxidation process. The data obtained from this study and previous studies show a significant difference between the Fe-isotope compositions of the sulfides from the SMAR and EPR. The relatively heavy

Hydrothermal plumes over spreading-center axes: Global distributions and geological inferences

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Edward T.; German, Christopher R.; Elderfield, Henry

Seafloor hydrothermal circulation is the principal agent of energy and mass exchange between the ocean and the earth's crust. Discharging fluids cool hot rock, construct mineral deposits, nurture biological communities, alter deep-sea mixing and circulation patterns, and profoundly influence ocean chemistry and biology. Although the active discharge orifices themselves cover only a minuscule percentage of the ridge-axis seafloor, the investigation and quantification of their effects is enhanced as a consequence of the mixing process that forms hydrothermal plumes. Hydrothermal fluids discharged from vents are rapidly diluted with ambient seawater by factors of 104-105 [Lupton et al., 1985]. During dilution, the mixture rises tens to hundreds of meters to a level of neutral buoyancy, eventually spreading laterally as a distinct hydrographic and chemical layer with a spatial scale of tens to thousands of kilometers [e.g., Lupton and Craig, 1981; Baker and Massoth, 1987; Speer and Rona, 1989].

Hydrothermal chimneys and Sulphide mineralised breccias from the Kolbeinsey and the Mohns Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Nygård, T. E.; Bjerkgård, T.; Kelly, D.; Thorseth, I.; Pedersen, R. B.

2003-04-01

An inactive hydrothermal ventsite was discovered at the Kolbeinsey Ridge, (68^o56'N,17^o12'W) during the SUBMAR-99 cruise. The field is located in the neovolcanic sone at the flat top of a circular volcano at 900 m water depth. Two major fields contain about 30 chimneys. The top of one chimney was collected for further research. The mineralogy of the chimney is dominated by sphalerite, silica and barite, with minor amounts of galena and pyrrhotite, an assemblage which suggest a formation temperature white smokers [1]. The outer part of the chimney is enriched in LREE and shows a large positive Eu-anomaly compared to the inner parts of the chimney. Variation in Ce-anomaly reflects varying degrees of seawater infiltration during mineral precipitation. The first formed minerals in the lower part, and the outer part of the chimney appears to contain the most seawater-affected minerals. The Ag content of sphalerite may be as high as 1 wt%, but is restricted to small domains especially around fluid channels. A zonation in the Fe/Zn ratio of sphalerite is observed across fluid channels, suggesting variations in the fluid composition with time. The Pb-content of the chimney is extremely high, with up to 10 wt% in some sphalerite grains, and the bulk values are as high as 10 000 ppm. These high values suggest that sediments may have been present in the reaction zone of this hydrothermal system. Sulphide mineralised breccias were recovered by dredging the northern fault wall of the Mohns Ridge at 72^o39,33'N, 02^o40,87'E, during the SUBMAR-2000 cruise. The breccias exhibit several progressive stages of hydrothermal alteration: 1) the least altered parts are composed of partly altered basalt clasts and some chlorite, 2) more strongly altered samples mainly consist of quarts in a chlorite matrix, 3) and the most heavily mineralised parts contain secondary quarts and chalcopyrite. The final hydrothermal stage recorded by the breccias involved oxidation of chalcopyrite and

High-pressure hydrogen respiration in hydrothermal vent samples from the deep biosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan-Smith, D.; Schrenk, M. O.

2013-12-01

Cultivation of organisms from the deep biosphere has met with many challenges, chief among them the ability to replicate this extreme environment in a laboratory setting. The maintenance of in situ pressure levels, carbon sources, and gas concentrations are important, intertwined factors which may all affect the growth of subsurface microorganisms. Hydrogen in particular is of great importance in hydrothermal systems, but in situ hydrogen concentrations are largely disregarded in attempts to culture from these sites. Using modified Hungate-type culture tubes (Bowles et al. 2011) within pressure-retaining vessels, which allow for the dissolution of higher concentrations of gas than is possible with other culturing methods, we have incubated hydrothermal chimney and hydrothermally-altered rock samples from the Lost City and Mid-Cayman Rise hydrothermal vent fields. Hydrogen concentrations up to 15 mmol/kg have been reported from Lost City (Kelley et al. 2005), but data are not yet available from the recently-discovered Mid-Cayman site, and the elevated concentration of 30 mmol/kg is being used in all incubations. We are using a variety of media types to enrich for various metabolic pathways including iron and sulfur reduction under anoxic or microaerophilic conditions. Incubations are being carried out at atmospheric (0.1 MPa), in situ (9, 23, or 50 MPa, depending on site), and elevated (50 MPa) pressure levels. Microbial cell concentrations, taxonomic diversity, and metabolic activities are being monitored during the course of these experiments. These experiments will provide insight into the relationships between microbial activities, pressure, and gas concentrations typical of deep biosphere environments. Results will inform further culturing studies from both fresh and archived samples. References cited: Bowles, M.W., Samarkin, V.A., Joye, S.B. 2011. Improved measurement of microbial activity in deep-sea sediments at in situ pressure and methane concentration

Sediment Microbial Communities Influenced by Cool Hydrothermal Fluid Migration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura A. Zinke

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Cool hydrothermal systems (CHSs are prevalent across the seafloor and discharge fluid volumes that rival oceanic input from rivers, yet the microbial ecology of these systems are poorly constrained. The Dorado Outcrop on the ridge flank of the Cocos Plate in the northeastern tropical Pacific Ocean is the first confirmed CHS, discharging minimally altered <15°C fluid from the shallow lithosphere through diffuse venting and seepage. In this paper, we characterize the resident sediment microbial communities influenced by cool hydrothermal advection, which is evident from nitrate and oxygen concentrations. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Thaumarchaea, Proteobacteria, and Planctomycetes were the most abundant phyla in all sediments across the system regardless of influence from seepage. Members of the Thaumarchaeota (Marine Group I, Alphaproteobacteria (Rhodospirillales, Nitrospirae, Nitrospina, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes were enriched in the sediments influenced by CHS advection. Of the various geochemical parameters investigated, nitrate concentrations correlated best with microbial community structure, indicating structuring based on seepage of nitrate-rich fluids. A comparison of microbial communities from hydrothermal sediments, seafloor basalts, and local seawater at Dorado Outcrop showed differences that highlight the distinct niche space in CHS. Sediment microbial communities from Dorado Outcrop differ from those at previously characterized, warmer CHS sediment, but are similar to deep-sea sediment habitats with surficial ferromanganese nodules, such as the Clarion Clipperton Zone. We conclude that cool hydrothermal venting at seafloor outcrops can alter the local sedimentary oxidation–reduction pathways, which in turn influences the microbial communities within the fluid discharge affected sediment.

A Serpentinite-Hosted Ecosystem: The Lost City Hydrothermal Field

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Deborah S.; Karson, Jeffrey A.; Früh-Green, Gretchen L.; Yoerger, Dana R.; Shank, Timothy M.; Butterfield, David A.; Hayes, John M.; Schrenk, Matthew O.; Olson, Eric J.; Proskurowski, Giora; Jakuba, Mike; Bradley, Al; Larson, Ben; Ludwig, Kristin; Glickson, Deborah; Buckman, Kate; Bradley, Alexander S.; Brazelton, William J.; Roe, Kevin; Elend, Mitch J.; Delacour, Adélie; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; Lilley, Marvin D.; Baross, John A.; Summons, Roger E.; Sylva, Sean P.

2005-03-01

The serpentinite-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field is a remarkable submarine ecosystem in which geological, chemical, and biological processes are intimately interlinked. Reactions between seawater and upper mantle peridotite produce methane- and hydrogen-rich fluids, with temperatures ranging from A low diversity of microorganisms related to methane-cycling Archaea thrive in the warm porous interiors of the edifices. Macrofaunal communities show a degree of species diversity at least as high as that of black smoker vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, but they lack the high biomasses of chemosynthetic organisms that are typical of volcanically driven systems.

Geochemistry of seafloor hydrothermal vent fluids at EPR 9°50'N: Time series data from 2004-2016

Science.gov (United States)

Scheuermann, P.; Pester, N. J.; Tutolo, B. M.; Simmons, S. F.; Seyfried, W. E., Jr.

2017-12-01

Hydrothermal fluids were collected from vent sites along the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 9°50'N in 2004, 2008 and 2016 in isobaric gas-tight titanium samplers. These dates bracket the seafloor eruption that occurred at EPR 9°50'N between 2005 and 2006. The reported data focus on P vent and Bio9, as these vents were active during all three sampling periods. The concentration of aqueous volatiles reached maxima at both vents in 2008. At P vent, CO2, H2, and H2S were 124 mM/kg, 0.55 mM/kg and 12.2 mM/kg, respectively. The concentrations at Bio9 in 2008 were, 106 mM/kg CO2, 1.1 mM/kg H2, and 12.6 mM/kg H2S. Fe and Mn concentrations were the highest at both vent sites in 2004, and then decreased in 2008 and again in 2016. The range at P vent was 1.5-6.3 mM/kg Fe and 315-1212 uM/kg Mn, while at Bio9 the concentrations were 1.6-3.7 mM/kg Fe and 301-650 uM/kg Mn. The trends in CO2, H2, and H2S at P vent (2008 and 2016) and Bio9 (all years) are consistent with changes in subsurface pressure and temperature as a result of the eruption that alter the conditions at which dissolved components partition between vapor and liquid phases in the NaCl-H2O system. The trend in Fe and Mn concentrations is surprising and highlights the complex partitioning behavior of these elements in systems in which the concentrations are controlled by fluid-mineral equilibria as well as phase separation. Between 2004 and 2008, fluids at P vent transitioned from single-phase (535 mM/kg Cl) to a low-density vapor (370 mM/kg). Upon phase separation, the concentrations of H2S and H2 increased, while Fe and Mn concentrations decreased considerably. These changes highlight the importance of phase separation on controlling mass transfer from the crust to overlying ocean. In contrast to the other aqueous volatiles, CH4 concentrations in 2008 (47 µM) were lower or equal to concentrations in 2004 or 2016, 50-100 µM. CH4 is decoupled from the effects of phase separation, and is likely extracted from fluid

Mitochondrial DNA Analyses Indicate High Diversity, Expansive Population Growth and High Genetic Connectivity of Vent Copepods (Dirivultidae) across Different Oceans.

Science.gov (United States)

Gollner, Sabine; Stuckas, Heiko; Kihara, Terue C; Laurent, Stefan; Kodami, Sahar; Martinez Arbizu, Pedro

2016-01-01

Communities in spatially fragmented deep-sea hydrothermal vents rich in polymetallic sulfides could soon face major disturbance events due to deep-sea mineral mining, such that unraveling patterns of gene flow between hydrothermal vent populations will be an important step in the development of conservation policies. Indeed, the time required by deep-sea populations to recover following habitat perturbations depends both on the direction of gene flow and the number of migrants available for re-colonization after disturbance. In this study we compare nine dirivultid copepod species across various geological settings. We analyze partial nucleotide sequences of the mtCOI gene and use divergence estimates (FST) and haplotype networks to infer intraspecific population connectivity between vent sites. Furthermore, we evaluate contrasting scenarios of demographic population expansion/decline versus constant population size (using, for example, Tajima's D). Our results indicate high diversity, population expansion and high connectivity of all copepod populations in all oceans. For example, haplotype diversity values range from 0.89 to 1 and FST values range from 0.001 to 0.11 for Stygiopontius species from the Central Indian Ridge, Mid Atlantic Ridge, East Pacific Rise, and Eastern Lau Spreading Center. We suggest that great abundance and high site occupancy by these species favor high genetic diversity. Two scenarios both showed similarly high connectivity: fast spreading centers with little distance between vent fields and slow spreading centers with greater distance between fields. This unexpected result may be due to some distinct frequency of natural disturbance events, or to aspects of individual life histories that affect realized rates of dispersal. However, our statistical performance analyses showed that at least 100 genomic regions should be sequenced to ensure accurate estimates of migration rate. Our demography parameters demonstrate that dirivultid

A Geographical Information System to Manage the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents Marine Protected Area

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, K. L.; Hillier, M. C. J.; Thornborough, K. J.; Jenkyns, R.; Juniper, K.

2016-02-01

The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents Marine Protected Area (EHVMPA) is located approximately 250 km offshore of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Since its discovery in 1982, there have been hundreds of dives, samples collected, measurements made, and debris left behind at the EHVMPA. In 2003, the Canadian government declared the region as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under Canada's Oceans Act, to be managed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) operates a cabled observatory in the EHVMPA, and streams data in near real-time via the Internet to science communities worldwide. ONC's observatory data, combined with observations made during maintenance expeditions provides insight assisting the management and preservation of the MPA. In 2014, DFO partnered with ONC to build a geodatabase to enhance and inform the knowledge base of the EHVMPA Management Plan. The geodatabase, built in ArcGIS, contains data integrated from ONC's Oceans 2.0 database, third parties, and relevant publications. Layers include annual observatory infrastructure deployments, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive tracks, sampling activity, anthropogenic debris, high-resolution bathymetry, observations of species of interest, and locations of hydrothermal vents. The combined data show both efforts to better understand the environment and the resulting stressors that impact the MPA. The tool also links observed features such as debris and biological observations to the time-correlated ROV dive video using ONC's SeaTube video viewing tool allowing for further analysis. Through 2017, the geodatabase will be maintained by ONC and enriched with expedition data from organizations such as Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and the University of Washington. The end result is a tool that can integrate many types of data obtained from the MPA, and encourages systematic management of a remote, dynamic and fragile environment.

Boiling vapour-type fluids from the Nifonea vent field (New Hebrides Back-Arc, Vanuatu, SW Pacific): Geochemistry of an early-stage, post-eruptive hydrothermal system

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Katja; Garbe-Schönberg, Dieter; Hannington, Mark D.; Anderson, Melissa O.; Bühring, Benjamin; Haase, Karsten; Haruel, Christy; Lupton, John; Koschinsky, Andrea

2017-06-01

In 2013, high-temperature vent fluids were sampled in the Nifonea vent field. This field is located within the caldera of a large shield-type volcano of the Vate Trough, a young extensional rift in the New Hebrides back-arc. Hydrothermal venting occurs as clear and black smoker fluids with temperatures up to 368 °C, the hottest temperatures measured so far in the western Pacific. The physico-chemical conditions place the fluids within the two-phase field of NaCl-H2O, and venting is dominated by vapour phase fluids with Cl concentrations as low as 25 mM. The fluid composition, which differs between the individual vent sites, is interpreted to reflect the specific geochemical fluid signature of a hydrothermal system in its initial, post-eruptive stage. The strong Cl depletion is accompanied by low alkali/Cl ratios compared to more evolved hydrothermal systems, and very high Fe/Cl ratios. The concentrations of REY (180 nM) and As (21 μM) in the most Cl-depleted fluid are among the highest reported so far for submarine hydrothermal fluids, whereas the inter-element REY fractionation is only minor. The fluid signature, which has been described here for the first time in a back-arc setting, is controlled by fast fluid passage through basaltic volcanic rocks, with extremely high water-rock ratios and only limited water-rock exchange, phase separation and segregation, and (at least) two-component fluid mixing. Metals and metalloids are unexpectedly mobile in the vapour phase fluids, and the strong enrichments of Fe, REY, and As highlight the metal transport capacity of low-salinity, low-density vapours at the specific physico-chemical conditions at Nifonea. One possible scenario is that the fluids boiled before the separated vapour phase continued to react with fresh glassy lavas. The mobilization of metals is likely to occur by leaching from fresh glass and grain boundaries and is supported by the high water/rock ratios. The enrichment of B and As is further controlled

Hydrothermal vents in Lake Tanganyika harbor spore-forming thermophiles with extremely rapid growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elsgaard, Lars; Prieur, Daniel

2010-01-01

A thermophilic anaerobic bacterium was isolated from a sublacustrine hydrothermal vent site in Lake Tanganyika (East Africa) with recorded fluid temperatures of 66–103 °C and pH values of 7.7–8.9. The bacterium (strain TR10) was rod-shaped, about 1 by 5 μm in size, and readily formed distal...... and peptone. The optimum temperature for growth was 60 °C, while minimum and maximum temperatures were 40 and 75 °C. The pH response was alkalitolerant with optimum pH at 7.4 and 8.5 depending on the growth medium. The distinct feature of rapid proliferation and endospore formation may allow the novel...

Investigating microbial colonization in actively forming hydrothermal deposits using thermocouple arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Tivey, M. K.; Reysenbach, A. L.; Hirsch, M.; Steinberg, J.; Flores, G. E.

2010-12-01

Investigations of microbial colonization of very young hydrothermal deposits were carried out in 2009 at hydrothermal vents in the Lau Basin (SW Pacific), and in Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California, with a test deployment at the Rainbow vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 2008. Our method entailed razing active chimneys and placing arrays of temperature probes (8 titanium-encased probes with their tips placed within a titanium cage) over the active flow. The chimneys that grew back through each array, encasing the temperature probe tips, were recovered after 2 to 15 days, along with temperature records. Molecular phylogenetic methods are being used to reveal the members of the microbial communities that developed in each chimney of known age and thermal history. A total of 15 array deployments were made at 10 vents in 6 different vent fields. Similar morphology beehives (with porous fine-grained interiors and steep temperature gradients across the outermost more-consolidated “wall”) formed at 2 of the 3 vents in Guaymas Basin (in 2 and 5 days at one vent and 3 and 15 days at a second), and at one vent each in the Kilo Moana (in 3 days), Tahi Moana (in 2.5 days), and Tui Malila (in 3 and 8 days) vent fields in the Lau Basin. In contrast, open conduit, thin walled chimneys grew within arrays at the Mariner vent field, Lau Basin, at 3 different vents (in 3 days at one vent, in 3 and 11 days at a second vent, and in 13 days at a third vent). A lower temperature (Archaea showed very little change in diversity over time, with members of the genera Thermococcus and Methanocaldococcus present in all samples analyzed, irrespective of location and timing of sampling. This is very different from a 72-hour test array deployment done in 2008 at Rainbow vent field, where the deposited soft material was colonized only by the sulfate-reducing archaeum, Archaeoglobus. These samples (8 beehives, 4 open conduit smokers, one diffuser spire, from chimneys of known composition

Challenges of using an AUV to find and map hydrothermal vent sites in deep and rugged terrains

OpenAIRE

McPhail, S.D.; Stevenson, P.; Pebody, M.; Furlong, M.; Perrett, J.; LeBas, T.

2010-01-01

In March 2010, the Autosub6000 AUV embarked on a cruise to discover, locate and map hydrothermal vent sites in an active spreading centre, the Cayman trough in the Caribbean sea. The environment provided the challenge of steep and rugged terrain together with deep water (in places greater than 5000 m). Autosub6000 is a flight class, hydrodynamically shaped AUV, with good endurance capability, making it well suited for searching for plume signals and mapping terrain over the required ...

Microbial Geochemistry in Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Amend, J. P.; Pichler, T.

2006-12-01

Shallow-sea hydrothermal systems are far more ubiquitous than generally recognized. Approximately 50-60 systems are currently known, occurring world-wide in areas of high heat flow, such as, volcanic island arcs, near-surface mid-ocean ridges, and intraplate oceanic volcanoes. In contrast to deep-sea systems, shallow- sea vent fluids generally include a meteoric component, they experience phase separation near the sediment- water interface, and they discharge into the photic zone (thermophilic bacteria and archaea. Perhaps because deep-sea smokers and continental hot springs are visually more stunning, shallow-sea systems are often overlooked study sites. We will discuss their particular features that afford unique opportunities in microbial geochemistry. Two of the better studied examples are at Vulcano Island (Italy) and Ambitle Island (Papua New Guinea). The vents and sediment seeps at Vulcano are the "type locality" for numerous cultured hyperthermophiles, including the bacteria Aquifex and Thermotoga, the crenarchaeon Pyrodictium, and the Euryarchaeota Archaeoglobus and Pyrococcus. Isotope-labeled incubation experiments of heated sediments and an array of culturing studies have shown that simple organic compounds are predominantly fermented or anaerobically respired with sulfate. 16S rRNA gene surveys, together with fluorescent in situ hybridization studies, demonstrated the dominance of key thermophilic bacteria and archaea (e.g., Aquificales, Thermotogales, Thermococcales, Archaeoglobales) in the sediments and the presence of a broad spectrum of mostly uncultured crenarchaeota in several vent waters, sediment samples, and geothermal wells. Thermodynamic modeling quantified potential energy yields from aerobic and anaerobic respiration reactions and fermentation reactions. In contrast to their deep-sea counterparts, shallow-sea hydrothermal systems are often characterized by high arsenic concentrations of more than 500-times seawater levels. The arsenic

Geologic form and setting of a hydrothermal vent field at lat 10°56‧N, East Pacific Rise: A detailed study using Angus and Alvin

Science.gov (United States)

McConachy, T. F.; Ballard, R. D.; Mottl, M. J.; von Herzen, R. P.

1986-04-01

A hydrothermal vent field, here called the Feather Duster site, occurs on the eastern marginal high near the edge of a narrow (95-m) and shallow (15 20-m) axial graben, within an area dominated by sheet flows and collapse features. The sheet flows are intermediate in relative age between younger fluid-flow lavas on the floor of the axial graben and older pillow (constructional) lavas on the marginal highs. Hydrothermal activity occurs in two zones within a 65 by 45 m area. The main zone is located where a fissure system and sulfide-sulfate chimneys vent warm (9 47 °C) and hot (347 °C) hydrothermal fluids. Here, two mounds of massive sulfide totaling about 200 t are forming. One occurs at the base of a 3-m-high scarp which is the wall of a drained lava lake; the other is perched on top of the scarp. *Present address: Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1

A new yeti crab phylogeny: Vent origins with indications of regional extinction in the East Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Roterman, Christopher Nicolai; Lee, Won-Kyung; Liu, Xinming; Lin, Rongcheng; Li, Xinzheng; Won, Yong-Jin

2018-01-01

The recent discovery of two new species of kiwaid squat lobsters on hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean and in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean has prompted a re-analysis of Kiwaid biogeographical history. Using a larger alignment with more fossil calibrated nodes than previously, we consider the precise relationship between Kiwaidae, Chirostylidae and Eumunididae within Chirostyloidea (Decapoda: Anomura) to be still unresolved at present. Additionally, the placement of both new species within a new "Bristly" clade along with the seep-associated Kiwa puravida is most parsimoniously interpreted as supporting a vent origin for the family, rather than a seep-to-vent progression. Fossil-calibrated divergence analysis indicates an origin for the clade around the Eocene-Oligocene boundary in the eastern Pacific ~33-38 Ma, coincident with a lowering of bottom temperatures and increased ventilation in the Pacific deep sea. Likewise, the mid-Miocene (~10-16 Ma) rapid radiation of the new Bristly clade also coincides with a similar cooling event in the tropical East Pacific. The distribution, diversity, tree topology and divergence timing of Kiwaidae in the East Pacific is most consistent with a pattern of extinctions, recolonisations and radiations along fast-spreading ridges in this region and may have been punctuated by large-scale fluctuations in deep-water ventilation and temperature during the Cenozoic; further affecting the viability of Kiwaidae populations along portions of mid-ocean ridge.

Petrology of the axial ridge of the Mariana Trough backarc spreading center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawkins, J.W.; Lonsdale, P.F.; Macdougall, J.D.; Volpe, A.M.

1990-01-01

The axial ridge of the Mariana Trough backarc basin, between 17deg40'N and 18deg30'N rises as much as 1 km above the floor of a 10-15 km wide rift valley. Physiographic segmentation, with minor ridge offsets and overlaps, coincides with a petrologic segmentation seen in trace element and isotope chemistry. Analyses of 239 glass and 40 aphyric basalt samples, collected with ALVIN and by dredging, show that the axial ridge is formed largely of (olivine) hypersthene-normative tholeiitic basalt. About half of these are enriched in both LIL elements and volatiles, but are depleted in HFS elements like other rocks found throughout much of the Mariana Trough. The LIL enrichments distinguish these rocks from N-MORB even though Nd and Sr isotope ratios indicate that much of the crust formed from a source similar to that for N-MORB. In addition to LIL-enriched basalt there is LIL depleted basalts even more closely resembling N-MORB in major and trace elements as well as Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes. Both basalt varieties have higher Al and lower total Fe than MORB at equivalent Mg level. Mg ranges from relatively ''primitive'' (e.g. Mg 65-70) to more highly fractionated (e.g. Mg 45-50). Highest parts of the axial ridge are capped by pinnacles with elongated pillows of basaltic andesite (e.g. 52-56%) SiO 2 . These are due to extreme fractional crystallization of basalts forming the axial ridge. Active hydrothermal vents with chimneys and mats of opaline silica, barite, sphalerite and lesser amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena formed near these silicic rocks. The vents are surrounded by distinctive vent animals, polychaete worms, crabs and barnacles. Isotope data indicate that the Mariana Trough crust was derived from a heterogeneous source including mantle resembling the MORB-source and an ''arc-source'' component. The latter was depleted in HFS elements in previous melting events and later modified by addition of H 2 O and LIL elements. (orig.)

δ37Cl of Mid-Ocean Ridge Vent Fluids Determined by a new SIMS Method for Stable Chlorine Isotope Ratio Measurements

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Bach, W.; Layne, G. L.; von Damm, K. L.

2002-12-01

A method has been developed for the direct determination of δ37Cl in natural fluid samples or rock leachates (pyrohydrolysis products) using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). Samples as small as 1 μl (residual salts are then admixed with 1 mg of graphite powder and pressed into a small (1mm diameter) pellet amenable to SIMS analysis. Analyses are performed with a large format high-transmission, high-resolution ion microprobe -- the IMS 1270. Mass resolving powers of greater than 5000 are used to exclude isobaric interferences on 35Cl and 37Cl, producing an accurate and reproducible measurement of δ37Cl. Nine analyses of NIST Cl isotope standard 975a yield an external reproducibility of 0.5 ‰ (2σ ). Repeat analyses of samples are reproducible within 1 ‰ . First δ37Cl data for mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal vent fluids from three sites at EPR 9°N and the Logatchev site (MAR 15°N) have been collected. End member δ37Cl compositions for the EPR fluids are between +6.5 and +7.1 ‰ , whereas that of the Logatchev fluid is +4.6 ‰ . Together with pore waters from accretionary prisms, which are depleted in 37Cl (-2.0 to -7.7 ‰ ; Ransom et al., Geology, 23, 715-718, 1995), seawater-derived fluids in the marine environment span range in δ37Cl of 15 ‰ . This variability is remarkably large when compared to >100 analyses of continental waters (formation and oil-field waters, fresh waters, brines, etc.) that cluster around 0 ‰ with a maximum variation of only 5 ‰ . Two observations suggest that the 37Cl enriched nature of the vent fluids is not related to phase separation. (1) Laboratory experiments indicate that the Δ37Cl(vapor-brine) associated with super-critical phase separation of seawater between 420 and 450°C is small (-0.6 to 0.2 ‰ ; Magenheim, PhD Thesis, UCSD, 1995). (2) Conjugate vapor-brine pairs of boiling sampled in 1991 and 1994 at F vent (Von Damm et al. EPSL, 149, 101-111, 1997) have basically identical δ37Cl values indicating

Genetic connectivity between north and south Mid-Atlantic Ridge chemosynthetic bivalves and their symbionts.

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Karina van der Heijden

Full Text Available Transform faults are geological structures that interrupt the continuity of mid-ocean ridges and can act as dispersal barriers for hydrothermal vent organisms. In the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, it has been hypothesized that long transform faults impede gene flow between the northern and the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR and disconnect a northern from a southern biogeographic province. To test if there is a barrier effect in the equatorial Atlantic, we examined phylogenetic relationships of chemosynthetic bivalves and their bacterial symbionts from the recently discovered southern MAR hydrothermal vents at 5°S and 9°S. We examined Bathymodiolus spp. mussels and Abyssogena southwardae clams using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI gene as a phylogenetic marker for the hosts and the bacterial 16S rRNA gene as a marker for the symbionts. Bathymodiolus spp. from the two southern sites were genetically divergent from the northern MAR species B. azoricus and B. puteoserpentis but all four host lineages form a monophyletic group indicating that they radiated after divergence from their northern Atlantic sister group, the B. boomerang species complex. This suggests dispersal of Bathymodiolus species from north to south across the equatorial belt. 16S rRNA genealogies of chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic symbionts of Bathymodiolus spp. were inconsistent and did not match the host COI genealogy indicating disconnected biogeography patterns. The vesicomyid clam Abyssogena southwardae from 5°S shared an identical COI haplotype with A. southwardae from the Logatchev vent field on the northern MAR and their symbionts shared identical 16S phylotypes, suggesting gene flow across the Equator. Our results indicate genetic connectivity between the northern and southern MAR and suggest that a strict dispersal barrier does not exist.

Population ecology of the tonguefish Symphurus thermophilus (Pisces; Pleuronectiformes; Cynoglossidae) at sulphur-rich hydrothermal vents on volcanoes of the northern Mariana Arc

Science.gov (United States)

Tunnicliffe, Verena; Tyler, Jennifer; Dower, John F.

2013-08-01

Flatfish are a major component of the hydrothermal vent community on three seamounts of the northern Mariana Volcanic Arc in the northwest Pacific. Nikko, Kasuga-2 and Daikoku seamounts host vent fields between 375 and 480 m depth where high temperature vents release molten sulphur. The small cynoglossid tonguefish, Symphurus thermophilus Munroe and Hashimoto, is ubiquitous in all vent habitats observed on these seamounts: among extensive fields of tubeworms and mussels and on solid sulphur surfaces on Nikko; on sulphur-rich sediments and barnacle-covered boulders on Kasuga-2; and on recent sulphur flows and on broad areas of loose and semi-consolidated sediments on Daikoku. We recorded repeated forays by individuals onto flows of molten sulphur as these surfaces cooled. Based on observations using ROVs, the mean density is 90 fish/m2 with maximum counts over 200 fish/m2 on Daikoku sediments. Compared to collected tonguefish from Daikoku and Kasuga-2, those from Nikko have significantly greater lengths and, on average, six times the mass. Otolith data indicate upper ages of 13 years with Nikko tonguefish growing significantly faster. Diets of tonguefish on the three seamounts reflect the different habitats and prey availability; in Daikoku specimens, small crustaceans and polychaetes are most common while on Nikko, gut contents are predominantly larger shrimp. We made the unusual observation of stunned midwater fish falling to the seafloor near the vents where S. thermophilus immediately attacked them. This tonguefish has a wide diet range and foraging behaviour that likely influence the differing growth rates and sizes of fish inhabiting the different vent sites. Limited genetic data suggest that larval exchange probably occurs among sites where the common habitat factor is high levels of elemental sulphur forming hard and partly unconsolidated substrata. Here, in the northern range of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, S. thermophilus, despite having an

Metatranscriptomics reveal differences in in situ energy and nitrogen metabolism among hydrothermal vent snail symbionts.

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Sanders, J G; Beinart, R A; Stewart, F J; Delong, E F; Girguis, P R

2013-08-01

Despite the ubiquity of chemoautotrophic symbioses at hydrothermal vents, our understanding of the influence of environmental chemistry on symbiont metabolism is limited. Transcriptomic analyses are useful for linking physiological poise to environmental conditions, but recovering samples from the deep sea is challenging, as the long recovery times can change expression profiles before preservation. Here, we present a novel, in situ RNA sampling and preservation device, which we used to compare the symbiont metatranscriptomes associated with Alviniconcha, a genus of vent snail, in which specific host-symbiont combinations are predictably distributed across a regional geochemical gradient. Metatranscriptomes of these symbionts reveal key differences in energy and nitrogen metabolism relating to both environmental chemistry (that is, the relative expression of genes) and symbiont phylogeny (that is, the specific pathways employed). Unexpectedly, dramatic differences in expression of transposases and flagellar genes suggest that different symbiont types may also have distinct life histories. These data further our understanding of these symbionts' metabolic capabilities and their expression in situ, and suggest an important role for symbionts in mediating their hosts' interaction with regional-scale differences in geochemistry.

Adaptation to the deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps: Insights from the transcriptomes of Alvinocaris longirostris in both environments

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Hui, Min; Cheng, Jiao; Sha, Zhongli

2018-05-01

Alvinocaris longirostris Kikuchi and Ohta, 1995 is one of the few species co-distributed in deep-sea hydrothermal vent and cold seep environments. We performed the transcriptome analysis for A. longirostris and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between samples from the Iheya North hydrothermal vent (HV) and a methane seep in the South China Sea (MS). From the 57,801 annotated unigenes, multi-copies of enzyme family members for eliminating toxic xenobiotics were isolated and seven putatively duplicated gene clusters of cytochrome P450s were discovered, which may contribute to adaptation to the harsh conditions. Eight single amino acid substitutions of a Rhodopsin gene with low expression in two deep-sea alvinocaridid species were positively selected when compared with shallow water shrimps, which may be the result of adaptation to the dim-light environment in deep sea. 408 DEGs were identified with 53 and 355 up-regulated in HV and MS, respectively. Various genes associated with sulfur metabolism, detoxification and mitochondria were included, revealing different mechanisms of adaptation to the two types of extreme environments. All results are expected to serve as important basis for the further study.

Geologic evolution of the Lost City Hydrothermal Field

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Denny, Alden R.; Kelley, Deborah S.; Früh-Green, Gretchen L.

2016-02-01

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) is a novel serpentinite-hosted vent field located on the Atlantis Massif southern wall. Results of 2 m resolution bathymetry, side scan, and video and still imagery, integrated with direct submersible observations provide the first high-resolution geologic map of the LCHF. These data form the foundation for an evolutionary model for the vent system over the past >120,000 years. The field is located on a down-dropped bench 70 m below the summit of the massif. The bench is capped by breccia and pelagic carbonate deposits underlain by variably deformed and altered serpentinite and gabbroic rocks. Hydrothermal activity is focused at the 60 m tall, 100 m across, massive carbonate edifice "Poseidon," which is venting 91°C fluid. Hydrothermal activity declines south and west of the Poseidon complex and dies off completely at distances greater than 200 m. East of Poseidon, the most recent stage of hydrothermal flow is characterized by egress of diffuse fluids from narrow fissures within a low-angle, anastomosing mylonite zone. South of the area of current hydrothermal activity, there is evidence of two discrete previously unrecognized relict fields. Active venting sites defined by carbonate-filled fissures that cut the carbonate cap rock at the summit of the massif mark the present-day northernmost extent of venting. These spatial relationships reflect multiple stages of field development, the northward migration of venting over time, and the likely development of a nascent field at the massif summit.

Active hydrothermal and non-active massive sulfide mound investigation using a new multiparameter chemical sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Han, C.; Wu, G.; Qin, H.; Wang, Z.

2012-12-01

Investigation of active hydrothermal mound as well as non-active massive sulfide mound are studied recently. However, there is still lack of in-situ detection method for the non-active massive sulfide mound. Even though Transient ElectroMagnetic (TEM) and Electric Self-potential (SP) methods are good, they both are labour, time and money cost work. We proposed a new multiparameter chemical sensor method to study the seafloor active hydrothermal mound as well as non-active massive sulfide mound. This sensor integrates Eh, S2- ions concentration and pH electrochemical electrodes together, and could found chemical change caused by the active hydrothermal vent, even weak chemical abnormalities by non-active massive sulfide hydrothermal mound which MARP and CTD sometimes cannot detect. In 2012, the 1st Leg of the Chinese 26th cruise, the multiparameter chemical sensor was carried out with the deepsea camera system over the Carlsberg Ridge in Indian Ocean by R/V DAYANGYIHAO. It was shown small Eh and S2- ions concentration abnormal around a site at Northwest Indian ridge. This site was also evidenced by the TV grab. In the 2nd Leg of the same cruise in June, this chemical sensor was carried out with TEM and SP survey system. The chemical abnormalities are matched very well with both TEM and SP survey results. The results show that the multiparameter chemical sensor method not only can detect active hydrothermal mound, but also can find the non-active massive sulfide hydrothermal mound.

The uptake and excretion of partially oxidized sulfur expands the repertoire of energy resources metabolized by hydrothermal vent symbioses.

Science.gov (United States)

Beinart, R A; Gartman, A; Sanders, J G; Luther, G W; Girguis, P R

2015-05-07

Symbiotic associations between animals and chemoautotrophic bacteria crowd around hydrothermal vents. In these associations, symbiotic bacteria use chemical reductants from venting fluid for the energy to support autotrophy, providing primary nutrition for the host. At vents along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center, the partially oxidized sulfur compounds (POSCs) thiosulfate and polysulfide have been detected in and around animal communities but away from venting fluid. The use of POSCs for autotrophy, as an alternative to the chemical substrates in venting fluid, could mitigate competition in these communities. To determine whether ESLC symbioses could use thiosulfate to support carbon fixation or produce POSCs during sulfide oxidation, we used high-pressure, flow-through incubations to assess the productivity of three symbiotic mollusc genera-the snails Alviniconcha spp. and Ifremeria nautilei, and the mussel Bathymodiolus brevior-when oxidizing sulfide and thiosulfate. Via the incorporation of isotopically labelled inorganic carbon, we found that the symbionts of all three genera supported autotrophy while oxidizing both sulfide and thiosulfate, though at different rates. Additionally, by concurrently measuring their effect on sulfur compounds in the aquaria with voltammetric microelectrodes, we showed that these symbioses excreted POSCs under highly sulfidic conditions, illustrating that these symbioses could represent a source for POSCs in their habitat. Furthermore, we revealed spatial disparity in the rates of carbon fixation among the animals in our incubations, which might have implications for the variability of productivity in situ. Together, these results re-shape our thinking about sulfur cycling and productivity by vent symbioses, demonstrating that thiosulfate may be an ecologically important energy source for vent symbioses and that they also likely impact the local geochemical regime through the excretion of POSCs.

Refining the Subseafloor Circulation Model of the Middle Valley Hydrothermal System Using Fluid Geochemistry

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Inderbitzen, K. E.; Wheat, C. G.; Baker, P. A.; Fisher, A. T.

2014-12-01

Currently, fluid circulation patterns and the evolution of rock/fluid compositions as circulation occurs in subseafloor hydrothermal systems are poorly constrained. Sedimented spreading centers provide a unique opportunity to study subsurface flow because sediment acts as an insulating blanket that traps heat from the cooling magma body and limits: (a) potential flow paths for seawater to recharge the aquifer in permeable upper basaltic basement and (b) points of altered fluid egress. This also allows for a range of thermal and geochemical gradients to exist near the sediment-water interface. Models of fluid circulation patterns in this type of hydrologic setting have been generated (eg. Stein and Fisher, 2001); however fluid chemistry datasets have not previously been used to test the model's viability. We address this issue by integrating the existing circulation model with fluid compositional data collected from sediment pore waters and high temperature hydrothermal vents located in Middle Valley on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Middle Valley hosts a variety of hydrologic regimes: including areas of fluid recharge (Site 855), active venting (Site 858/1036; Dead Dog vent field), recent venting (Site 856/1035; Bent Hill Massive Sulfide deposit) and a section of heavily sedimented basement located between recharge and discharge sites (Site 857). We will present new results based on thermal and geochemical data from the area of active venting (Sites 858 and 1036), that was collected during Ocean Drilling Program Legs 139 and 169 and a subsequent heat flow/gravity coring effort. These results illuminate fine scale controls on secondary recharge and fluid flow within the sediment section at Site 858/1036. The current status of high temperature vents in this area (based on observations made in July, 2014) will also be outlined.

Extreme Morphologic and Venting Changes in Methane Seeps at Southern Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia Margin

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Bigham, K.; Kelley, D. S.; Solomon, E. A.; Delaney, J. R.

2017-12-01

Two highly active methane hydrate seeps have been visited over a 7-year period as part of the construction and operation of NSF's Ocean Observatory Initiative's Regional Cable Array at Southern Hydrate Ridge. The site is located 90 km west of Newport, Oregon, at a water depth of 800 m. The seeps, Einstein's Grotto (OOI instrument deployment site) and Smokey Tavern (alternate site to the north), have been visited yearly from 2010 to 2017 with ROVs. Additionally, a digital still camera deployed from 2014 to 2017 at Einstein's Grotto, has been documenting the profound morphologic and biological changes at this site. A cabled pressure sensor, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, hydrophone, seismometer array, and uncabled fluid samplers have also been operational at the site for the duration of the camera's deployment. During this time, Einstein's Grotto has evolved from a gentle mound with little venting, to a vigorously bubbling pit bounded by a near vertical wall. Early on bubble emissions blew significant amounts of sediment into the water column and thick Beggiatoa mats coverd the mound. Most recently the face of the pit has collapsed, although bubble plumes are still emitted from the site. The Smokey Tavern site has undergone more extreme changes. Similar to Einstein's Grotto it was first characterized by gentle hummocks with dispersed bacterial mats. In subsequent years, it developed an extremely rugged, elongated collapsed area with vertical walls and jets of methane bubbles rising from small pits near the base of the collapse zone. Meter-across nearly sediment-free blocks of methane hydrate were exposed on the surface and in the walls of the collapse zone. In 2016, this area was unrecognizable with a much more subdued topography, and weak venting of bubbles. Exposed methane hydrate was not visible. From these observations new evolutionary models for methane seeps are being developed for Southern Hydrate Ridge.

Dynamics of cell proliferation and apoptosis reflect different life strategies in hydrothermal vent and cold seep vestimentiferan tubeworms.

Science.gov (United States)

Pflugfelder, Bettina; Cary, S Craig; Bright, Monika

2009-07-01

Deep-sea vestimentiferan tubeworms, which live in symbiosis with bacteria, exhibit different life strategies according to their habitat. At unstable and relatively short-lived hydrothermal vents, they grow extremely fast, whereas their close relatives at stable and long-persisting cold seeps grow slowly and live up to 300 years. Growth and age differences are thought to occur because of ecological and physiological adaptations. However, the underlying mechanisms of cell proliferation and death, which are closely linked to homeostasis, growth, and longevity, are unknown. Here, we show by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural cell cycle analyses that cell proliferation activities of the two species studied are higher than in any other characterized invertebrate, being only comparable with tumor and wound-healing processes. The slow growth in Lamellibrachia luymesi from cold seeps results from balanced activities of proliferation and apoptosis in the epidermis. In contrast, Riftia pachyptila from hydrothermal vents grows fast because apoptosis is down-regulated in this tissue. The symbiont-housing organ, the trophosome, exhibits a complex cell cycle and terminal differentiation pattern in both species, and growth is regulated by proliferation. These mechanisms have similarities to the up- and down-regulation of proliferation or apoptosis in various types of tumor, although they occur in healthy animals in this study, thus providing significant insights into the underlying mechanisms of growth and longevity.

Early cretaceous (Valanginian and Hauterivian) belemnites and organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts from a marine hydrothermal vent site and adjacent facies of the Mecsek Mts., Hungary

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bujtor, L.; Janssen, N.M.M.; Verreussel, R.M.C.H.

2013-01-01

The first record of belemnites from fossil hydrothermal vent sites in the Mecsek Mountains of Hungary emphasizes the occurrences of belemnites in Mesozoic chemosynthetic-microbial based ecosystems reported only from cold seep carbonates to date. From the outer shelf-upper bathyal (<300 m)

Mineralogy and Acid-Extractable Geochemistry from the Loki's Castle Hydrothermal Field, Norwegian Sea at 74 degrees N (South Knipovich Ridge)

Science.gov (United States)

Barriga, F. J.; Fonseca, R.; Dias, S.; Cruz, I.; Carvalho, C.; Relvas, J. M.; Pedersen, R.

2010-12-01

The Loki’s Castle hydrothermal vent field was discovered in the summer of 2008 during a cruise led by the Centre of Geobiology of the University of Bergen, integrated in the H2Deep Project (Eurocores, ESF; see Pedersen et al., 2010, AGU Fall Meeting, Session OS26). Fresh volcanic glasses analyzed by EPMA are basalts. The vent site is composed of several active, over 10 m tall chimneys, producing up to 320 C fluid, at the top of a very large sulfide mound (estimated diameter 200 m). Mineralogy: The main sulfide assemblage in chimneys consists of sphalerite (Sp), pyrite (Py) and pyrrhotite, with lesser chalcopyrite (Ccp). Sulphide-poor selected samples collected at the base of chimneys are mostly composed of anhydrite (Anh), gypsum and talc (Tlc). Association of quartz, anhydrite, gypsum and barite were also found in some of the samples. The sulphide-poor samples from the base of the chimneys denote seawater interaction with the hydrothermal fluid and consequent decrease in temperature, precipitating sulfates. Sphalerite compositions are Zn(0.61-0.70)Fe(0.39-0.30)S. The variations in Fe content are consistent with those of hot, reduced hydrothermal fluids. The observed sulfide assemblage is consistent with the temperature of 320C measured in Loki’s Castle vents. Compositional zonation in sphalerites suggests different pulses of activity of the hydrothermal system, with higher contents of Zn in the center of the crystals. Geochemistry: Here we report preliminary data part of a major analytical task of sequential extraction of metals from sediments in the vicinity of Loki’s Castle, in an attempt to detect correlations with microbial populations and/or subseafloor mineralized intervals. The abundances of Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn, Fe, Mn and Co in sediments were determined by aqua regia extraction on subsamples from 7 gravity cores. Several anomalous intervals were sampled, in which Cu<707ppm, Ni shows many weak peaks (<50ppm), Cr shows 6 peaks (<121ppm), Zn shows 4 well

Voltammetric Investigation Of Hydrothermal Iron Speciation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlotte eKleint

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Hydrothermal vent fluids are highly enriched in iron (Fe compared to ambient seawater, and organic ligands may play a role in facilitating the transport of some hydrothermal Fe into the open ocean. This is important since Fe is a limiting micronutrient for primary production in large parts of the world`s surface ocean. We have investigated the concentration and speciation of Fe in several vent fluid and plume samples from the Nifonea vent field, Coriolis Troughs, New Hebrides Island Arc, South Pacific Ocean using competitive ligand exchange - adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE - AdCSV with salicylaldoxime (SA as the artificial ligand. Our results for total dissolved Fe (dFe in the buoyant hydrothermal plume samples showed concentrations up to 3.86 µM dFe with only a small fraction between 1.1% and 11.8% being chemically labile. Iron binding ligand concentrations ([L] were found in µM level with strong conditional stability constants up to log K[L],Fe3+ of 22.9. Within the non-buoyant hydrothermal plume above the Nifonea vent field, up to 84.7% of the available Fe is chemically labile and [L] concentrations up to 97 nM were measured. [L] was consistently in excess of Felab, indicating that all available Fe is being complexed, which in combination with high Felab values in the non-buoyant plume, signifies that a high fraction of hydrothermal dFe is potentially being transported away from the plume into the surrounding waters, contributing to the global oceanic Fe budget.

Characterizing the metatranscriptomic profile of archaeal metabolic genes at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Mid-Cayman Rise

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Galambos, D.; Reveillaud, J. C.; Anderson, R.; Huber, J. A.

2017-12-01

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems host a wide diversity of bacteria, archaea and viruses. Although the geochemical conditions at these vents are well-documented, the relative metabolic activity of microbial lineages, especially among archaea, remains poorly characterized. The deep, slow-spreading Mid-Cayman Rise, which hosts the mafic-influenced Piccard and ultramafic-influenced Von Damm vent fields, allows for the comparison of vent sites with different geochemical characteristics. Previous metagenomic work indicated that despite the distinct geochemistry at Von Damm and Piccard, the functional profile of microbial communities between the two sites was similar. We examined relative metabolic gene activity using a metatranscriptomic analysis and observed functional similarity between Von Damm and Piccard, which is consistent with previous results. Notably, the relative expression of the methyl-coenzyme M reductase (mcr) gene was elevated in both vent fields. Additionally, we analyzed the ratio of RNA expression to DNA abundance of fifteen archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) across the two fields. Previous work showed higher archaeal diversity at Von Damm; our results indicate relatively even expression among archaeal lineages at Von Damm. In contrast, we observed lower archaeal diversity at Piccard, but individual archaeal lineages were very highly expressed; Thermoprotei showed elevated transcriptional activity, which is consistent with higher temperatures and sulfur levels at Piccard. At both Von Damm and Piccard, specific Methanococcus lineages were more highly expressed than others. Future analyses will more closely examine metabolic genes in these Methanococcus MAGs to determine why some lineages are more active at a vent field than others. We will conduct further statistical analyses to determine whether significant differences exist between Von Damm and Piccard and whether there are correlations between geochemical metadata and metabolic gene or

Fossilization of Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria at Hydrothermal Vents: a Useful Biosignature on Mars?

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Leveille, R. J.; Lui, S.

2009-05-01

Iron oxidizing bacteria are ubiquitous in marine and terrestrial environments on Earth, where they often display distinctive cell morphologies and are commonly encrusted by minerals, especially bacteriogenic iron oxides and silica. Putative microfossils of iron oxidizing bacteria have been found in jaspers as old as 490Ma and microbial iron oxidation may be an ancient metabolic pathway. In order to investigate the usefulness of mineralized iron oxidizing bacteria as a biosignature, we have examined mineral samples collected from relict hydrothermal systems along Explorer Ridge, NE Pacific Ocean. In addition, microaerophilic, neutrophilic iron oxidizing bacteria, isolated from Pacific hydrothermal vents, were grown in a Fe-enriched seawater medium at constant pH (6.5) and oxygen concentration (5 percent) in a controlled bioreactor system. Both natural samples and experimental products were examined with a combination of variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission gun SEM, and in some cases by preparing samples with a focused ion beam (FIB) milling system. Natural seafloor samples display abundant filamentous forms often resembling, in both size and shape, the twisted stalks of Gallionella and the elongated filaments of Leptothrix. Generally, these filamentous features are 1-5 microns in diameter and up to several microns in length. Some samples consist entirely of low- density, porous masses of silica encrusted filamentous forms. Presumably, these masses were formed by a rapid precipitation by the influx of silica-rich fluids into a microbial mat dominated by bacteria with filamentous morphologies. The presence of rare, amorphous (unmineralized) filamentous matter rich in C and Fe suggests that these bacteria were iron oxidizers. There is no evidence that sulfur oxidizers were present. Filamentous features sectioned by FIB milling show internal material within semi-hollow tubular-like features. Silica encrustations also show pseudo

An Unusual Conformational Isomer of Verrucosidin Backbone from a Hydrothermal Vent Fungus, Penicillium sp. Y-50-10.

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Pan, Chengqian; Shi, Yutong; Auckloo, Bibi Nazia; Chen, Xuegang; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Tao, Xinyi; Wu, Bin

2016-08-18

A new verrucosidin derivative, methyl isoverrucosidinol (1), was isolated from the marine fungus Penicillium sp. Y-50-10, dwelling in sulfur rich sediment in the Kueishantao hydrothermal vents off Taiwan. The structure was established by spectroscopic means including HRMS and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration was defined mainly by comparison of quantum chemical TDDFT calculated and experimental ECD spectra. Among hitherto known compounds with a verrucosidine backbone isolated from natural resource, compound 1 represents the first example of a new conformational isomer of its skeleton, exhibiting antibiotic activity against Bacillus subtilis with MIC value 32 μg/mL.

Sonar backscatter differentiation of dominant macrohabitat types in a hydrothermal vent field.

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Durand, Sébastien; Legendre, Pierre; Juniper, S Kim

2006-08-01

Over the past 20 years, sonar remote sensing has opened ways of acquiring new spatial information on seafloor habitat and ecosystem properties. While some researchers are presently working to improve sonar methods so that broad-scale high-definition surveys can be effectively conducted for management purposes, others are trying to use these surveying techniques in more local areas. Because ecosystem management is scale-dependent, there is a need to acquire spatiotemporal knowledge over various scales to bridge the gap between already-acquired point-source data and information available at broader scales. Using a 675-kHz single-pencil-beam sonar mounted on the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS, 2200 m deep on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, East Pacific Rise, five dominant habitat types located in a hydrothermal vent field were identified and characterized by their sonar signatures. The data, collected at different altitudes from 1 to 10 m above the seafloor, were depth-normalized. We compared three ways of handling the echoes embedded in the backscatters to detect and differentiate the five habitat types; we examined the influence of footprint size on the discrimination capacity of the three methods; and we identified key variables, derived from echoes that characterize each habitat type. The first method used a set of variables describing echo shapes, and the second method used as variables the power intensity values found within the echoes, whereas the last method combined all these variables. Canonical discriminant analysis was used to discriminate among the five habitat types using the three methods. The discriminant models were constructed using 70% of the data while the remaining 30% were used for validation. The results showed that footprints 20-30 cm in diameter included a sufficient amount of spatial variation to make the sonar signatures sensitive to the habitat types, producing on average 82% correct classification. Smaller footprints produced lower percentages of

Microbial iron mats at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and evidence that Zetaproteobacteria may be restricted to iron-oxidizing marine systems.

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Jarrod J Scott

Full Text Available Chemolithoautotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria play an essential role in the global iron cycle. Thus far, the majority of marine iron-oxidizing bacteria have been identified as Zetaproteobacteria, a novel class within the phylum Proteobacteria. Marine iron-oxidizing microbial communities have been found associated with volcanically active seamounts, crustal spreading centers, and coastal waters. However, little is known about the presence and diversity of iron-oxidizing communities at hydrothermal systems along the slow crustal spreading center of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. From October to November 2012, samples were collected from rust-colored mats at three well-known hydrothermal vent systems on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Rainbow, Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse, and Snake Pit using the ROV Jason II. The goal of these efforts was to determine if iron-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria were present at sites proximal to black smoker vent fields. Small, diffuse flow venting areas with high iron(II concentrations and rust-colored microbial mats were observed at all three sites proximal to black smoker chimneys. A novel, syringe-based precision sampler was used to collect discrete microbial iron mat samples at the three sites. The presence of Zetaproteobacteria was confirmed using a combination of 16S rRNA pyrosequencing and single-cell sorting, while light micros-copy revealed a variety of iron-oxyhydroxide structures, indicating that active iron-oxidizing communities exist along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Sequencing analysis suggests that these iron mats contain cosmopolitan representatives of Zetaproteobacteria, but also exhibit diversity that may be uncommon at other iron-rich marine sites studied to date. A meta-analysis of publically available data encompassing a variety of aquatic habitats indicates that Zetaproteobacteria are rare if an iron source is not readily available. This work adds to the growing understanding of Zetaproteobacteria ecology and suggests

Biogenic iron oxyhydroxide formation at mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal vents: Juan de Fuca Ridge

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Toner, Brandy M.; Santelli, Cara M.; Marcus, Matthew A.; Wirth, Richard; Chan, Clara S.; McCollom, Thomas; Bach, Wolfgang; Edwards, Katrina J.

2008-05-22

Here we examine Fe speciation within Fe-encrusted biofilms formed during 2-month seafloor incubations of sulfide mineral assemblages at the Main Endeavor Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The biofilms were distributed heterogeneously across the surface of the incubated sulfide and composed primarily of particles with a twisted stalk morphology resembling those produced by some aerobic Fe-oxidizing microorganisms. Our objectives were to determine the form of biofilm-associated Fe, and identify the sulfide minerals associated with microbial growth. We used micro-focused synchrotron-radiation X-ray fluorescence mapping (mu XRF), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (mu EXAFS), and X-ray diffraction (mu XRD) in conjunction with focused ion beam (FIB) sectioning, and highresolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The chemical and mineralogical composition of an Fe-encrusted biofilm was queried at different spatial scales, and the spatial relationship between primary sulfide and secondary oxyhydroxide minerals was resolved. The Fe-encrusted biofilms formed preferentially at pyrrhotite-rich (Fe1-xS, 0<_ x<_ 0.2) regions of the incubated chimney sulfide. At the nanometer spatial scale, particles within the biofilm exhibiting lattice fringing and diffraction patterns consistent with 2-line ferrihydrite were identified infrequently. At the micron spatial scale, Fe mu EXAFS spectroscopy and mu XRD measurements indicate that the dominant form of biofilm Fe is a short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxide characterized by pervasive edge-sharing Fe-O6 octahedral linkages. Double corner-sharing Fe-O6 linkages, which are common to Fe oxyhydroxide mineral structures of 2-line ferrihydrite, 6-line ferrihydrite, and goethite, were not detected in the biogenic iron oxyhydroxide (BIO). The suspended development of the BIO mineral structure is consistent with Fe(III) hydrolysis and polymerization in the presence of high concentrations of Fe-complexing ligands. We hypothesize that

Biogenic iron oxyhydroxide formation at mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal vents: Juan de Fuca Ridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toner, Brandy M.; Santelli, Cara M.; Marcus, Matthew A.; Wirth, Richard; Chan, Clara S.; McCollom, Thomas; Bach, Wolfgang; Edwards, Katrina J.

2008-01-01

Here we examine Fe speciation within Fe-encrusted biofilms formed during 2-month seafloor incubations of sulfide mineral assemblages at the Main Endeavor Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The biofilms were distributed heterogeneously across the surface of the incubated sulfide and composed primarily of particles with a twisted stalk morphology resembling those produced by some aerobic Fe-oxidizing microorganisms. Our objectives were to determine the form of biofilm-associated Fe, and identify the sulfide minerals associated with microbial growth. We used micro-focused synchrotron-radiation X-ray fluorescence mapping (mu XRF), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (mu EXAFS), and X-ray diffraction (mu XRD) in conjunction with focused ion beam (FIB) sectioning, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The chemical and mineralogical composition of an Fe-encrusted biofilm was queried at different spatial scales, and the spatial relationship between primary sulfide and secondary oxyhydroxide minerals was resolved. The Fe-encrusted biofilms formed preferentially at pyrrhotite-rich (Fe 1-x S, 0 (le) x (le) 0.2) regions of the incubated chimney sulfide. At the nanometer spatial scale, particles within the biofilm exhibiting lattice fringing and diffraction patterns consistent with 2-line ferrihydrite were identified infrequently. At the micron spatial scale, Fe mu EXAFS spectroscopy and mu XRD measurements indicate that the dominant form of biofilm Fe is a short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxide characterized by pervasive edge-sharing Fe-O 6 octahedral linkages. Double corner-sharing Fe-O 6 linkages, which are common to Fe oxyhydroxide mineral structures of 2-line ferrihydrite, 6-line ferrihydrite, and goethite, were not detected in the biogenic iron oxyhydroxide (BIO). The suspended development of the BIO mineral structure is consistent with Fe(III) hydrolysis and polymerization in the presence of high concentrations of Fe-complexing ligands. We hypothesize that

Thermococcus Thioreducens sp. Nov., a Novel Hyperthermophilic, Obligately Sulfur-reducing Archaeon from a Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vent

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Pikuta, Elena V.; Marsic, Damien; Itoh, Takashi; Bej, Asim K.; Tang, Jane; Whitman, William B.; Ng, Joseph D.; Garriott, Owen K.; Hoover, Richard B.

2007-01-01

A hyperthermophilic, sulfur-reducing, organo-heterotrophic archaeon, strain OGL-20P was isolated from black smoker chimney material from the Rainbow hydrothermal vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (36.2 N, 33.9 W). The cells of strain OGL-20P(sup T) have an irregular coccoid shape and are motile with a single flagellum. Growth was observed within the pH range 5.0-8.5 (optimum pH 7.0), NaCl concentration range 1-5 % (w/v) (optimum 3%), and temperature range 55-94 C (optimum 83-85 C). The novel isolate is strictly anaerobic and obligately dependent upon elemental sulfur as an electron acceptor, but it does not reduce sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, iron (III) or nitrate. Proteolysis products (peptone, bacto-tryptone, casamino-acids, and yeast extract) are utilized as substrates during sulfur-reduction. Strain OGL-20P(sup T) is resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and gentamycin, but sensitive to tetracycline and rifampicin. The G+C content of DNA is 52.9 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain OGL-20P(sup T) is closely related to Thermococcus coalescens and related species, but no significant homology by DNA-DNA hybridization was observed between those species and the new isolate. On the basis of physiological and molecular properties of the new isolate, we conclude that strain OGL-20P(sup T) represents a new separate species within the genus Thermococcus, and propose the name Thermococcus thioreducens sp. nov. The type strain is OGL-20P(sup T) (= ATCC BAA-394(sup T) = JCM 12859(sup T) = DSM 14981(sup T)).

High-resolution bathymetry as a primary exploration tool for seafloor massive sulfide deposits - lessons learned from exploration on the Mid-Atlantic and Juan de Fuca Ridges, and northern Lau Basin

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Jamieson, J. W.; Clague, D. A.; Petersen, S.; Yeo, I. A.; Escartin, J.; Kwasnitschka, T.

2016-12-01

High-resolution, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)-derived multibeam bathymetry is increasingly being used as an exploration tool for delineating the size and extent of hydrothermal vent fields and associated seafloor massive sulfide deposits. However, because of the limited amount of seafloor that can be surveyed during a single dive, and the challenges associated with distinguishing hydrothermal chimneys and mounds from other volcanic and tectonic features using solely bathymetric data, AUV mapping surveys have largely been employed as a secondary exploration tool once hydrothermal sites have been discovered using other exploration methods such as plume, self-potential and TV surveys, or ROV and submersible dives. Visual ground-truthing is often required to attain an acceptable level of confidence in the hydrothermal origin of features identified in AUV-derived bathymetry. Here, we present examples of high-resolution bathymetric surveys of vent fields from a variety of tectonic environments, including slow- and intermediate-rate mid-ocean ridges, oceanic core complexes and back arc basins. Results illustrate the diversity of sulfide deposit morphologies, and the challenges associated with identifying hydrothermal features in different tectonic environments. We present a developing set of criteria that can be used to distinguish hydrothermal deposits in bathymetric data, and how AUV surveys can be used either on their own or in conjunction with other exploration techniques as a primary exploration tool.

An Unusual Conformational Isomer of Verrucosidin Backbone from a Hydrothermal Vent Fungus, Penicillium sp. Y-50-10

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Chengqian Pan

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A new verrucosidin derivative, methyl isoverrucosidinol (1, was isolated from the marine fungus Penicillium sp. Y-50-10, dwelling in sulfur rich sediment in the Kueishantao hydrothermal vents off Taiwan. The structure was established by spectroscopic means including HRMS and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration was defined mainly by comparison of quantum chemical TDDFT calculated and experimental ECD spectra. Among hitherto known compounds with a verrucosidine backbone isolated from natural resource, compound 1 represents the first example of a new conformational isomer of its skeleton, exhibiting antibiotic activity against Bacillus subtilis with MIC value 32 μg/mL.

The Lost City hydrothermal system: Constraints imposed by vent fluid chemistry and reaction path models on subseafloor heat and mass transfer processes

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Seyfried, W. E.; Pester, Nicholas J.; Tutolo, Benjamin M.; Ding, Kang

2015-08-01

Since the first reported discovery of the Lost City hydrothermal system in 2001, it was recognized that seawater alteration of ultramafic rocks plays a key role in the composition of the coexisting vent fluids. The unusually high pH and high concentrations of H2 and CH4 provide compelling evidence for this. Here we report the chemistry of hydrothermal fluids sampled from two vent structures (Beehive: ∼90-116 °C, and M6: ∼75 °C) at Lost City in 2008 during cruise KNOX18RR using ROV Jason 2 and R/V Revelle assets. The vent fluid chemistry at both sites reveals considerable overlap in concentrations of dissolved gases (H2, CH4), trace elements (Cs, Rb, Li, B and Sr), and major elements (SO4, Ca, K, Na, Cl), including a surprising decrease in dissolved Cl, suggesting a common source fluid is feeding both sites. The absence of Mg and relatively high concentrations of Ca and sulfate suggest solubility control by serpentine-diopside-anhydrite, while trace alkali concentrations, especially Rb and Cs, are high, assuming a depleted mantle protolith. In both cases, but especially for Beehive vent fluid, the silica concentrations are well in excess of those expected for peridotite alteration and the coexistence of serpentine-brucite at all reasonable temperatures. However, both the measured pH and silica values are in better agreement with serpentine-diopside-tremolite-equilibria. Geochemical modeling demonstrates that reaction of plagioclase with serpentinized peridotite can shift the chemical system away from brucite and into the tremolite stability field. This is consistent with the complex intermingling of peridotite and gabbroic bodies commonly observed within the Atlantis Massif. We speculate the existence of such plagioclase bearing peridotite may also account for the highly enriched trace alkali (Cs, Rb) concentrations in the Lost City vent fluids. Additionally, reactive transport modeling taking explicit account of temperature dependent rates of mineral

Can Life Begin on Enceladus? A Perspective from Hydrothermal Chemistry.

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Deamer, David; Damer, Bruce

2017-09-01

Enceladus is a target of future missions designed to search for existing life or its precursors. Recent flybys of Enceladus by the Cassini probe have confirmed the existence of a long-lived global ocean laced with organic compounds and biologically available nitrogen. This immediately suggests the possibility that life could have begun and may still exist on Enceladus. Here we will compare the properties of two proposed sites for the origin of life on Earth-hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor and hydrothermal volcanic fields at the surface-and ask whether similar conditions could have fostered the origin of life on Enceladus. The answer depends on which of the two sites would be more conducive for the chemical evolution leading to life's origin. A hydrothermal vent origin would allow life to begin in the Enceladus ocean, but if the origin of life requires freshwater hydrothermal pools undergoing wet-dry cycles, the Enceladus ocean could be habitable but lifeless. These arguments also apply directly to Europa and indirectly to early Mars. Key Words: Enceladus-Hydrothermal vents-Hydrothermal fields-Origin of life. Astrobiology 17, 834-839.

Tectonic environments and local geologic controls of potential hydrothermal fields along the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (12-14°S)

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Li, Bing; Shi, Xuefa; Wang, Jixin; Yan, Quanshu; Liu, Chenguang; DY125-21 (Leg 3) Science Party; DY125-22 (Legs 2-5) Science Party; DY125-26 (Leg 3) Science Party

2018-05-01

Systematic hydrothermal exploration and multi-beam bathymetry mapping have been conducted along a 220-km-long section of the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) from 12°S (Bode Verde Fracture Zone) to 14°S (Cardno Fracture Zone), and previously reported deposits (Tao et al., 2011) are now being thoroughly investigated. Here, we present the characterization of three possible hydrothermal fields, a complete bathymetry data set of the ridge segment, gravity data, and the petrologic characteristics of collected rock samples. The magmatism characteristics, evolution of the ridge segment, and the local geological controls of the possible hydrothermal fields are then discussed. The studied segment can be divided into two segments by a Non-Transform Discontinuity (NTD). Our morphotectonic analysis shows significant along-axis heterogeneity in the surveyed segments: three distinctive cross-axis grabens were identified in the northern segment, and two were identified in the southern segment. Moreover, based on the gravity data (a relatively low spherical Bouguer anomaly) and petrologic data (low Mg# values and relatively low FeO and relatively high Al2O3 and CaO contents compared to nearby seafloor samples), a volcanic feature, the ZouYu seamount, on this segment is considered to be associated with strong magmatic activity, and the magmatic activity of the inside corner at the southern end of the segment has increased and decreased. The three possible hydrothermal fields occur in different local geological settings: a shallow magmatic seamount (ZouYu), an NTD (TaiJi), and an inside-corner high (CaiFan). These potential hydrothermal fields are significantly different from other fields in similar tectonic settings in terms of local geologic controls and products. The ZouYu field is primarily related to a newly formed cone, resulting in the production of sulfides, and differs from other fields on shallow magmatic seamounts. The TaiJi field is largely controlled by the tectonic

Determining the Extent of Hydrothermal Interaction on the Southern Costa Rica Rift Ridge Flank During the Past 8 Ma from Joint Inversion of Geophysical Data

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Wilson, D. J.; Moorkamp, M.; Hobbs, R. W.; Peirce, C.; Harris, R. N.; Morgan, J. V.

2017-12-01

Advective hydrothermal systems preferentially develop in zones of high porosity and permeability, driven by a local heat source. Associated chemical reactions lead to changes in the bulk physical properties, so variations in velocity and density, and the relationship connecting them, may provide a record of alteration by hydrothermal fluids. Oceanic crust accreted at intermediate rate ridges displays a range of characteristics between those typical for fast and slow spreading rates so changes in crustal porosity and permeability are sensitive to the interplay between tectonic stretching, magmatic supply and plate motions. Hence, changes in spreading style and sediment cover will influence the extent of the hydrothermal interaction that occurs and the mode of heat loss as evidenced by heat flow measurements. Using a variety of geophysical data we determine where hydrothermal circulation has been active in young oceanic crust that was accreted at an intermediate spreading rate. Results from traveltime tomography along a 300 km profile across the southern flank of the Costa Rica Rift reveal several variations in the P-wave velocity structure of the upper crust (layer 2). Following an initial increase in P-wave velocity near the ridge axis there is a section of the model 80 km in length that has lower P-wave velocity (up to 0.5 km s-1) compared to adjacent crust. This section has shallower bathymetry, by up to 500 m, than predicted by the subsidence curve and the top basement surface is rougher with a greater amount of faulting and larger throws. This zone is preceded by crust with significantly faster P-wave velocities (up to 1.0 km s-1) that was sampled by DSDP/ODP 504B. We characterise these changes in the shallow crustal structure by jointly inverting travel-time data and gravity data with deeper control from coincident magnetotelluric data. Using a cross-gradient approach allows us to search for models with a structural match, thus determining the relationship

Microbial Diversity of Carbonate Chimneys at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field: Implications for Life-Sustaining Systems in Peridotite Seafloor Environments

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Schrenk, M. O.; Cimino, P.; Kelley, D. S.; Baross, J. A.

2002-12-01

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) is a novel peridotite-hosted vent environment discovered in Dec. 2000 at 30 N near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This field contains multiple large (up to 60 m), carbonate chimneys venting high pH (9-10), moderate temperature (45-75 C) fluids. The LCHF is unusual in that it is located on 1.5 my-old oceanic crust, 15 km from the nearest spreading axis. Hydrothermal flow in this system is believed to be driven by exothermic serpentinization reactions involving iron-bearing minerals in the underlying seafloor. The conditions created by such reactions, which include significant quantities of dissolved methane and hydrogen, create habitats for microbial communities specifically adapted to this unusual vent environment. Ultramafic, reducing hydrothermal environments like the LCHF may be analogous to geologic settings present on the early Earth, which have been suggested to be important for the emergence of life. Additionally, the existence of hydrothermal environments far away from an active spreading center expands the range of potential life-supporting environments elsewhere in the solar system. To study the abundance and diversity of microbial communities inhabiting the environments that characterize the LCHF, carbonate chimney samples were analyzed by microscopic and molecular methods. Cell densities of between 105 and 107 cells/g were observed within various samples collected from the chimneys. Interestingly, 4-11% of the microbial population in direct contact with vent fluids fluoresced with Flavin-420, a key coenzyme involved in methanogenesis. Enrichment culturing from chimney material under aerobic and anaerobic conditions yielded microorganisms in the thermophilic and mesophilic temperature regimes in media designed for methanogenesis, methane-oxidation, and heterotrophy. PCR analysis of chimney material indicated the presence of both Archaea and Eubacteria in the carbonate samples. SSU rDNA clone libraries constructed from the

Initial chronology of a recently discovered hydrothermal field at 14°45‧N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

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Lalou, Claude; Reyss, Jean Louis; Brichet, Evelyne; Krasnov, Sergey; Stepanova, Tamara; Cherkashev, Georgiy; Markov, Vladimir

1996-11-01

Two expeditions of the 'Sevmorgeologija' association (1991-1994) led to the discovery of two new hydrothermal sites on the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR), south of the 15°20‧ North Fracture Zone, one around 14°45‧N and the other around 14°42‧N. The northern one, between 14°45‧ and 14°45.3‧N has been studied in detail. About 12 mounds have been mapped and 3 of them have been sampled using a large hydraulic grab sampler. The largest one is about 200 m long and 200 m wide. When progressively moving up on the slope of an uplifted block of the rift valley floor, the sulphide samples have revealed ages ranging from about 10 ka to 60 ka. The ages were obtained using the 230Th/234U dating method used for chronological studies of diverse hydrothermal fields. The general picture of this lateral location of the samples of different ages provides evidence of a shift in the focus of hydrothermal activity with time. Moreover, there were rejuvenation stages of hydrothermal activity, including black and white smokers.

Detection of active hydrothermal vent fields in the Pescadero Basin and on the Alarcon Rise using AUV multibeam and CTD data

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Caress, D. W.; Troni, G.; Clague, D. A.; Paduan, J. B.; Martin, J. F.; Thomas, H. J.; Thompson, D.; Conlin, D.; Martin, E. J.; meneses-Quiroz, E.; Nieves-Cardoso, C.; Angel Santa Rosa del Rio, M.

2015-12-01

The MBARI AUV D. Allan B. collected high resolution bathymetry, sidescan, and subbottom profiles along the neovolcanic zone of the Alarcon Rise and across the southern Pescadero Basin during 2012 and 2015 MBARI expeditions to the Gulf of California (GOC). The combination of high resolution multibeam bathymetry and seawater temperature data has proven effective in identifying active high temperature vent fields, as validated by inspection and sampling during ROV dives. The AUV carries a 200 kHz multibeam sonar, 110 kHz chirp sidescan sonar, a 1-6 kHz chirp subbottom profiler, and a conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) sensor for ~17-hour duration missions. Flying at 5.4 km/hr at 50 m altitude, the processed AUV bathymetry has a 0.1 m vertical precision and a 1 m lateral resolution. Chimneys taller than 1.5 m are sufficiently distinctive to allow provisional identification. The CTD temperature data have a nominal 0.002°C accuracy. Following calculation of potential temperature and correcting for average local variation of potential temperature with depth, anomalies greater than 0.05 °C can be reliably identified using a spike detection filter. MBARI AUV mapping surveys are typically planned using a 150 m survey line spacing, so the CTD data may be collected as much as 75 m away from any vent plume source. Five active high temperature vent fields were discovered in the southern GOC, with the Auka Field in the southern Pescadero Basin, and the Ja Sít, Pericú, Meyibó, and Tzab-ek Fields along the Alarcon Rise. In all five cases, hydrothermal vent chimneys are readily identifiable in the multibeam bathymetry, and temperature anomalies are observed above background variability. Other apparent hydrothermal chimneys were observed in the bathmetry that did not exhibit water temperature anomalies; most of these were visited during ROV dives and confirmed to be inactive sites. The maximum water column anomalies are 0.13°C observed above the Meyibó field and 0.25�

Multiple I-Type Lysozymes in the Hydrothermal Vent Mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus and Their Role in Symbiotic Plasticity.

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Camille Detree

Full Text Available The aim of this study was first to identify lysozymes paralogs in the deep sea mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus then to measure their relative expression or activity in different tissue or conditions. B. azoricus is a bivalve that lives close to hydrothermal chimney in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR. They harbour in specialized gill cells two types of endosymbiont (gram-bacteria: sulphide oxidizing bacteria (SOX and methanotrophic bacteria (MOX. This association is thought to be ruled by specific mechanism or actors of regulation to deal with the presence of symbiont but these mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we focused on the implication of lysozyme, a bactericidal enzyme, in this endosymbiosis. The relative expression of Ba-lysozymes paralogs and the global anti-microbial activity, were measured in natural population (Lucky Strike--1700 m, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and in in situ experimental conditions. B. azoricus individuals were moved away from the hydrothermal fluid to induce a loss of symbiont. Then after 6 days some mussels were brought back to the mussel bed to induce a re-acquisition of symbiotic bacteria. Results show the presence of 6 paralogs in B. azoricus. In absence of symbionts, 3 paralogs are up-regulated while others are not differentially expressed. Moreover the global activity of lysozyme is increasing with the loss of symbiont. All together these results suggest that lysozyme may play a crucial role in symbiont regulation.

A submarine andesite-rhyodacite lineage of arc affinity hosting hydrothermal mineralisation, Pual Ridge, Eastern Manus back-arc basin, Papua New Guinea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binns, R.A.; Waters, J.C.; Parr, J.M.; Carr, G.R.; Whitford, D.J.

2000-01-01

Pual Ridge, host to the PACMANUS hydrothermal field, is a composite edifice formed by recent submarine eruptions, with a continuous suite of consanguineous andesite, dacite and rhyodacite (58 to 74% SiO 2 , mg 41 to 17). The lavas are vesicular, hyaline, and aphyric to sparsely porphyritic. Dacites dominate the PACMANUS hydrothermal field at the ridge crest. The Pual Ridge volcanic suite is subalkalic, with a calcic character, bordering on calcalkaline (Fig. 1). It falls just within the medium-K field, and has geochemical characteristics (K/Rb ∼500, K/Ba∼40, mild enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE) ((La/Sm) N ∼1.7, (La/Yb) N ∼2.1) which fall into the spectrum of modern arc volcanic rock suites on New Britain to the south. By contrast, the basalts from the central Manus back-arc spreading zone are very low-K. When major and trace element data are plotted against silica contents in Harker diagrams, gently curved trends extend from andesite to rhyodacite. The trends can be interpreted in terms of low-pressure fractionation of the observed (albeit rare) phenocryst assemblage (plagioclase, ortho- and clinopyroxene, magnetite), with progressive enrichment of incompatible elements such as K, Ba, Zr and the REE. Basaltic andesites (mg 42-45) from features adjacent to Pual Ridge exhibit Ti and P contents falling below this fractionation trend, but trend towards a possible parent magma from which Pual Ridge andesites were derived by extraction of an olivine-dominated assemblage. Moderately potassic picritic basalts (mg 56) representing the potential parent magmas also occur on edifices east of Pual Ridge. Like the Pual lavas, these have low Nb (1-2 ppm) consistent with an arc affinity

An estimate of hydrothermal fluid residence times and vent chimney growth rates based on 210Pb/Pb ratios and mineralogic studies of sulfides dredged from the Juan de Fuca Ridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadko, D.; Tatsumoto, Mitsunobu

1985-01-01

The 210 Pb/Pb ratios across two sulfide samples dredged from the Juan de Fuca Ridge are used to estimate the growth rate of the sulfide material and the residence time of the hydrothermal fluid within the oceanic crust from the onset of basalt alteration. 210 Pb is added to the hydrothermal fluid by two processes: 1) high-temperature alteration of basalt and 2) if the residence time of the fluid is on the order of the 22.3-year half-life of 210 Pb, by in-situ growth from 222 Rn (Krishnaswami and Turekian, 1982). Stable lead is derived only from the alteration of basalt. The 210 Pb/Pb ratio across one sample was proportional 0.5 dpm/10 -6 g Pb, and across the other is was proportional 0.4 dpm/10 -6 g Pb. These values are quite close to the 238 U/Pb ratios of basalts from the area, suggesting that the residence time of the hydrothermal fluid from the onset of basalt alteration is appreciably less than the mean life of 210 Pb, i.e., the time required for ingrowth from the radon. An apparent growth rate of 1.2 cm/yr is derived from the slope of the 210 Pb/Pb curve for one of the samples. This is consistent with its mineralogy and texture which suggest an accretionary pattern of development. There is no obvious sequential growth pattern, and virtually no gradient in 210 Pb/Pb across the second sample. This is consistent with alteration of the original 210 Pb/Pb distribution by extensive remobilization reactions which are inferred from the mineralogic and textural relationships of the sample. (orig.)

Sulfur metabolizing microbes dominate microbial communities in Andesite-hosted shallow-sea hydrothermal systems.

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Yao Zhang

Full Text Available To determine microbial community composition, community spatial structure and possible key microbial processes in the shallow-sea hydrothermal vent systems off NE Taiwan's coast, we examined the bacterial and archaeal communities of four samples collected from the water column extending over a redoxocline gradient of a yellow and four from a white hydrothermal vent. Ribosomal tag pyrosequencing based on DNA and RNA showed statistically significant differences between the bacterial and archaeal communities of the different hydrothermal plumes. The bacterial and archaeal communities from the white hydrothermal plume were dominated by sulfur-reducing Nautilia and Thermococcus, whereas the yellow hydrothermal plume and the surface water were dominated by sulfide-oxidizing Thiomicrospira and Euryarchaeota Marine Group II, respectively. Canonical correspondence analyses indicate that methane (CH(4 concentration was the only statistically significant variable that explains all community cluster patterns. However, the results of pyrosequencing showed an essential absence of methanogens and methanotrophs at the two vent fields, suggesting that CH(4 was less tied to microbial processes in this shallow-sea hydrothermal system. We speculated that mixing between hydrothermal fluids and the sea or meteoric water leads to distinctly different CH(4 concentrations and redox niches between the yellow and white vents, consequently influencing the distribution patterns of the free-living Bacteria and Archaea. We concluded that sulfur-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophs accounted for most of the primary biomass synthesis and that microbial sulfur metabolism fueled microbial energy flow and element cycling in the shallow hydrothermal systems off the coast of NE Taiwan.

Sulfur metabolizing microbes dominate microbial communities in Andesite-hosted shallow-sea hydrothermal systems.

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Zhang, Yao; Zhao, Zihao; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Tang, Kai; Su, Jianqiang; Jiao, Nianzhi

2012-01-01

To determine microbial community composition, community spatial structure and possible key microbial processes in the shallow-sea hydrothermal vent systems off NE Taiwan's coast, we examined the bacterial and archaeal communities of four samples collected from the water column extending over a redoxocline gradient of a yellow and four from a white hydrothermal vent. Ribosomal tag pyrosequencing based on DNA and RNA showed statistically significant differences between the bacterial and archaeal communities of the different hydrothermal plumes. The bacterial and archaeal communities from the white hydrothermal plume were dominated by sulfur-reducing Nautilia and Thermococcus, whereas the yellow hydrothermal plume and the surface water were dominated by sulfide-oxidizing Thiomicrospira and Euryarchaeota Marine Group II, respectively. Canonical correspondence analyses indicate that methane (CH(4)) concentration was the only statistically significant variable that explains all community cluster patterns. However, the results of pyrosequencing showed an essential absence of methanogens and methanotrophs at the two vent fields, suggesting that CH(4) was less tied to microbial processes in this shallow-sea hydrothermal system. We speculated that mixing between hydrothermal fluids and the sea or meteoric water leads to distinctly different CH(4) concentrations and redox niches between the yellow and white vents, consequently influencing the distribution patterns of the free-living Bacteria and Archaea. We concluded that sulfur-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophs accounted for most of the primary biomass synthesis and that microbial sulfur metabolism fueled microbial energy flow and element cycling in the shallow hydrothermal systems off the coast of NE Taiwan.

Coupled RNA-SIP and metatranscriptomics of active chemolithoautotrophic communities at a deep-sea hydrothermal vent.

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Fortunato, Caroline S; Huber, Julie A

2016-08-01

The chemolithoautotrophic microbial community of the rocky subseafloor potentially provides a large amount of organic carbon to the deep ocean, yet our understanding of the activity and metabolic complexity of subseafloor organisms remains poorly described. A combination of metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and RNA stable isotope probing (RNA-SIP) analyses were used to identify the metabolic potential, expression patterns, and active autotrophic bacteria and archaea and their pathways present in low-temperature hydrothermal fluids from Axial Seamount, an active submarine volcano. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic results showed the presence of genes and transcripts for sulfur, hydrogen, and ammonium oxidation, oxygen respiration, denitrification, and methanogenesis, as well as multiple carbon fixation pathways. In RNA-SIP experiments across a range of temperatures under reducing conditions, the enriched (13)C fractions showed differences in taxonomic and functional diversity. At 30 °C and 55 °C, Epsilonproteobacteria were dominant, oxidizing hydrogen and primarily reducing nitrate. Methanogenic archaea were also present at 55 °C, and were the only autotrophs present at 80 °C. Correspondingly, the predominant CO2 fixation pathways changed from the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle to the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway with increasing temperature. By coupling RNA-SIP with meta-omics, this study demonstrates the presence and activity of distinct chemolithoautotrophic communities across a thermal gradient of a deep-sea hydrothermal vent.

Are vent crab behavioral preferences adaptations for habitat choice?

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Dahms, Hans-Uwe; Tseng, Li-Chun; Hwang, Jiang-Shiou

2017-01-01

Hydrothermal vent organisms are adapted to their extreme and patchily distributed habitats. They are expected to have evolved mechanisms that keep them in their specific habitation. Since little is known about the recruitment or habitat selection of HV organisms such as brachyurans, we examined the properties of several hydrothermal vent-associated cues on the behavior of the hydrothermal vent (HV) crab Xenograpsus testudinatus in the laboratory that were contrasted by the offering of non-vent cues. This crab species is endemic and dominates the vent fauna of Turtle Island off the NE coast of Taiwan. HV crabs were separately and in combination offered the following vent-specific cues: (1) sulfuric sediment, (3) air-bubbling, (4) elevated temperature, (5) dead settled zooplankton, (7) other crabs, and (8) shade. The non-vent-specific cues were: (2) quarz sediment, (6) dead fish, (8) light. These cues were provided on either side of a two-choice chamber. The movement of individual crabs was monitored: as initial and final choices, and as the proportion of time the crabs spent in each compartment (resident time). Cues were offered alone and no such cue as a control in the same set-up. Sulfuric sediments and dead fish were significantly more attractive to females, and other crabs irrespective of gender were significantly more attractive to males. When compared to expected distributions, crabs, irrespective of gender, significantly avoided light and tended to select other crabs, air-bubbling, sulfuric sediment, elevated temperature, dead fish, dead zooplankton, and quarz sediments in the order of decreasing importance. Data do not support the hypothesis that dead settled zooplankton was particularly attractive nor that the other gender was selected. A combination of several vent-associated cues (sulfuric sediment, elevated temperature, air-bubbling) facilitated the strongest attraction to the crabs as reflected by all response variables. The 'first choice' responses

Hydrothermal influence on nearshore sediments of Kos Island, Aegean Sea

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Megalovasilis, Pavlos; Godelitsas, Athanasios

2015-04-01

The Kos-Nisyros volcanic centre is a long-active, Plio-Pleistocene magmatic system in the subduction zone along the easternmost edge of the active Hellenic volcanic arc in the Aegean Sea. Although today there are signs of relative quiescence in volcanic activity, active onshore fumaroles and shallow-sea hydrothermal vents persist on, amongst others, the island of Kos. The present study explores the large-scale imprint of hydrothermally sourced heavy metals and nutrients on the island's coastal marine environment, based on geochemical data collected in September 2007 from hydrothermal waters and surficial nearshore sediments (Kos is severely influenced by ongoing submarine hydrothermal activity, and confirm that shallow-water sediment Fe, Mn, Zn and Pb levels are substantially higher than those of other islands along the Hellenic volcanic arc, and even exceed those of some deep-water hydrothermal vents in other world regions. Evidently, there may be significant metallic sulphide deposits of hydrothermal origin at depth beneath Kos.

Genome-resolved metagenomics reveals that sulfur metabolism dominates the microbial ecology of rising hydrothermal plumes

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Anantharaman, K.; Breier, J. A., Jr.; Jain, S.; Reed, D. C.; Dick, G.

2015-12-01

Deep-sea hydrothermal plumes occur when hot fluids from hydrothermal vents replete with chemically reduced elements and compounds like sulfide, methane, hydrogen, ammonia, iron and manganese mix with cold, oxic seawater. Chemosynthetic microbes use these reduced chemicals to power primary production and are pervasive throughout the deep sea, even at sites far removed from hydrothermal vents. Although neutrally-buoyant hydrothermal plumes have been well-studied, rising hydrothermal plumes have received little attention even though they represent an important interface in the deep-sea where microbial metabolism and particle formation processes control the transformation of important elements and impact global biogeochemical cycles. In this study, we used genome-resolved metagenomic analyses and thermodynamic-bioenergetic modeling to study the microbial ecology of rising hydrothermal plumes at five different hydrothermal vents spanning a range of geochemical gradients at the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC) in the Western Pacific Ocean. Our analyses show that differences in the geochemistry of hydrothermal vents do not manifest in microbial diversity and community composition, both of which display only minor variance across ELSC hydrothermal plumes. Microbial metabolism is dominated by oxidation of reduced sulfur species and supports a diversity of bacteria, archaea and viruses that provide intriguing insights into metabolic plasticity and virus-mediated horizontal gene transfer in the microbial community. The manifestation of sulfur oxidation genes in hydrogen and methane oxidizing organisms hints at metabolic opportunism in deep-sea microbes that would enable them to respond to varying redox conditions in hydrothermal plumes. Finally, we infer that the abundance, diversity and metabolic versatility of microbes associated with sulfur oxidation impart functional redundancy that could allow it to persist in the dynamic settings of hydrothermal plumes.

Geology and lithogeochemistry of hydrothermal mudstones from the upper block near the Duck Pond volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit, Newfoundland, Canada: evidence for low-temperature venting into oxygenated mid-Cambrian seawater

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Piercey, Stephen J.; Squires, Gerry; Brace, Terry

2018-02-01

Pyrite- and pyrrhotite-rich mudstones are spatially associated with Cambrian ( 512-509 Ma) volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits throughout the Tally Pond group, central Newfoundland, Canada. At the Duck Pond mine, sulfide-rich mudstones are hosted within a weakly mineralized upper block that structurally overlies the deposit but is older ( 513 versus 509 Ma). The mudstones are laminated, 10-30-cm thick, and pyrite- and pyrrhotite-rich and occur along pillow lava selvages, or in between pillow lavas, rhyolite flows, and volcaniclastic rocks. The mudstones are laterally extensive and proximal to the mudstone host rocks are hydrothermally altered to epidote-quartz-chlorite (basalt host) and sericite-quartz (rhyolite host). Lithogeochemical data for the sulfide-rich mudstones reflect the varying contributions of elements from sedimentary detritus, hydrothermal discharge, and hydrogenous scavenging from middle Cambrian seawater. The mudstones have minor detrital element abundances and significant hydrothermal element enrichments (i.e., elevated Fe2O3, S, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ba concentrations, high Fe/Al ratios). The hydrothermal mudstones are also enriched in oxyanions (i.e., P2O5, U, V, Cr, Ni, Co, and Hg), interpreted to have been enriched via oxidative scavenging from seawater by Fe-oxide/oxyhydroxide particles. The mudstones also have REE-Y signatures similar to modern oxygenated seawater with high Y/Ho and negative Ce anomalies (Ce/Ce* = 0.40-0.86; average = 0.58), which correlate with adsorbed oxyanion concentrations. The low Eu/Eu* (1.02-1.86; average = 1.22) in the mudstones suggest that they were deposited from low-temperature (residence time to scavenge oxyanions from seawater and inherit a middle Cambrian seawater signature. The predominant seawater REE-Y-oxyanion signature in the Duck Pond upper block sulfide-rich mudstones suggests that they are distal hydrothermal sedimentary rocks that could have formed up to 10 km from their original vent sources

Respiration of bivalves from three different deep-sea areas: Cold seeps, hydrothermal vents and organic carbon-rich sediments

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Khripounoff, A.; Caprais, J. C.; Decker, C.; Le Bruchec, J.; Noel, P.; Husson, B.

2017-08-01

We studied bivalves (vesicomyids and mytilids) inhabiting four different areas of high sulfide and methane production: (1) in the Gulf of Guinea, two pockmarks (650 m and 3150 m depth) and one site rich in organic sediments in the deepest zone (4950 m average depth), (2) at the Azores Triple Junction on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, one hydrothermal site (Lucky Strike vent field, 1700 m depth). Two types of Calmar benthic chambers were deployed, either directly set into the sediment (standard Calmar chamber) or fitted with a tank to isolate organisms from the sediment (modified Calmar chamber), to assess gas and solute exchanges in relation to bivalve bed metabolism. Fluxes of oxygen, total carbon dioxide, ammonium and methane were measured. At the site with organic-rich sediments, oxygen consumption by clams measured in situ with the standard benthic chamber was variable (1.3-6.7 mmol m-2 h-1) as was total carbon dioxide production (1-9.6 mmol m-2 h-1). The observed gas and solute fluxes were attributed primarily to bivalve respiration (vesicomyids or mytilids), but microbial and geochemical processes in the sediment may be also responsible for some of variations in the deepest stations. The respiration rate of isolated vesicomyids (16.1-0.25.7 μmol g-1 dry weight h-1) was always lower than that of mytilids (33 μmol g-1 dry weight h-1). This difference was attributed to the presence of a commensal scaleworm in the mytilids. The respiratory coefficient (QR) ≥1 indicated high levels of anaerobic metabolism. The O:N index ranged from 5 to 25, confirming that vesicomyids and mytilids, living in symbiosis with bacteria, have a protein-based food diet.

Heat flow, morphology, pore fluids and hydrothermal circulation in a typical Mid-Atlantic Ridge flank near Oceanographer Fracture Zone

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Le Gal, V.; Lucazeau, F.; Cannat, M.; Poort, J.; Monnin, C.; Battani, A.; Fontaine, F.; Goutorbe, B.; Rolandone, F.; Poitou, C.; Blanc-Valleron, M.-M.; Piedade, A.; Hipólito, A.

2018-01-01

Hydrothermal circulation affects heat and mass transfers in the oceanic lithosphere, not only at the ridge axis but also on their flanks, where the magnitude of this process has been related to sediment blanket and seamounts density. This was documented in several areas of the Pacific Ocean by heat flow measurements and pore water analysis. However, as the morphology of Atlantic and Indian ridge flanks is generally rougher than in the Pacific, these regions of slow and ultra-slow accretion may be affected by hydrothermal processes of different regimes. We carried out a survey of two regions on the eastern and western flanks of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Oceanographer and Hayes fracture zones. Two hundred and eight new heat flow measurements were obtained along six seismic profiles, on 5 to 14 Ma old seafloor. Thirty sediment cores (from which porewaters have been extracted) have been collected with a Kullenberg corer equipped with thermistors thus allowing simultaneous heat flow measurement. Most heat flow values are lower than those predicted by purely conductive cooling models, with some local variations and exceptions: heat flow values on the eastern flank of the study area are more variable than on the western flank, where they tend to increase westward as the sedimentary cover in the basins becomes thicker and more continuous. Heat flow is also higher, on average, on the northern sides of both the western and eastern field regions and includes values close to conductive predictions near the Oceanographer Fracture Zone. All the sediment porewaters have a chemical composition similar to that of bottom seawater (no anomaly linked to fluid circulation has been detected). Heat flow values and pore fluid compositions are consistent with fluid circulation in volcanic rocks below the sediment. The short distances between seamounts and short fluid pathways explain that fluids flowing in the basaltic aquifer below the sediment have remained cool and unaltered

Submarine Hydrothermal Activity and Gold-Rich Mineralization at Brothers Volcano, Southern Kermadec Arc, New Zealand

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de Ronde, C. E.; Massoth, G. J.; Christenson, B. W.; Butterfield, D. A.; Ishibashi, J.; Hannington, M. D.; Ditchburn, B. G.; Embley, R. W.; Lupton, J. E.; Kamenetsky, D.; Reyes, A. G.; Lahr, J.; Takai, K.

2006-12-01

Brothers volcano is one of several hydrothermally active volcanoes that occur along the Kermadec active arc front, NE of New Zealand. It forms an elongate edifice 13 km long by 8 km across that strikes NW-SE. The volcano has a caldera with a basal diameter of ~3 km and a floor at 1,850 m below sea level, surrounded by 290 to 530 m high walls. A volcanic cone of dacite rises 350 m from the caldera floor and partially coalesces with the southern caldera wall. Three hydrothermal sites have been located; on the NW caldera wall, on the SE caldera wall, and on the dacite cone. The NW caldera vent site is a long-term hydrothermal system that is today dominated by evolved seawater but has had episodic injections of magmatic fluid. The SE caldera site represents the main upflow of a relatively well-established magmatic-hydrothermal system on the seafloor where sulfide-rich chimneys are extant. The cone site is a nascent magmatic-hydrothermal system where crack zones localize upwelling acidic waters. Each of these different vent sites represent diverse parts of an evolving hydrothermal system, any one of which may be typical of submarine volcanic arcs. Hydrothermal venting is today occurring at the NW caldera and cone sites. The former is characterized by high-temperature (up to 302°C) venting with pH down to 2.8, low Mg and SO4 values, Cl between 510 and 760 mM, elevated Si and increasing Fe and Mn values with increasing Cl concentrations, consistent with a mostly Cl-enriched endmember. By contrast, vent fluids from the cone site are gas-rich (up to 220 mM total gas), have temperatures 30 ppm) zones in some chimneys formed over a short period of time, coincident with pulses of magmatic fluid into the hydrothermal system.

A molecular gut content study of Themisto abyssorum (Amphipoda) from Arctic hydrothermal vent and cold seep systems.

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Olsen, Bernt Rydland; Troedsson, Christofer; Hadziavdic, Kenan; Pedersen, Rolf B; Rapp, Hans Tore

2014-08-01

The use of DNA as a marker for prey inside the gut of predators has been instrumental in further understanding of known and unknown interactions. Molecular approaches are in particular useful in unavailable environments like the deep sea. Trophic interactions in the deep sea are difficult to observe in situ, correct deep-sea experimental laboratory conditions are difficult to obtain, animals rarely survive the sampling, or the study organisms feed during the sampling due to long hauls. Preliminary studies of vent and seep systems in the Nordic Seas have identified the temperate-cold-water pelagic amphipod Themisto abyssorum as a potentially important predator in these chemosynthetic habitats. However, the prey of this deep-sea predator is poorly known, and we applied denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) to investigate the predator-prey interactions of T. abyssorum in deep-water vent and seep systems. Two deep-water hydrothermally active localities (The Jan Mayen and Loki's Castle vent fields) and one cold seep locality (The Håkon Mosby mud volcano) in the Nordic Seas were sampled, genomic DNA of the stomachs of T. abyssorum was extracted, and 18S rDNA gene was amplified and used to map the stomach content. We found a wide range of organisms including micro-eukaryotes, metazoans and detritus. Themisto abyssorum specimens from Loki's Castle had the highest diversity of prey. The wide range of prey items found suggests that T. abyssorum might be involved in more than one trophic level and should be regarded as an omnivore and not a strict carnivore as have previously been suggested. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hydrothermal activity, functional diversity and chemoautotrophy are major drivers of seafloor carbon cycling.

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Bell, James B; Woulds, Clare; Oevelen, Dick van

2017-09-20

Hydrothermal vents are highly dynamic ecosystems and are unusually energy rich in the deep-sea. In situ hydrothermal-based productivity combined with sinking photosynthetic organic matter in a soft-sediment setting creates geochemically diverse environments, which remain poorly studied. Here, we use comprehensive set of new and existing field observations to develop a quantitative ecosystem model of a deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystem from the most southerly hydrothermal vent system known. We find evidence of chemosynthetic production supplementing the metazoan food web both at vent sites and elsewhere in the Bransfield Strait. Endosymbiont-bearing fauna were very important in supporting the transfer of chemosynthetic carbon into the food web, particularly to higher trophic levels. Chemosynthetic production occurred at all sites to varying degrees but was generally only a small component of the total organic matter inputs to the food web, even in the most hydrothermally active areas, owing in part to a low and patchy density of vent-endemic fauna. Differences between relative abundance of faunal functional groups, resulting from environmental variability, were clear drivers of differences in biogeochemical cycling and resulted in substantially different carbon processing patterns between habitats.

The Role of Siliceous Hydrothermal Breccias in the Genesis of Volcanic Massive Sulphide Deposits - Ancient and Recent Systems

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Costa, I. A.; Barriga, F. J.; Fouquet, Y.

2014-12-01

Siliceous hydrothermal breccias were sampled in two Mid-Atlantic Ridge active sites: Lucky Strike and Menez Gwen. These hydrothermal fields are located in the border of the Azorean plateau, southwest of the Azores islands where the alteration processes affecting basaltic rocks are prominent (Costa et al., 2003). The hydrothermal breccias are genetically related with the circulation of low temperature hydrothermal fluids in diffuse vents. The groundmass of these breccias precipitates from the fluid and consolidates the clastic fragments mostly composed of basalt. The main sources are the surrounding volcanic hills. Breccias are found near hydrothermal vents and may play an important role in the protection of subseafloor hydrothermal deposits forming an impermeable cap due to the high content in siliceous material. The amorphous silica tends to precipitate when the fluid is conductively cooled as proposed by Fouquet et al. (1998) after Fournier (1983). The process evolves gradually from an initial stage where we have just the fragments and circulating seawater. The ascending hydrothermal fluid mixes with seawater, which favours the precipitation of the sulphide components. Sealing of the initially loose fragments begins, the temperature rises below this crust, and the processes of mixing fluid circulation and conductive cooling are simultaneous. At this stage the fluid becomes oversaturated with respect to amorphous silica. This form of silica can precipitate in the open spaces of the porous sulphides and seal the system. Normally this can happen at low temperatures. At this stage the hydrothermal breccia is formed creating a progressively less permeable, eventually impermeable cap rock at the surface. Once the fluid is trapped under this impermeable layer, conductive cooling is enhanced and mixing with seawater is restricted, making the precipitation of amorphous silica more efficient. Since the first discovery and description of recent mineralized submarine

Influence of CH4 and H2S availability on symbiont distribution, carbon assimilation and transfer in the dual symbiotic vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus

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R. S. Santos

2008-12-01

Full Text Available High densities of mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are present at hydrothermal vents of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It was previously proposed that the chemistry at vent sites would affect their sulphide- and methane-oxidizing endosymbionts' abundance. In this study, we confirmed the latter assumption using fluorescence in situ hybridization on Bathymodiolus azoricus specimens maintained in a controlled laboratory environment at atmospheric pressure with one, both or none of the chemical substrates. A high level of symbiosis plasticity was observed, methane-oxidizers occupying between 4 and 39% of total bacterial area and both symbionts developing according to the presence or absence of their substrates. Using H13CO3− in the presence of sulphide, or 13CH4, we monitored carbon assimilation by the endosymbionts and its translocation to symbiont-free mussel tissues. Carbon was incorporated from methane and sulphide-oxidized inorganic carbon at rates 3 to 10 times slower in the host muscle tissue than in the symbiont-containing gill tissue. Both symbionts thus contribute actively to B. azoricus nutrition and adapt to the availability of their substrates. Further experiments with varying substrate concentrations using the same set-up should provide useful tools to study and even model the effects of changes in hydrothermal fluids on B. azoricus' chemosynthetic nutrition.

Thermophilic hydrogen-producing bacteria inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal environments represented by Caloranaerobacter.

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Jiang, Lijing; Xu, Hongxiu; Zeng, Xiang; Wu, Xiaobing; Long, Minnan; Shao, Zongze

2015-11-01

Hydrogen is an important energy source for deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems. However, little is known about microbes and their role in hydrogen turnover in the environment. In this study, the diversity and physiological characteristics of fermentative hydrogen-producing microbes from deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields were described for the first time. Seven enrichments were obtained from hydrothermal vent sulfides collected from the Southwest Indian Ocean, East Pacific and South Atlantic. 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that members of the Caloranaerobacter genus were the dominant component in these enrichments. Subsequently, three thermophilic hydrogen producers, strains H363, H53214 and DY22619, were isolated. They were phylogenetically related to species of the genus Caloranaerobacter. The H2 yields of strains H363, H53214, DY22619 and MV107, which was the type species of genus Caloranaerobacter, were 0.11, 1.21, 3.13 and 2.85 mol H2/mol glucose, respectively. Determination of the main soluble metabolites revealed that strains H363, H53214 and MV107 performed heterolactic fermentations, while strain DY22619 performed butyric acid fermentation, indicating distinct fermentation patterns among members of the genus. Finally, a diversity of forms of [FeFe]-hydrogenase with different modular structures was revealed based on draft genomic data of Caloranaerobacter strains. This highlights the complexity of hydrogen metabolism in Caloranaerobacter, reflecting adaptations to environmental conditions in hydrothermal vent systems. Collectively, results suggested that Caloranaerobacter species might be ubiquitous and play a role in biological hydrogen generation in deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Diversity and phylogenetic analyses of bacteria from a shallow-waterhydrothermal vent in Milos island (Greece

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Donato eGiovannelli

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Studies of shallow-water hydrothermal vents have been lagging behind their deep-sea counterparts. Hence, the importance of these systems and their contribution to the local and regional diversity and biogeochemistry is unclear. This study analyzes the bacterial community along a transect at the shallow-water hydrothermal vent system of Milos island, Greece. The abundance and biomass of the prokaryotic community is comparable to areas not affected by hydrothermal activity and was, on average, 1.34×108 cells g-1. The abundance, biomass and diversity of the prokaryotic community increased with the distance from the center of the vent and appeared to be controlled by the temperature gradient rather than the trophic conditions. The retrieved 16S rRNA gene fragments matched sequences from a variety of geothermal environments, although the average similarity was low (94 %, revealing previously undiscovered taxa. Epsilonproteobacteria constituted the majority of the population along the transect, with an average contribution to the total diversity of 60%. The larger cluster of 16S rRNA gene sequences was related to chemolithoautotrophic Sulfurovum spp., an Epsilonproteobacterium so far detected only at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The presence of previously unknown lineages of Epsilonproteobacteria could be related to the abundance of organic matter in these systems, which may support alternative metabolic strategies to chemolithoautotrophy. The relative contribution of Gammaproteobacteria to the Milos microbial community increased along the transect as the distance from the center of the vent increased. Further attempts to isolate key species from these ecosystems will be critical to shed light on their evolution and ecology.

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic igneous intrusions and related sediment-dominated hydrothermal activities in the South Yellow Sea Basin, the Western Pacific continental margin

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Yumao, Pang; Xunhua, Zhang; Guolin, Xiao; Luning, Shang; Xingwei, Guo; Zhenhe, Wen

2018-04-01

Various igneous complexes were identified in multi-channel seismic reflection profiles from the South Yellow Sea Basin. It is not rare that magmatic intrusions in sedimentary basins cause strong thermal perturbations and hydrothermal activities. Some intrusion-related hydrothermal vent complexes have been identified and they are considered to originate from the deep sedimentary contact aureole around igneous intrusions and terminate in upper vents structures, and are linked by a vertical conduit system. The upper vent complexes are usually eye-shaped, dome-shaped, fault-related, crater-shaped or pock-shaped in seismic profiles. A schematic model was proposed to illustrate the structures of different types of hydrothermal vent complexes. A conceptual conduit model composed of an upper pipe-like part and a lower branching part was also derived. Hydrothermal vent complexes mainly developed during the Middle-Late Cretaceous, which is coeval with, or shortly after the intrusion. The back-arc basin evolution of the area which is related to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate during the Mesozoic-Cenozoic may be the principal factor for voluminous igneous complexes and vent complexes in this area. It is significant to study the characteristics of igneous complexes and related hydrothermal vent complexes, which will have implications for the future study of this area.

Geochemical Constraints on Archaeal Diversity in the Vulcano Hydrothermal System

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Rogers, K. L.; Amend, J. P.

2006-12-01

The shallow marine hydrothermal system of Vulcano, Italy hosts a wide diversity of cultured thermophilic Archaea, including Palaeococcus helgesonii, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, and Pyrococcus furiosus, to name a few. However, recent studies have revealed a plethora of uncultured archaeal lineages in the Vulcano system. For example, a 16S rRNA gene survey of an onshore geothermal well identified a diverse archaeal community including deeply-branching uncultured Crenarchaeota, Korarchaeota, and Euryarchaeota. Additionally, culture-independent hybridization techniques suggested that Archaea account for nearly half of the microbial community in the Vulcano system. Furthermore, geochemical characterization of fluids revealed numerous lithotrophic and heterotrophic exergonic reactions that could support as yet uncultured organisms. Archaeal diversity throughout the Vulcano hydrothermal system was investigated using 16S rRNA gene surveys at five submarine vents and an onshore sediment seep. Overall, archaeal diversity was higher (10 groups) at submarine vents with moderate temperatures (59°C) compared with higher temperature (94°C) vents (4 groups). Archaeal communities at the moderately thermal vents were dominated by Thermococcales and also contained Archaeoglobales, Thermoproteales, and uncultured archaea among the Korarchaeota, Marine Group I, and the Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vent Euryarchaeota (DHVE). Fluid composition also affects the microbial community structure. At two high-temperature sites variations in archaeal diversity can be attributed to differences in iron and hydrogen concentrations, and pH. Comparing sites with similar temperature and pH conditions suggests that the presence of Desulfurococcales is limited to sites at which metabolic energy yields exceed 10 kJ per mole of electrons transferred. The Vulcano hydrothermal system hosts diverse archaeal communities, containing both cultured and uncultured species, whose distribution appears to be constrained by

The Cocos Ridge hydrothermal system revealed by microthermometry of fluid and melt inclusions

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Brandstätter, J.; Kurz, W.; Krenn, K.

2017-12-01

Microthermometric analyses of fluid and melt inclusions in hydrothermal veins and in the Cocos Ridge (CCR) basalt were used to reveal the CCR thermal history at IODP Site 344-U1414 and to constrain fluid source and flow. Hydrothermal veins are hosted by lithified sediments and CCR basalt . Site 344-U1414, located 1 km seaward of the Middle American Trench offshore Costa Rica, serves to evaluate fluid/rock interaction, the hydrologic system and geochemical processes linked with the tectonic evolution of the incoming Cocos Plate from the Early Miocene up to recent times. The veins in the sedimentary rocks are mainly filled by blocky calcite, containing numerous fluid inclusions, and sometimes crosscut fibrous quartz/chalcedony veins. The veins in the basalt can be differentiated into three types: antitaxial fibrous calcite veins, composite veins with fibrous calcite and clay minerals at the vein margins and spherulitic quartz in the center, and syntaxial blocky aragonite veins surrounded by a clay selvage in the uppermost CCR basalt sections. Secondary minerals, clay minerals, fibrous calcite, quartz/chalcedony and pyrite also filled vesicles in the basalt. Fluid inclusions were mainly found in the aragonite veins and rarely in quartz in the composite veins and vesicles. Blocky veins with embedded wall rock fragments appear in the sediments and in the basalt indicate hydraulic fracturing. The occurrence of decrepitated fluid inclusions show high homogenization temperatures up to 400 °C. Decrepitated fluid inclusions are formed by increased internal overpressure, related to isobaric heating. Elongated fluid inclusion planes, arc-like fluid inclusions and low homogenization temperatures indicate subsequent isobaric cooling. The results obtained so far from Raman spectroscopy and microthermometry indicate CO2 inclusions and petrographic observations suggest the presence of silicate melt inclusions in phenocrysts in the basalt (mainly in clinopyroxene and plagioclase

Diversity of bacteria and archaea from two shallow marine hydrothermal vents from Vulcano Island.

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Antranikian, Garabed; Suleiman, Marcel; Schäfers, Christian; Adams, Michael W W; Bartolucci, Simonetta; Blamey, Jenny M; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Elizaveta; da Costa, Milton S; Cowan, Don; Danson, Michael; Forterre, Patrick; Kelly, Robert; Ishino, Yoshizumi; Littlechild, Jennifer; Moracci, Marco; Noll, Kenneth; Oshima, Tairo; Robb, Frank; Rossi, Mosè; Santos, Helena; Schönheit, Peter; Sterner, Reinhard; Thauer, Rudolf; Thomm, Michael; Wiegel, Jürgen; Stetter, Karl Otto

2017-07-01

To obtain new insights into community compositions of hyperthermophilic microorganisms, defined as having optimal growth temperatures of 80 °C and above, sediment and water samples were taken from two shallow marine hydrothermal vents (I and II) with temperatures of 100 °C at Vulcano Island, Italy. A combinatorial approach of denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and metagenomic sequencing was used for microbial community analyses of the samples. In addition, enrichment cultures, growing anaerobically on selected polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose, were also analyzed by the combinatorial approach. Our results showed a high abundance of hyperthermophilic archaea, especially in sample II, and a comparable diverse archaeal community composition in both samples. In particular, the strains of the hyperthermophilic anaerobic genera Staphylothermus and Thermococcus, and strains of the aerobic hyperthermophilic genus Aeropyrum, were abundant. Regarding the bacterial community, ε-Proteobacteria, especially the genera Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum, were highly abundant. The microbial diversity of the enrichment cultures changed significantly by showing a high dominance of archaea, particularly the genera Thermococcus and Palaeococcus, depending on the carbon source and the selected temperature.

Deposition of talc - kerolite-smectite - smectite at seafloor hydrothermal vent fields: Evidence from mineralogical, geochemical and oxygen isotope studies

Science.gov (United States)

Dekov, V.M.; Cuadros, J.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Koski, R.A.

2008-01-01

controls on the precipitation of this sequence are the silica activity and Mg/Al ratio (i.e. the degree of mixing of seawater with hydrothermal fluid). Higher silica activity favors the formation of talc relative to tri-octahedral smectite. Vent structures and sedimentary cover preclude complete mixing of hydrothermal fluid and ambient seawater, resulting in lower Mg/Al ratios in the interior parts of the chimneys and deeper in the sediment which leads to the precipitation of phyllosilicates with lower Mg contents. Talc and kerolite-smectite have very low trace- and rare earth element contents. Some exhibit a negative or flat Eu anomaly, which suggests Eu depletion in the original hydrothermal fluid. Such Eu depletion could be caused by precipitation of anhydrite or barite (sinks for Eu2+) deeper in the system. REE abundances and distribution patterns indicate that chlorite and chlorite-smectite are hydrothermal alteration products of the background turbiditic sediment. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel barite chimneys at the Loki´s Castle Vent Field shed light on key factors shaping microbial communities and functions in hydrothermal systems

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Ida Helene eSteen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to fully understand the cycling of elements in hydrothermal systems it is critical to understand intra-field variations in geochemical and microbiological processes in both focused, high-temperature and diffuse, low-temperature areas. To reveal important causes and effects of this variation, we performed an extensive chemical and microbiological characterization of a low-temperature venting area in the Loki’s Castle Vent Field (LCVF. This area, located at the flank of the large sulfide mound, is characterized by numerous chimney-like barite (BaSO4 structures (≤ 1m high covered with white cotton-like microbial mats. Results from geochemical analyses, microscopy (FISH, SEM, 16S rRNA gene amplicon-sequencing and metatranscriptomics were compared to results from previous analyses of biofilms growing on black smoker chimneys at LCVF. Based on our results, we constructed a conceptual model involving the geochemistry and microbiology in the LCVF. The model suggests that CH4 and H2S are important electron donors for microorganisms in both high-temperature and low-temperature areas, whereas the utilization of H2 seems restricted to high-temperature areas. This further implies that sub-seafloor processes can affect energy-landscapes, elemental cycling, and the metabolic activity of primary producers on the seafloor. In the cotton-like microbial mats on top of the active barite chimneys, a unique network of single cells of Epsilonproteobacteria interconnected by threads of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS was seen, differing significantly from the long filamentous Sulfurovum filaments observed in biofilms on the black smokers. This network also induced nucleation of barite crystals and is suggested to play an essential role in the formation of the microbial mats and the chimneys. Furthermore, it illustrates variations in how different genera of Epsilonproteobacteria colonize and position cells in different vent fluid mixing zones within

Impact of hydrothermalism on the ocean iron cycle.

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Tagliabue, Alessandro; Resing, Joseph

2016-11-28

As the iron supplied from hydrothermalism is ultimately ventilated in the iron-limited Southern Ocean, it plays an important role in the ocean biological carbon pump. We deploy a set of focused sensitivity experiments with a state of the art global model of the ocean to examine the processes that regulate the lifetime of hydrothermal iron and the role of different ridge systems in governing the hydrothermal impact on the Southern Ocean biological carbon pump. Using GEOTRACES section data, we find that stabilization of hydrothermal iron is important in some, but not all regions. The impact on the Southern Ocean biological carbon pump is dominated by poorly explored southern ridge systems, highlighting the need for future exploration in this region. We find inter-basin differences in the isopycnal layer onto which hydrothermal Fe is supplied between the Atlantic and Pacific basins, which when combined with the inter-basin contrasts in oxidation kinetics suggests a muted influence of Atlantic ridges on the Southern Ocean biological carbon pump. Ultimately, we present a range of processes, operating at distinct scales, that must be better constrained to improve our understanding of how hydrothermalism affects the ocean cycling of iron and carbon.This article is part of the themed issue 'Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Microbial and Mineral Descriptions of the Interior Habitable Zones of Active Hydrothermal Chimneys from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Holden, J. F.; Lin, T.; Ver Eecke, H. C.; Breves, E.; Dyar, M. D.; Jamieson, J. W.; Hannington, M. D.; Butterfield, D. A.; Bishop, J. L.; Lane, M. D.

2013-12-01

Actively venting hydrothermal chimneys and their associated hydrothermal fluids were collected from the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge to determine the mineralogy, chemistry and microbial community composition of their interiors. To characterize the mineralogy, Mössbauer, FTIR, VNIR and thermal emission spectroscopies were used for the first time on this type of sample in addition to thin-section petrography, x-ray diffraction and elemental analyses. A chimney from the Bastille edifice was Fe-sulfide rich and composed primarily of chalcopyrite, marcasite-sphalerite, and pyrrhotite while chimneys from the Dante and Hot Harold edifices were Fe-sulfide poor and composed primarily of anhydrite. The bulk emissivity and reflectance spectroscopies corroborated well with the petrography and XRD analyses. The microbial community in the interior of Bastille was most closely related to mesophilic-to-thermophilic anaerobes of the deltaproteobacteria and hyperthermophilic archaea while those in the interiors of Dante and Hot Harold were most closely related to mesophilic-to-thermophilic aerobes of the beta-, gamma- and epsilonproteobacteria. The fluid temperatures (282-321°C) and chemistries of the three chimneys were very similar suggesting that differences in mineralogy and microbial community compositions were more dependent on fluid flow characteristics and paragenesis within the chimney. Thin-section petrography of the interior of another hydrothermal chimney collected from the Dante edifice (emitting 336°C fluid) shows a thin coat of Fe3+ oxide associated with amorphous silica on the exposed outer surfaces of pyrrhotite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite in pore spaces, along with anhydrite precipitation in the pores that is indicative of seawater ingress. The Fe-sulfide minerals were likely oxidized to ferrihydrite with increasing pH and Eh due to cooling and seawater exposure, providing reactants for bioreduction. Culture-based most-probable-number estimates of

Thermococcus guaymasensis sp. nov. and Thermococcus aggregans sp. nov., two novel thermophilic archaea isolated from the Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vent site.

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Canganella, F; Jones, W J; Gambacorta, A; Antranikian, G

1998-10-01

Thermococcus strains TYST and TYT isolated from the Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vent site and previously described were compared by DNA-DNA hybridization analysis with the closest Thermococcus species in terms of physiology and nutritional aspects. On the basis of the new data and taking into consideration the molecular, physiological and morphological traits published previously, it is proposed that strains TYT and TYST should be classified as new species named Thermococcus aggregans sp. nov. and Thermococcus guaymasensis sp. nov., respectively. The type strain of T. aggregans is strain TYT (= DSM 10597T) and the type strain of T. guaymasensis is strain TYST (= DSM 11113T).

The thermal and chemical evolution of hydrothermal vent fluids in shale hosted massive sulphide (SHMS) systems from the MacMillan Pass district (Yukon, Canada)

Science.gov (United States)

Magnall, J. M.; Gleeson, S. A.; Blamey, N. J. F.; Paradis, S.; Luo, Y.

2016-11-01

At Macmillan Pass (YT, Canada), the hydrothermal vent complexes beneath two shale-hosted massive sulphide (SHMS) deposits (Tom, Jason) are well preserved within Late Devonian strata. These deposits provide a unique opportunity to constrain key geochemical parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, fO2, ΣS) that are critical for metal transport and deposition in SHMS systems, and to evaluate the interaction between hydrothermal fluids and the mudstone host rock. This has been achieved using a combination of detailed petrography, isotopic techniques (δ34S, δ13C and δ18O values), carbonate rare earth element analysis (LA-ICP-MS), fluid inclusion analysis (microthermometry, gas analysis via incremental crush fast scan mass spectrometry), and thermodynamic modelling. Two main paragenetic stages are preserved in both vent complexes: Stage 1 comprises pervasive ankerite alteration of the organic-rich mudstone host rock and crosscutting stockwork ankerite veining (±pyrobitumen, pyrite and quartz) and; Stage 2 consists of main stage massive sulphide (galena-pyrrhotite-pyrite ± chalcopyrite-sphalerite) and siderite (±quartz and barytocalcite) mineralisation. Co-variation of δ18O and δ13C values in ankerite can be described by temperature dependent fractionation and fluid rock interaction. Together with fluid inclusion microthermometry, this provides evidence of a steep thermal gradient (from 300 to ∼100 °C) over approximately 15 m stratigraphic depth, temporally and spatially constrained within the paragenesis of both vent complexes and developed under shallow lithostatic (28), characteristic of diagenetic fluids, are coupled with positive europium anomalies and variable light REE depletion, which are more consistent with chloride complexation in hot (>250 °C) hydrothermal fluids. In this shallow sub-seafloor setting, thermal alteration of organic carbon in the immature, chemically reactive mudstones also had an important role in the evolution of fluid chemistry

Modelling hydrothermal venting in volcanic sedimentary basins: Impact on hydrocarbon maturation and paleoclimate

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Iyer, Karthik; Schmid, Daniel W.; Planke, Sverre; Millett, John

2017-06-01

Vent structures are intimately associated with sill intrusions in sedimentary basins globally and are thought to have been formed contemporaneously due to overpressure generated by gas generation during thermogenic breakdown of kerogen or boiling of water. Methane and other gases generated during this process may have driven catastrophic climate change in the geological past. In this study, we present a 2D FEM/FVM model that accounts for 'explosive' vent formation by fracturing of the host rock based on a case study in the Harstad Basin, offshore Norway. Overpressure generated by gas release during kerogen breakdown in the sill thermal aureole causes fracture formation. Fluid focusing and overpressure migration towards the sill tips results in vent formation after only few tens of years. The size of the vent depends on the region of overpressure accessed by the sill tip. Overpressure migration occurs in self-propagating waves before dissipating at the surface. The amount of methane generated in the system depends on TOC content and also on the type of kerogen present in the host rock. Generated methane moves with the fluids and vents at the surface through a single, large vent structure at the main sill tip matching first-order observations. Violent degassing takes place within the first couple of hundred years and occurs in bursts corresponding to the timing of overpressure waves. The amount of methane vented through a single vent is only a fraction (between 5 and 16%) of the methane generated at depth. Upscaling to the Vøring and Møre Basins, which are a part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province, and using realistic host rock carbon content and kerogen values results in a smaller amount of methane vented than previously estimated for the PETM. Our study, therefore, suggests that the negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) observed in the fossil record could not have been caused by intrusions within the Vøring and Møre Basins alone and that a contribution

Hydrothermal circulation, serpentinization, and degassing at a rift valley-fracture zone intersection: Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 15[degree]N, 45[degree]W

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rona, P.A.; Nelson, T.A. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL (United States)); Bougault, H.; Charlou, J.L.; Needham, H.D. (Inst. Francais de Recherche pour I' Exploitation de la Mer, Centre de Brest (France)); Appriou, P. (Univ. of Western Brittany, Brest (France)); Trefry, J.H. (Florida Inst. of Technology, Melbourne (United States)); Eberhart, G.L.; Barone, A. (Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, Palisades, NY (United States))

1992-09-01

A hydrothermal system characterized by high ratios of methane to both manganese and suspended particulate matter was detected in seawater sampled at the eastern intersection of the rift valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with the Fifteen-Twenty Fracture Zone. This finding contrasts with low ratios in black smoker-type hydrothermal systems that occur within spreading segments. Near-bottom water sampling coordinated with SeaBeam bathymetry and camera-temperature tows detected the highest concentrations of methane at fault zones in rocks with the appearance of altered ultramafic units in a large dome that forms part of the inside corner high at the intersection. The distinct chemical signatures of the two types of hydrothermal systems are inferred to be controlled by different circulation pathways related to reaction of seawater primarily with ultramafic rocks at intersections of spreading segments with fracture zones but with mafic rocks within spreading segments.

Lithosphere-biosphere interaction at a shallow-sea hydrothermal vent site; Hot Lake, Panarea, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chia-I.; Amann, Rudolf; Amend, Jan P.; Bach, Wolfgang; Brunner, Benjamin; Meyerdierks, Anke; Price, Roy E.; Schubotz, Florence; Summons, Roger; Wenzhöfer, Frank

2010-05-01

Deep-Sea hydrothermal systems are unique habitats for microbial life with primary production based on chemosynthesis and are considered to be windows to the subsurface biosphere. It is often overlooked, however, that their far more accessible shallow-sea counterparts are also valuable targets to study the effects of hydrothermal activity on geology, seawater chemistry and finally, on microbial life. Such an area of shallow marine hydrothermal venting is observed approximately 2.5 km east of Panarea Island (Sicily, Italy). This system is characterized by fluid temperatures of up to 135° C, gas emissions dominated by CO2 and precipitation of elemental sulfur on the seafloor. In an interdisciplinary project to investigate the influence of geofuels on marine microbiota, sediment cores and pore fluids were sampled for geological and geochemical analyses. An attempt was made to link these geochemical data with a characterization of the microbial community. One of the investigated sites (Lago Caldo, Hot Lake) is an oval-shaped (~10 by 6 meters) shallow (~2.5 m deep) depression covered by elemental sulfur. The sediments in this depression are strongly affected by hydrothermal activity: the pH of pore fluids is in a range between 5 and 6; the salinity is approximately two times higher than seawater. In situ temperatures of 36° C and 74° C (10 cm sediment depth) at two different locations within Hot Lake indicate variability in hydrothermal flux. The sediment surface layer is anoxic, and with increasing depth from the sediment-water interface, sulfate concentrations decrease from ~30 mM to less than 10 mM, whereas sulfide concentrations increase from less than 50 μm to ~1000 μm at 25 cm sediment depth, thus suggesting a higher potential for energy gain based on sulfur disequilibrium. As indicated by the variability in the sediment temperatures at 10 cm, fluid fluxes and mixing with seawater is not found to be uniform at Hot Lake. This is reflected in variability of the

Thermoelectricity Generation and Electron-Magnon Scattering in a Natural Chalcopyrite Mineral from a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Ran; Khan, Atta Ullah; Tsujii, Naohito; Takai, Ken; Nakamura, Ryuhei; Mori, Takao

2015-10-26

Current high-performance thermoelectric materials require elaborate doping and synthesis procedures, particularly in regard to the artificial structure, and the underlying thermoelectric mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we report that a natural chalcopyrite mineral, Cu1+x Fe1-x S2 , obtained from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent can directly generate thermoelectricity. The resistivity displayed an excellent semiconducting character, and a large thermoelectric power and high power factor were found in the low x region. Notably, electron-magnon scattering and a large effective mass was detected in this region, thus suggesting that the strong coupling of doped carriers and antiferromagnetic spins resulted in the natural enhancement of thermoelectric properties during mineralization reactions. The present findings demonstrate the feasibility of thermoelectric energy generation and electron/hole carrier modulation with natural materials that are abundant in the Earth's crust. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Water-column geochemical anomalies associated with the remnants of a mega plume: A case study after CR-2003 hydrothermal event in Carlsberg Ridge, NW Indian Ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Ray, D.; Mirza, I.H.; Prakash, L.S.; Kaisary, S.; Sarma, Y.V.B.; Rao, B.R.; Somayajulu, Y.K.; Drolia, R.K.; KameshRaju, K.A.

. 1. Massoth, G. J. et al., Manganese and iron in hydrothermal plumes resulting from the 1996 Gorda Ridge Event. Deep Sea Res. II, 1998, 45, 2683–2712. 2. Anon., Cruise report of RSS Charles Darwin (CD-149) (18 July–6 August 2003), Southampton...

Presence and diversity of anammox bacteria in cold hydrocarbon-rich seeps and hydrothermal vent sediments of the Guaymas Basin

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Lina eRuss

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Hydrothermally active sediments are highly productive, chemosynthetic areas which are characterized by the rapid turnover of particulate organic matter under extreme conditions in which ammonia is liberated. These systems might be suitable habitats for anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox bacteria but this has not been investigated in detail. Here we report the diversity and abundance of anammox bacteria in sediments that seep cold hydrocarbon-rich fluids and hydrothermal vent areas of the Guaymas Basin in the Cortés Sea using the unique functional anammox marker gene, hydrazine synthase (hzsA. All clones retrieved were closely associated to the ‘Candidatus Scalindua’ genus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct clusters of hzsA sequences (Ca. Scalindua hzsA cluster I and II. Comparison of individual sequences from both clusters showed that several of these sequences had a similarity as low as 76% on nucleotide level. Based on the analysis of this phylomarker, a very high interspecies diversity within the marine anammox group is apparent. Absolute numbers of anammox bacteria in the sediments samples were determined by amplification of a 257 bp fragment of the hszA gene in a qPCR assay. The results indicate that numbers of anammox bacteria are generally higher in cold hydrocarbon-rich sediments compared to the vent areas and the reference zone. Ladderanes, lipids unique to anammox bacteria were also detected in several of the sediment samples corroborating the hzsA analysis. Due to the high concentrations of reduced sulfur compounds and its potential impact on the cycling of nitrogen we aimed to get an indication about the key players in the oxidation of sulfide in the Guaymas Basin sediments using the alpha subunit of the adenosine-5’-phosphosulfate (APS reductase (aprA. Amplification of the aprA gene revealed a high number of gammaproteobacterial aprA genes covering the two sulfur-oxidizing bacteria aprA lineages as well as

Presence and diversity of anammox bacteria in cold hydrocarbon-rich seeps and hydrothermal vent sediments of the Guaymas Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

Russ, Lina; Kartal, Boran; Op den Camp, Huub J M; Sollai, Martina; Le Bruchec, Julie; Caprais, Jean-Claude; Godfroy, Anne; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S; Jetten, Mike S M

2013-01-01

Hydrothermally active sediments are highly productive, chemosynthetic areas which are characterized by the rapid turnover of particulate organic matter under extreme conditions in which ammonia is liberated. These systems might be suitable habitats for anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria but this has not been investigated in detail. Here we report the diversity and abundance of anammox bacteria in sediments that seep cold hydrocarbon-rich fluids and hydrothermal vent areas of the Guaymas Basin in the Cortés Sea using the unique functional anammox marker gene, hydrazine synthase (hzsA). All clones retrieved were closely associated to the "Candidatus Scalindua" genus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct clusters of hzsA sequences (Ca. Scalindua hzsA cluster I and II). Comparison of individual sequences from both clusters showed that several of these sequences had a similarity as low as 76% on nucleotide level. Based on the analysis of this phylomarker, a very high interspecies diversity within the marine anammox group is apparent. Absolute numbers of anammox bacteria in the sediments samples were determined by amplification of a 257 bp fragment of the hszA gene in a qPCR assay. The results indicate that numbers of anammox bacteria are generally higher in cold hydrocarbon-rich sediments compared to the vent areas and the reference zone. Ladderanes, lipids unique to anammox bacteria were also detected in several of the sediment samples corroborating the hzsA analysis. Due to the high concentrations of reduced sulfur compounds and its potential impact on the cycling of nitrogen we aimed to get an indication about the key players in the oxidation of sulfide in the Guaymas Basin sediments using the alpha subunit of the adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (APS) reductase (aprA). Amplification of the aprA gene revealed a high number of gammaproteobacterial aprA genes covering the two sulfur-oxidizing bacteria aprA lineages as well as sulfate-reducers.

Modes and implications of mantle and lower-crust denudation at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Timothy John

Slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges (Cann, 1993, Cannat, 1993). Extension at mid-ocean ridges is most commonly manifested by slip on high angle (˜60°) normal faults that dip into, and define the rift valley walls (Smith and Cann, 1993). Less commonly, extension occurs by long periods of slip along low-angle normal faults that penetrate to structurally deep levels of oceanic lithosphere and denude gabbro and/or pendotite to the seafloor in domal massifs termed "oceanic core complexes" (Dick et al., 1981; Dick et al., 1991; Tucholke et al., 1998; Mutter and Karson, 1992; Cann et al., 1997; MacLeod et al., 2002). This dissertation addresses processes and implications of tectonic extension at two oceanic core complexes. Atlantis Massif (30°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge) is formed dominantly of serpentinized peridotite with lesser gabbro, and Atlantis Bank (57°E, Southwest Indian Ridge) is dominated by gabbro. Localization of brittle strain at Atlantis Massif occurred by reaction-softening processes associated with metasomatic alteration of peridotite and serpentmite to amphibole-, chlorite- and talc-bearing assemblages. Ductile strain at Atlantis Massif and Atlantis Bank is localized into intervals of highly-fractionated, oxide-rich gabbro. Two-oxide geothermometry of gabbro indicates that it was not penetratively deformed below ˜500°C. Denuded peridotite at Atlantis Massif is host to hydrothermal circulation driven in part by exothermic serpentinization reactions. Serpentinization decreases the seismic velocity of peridotite and leads to acquisition of a magnetic signature. Venting of highly-alkaline, methane- and hydrogen-rich serpentinization-derived fluids leads to lithification of seafloor carbonate ooze by precipitation of carbonate cement in a zone of mixing with "normal" seawater. This process may be the primary depositional mechanism of ophicalcite deposits and likely occurs wherever peridotite is exposed near the Earth's surface and is fractured to permit water

Chicxulub: testing for post-impact hydrothermal inputs into the Tertiary ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, A.; Wilkinson, J.; Morgan, J.

2003-04-01

Large terrestrial impacts produce intense fracturing of the crust and large melt sheets, providing ideal conditions for extensive hydrothermal circulation. In marine settings, such as Chicxulub, there is the potential for downward penetration of cold seawater, heating by the thermal anomaly at the impact site and leaching of metals, prior to buoyancy driven flow back to the surface. There, fluids may undergo venting into the water column. A large proportion of the metals in such vent fluids precipitate close to the site of discharge; however, a proportion of the fluid is dispersed as a hydrothermal plume. Dissolved and particulate materials (in particular manganese and iron oxyhydroxides) can be carried for several hundreds of kilometers, before falling out to form metal-rich sediments. A series of Tertiary core samples has been obtained from the International Continental Drilling Program at Chicxulub (CSDP). These comprise fine-grained cream coloured carbonate sediments with fine laminations. Transmitted light and cathodoluminescence petrography have been used to carry out a preliminary characterization of the samples. Multi-element analysis has also been undertaken by ICP-AES. Samples were reduced to powder and digested using a nitric-perchloric-hydrofluoric acid attack. Rare earth elements (REE) have been analysed by ICP-MS and solutions were prepared using a modified nitric-perchloric-hydrofluoric acid attack. Geochemical analyses have been carried out to test for characteristic signals of hydrothermal input, such as enrichments in Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Mg, Ba, Co, Cr and Ni. The REE are scavenged from seawater onto iron oxide surfaces in the plume; hence anomalous REE concentrations are also indicative of hydrothermal addition. Furthermore, the type of anomaly can differentiate between sediments proximal (+ve Eu) distal (-ve Ce) to the vent site. The stratigraphic extent of any anomalies can be used to constrain the duration of any post-impact circulation. The

Iron-based microbial ecosystem on and below the seafloor: a case study of hydrothermal fields of the southern mariana trough.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Shingo; Nakamura, Kentaro; Toki, Tomohiro; Ishibashi, Jun-Ichiro; Tsunogai, Urumu; Hirota, Akinori; Ohkuma, Moriya; Yamagishi, Akihiko

2012-01-01

Microbial community structures in deep-sea hydrothermal vents fields are constrained by available energy yields provided by inorganic redox reactions, which are in turn controlled by chemical composition of hydrothermal fluids. In the past two decades, geochemical and microbiological studies have been conducted in deep-sea hydrothermal vents at three geographically different areas of the Southern Mariana Trough (SMT). A variety of geochemical data of hydrothermal fluids and an unparalleled microbiological dataset of various samples (i.e., sulfide structures of active vents, iron-rich mats, borehole fluids, and ambient seawater) are available for comparative analyses. Here, we summarize the geochemical and microbiological characteristics in the SMT and assess the relationship between the microbial community structures and the fluid geochemistry in the SMT by thermodynamic modeling. In the high temperature vent fluids, aerobic sulfide-oxidation has the potential to yield large amounts of bioavailable energy in the vent fluids, which is consistent with the detection of species related to sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (such as Thiomicrospira in the Gammaproteobacteria and Sulfurimonas in the Epsilonproteobacteria). Conversely, the bioavailable energy yield from aerobic iron-oxidation reactions in the low-temperature fluids collected from man-made boreholes and several natural vents were comparable to or higher than those from sulfide-oxidation. This is also consistent with the detection of species related to iron-oxidizing bacteria (Mariprofundus in the Zetaproteobacteria) in such low-temperature samples. The results of combination of microbiological, geochemical, and thermodynamic analyses in the SMT provide novel insights into the presence and significance of iron-based microbial ecosystems in deep-sea hydrothermal fields.

Hydrothermal activity, functional diversity and chemoautotrophy are major drivers of seafloor carbon cycling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bell, J.B.; Woulds, C.; van Oevelen, D.

2017-01-01

Hydrothermal vents are highly dynamic ecosystems and are unusually energy rich in the deep-sea. Insitu hydrothermal-based productivity combined with sinking photosynthetic organic matter in a softsedimentsetting creates geochemically diverse environments, which remain poorly studied. Here,we use

Volcanic and Hydrothermal Activity of the North Su Volcano: New Insights from Repeated Bathymetric Surveys and ROV Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Thal, J.; Bach, W.; Tivey, M.; Yoerger, D.

2013-12-01

Bathymetric data from cruises in 2002, 2006, and 2011 were combined and compared to determine the evolution of volcanic activity, seafloor structures, erosional features and to identify and document the distribution of hydrothermal vents on North Su volcano, SuSu Knolls, eastern Manus Basin (Papua New Guinea). Geologic mapping based on ROV observations from 2006 (WHOI Jason-2) and 2011 (MARUM Quest-4000) combined with repeated bathymetric surveys from 2002 and 2011 are used to identify morphologic features on the slopes of North Su and to track temporal changes. ROV MARUM Quest-4000 bathymetry was used to develop a 10 m grid of the top of North Su to precisely depict recent changes. In 2006, the south slope of North Su was steeply sloped and featured numerous white smoker vents discharging acid sulfate waters. These vents were covered by several tens of meters of sand- to gravel-sized volcanic material in 2011. The growth of this new cone changed the bathymetry of the south flank of North Su up to ~50 m and emplaced ~0.014 km3 of clastic volcanic material. This material is primarily comprised of fractured altered dacite and massive fresh dacite as well as crystals of opx, cpx, olivine and plagioclase. There is no evidence for pyroclastic fragmentation, so we hypothesize that the fragmentation is likely related to hydrothermal explosions. Hydrothermal activity varies over a short (~50 m) lateral distance from 'flashing' black smokers to acidic white smoker vents. Within 2 weeks of observation time in 2011, the white smoker vents varied markedly in activity suggesting a highly episodic hydrothermal system. Based on ROV video recordings, we identified steeply sloping (up to 30°) slopes exposing pillars and walls of hydrothermal cemented volcaniclastic material representing former fluid upflow zones. These features show that hydrothermal activity has increased slope stability as hydrothermal cementation has prevented slope collapse. Additionally, in some places

Insight from Genomics on Biogeochemical Cycles in a Shallow-Sea Hydrothermal System

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, G. S.; Amend, J.

2015-12-01

Shallow-sea hydrothermal ecosystems are dynamic, high-energy systems influenced by sunlight and geothermal activity. They provide accessible opportunities for investigating thermophilic microbial biogeochemical cycles. In this study, we report biogeochemical data from a shallow-sea hydrothermal system offshore Paleochori Bay, Milos, Greece, which is characterized by a central vent covered by white microbial mats with hydrothermally influenced sediments extending into nearby sea grass area. Geochemical analysis and deep sequencing provide high-resolution information on the geochemical patterns, microbial diversity and metabolic potential in a two-meter transect. The venting fluid is elevated in temperature (~70oC), low in pH (~4), and enriched in reduced species. The geochemical pattern shows that the profile is affected by not only seawater dilution but also microbial regulation. The microbial community in the deepest section of vent core (10-12 cm) is largely dominated by thermophilic archaea, including a methanogen and a recently described Crenarcheon. Mid-core (6-8 cm), the microbial community in the venting area switches to the hydrogen utilizer Aquificae. Near the sediment-water interface, anaerobic Firmicutes and Actinobacteria dominate, both of which are commonly associated with subsurface and hydrothermal sites. All other samples are dominated by diverse Proteobacteria. The sulfate profile is strongly correlated with the population size of delta- and episilon-proteobactia. The dramatic decrease in concentrations of As and Mn in pore fluids as a function of distance from the vent suggests that in addition to seawater dilution, microorganisms are likely transforming these and other ions through a combination of detoxification and catabolism. In addition, high concentrations of dissolved Fe are only measurable in the shallow sea grass area, suggesting that iron-transforming microorganisms are controlling Fe mobility, and promoting biomineralization. Taken

Distribution of bacteria and associated minerals in the gill chamber of the vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata and related biogeochemical processes

Science.gov (United States)

Zbinden, M.; Le Bris, N.; Compere, P.; Gaill, F.

2004-12-01

The shrimp Rimicaris exoculata dominates the megafauna of some mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent fields. This species harbors a rich bacterial epibiosis inside its gill chamber. At the Rainbow vent field, the epibionts are associated with iron oxide deposits. Investigation of both bacteria and minerals by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray microanalysis (EDX) shows the occurrence of three distinct compartments in the gill chamber: (1) the lower pre-branchial chamber, housing bacteria, but devoid of minerals, (2) the "true" branchial chamber that contains the gills and remains free of both bacteria and minerals, and (3) the upper pre-branchial chamber housing the main ectosymbiotic bacterial community and associated iron oxides. According to our chemical and temperature data, abiotic iron oxidation appears to be kinetically inhibited in the environment of the shrimps and this would explain the lack of iron oxide deposits in the first two areas. We propose that, in the third area, iron oxidation is microbially promoted. The discrepancy between the spatial distribution of bacteria and minerals suggests that different bacterial metabolisms are involved in the two compartments. A possible explanation lies in the modification of physico-chemical conditions downstream of the gills, that would reduce the oxygen content and favor the development of bacterial iron-oxidizers in this Fe II-rich environment. A potential role of such iron-oxidizing symbionts in the shrimp diet is suggested. This would be unusual for hydrothermal ecosystems, where most previously described symbioses rely on sulphide or methane as an energy source.

A Simple and Efficient RNA Extraction Method from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Chimney Structures.

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Muto, Hisashi; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Hirai, Miho; Mino, Sayaka; Sawayama, Shigeki; Takai, Ken; Nakagawa, Satoshi

2017-12-27

RNA-based microbiological analyses, e.g., transcriptome and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, require a relatively large amount of high quality RNA. RNA-based analyses on microbial communities in deep-sea hydrothermal environments often encounter methodological difficulties with RNA extraction due to the presence of unique minerals in and the low biomass of samples. In the present study, we assessed RNA extraction methods for deep-sea vent chimneys that had complex mineral compositions. Mineral-RNA adsorption experiments were conducted using mock chimney minerals and Escherichia coli total RNA solution, and showed that detectable RNA significantly decreased possibly due to adsorption onto minerals. This decrease in RNA was prevented by the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs), salmon sperm DNA, and NaOH. The addition of STPP was also effective for RNA extraction from the mixture of E. coli cells and mock chimney minerals when TRIzol reagent and the RNeasy column were used, but not when the RNeasy PowerSoil total RNA kit was used. A combination of STPP, TRIzol reagent, the RNeasy column, and sonication resulted in the highest RNA yield from a natural chimney. This indirect extraction procedure is simple, rapid, inexpensive, and may be used for large-scale RNA extraction.

Geochemical Tracers of Processes Affecting the Formation of Seafloor Hydrothermal Fluids and Deposits in the Manus Back-Arc Basin

Science.gov (United States)

2009-02-01

pp. 184-197. Grassle J. F. (1986) The ecology of deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities. Advances in Marine Biology 23, 301-362. Halbach P...Gesellschaft 82, 183-210. Tunnicliffe V. (1991) The biology of hydrothermal vents: Ecology and evolution. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Reviews 29...Evidence for Magmatic Contributions to Submarine and Subaerial Gold Mineralization: Conical Seamount and the Ladolam Gold Deposit, Papua New Guinea

Origin of Abiotic Methane in Submarine Hydrothermal Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Seewald, J. S.; German, C. R.; Grozeva, N. G.; Klein, F.; McDermott, J. M.; Ono, S.; Reeves, E. P.; Wang, D. T.

2018-05-01

Results of recent investigations into the chemical and isotopic composition of actively venting submarine hydrothermal fluids and volatile species trapped in fluid inclusions will be discussed in the context of processes responsible for abiotic CH4 formation.

Chemical characteristics of hydrothermal fluids from the TAG Mound of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in August 1994: Implications for spatial and temporal variability of hydrothermal activity

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Gamo, Toshitaka; Chiba, Hitoshi; Masuda, Harue; Edmonds, Henrietta N.; Fujioka, Kantaro; Kodama, Yukio; Nanba, Hiromi; Sano, Yuji

The TAG hydrothermal mound on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (26°08‧N, 44°50‧W) was revisited in August 1994 with the submersible Shinkai 6500 in order to characterize time-series fluid chemistry prior to the ODP drilling. Fluid samples were taken from both black smokers and white smokers. Si, pH, alkalinity, H2S, major cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+), major anions (Cl-, SO42-), and minor elements (Li, Sr, B, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Br) as well as Sr isotope ratios were measured. We report the first Br/Cl ratios for the TAG hydrothermal fluids, showing no fractionation between Br and Cl during the fluid-rock interaction. This study shows small changes in composition of the black smoker fluids from the 1990 data (Edmond et al., 1995). Changes of pH, alkalinity, Fe, K, and 87Sr/86Sr values are suggestive of subsurface FeS precipitation and a decrease of water/rock ratio at a deeper reaction zone. Differences in chemical characteristics between the black and white smoker fluids were similarly observed as in 1990.

Field Testing of an Unvented Roof with Fibrous Insulation, Tiles, and Vapor Diffusion Venting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, K. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States); Lstiburek, J. W. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2016-02-01

This research is a test implementation of an unvented tile roof assembly in a hot-humid climate (Orlando, FL; Zone 2A), insulated with air permeable insulation (netted and blown fiberglass). Given the localized moisture accumulation and failures seen in previous unvented roof field work, it was theorized that a 'diffusion vent' (water vapor open, but air barrier 'closed') at the highest points in the roof assembly might allow for the wintertime release of moisture, to safe levels. The 'diffusion vent' is an open slot at the ridge and hips, covered with a water-resistant but vapor open (500+ perm) air barrier membrane. As a control comparison, one portion of the roof was constructed as a typical unvented roof (self-adhered membrane at ridge). The data collected to date indicate that the diffusion vent roof shows greater moisture safety than the conventional, unvented roof design.

Major- and minor-metal composition of three distinct solid material fractions associated with Juan de Fuca hydrothermal fluids (northeast Pacific), and calculation of dilution fluid samples

Science.gov (United States)

Hinkley, T.K.; Seeley, J.L.; Tatsumoto, M.

1988-01-01

Three distinct types of solid material are associated with each sample of the hydrothermal fluid that was collected from the vents of the Southern Juan de Fuca Ridge. The solid materials appear to be representative of deposits on ocean floors near mid-ocean ridges, and interpretation of the chemistry of the hydrothermal solutions requires understanding of them. Sr isotopic evidence indicates that at least two and probably all three of these solid materials were removed from the solution with which they are associated, by precipitation or adsorption. This occurred after the "pure" hydrothermal fluid was diluted and thoroughly mixed with ambient seawater. The three types of solid materials, are, respectively, a coarse Zn- and Fe-rich material with small amounts of Na and Ca; a finer material also rich in Zn and Fe, but with alkali and alkaline-earth metals; and a scum composed of Ba or Zn, with either considerable Fe or Si, and Sr. Mineral identification is uncertain because of uncertain anion composition. Only in the cases of Ba and Zn were metal masses greater in solid materials than in the associated fluids. For all other metals measured, masses in fluids dwarf those in solids. The fluids themselves contain greater concentrations of all metals measured, except Mg, than seawater. We discuss in detail the relative merits of two methods of determining the mixing proportions of "pure" hydrothermal solution and seawater in the fluids, one based on Sr isotopes, and another previously used method based on Mg concentrations. Comparison of solute concentrations in the several samples shows that degree of dilution of "pure" hydrothermal solutions by seawater, and amounts of original solutes that were removed from it as solid materials, are not related. There is no clear evidence that appreciable amounts of solid materials were not conserved (lost) either during or prior to sample collection. ?? 1988.

Molecular identification of differentially regulated genes in the hydrothermal-vent species Bathymodiolus thermophilus and Paralvinella pandorae in response to temperature

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Shillito Bruce

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps represent oases of life in the deep-sea environment, but are also characterized by challenging physical and chemical conditions. The effect of temperature fluctuations on vent organisms in their habitat has not been well explored, in particular at a molecular level, most gene expression studies being conducted on coastal marine species. In order to better understand the response of hydrothermal organisms to different temperature regimes, differentially expressed genes (obtained by a subtractive suppression hybridization approach were identified in the mussel Bathymodiolus thermophilus and the annelid Paralvinella pandorae irlandei to characterize the physiological processes involved when animals are subjected to long term exposure (2 days at two contrasting temperatures (10° versus 20°C, while maintained at in situ pressures. To avoid a potential effect of pressure, the experimental animals were initially thermally acclimated for 24 hours in a pressurized vessel. Results For each species, we produced two subtractive cDNA libraries (forward and reverse from sets of deep-sea mussels and annelids exposed together to a thermal challenge under pressure. RNA extracted from the gills, adductor muscle, mantle and foot tissue were used for B. thermophilus. For the annelid model, whole animals (small individuals were used. For each of the four libraries, we sequenced 200 clones, resulting in 78 and 83 unique sequences in mussels and annelids (about 20% of the sequencing effort, respectively, with only half of them corresponding to known genes. Real-time PCR was used to validate differentially expressed genes identified in the corresponding libraries. Strong expression variations have been observed for some specific genes such as the intracellular hemoglobin, the nidogen protein, and Rab7 in P. pandorae, and the SPARC protein, cyclophilin, foot protein and adhesive plaque protein in B. thermophilus

Culture-Independent Identification of Manganese-Oxidizing Genes from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Chemoautotrophic Ferromanganese Microbial Communities Using a Metagenomic Approach

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Davis, R.; Tebo, B. M.

2013-12-01

Microbial activity has long been recognized as being important to the fate of manganese (Mn) in hydrothermal systems, yet we know very little about the organisms that catalyze Mn oxidation, the mechanisms by which Mn is oxidized or the physiological function that Mn oxidation serves in these hydrothermal systems. Hydrothermal vents with thick ferromanganese microbial mats and Mn oxide-coated rocks observed throughout the Pacific Ring of Fire are ideal models to study the mechanisms of microbial Mn oxidation, as well as primary productivity in these metal-cycling ecosystems. We sampled ferromanganese microbial mats from Vai Lili Vent Field (Tmax=43°C) located on the Eastern Lau Spreading Center and Mn oxide-encrusted rhyolytic pumice (4°C) from Niua South Seamount on the Tonga Volcanic Arc. Metagenomic libraries were constructed and assembled from these samples and key genes known to be involved in Mn oxidation and carbon fixation pathways were identified in the reconstructed genomes. The Vai Lili metagenome assembled to form 121,157 contiguous sequences (contigs) greater than 1000bp in length, with an N50 of 8,261bp and a total metagenome size of 593 Mbp. Contigs were binned using an emergent self-organizing map of tetranucleotide frequencies. Putative homologs of the multicopper Mn-oxidase MnxG were found in the metagenome that were related to both the Pseudomonas-like and Bacillus-like forms of the enzyme. The bins containing the Pseudomonas-like mnxG genes are most closely related to uncultured Deltaproteobacteria and Chloroflexi. The Deltaproteobacteria bin appears to be an obligate anaerobe with possible chemoautotrophic metabolisms, while the Chloroflexi appears to be a heterotrophic organism. The metagenome from the Mn-stained pumice was assembled into 122,092 contigs greater than 1000bp in length with an N50 of 7635 and a metagenome size of 385 Mbp. Both forms of mnxG genes are present in this metagenome as well as the genes encoding the putative Mn

Controls of Plume Dispersal at the Slow Spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, M.; Mertens, C.; Koehler, J.; Sueltenfuss, J.; Rhein, M.; Keir, R. S.; Schmale, O.; Schneider v. Deimling, J.; German, C. R.; Yoerger, D. R.; Baker, E. T.

2011-12-01

The slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridges hosts a multitude of different types of hydrothermal systems. Here, we compare the fluxes and the plume dispersal at three high temperature sites located in very diverse settings at comparable depths (~3000m): The recently discovered sites Turtle Pits, and Nibelungen on the southern MAR, and the Logatchev field in the North Atlantic. Plume mapping for these sites on cruises between 2004 and 2009 consisted of CTD Towyo-, Yoyo,- and station work, including velocity profiling, as well as water sampling for analysis of trace gases (CH4, H2, 3He/4He) and metals; temperature measurements and fluid sampling at the vent sites were carried out with an ROV. The aim of this work is to gain a better understanding of how the setting of a vent site affects the dispersal of the particle plume, and what means can be used to infer possible locations of vent sites based on the hydrographic properties and plume observations, using high resolution bathymetric mapping and hydrographic information. The ultramafic-hosted Nibelungen site (8°18'S) consists of a single active smoking crater, along with several extinct smokers, which is located off-axis south of a non-transform offset. The setting is characterized by rugged topography, favorable for the generation of internal tides, internal wave breaking, and vertical mixing. Elevated mixing with turbulent diffusivities Kρ up to 0.1 m2 s-1, 3 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than open ocean values, was observed close to the vent site. The mixing as well as the flow field exhibited a strong tidal cycle; the plume dispersal is thus dominated by the fast and intermittent vertical exchange and characterized by small scale spatial and temporal variability. The Turtle Pits vent fields (4°48'S) are located on a sill in a north-south orientated rift valley. The site consists of three (known) high temperature fields: Turtle Pits, Comfortless Cove, and Red Lion. The particle plume is confined to the rift

Deformation associated with the denudation of mantle-derived rocks at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge 13°-15°N: The role of magmatic injections and hydrothermal alteration

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Picazo, Suzanne; Cannat, Mathilde; Delacour, AdéLie; EscartíN, Javier; RouméJon, StéPhane; Silantyev, Sergei

2012-09-01

Outcrops of deeply derived ultramafic rocks and gabbros are widespread along slow spreading ridges where they are exposed in the footwall of detachment faults. We report on the microstructural and petrological characteristics of a large number of samples from ultramafic exposures in the walls of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) axial valley at three distinct locations at lat. 13°N and 14°45'N. One of these locations corresponds to the footwall beneath a corrugated paleo-fault surface. Bearing in mind that dredging and ROV sampling may not preserve the most fragile lithologies (fault gouges), this study allows us to document a sequence of deformation, and the magmatic and hydrothermal history recorded in the footwall within a few hundred meters of the axial detachment fault. At the three sampled locations, we find that tremolitic amphiboles have localized deformation in the ultramafic rocks prior to the onset of serpentinization. We interpret these tremolites as hydrothermal alteration products after evolved gabbroic rocks intruded into the peridotites. We also document two types of brittle deformation in the ultramafic rocks, which we infer could produce the sustained low magnitude seismicity recorded at ridge axis detachment faults. The first type of brittle deformation affects fresh peridotite and is associated with the injection of the evolved gabbroic melts, and the second type affects serpentinized peridotites and is associated with the injection of Si-rich hydrothermal fluids that promote talc crystallization, leading to strain localization in thin talc shear zones. We also observed chlorite + serpentine shear zones but did not identify samples with serpentine-only shear zones. Although the proportion of magmatic injections in the ultramafic rocks is variable, these characteristics are found at each investigated location and are therefore proposed as fundamental components of the deformation in the footwall of the detachment faults associated with denudation of

Imaging microbial metal metabolism in situ under conditions of the deep-sea hydrothermal vents

Science.gov (United States)

Oger, P. M.; Daniel, I.; Simionovici, A.; Picard, A.

2006-12-01

High-pressure biotopes are the most widely spread biotopes on Earth. They represent one possible location for the origin of life. They also share striking similarities with extraterrestrial biotopes such as those postulated for Europe or Mars. In absence of light, dissimilatory reduction of metals (DMR) is fueling the ecosystem. Monitoring the metabolism of the deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbial fauna under P, T and chemical conditions relevant to their isolation environment can be difficult because of the confinement and because most spectroscopic probes do not sense metallic ions in solution. We demonstrated the possibility to use Xray spectroscopy to monitor the speciation of metallic species in solution. Experiments were performed at The ESRF using Selenium (Se) detoxification by Agrobacterium tumefaciens as an analog of DMR. The reduction of Se from selenite to the metal was monitored by a combiantion of two Xray spectroscopic techniques (XANES and μXRF). Cells were incubated in the low pressure DAC in growth medium supplemented with 5mM Selenite and incubated under pressures up to 60 Mpa at 30°C for 24h. The evolution of the speciation can be easily monitored and the concentration of each Se species determined from the Xray spectra by linear combinations of standard spectra. Selenite is transformed by the bacterium into a mixture of metal Se and methylated Se after 24 hours. Se detoxification is observed in situ up to at least 25 MPa. The technique, developped for Se can be adapted to monitor other elements more relevant to DMR such as As, Fe or S, which should allow to monitor in situ under controlled pressure and temperature the metabolism of vent organisms. It is also amenable to the monitoring of toxic metals. Xray spectroscopy and the lpDAC are compatible with other spectroscopic techniques, such as Raman, UV or IR spectroscopies, allowing to probe other metabolic activities. Hence, enlarging the range of metabolic information that can be obtained in

Field Testing of an Unvented Roof with Fibrous Insulation, Tiles and Vapor Diffusion Venting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, K. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States); Lstiburek, J. W. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2016-02-05

This research is a test implementation of an unvented tile roof assembly in a hot-humid climate (Orlando, FL; Zone 2A), insulated with air permeable insulation (netted and blown fiberglass). Given the localized moisture accumulation and failures seen in previous unvented roof field work, it was theorized that a 'diffusion vent' (water vapor open, but air barrier 'closed') at the highest points in the roof assembly might allow for the wintertime release of moisture, to safe levels. The 'diffusion vent' is an open slot at the ridge and hips, covered with a water-resistant but vapor open (500+ perm) air barrier membrane. As a control comparison, one portion of the roof was constructed as a typical unvented roof (self-adhered membrane at ridge). The data collected to date indicate that the diffusion vent roof shows greater moisture safety than the conventional, unvented roof design. The unvented roof had extended winter periods of 95-100% RH, and wafer (wood surrogate RH sensor) measurements indicating possible condensation; high moisture levels were concentrated at the roof ridge. In contrast, the diffusion vent roofs had drier conditions, with most peak MCs (sheathing) below 20%. In the spring, as outdoor temperatures warmed, all roofs dried well into the safe range (10% MC or less). Some roof-wall interfaces showed moderately high MCs; this might be due to moisture accumulation at the highest point in the lower attic, and/or shading of the roof by the adjacent second story. Monitoring will be continued at least through spring 2016 (another winter and spring).

Recent massive sulfide deposits of the Semenov ore district, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 13°31' N: Associated rocks of the oceanic core complex and their hydrothermal alteration

Science.gov (United States)

Pertsev, A. N.; Bortnikov, N. S.; Vlasov, E. A.; Beltenev, V. E.; Dobretsova, I. G.; Ageeva, O. A.

2012-09-01

The oceanic core complexes and large-offset detachment faults characteristic of the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge are crucial for the structural control of large hydrothermal systems, including those forming sub-seafloor polymetallic sulfide mineralization. The structural-geological, petrographic, and mineralogical data are considered for the oceanic core complex enclosing the Semenov-1, -2, -3, -4, and -5 inactive hydrothermal sulfide fields recently discovered on the Mid-Oceanic Ridge at 13°31' N. The oceanic core complex is composed of serpentinized and talc-replaced peridotites and sporadic gabbroic rocks, however, all hydrothermal fields reveal compositional indications of basaltic substrate. The volcanic structures superposed on the oceanic core complex are marked by outcrops of pillow lavas with fresh quenched glass. Dolerites regarded as volcanic conduits seem to represent separate dike swarms. The superposed volcanic structures develop largely along the near-latitudinal high-angle tectonic zone controlling the Semenov-1, -2, -5, and -3 hydrothermal sulfide fields. The manifestations of hydrothermal metasomatic alteration are diverse. The widespread talcose rocks with pyrrhotite-pyrite mineralization after serpentinite, as well as finding of talc-chlorite metabasalt are interpreted as products of hydrothermal activity in the permeable zone of detachment fault. Chloritization and brecciation of basalts with superposed quartz or opal, barite, and pyrite or chalcopyrite mineralization directly related to the sub-seafloor sulfide deposition. The native copper mineralization in almost unaltered basalts at the Semenov-4 field is suggested to precipitate from ore-forming fluids before they reach the level of sub-seafloor sulfide deposition. Amphibolites with plagiogranite veinlets are interpreted as tectonic fragments of the highest-temperature portions of hydrothermal systems, where partial melting of basic rocks in the presence of aqueous fluid with

DIRS1-like retrotransposons are widely distributed among Decapoda and are particularly present in hydrothermal vent organisms

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Bonnivard Eric

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transposable elements are major constituents of eukaryote genomes and have a great impact on genome structure and stability. Considering their mutational abilities, TEs can contribute to the genetic diversity and evolution of organisms. Knowledge of their distribution among several genomes is an essential condition to study their dynamics and to better understand their role in species evolution. DIRS1-like retrotransposons are a particular group of retrotransposons according to their mode of transposition that implies a tyrosine recombinase. To date, they have been described in a restricted number of species in comparison with the LTR retrotransposons. In this paper, we determine the distribution of DIRS1-like elements among 25 decapod species, 10 of them living in hydrothermal vents that correspond to particularly unstable environments. Results Using PCR approaches, we have identified 15 new DIRS1-like families in 15 diverse decapod species (shrimps, lobsters, crabs and galatheid crabs. Hydrothermal organisms show a particularly great diversity of DIRS1-like elements with 5 families characterized among Alvinocarididae shrimps and 3 in the galatheid crab Munidopsis recta. Phylogenic analyses show that these elements are divergent toward the DIRS1-like families previously described in other crustaceans and arthropods and form a new clade called AlDIRS1. At larger scale, the distribution of DIRS1-like retrotransposons appears more or less patchy depending on the taxa considered. Indeed, a scattered distribution can be observed in the infraorder Brachyura whereas all the species tested in infraorders Caridea and Astacidea harbor some DIRS1-like elements. Conclusion Our results lead to nearly double both the number of DIRS1-like elements described to date, and the number of species known to harbor these ones. In this study, we provide the first degenerate primers designed to look specifically for DIRS1-like retrotransposons. They

Post-drilling changes in seabed landscape and megabenthos in a deep-sea hydrothermal system, the Iheya North field, Okinawa Trough.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, Ryota; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Kawagucci, Shinsuke; Takaya, Yutaro; Nozaki, Tatsuo; Chen, Chong; Fujikura, Katsunori; Miwa, Tetsuya; Takai, Ken

2015-01-01

There has been an increasing interest in seafloor exploitation such as mineral mining in deep-sea hydrothermal fields, but the environmental impact of anthropogenic disturbance to the seafloor is poorly known. In this study, the effect of such anthropogenic disturbance by scientific drilling operations (IODP Expedition 331) on seabed landscape and megafaunal habitation was surveyed for over 3 years using remotely operated vehicle video observation in a deep-sea hydrothermal field, the Iheya North field, in the Okinawa Trough. We focused on observations from a particular drilling site (Site C0014) where the most dynamic change of landscape and megafaunal habitation was observed among the drilling sites of IODP Exp. 331. No visible hydrothermal fluid discharge had been observed at the sedimentary seafloor at Site C0014, where Calyptogena clam colonies were known for more than 10 years, before the drilling event. After drilling commenced, the original Calyptogena colonies were completely buried by the drilling deposits. Several months after the drilling, diffusing high-temperature hydrothermal fluid began to discharge from the sedimentary subseafloor in the area of over 20 m from the drill holes, 'artificially' creating a new hydrothermal vent habitat. Widespread microbial mats developed on the seafloor with the diffusing hydrothermal fluids and the galatheid crab Shinkaia crosnieri endemic to vents dominated the new vent community. The previously soft, sedimentary seafloor was hardened probably due to barite/gypsum mineralization or silicification, becoming rough and undulated with many fissures after the drilling operation. Although the effects of the drilling operation on seabed landscape and megafaunal composition are probably confined to an area of maximally 30 m from the drill holes, the newly established hydrothermal vent ecosystem has already lasted 2 years and is like to continue to exist until the fluid discharge ceases and thus the ecosystem in the area has

Marine Subsurface Microbial Communities Across a Hydrothermal Gradient in Okinawa Trough Sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Brandt, L. D.; Hser Wah Saw, J.; Ettema, T.; House, C. H.

2015-12-01

IODP Expedition 331 to the Okinawa backarc basin provided an opportunity to study the microbial stratigraphy within the sediments surrounding a hydrothermal vent. The Okinawa backarc basin is a sedimented region of the seafloor located on a continental margin, and also hosts a hydrothermal network within the subsurface. Site C0014 within the Iheya North hydrothermal field is located 450 m east of the active vent and has a surface temperature of 5°C with no evidence of hydrothermal alteration within the top 10 meters below sea floor (mbsf). Temperature increases with depth at an estimated rate of 3°C/m and transitions from non-hydrothermal margin sediments to a hydrothermally altered regime below 10 mbsf. In this study, we utilized deep 16S rRNA sequencing of DNA from IODP Expedition 331 Site C0014 sediment horizons in order to assess diversity throughout the sediment column as well as determine the potential limits of the biosphere. Analysis of the amplicon data shows a shift over 15 mbsf from a heterogeneous community of cosmopolitan marine subsurface taxa toward an archaeal-dominated community in the deepest horizons of the predicted biosphere. Notably, the phylum Chloroflexi represents a substantial taxon through most horizons, where it appears to be replaced below 10 mbsf by punctuations of thermophilic and methanotrophic Archaea and Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group abundances. DNA from the aforementioned transition horizons was further analyzed using metagenomic sequencing. Preliminary taxonomic analysis of the metagenomic data agrees well with amplicon data in capturing the shift in relative abundance of Archaea increasing with depth. Additionally, reverse gyrase, a gene found exclusively in hyperthermophilic microorganisms, was recovered only in the metagenome of the deepest horizon. A BLAST search of this protein sequence against the GenBank non-redudnant protein database produced top hits with reverse gyrase from Thermococcus and Pyrococcus, which are

Microbial habitat connectivity across spatial scales and hydrothermal temperature gradients at Guaymas Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefanie eMeyer

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California hydrothermal vent area is known as a dynamic and hydrothermally vented sedimentary system, where the advection and production of a variety of different metabolic substrates support a high microbial diversity and activity in the seafloor. The main objective of our study was to explore the role of temperature and other environmental factors on community diversity, such as the presence of microbial mats and seafloor bathymetry within one hydrothermally vented field of 200 × 250 m dimension. In this field, temperature increased strongly with sediment depth reaching the known limit to life within a few decimeters. Potential sulfate reduction rate as a key community activity parameter was strongly affected by in situ temperature and sediment depth, declining from high rates of 1-5 μmol ml-1 d-1 at the surface to the detection limit below 5 cm sediment depth, despite the presence of sulfate and hydrocarbons. Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis yielded a high-resolution fingerprint of the dominant members of the bacterial community. Our analyses showed strong temperature and sediment depth effects on bacterial cell abundance and Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs number, both declining by more than one order of magnitude below the top 5 cm of the sediment surface. Another fraction of the variation in diversity and community structure was explained by differences in the local bathymetry and spatial position within the vent field. Nevertheless, more than 80% of all detected OTUs were shared among the different temperature realms and sediment depths, after being classified as cold (T<10°C, medium (10°C≤T<40°C or hot (T≥40°C temperature conditions, with significant OTU overlap with the richer surface communities. Overall, this indicates a high connectivity of benthic bacterial habitats in this dynamic and heterogeneous marine ecosystem influenced by strong hydrothermalism.

Surface-discharging hydrothermal systems at Yucca Mountain: Examining the evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, S.S.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses exposures of altered rock that have been thought to form by recent discharge of water from depth. They were examined to address a concern that hydrothermal processes could compromise the isolation capability of a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Suspected hot-spring and hydrothermal-vent deposits are more likely the products of infiltration of meteoric water into newly deposited and still-hot pyroclastic flows >12 Myr ago

Heavy metal bioaccumulation in the organisms at hydrothermal fields of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and East-Pacific Rise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demina, L.L.; Galkin, S.V.

2008-01-01

The influence of geochemical environment as well as biological parameters on the heavy metal bioaccumulation in the hydrothermal fauna at certain fields of the Mid-Atlantic ridge (MAR) and East Pacific Rise (EPR) are studied. The highest concentration of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cr, Co, Pb, Cd, Ag, Se, Sb, As, and Hg were detected in the tubes of the most thermophilic organism Alvinella caudata inhabited sulfide chimneys at 9 0 50 ' N EPR, i.e. at place where the influence of hydrothermal fluids was the maximal. Elevated heavy metals levels were typical for organs associated with the endo symbiotic bacteria activity, such as gills of specialized mussels Bathymodiolus, clams Archivestica gigas (Calyptogena magnifica), trophosome of vestimentifera Riftia, maxillipeds of shrimps Rimicaris exoculata. Inter-site (Broken Spur vs. Rainbow) comparison of the partitioning of metals within soft tissues has revealed that metal concentrations in the fauna habitats is an important albeit not the single factor that controls the metal content in the interior organs of the taxa. The external parts of mussels, such as shells, demonstrate patterns of bioaccumulation reflecting the metal concentrations in the micro-habitats. In spite of the minimal metal content was found in the mussel shells, they serve as a great reservoirs for heavy metal deposition and storage at the hydrothermal regions. For some elements a trend of heavy metal transferring through the food chains was revealed. There were no clear dependence between age of mussels and metal content (except Hg) in the soft tissues

Abundance and Distribution of Diagnostic Carbon Fixation Genes in a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Gradient Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Blumenfeld, H. N.; Kelley, D. S.; Girguis, P. R.; Schrenk, M. O.

2010-12-01

The walls of deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimneys sustain steep thermal and chemical gradients resulting from the mixing of hot (350°C+) hydrothermal fluids with cold, oxygenated seawater. The chemical disequilibrium generated from this process has the potential to drive numerous chemolithoautotrophic metabolisms, many of which have been demonstrated to be operative in microbial pure cultures. In addition to the well-known Calvin Cycle, at least five additional pathways have been discovered including the Reverse Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (rTCA), the Reductive Acetyl-CoA pathway, and the 3-hydroxyproprionate pathway. Most of the newly discovered pathways have been found in thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Bacteria and Archaea, which are the well represented in microbial diversity studies of hydrothermal chimney walls. However, to date, little is known about the environmental controls that impact various carbon fixation pathways. The overlap of limited microbial diversity with distinct habitat conditions in hydrothermal chimney walls provides an ideal setting to explore these relationships. Hydrothermal chimney walls from multiple structures recovered from the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northeastern Pacific were sub-sampled and analyzed using PCR-based assays. Earlier work showed elevated microbial abundances in the outer portions of mature chimney walls, with varying ratios of Archaea to Bacteria from the outer to inner portions of the chimneys. Common phylotypes identified in these regions included Epsilonproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Desulfurococcales. Total genomic DNA was extracted from mineralogically distinct niches within these structures and queried for genes coding key regulatory enzymes for each of the well studied carbon fixation pathways. Preliminary results show the occurrence of genes representing rTCA cycle (aclB) and methyl coenzyme A reductase (mcrA) - a proxy for the Reductive Acetyl-CoA Pathway within interior portion of mature

Hydrothermal alteration of sediments associated with surface emissions from the Cerro Prieto geothermal field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valette-Silver, J.N.; Esquer P., I.; Elders, W.A.; Collier, P.C.; Hoagland, J.R.

1981-01-01

A study of the mineralogical changes associated with these hydrothermal vents was initiated with the aim of developing possible exploration tools for geothermal resources. The Cerro Prieto reservoir has already been explored by extensive deep drilling so that relationships between surface manifestations and deeper hydrothermal processes could be established directly. Approximately 120 samples of surface sediments were collected both inside and outside of the vents. The mineralogy of the altered sediments studied appears to be controlled by the type of emission. A comparison between the changes in mineralogy due to low temperature hydrothermal activity in the reservoir, seen in samples from boreholes, and mineralogical changes in the surface emission samples shows similar general trends below 180 C: increase of quartz, feldspar and illite, with subsequent disappearance of kaolinite, montmorillonite, calcite and dolomite. These mineral assemblages seem to be characteristic products of the discharge from high intensity geothermal fields.

Controls on thallium uptake during hydrothermal alteration of the upper ocean crust

Science.gov (United States)

Coggon, Rosalind M.; Rehkämper, Mark; Atteck, Charlotte; Teagle, Damon A. H.; Alt, Jeffrey C.; Cooper, Matthew J.

2014-11-01

Hydrothermal circulation is a fundamental component of global biogeochemical cycles. However, the magnitude of the high temperature axial hydrothermal fluid flux remains disputed, and the lower temperature ridge flank fluid flux is difficult to quantify. Thallium (Tl) isotopes behave differently in axial compared to ridge flank systems, with Tl near-quantitatively stripped from the intrusive crust by high temperature hydrothermal reactions, but added to the lavas during low temperature reaction with seawater. This contrasting behavior provides a unique approach to determine the fluid fluxes associated with axial and ridge flank environments. Unfortunately, our understanding of the Tl isotopic mass balance is hindered by poor knowledge of the mineralogical, physical and chemical controls on Tl-uptake by the ocean crust. Here we use analyses of basaltic volcanic upper crust from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Hole U1301B on the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank, combined with published analyses of dredged seafloor basalts and upper crustal basalts from Holes 504B and 896A, to investigate the controls on Tl-uptake by mid-ocean ridge basalts and evaluate when in the evolution of the ridge flank hydrothermal system Tl-uptake occurs. Seafloor basalts indicate an association between basaltic uptake of Tl from cold seawater and uptake of Cs and Rb, which are known to partition into K-rich phases. Although there is no clear relationship between Tl and K contents of seafloor basalts, the data do not rule out the incorporation of at least some Tl into the same minerals as the alkali elements. In contrast, we find no relationship between the Tl content and either the abundance of secondary phyllosilicate minerals, or the K, Cs or Rb contents in upper crustal basalts. We conclude that the uptake of Tl and alkali elements during hydrothermal alteration of the upper crust involves different processes and/or mineral phases compared to those that govern seafloor weathering. Furthermore

A serpentinite-hosted ecosystem in the Southern Mariana Forearc.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohara, Yasuhiko; Reagan, Mark K; Fujikura, Katsunori; Watanabe, Hiromi; Michibayashi, Katsuyoshi; Ishii, Teruaki; Stern, Robert J; Pujana, Ignacio; Martinez, Fernando; Girard, Guillaume; Ribeiro, Julia; Brounce, Maryjo; Komori, Naoaki; Kino, Masashi

2012-02-21

Several varieties of seafloor hydrothermal vents with widely varying fluid compositions and temperatures and vent communities occur in different tectonic settings. The discovery of the Lost City hydrothermal field in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge has stimulated interest in the role of serpentinization of peridotite in generating H(2)- and CH(4)-rich fluids and associated carbonate chimneys, as well as in the biological communities supported in highly reduced, alkaline environments. Abundant vesicomyid clam communities associated with a serpentinite-hosted hydrothermal vent system in the southern Mariana forearc were discovered during a DSV Shinkai 6500 dive in September 2010. We named this system the "Shinkai Seep Field (SSF)." The SSF appears to be a serpentinite-hosted ecosystem within a forearc (convergent margin) setting that is supported by fault-controlled fluid pathways connected to the decollement of the subducting slab. The discovery of the SSF supports the prediction that serpentinite-hosted vents may be widespread on the ocean floor. The discovery further indicates that these serpentinite-hosted low-temperature fluid vents can sustain high-biomass communities and has implications for the chemical budget of the oceans and the distribution of abyssal chemosynthetic life.

The Effects of Ridge Axis Width on Mantle Melting at Mid-Ocean Ridges

Science.gov (United States)

Montesi, L.; Magni, V.; Gaina, C.

2017-12-01

Mantle upwelling in response to plate divergence produces melt at mid-ocean ridges. Melt starts when the solidus is crossed and stops when conductive cooling overcomes heat advection associated with the upwelling. Most mid-ocean ridge models assume that divergence takes place only in a narrow zone that defines the ridge axis, resulting in a single upwelling. However, more complex patterns of divergence are occasionally observed. The rift axis can be 20 km wide at ultraslow spreading center. Overlapping spreading center contain two parallel axes. Rifting in backarc basins is sometimes organized as a series of parallel spreading centers. Distributing plate divergence over several rifts reduces the intensity of upwelling and limits melting. Can this have a significant effect on the expected crustal thickness and on the mode of melt delivery at the seafloor? We address this question by modeling mantle flow and melting underneath two spreading centers separated by a rigid block. We adopt a non-linear rheology that includes dislocation creep, diffusion creep and yielding and include hydrothermal cooling by enhancing thermal conductivity where yielding takes place. The crustal thickness decreases if the rifts are separated by 30 km or more but only if the half spreading rate is between 1 and 2 cm/yr. At melting depth, a single upwelling remains the norm until the separation of the rifts exceeds a critical value ranging from 15 km in the fastest ridges to more than 50 km at ultraslow spreading centers. The stability of the central upwelling is due to hydrothermal cooling, which prevents hot mantle from reaching the surface at each spreading center. When hydrothermal cooling is suppressed, or the spreading centers are sufficiently separated, the rigid block becomes extremely cold and separates two distinct, highly asymmetric upwellings that may focus melt beyond the spreading center. In that case, melt delivery might drive further and further the divergence centers, whereas

Lessons from Suiyo Seamount studies, for understanding extreme (ancient?) microbial ecosystems in the deep-sea hydrothermal fields

Science.gov (United States)

Maruyama, A.; Higashi, Y.; Sunamura, M.; Urabe, T.

2004-12-01

Deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems are driven with various geo-thermally modified, mainly reduced, compounds delivered from extremely hot subsurface environments. To date, several unique microbes including thermophilic archaeons have been isolated from/around vent chimneys. However, there is little information about microbes in over-vent and sub-vent fields. Here, we report several new findings on microbial diversity and ecology of the Suiyo Seamount that locates on the Izu-Bonin Arc in the northwest Pacific Ocean, as a result of the Japanese Archaean Park project, with special concern to the sub-vent biosphere. At first, we succeeded to reveal a very unique microbial ecosystem in hydrothermal plume reserved within the outer rim of the seamount crater, that is, it consisted of almost all metabolically active microbes belonged to only two Bacteria phylotypes, probably of sulfur oxidizers. In the center of the caldera seafloor (ca. 1,388-m deep) consisted mainly of whitish sands and pumices, we found many small chimneys (ca. 5-10 cm) and bivalve colonies distributed looking like gray to black patches. These geo/ecological features of the seafloor were supposed to be from a complex mixing of hydrothermal venting and strong water current near the seafloor. Through quantitative FISH analysis for various environmental samples, one of the two representative groups in the plume was assessed to be from some of the bivalve colonies. Using the Benthic Multi-coring System (BMS), total 10 points were drilled and 6 boreholes were maintained with stainless or titanium casing pipes. In the following submersible surveys, newly developed catheter- and column-type in situ growth chambers were deployed in and on the boreholes, respectively, for collecting indigenous sub-vent microbes. Finally, we succeeded to detect several new phylotypes of microbes in these chamber samples, e.g., within epsilon-Proteobacteria, a photosynthetic group of alpha-Proteobacteria, and hyperthermophile

Spatial variability in recruitment of benthos near drilling sites in the Iheya North hydrothermal field in the Okinawa Trough

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Masako; Nakajima, Yuichi; Watanabe, Hiromi Kayama; Sasaki, Takenori; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Mitarai, Satoshi

2018-05-01

Due to increasing anthropogenic impacts on deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems, it is essential to understand population structure and maintenance through larval recruitment and recovery of vent faunas after disturbances. In this study, we quantified vent animal recruitment in the Okinawa Trough, in the western Pacific Ocean. This is the first study to investigate recruitment patterns at a man-made hydrothermal vent. Colonization plates were deployed at three sites. Site 1 manifested new hydrothermal shimmering with small chimneys, white bacterial mats, and some alvinocaridid shrimp that arrived after drilling. Site 2 showed no evidence of newly arrived foundation species after drilling, and Site 3 had pre-existing animal communities in the vicinity of the new vent. Twenty-two months after deployment, colonization plates were retrieved and recruited animals were inventoried. Species composition and abundance differed among sites, but relatively high similarity in species composition was observed at Sites 1 and 3, though not at Site 2. Newly established communities on the plates at Sites 1 and 2 (no pre-existing fauna) showed lower species richness and abundance than at Site 3. Differences in abundance and size-frequency distributions of major recruits on the plates (i.e. Lepetodrilus nux, Bathymodiolus spp.) suggest the importance of reproductive and early life-history characteristics in spatial variability of recruitment. Lepetodrilus nux populations established on the plates at Site 1 showed high genetic connectivity. These results illustrate the importance of localized recruitment, which may have a significant impact on sustainability of vent faunal populations, despite the existence of regional metapopulations.

Metal concentration and structural changes in Corallina elongata (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from hydrothermal vents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couto, Ruben P.; Neto, Ana I.; Rodrigues, Armindo S.

2010-01-01

Shallow-water hydrothermal activity is widely present at Azores archipelago. Organisms in such environments present great potential as sentinels of the effects derived from chronically exposure to increased temperature, metal concentrations and reduced pH. This study aimed to evaluate metal concentration in Corallina elongata collected at locations exposed and not exposed to shallow-water hydrothermal activity and evaluate changes in its calcareous structure. Elemental concentration was determined and morphometric analysis was performed by scanning electron microscopy. Thicker cell walls and a bleached appearance were observed on C. elongata specimens from the hydrothermally active location, as well as increased concentrations of elements associated to volcanic activity. This study reports on metal accumulation and morphometric changes in the calcareous structure of C. elongata from a hydrothermally active location, adding new data for further research on such habitats and communities, providing an insight on how coralline algae might be affected by ocean acidification.

Microbial Diversity in Hydrothermal Surface to Sub-surface Environment of Suiyo Seamount

Science.gov (United States)

Higashi, Y.; Sunamura, M.; Kitamura, K.; Kurusu, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Maruyama, A.

2002-12-01

After excavation trials to a hydrothermal subsurface biosphere of the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, microbial diversity was examined using samples collected from drilled boreholes and natural vents with an catheter-type in situ microbial entrapment/incubator. This instrument consisted of a heat-tolerant cylindrical pipe with entrapment of a titanium-mesh capsule, containing sterilized inorganic porous grains, on the tip. After 3-10 day deployment in venting fluids with the maximum temperatures from 156 to 305degC, Microbial DNA was extracted from the grains and a 16S rDNA region was amplified and sequenced. Through the phylogenetic analysis of total 72 Bacteria and 30 Archaea clones, we found three novel phylogenetic groups in this hydrothermal surface to subsurface biosphere. Some new clades within the epsilon-Proteobacteria, which seemed to be microaerophilic, moderate thermophilic, and/or sulfur oxidizing, were detected. Clones related to moderate thermophilic and photosynthetic microbes were found in grain-attached samples at collapsed borehole and natural vent sites. We also detected a new clade closely related to a hyperthermophilic Archaea, Methanococcus jannashii, which has the capability of growing autotrophically on hydrogen and producing methane. However, the later two phylogroups were estimated as below a detection limit in microscopic cell counting, i.e., fluorescence in situ hybridization and direct counting. Most of microbes in venting fluids were assigned to be Bacteria, but difficult in specifying them using any known probes. The environment must be notable in microbial and genetic resources, while the ecosystem seems to be mainly supported by chemosynthetic products through the microbial sulfur oxidation, as in most deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

Ecophysiology of the hydrothermal vent snail Ifremeria nautilei and barnacle Eochionelasmus ohtai manusensis, Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea: Insights from shell mineralogy and stable isotope geochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Bojar, Ana-Voica; Lécuyer, Christophe; Bojar, Hans-Peter; Fourel, François; Vasile, Ştefan

2018-03-01

Deep-sea vent communities live on a limited area characterized by sharp physico-chemical (temperature, salinity, pH) gradients. Around the vent, the fauna is distributed accordingly, showing characteristic niche partitioning for different groups of animals. In this study we investigate shell microstructure, minor elements and stable isotope compositions of two groups of organisms such as a snail, Ifremeria nautilei, and a crustacean, Eochionelasmus ohtai manusensis. Both organisms occupy distinct niches within the same hydrothermal vent field of the Manus Basin, Western Pacific. Powder XRD and electron microbeam analysis of a polished cross-section indicate that the shells are composed of microcrystalline calcite, with distinct Na, Mg, Sr, and S element contents. For both specimens 20-30 μm large weddellite crystals were found. The δ18O profiles were obtained perpendicular to the growth increments of I. nautilei and E. o. manusensis calcitic shells. Those profiles reveal isotopic variations of 0.5 and 0.6‰, respectively for both intra- and inter-shell measurements. For E. o. manusensis, the Mg content suggests continuous shell growth during the year, both δ18O and Mg data supporting cyclical variation of temperature at vent site. The calculated temperatures at sites with I. nautilei and E. o. manusensis range from 17° to 21.5°C and from 2.1° to 7.2°C, respectively, showing a similar variability of 5-6 °C. The δ13C values of the Ifremeria calcitic shell range from 3‰ to 4.6‰ (V-PDB), the isotopic composition being 13C-enriched relative to the surrounding inorganic pool. The δ13C values of the chitine layer covering the shell range from - 33 to - 31.1‰. The δ13C values of Eochionelasmus vary between 0‰ and 1‰, reflecting the surrounding inorganic DIC pool.

Distribution, activity and function of short-chain alkane degrading phylotypes in hydrothermal vent sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, M. M.; Joye, S. B.; Hoarfrost, A.; Girguis, P. R.

2012-12-01

Global geochemical analyses suggest that C2-C4 short chain alkanes are a common component of the utilizable carbon pool in deep-sea sediments worldwide and have been found in diverse ecosystems. From a thermodynamic standpoint, the anaerobic microbial oxidation of these aliphatic hydrocarbons is more energetically yielding than the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Therefore, the preferential degradation of these hydrocarbons may compete with AOM for the use of oxidants such as sulfate, or other potential oxidants. Such processes could influence the fate of methane in the deep-sea. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) from hydrocarbon seep sediments of the Gulf of Mexico and Guaymas Basin have previously been enriched that anaerobically oxidize short chain alkanes to generate CO2 with the preferential utilization of 12C-enriched alkanes (Kniemeyer et al. 2007). Different temperature regimens along with multiple substrates were tested and a pure culture (deemed BuS5) was isolated from mesophilic enrichments with propane or n-butane as the sole carbon source. Through comparative sequence analysis, strain BuS5 was determined to cluster with the metabolically diverse Desulfosarcina / Desulfococcus cluster, which also contains the SRB found in consortia with anaerobic, methane-oxidizing archaea in seep sediments. Enrichments from a terrestrial, low temperature sulfidic hydrocarbon seep also corroborated that propane degradation occurred with most bacterial phylotypes surveyed belonging to the Deltaproteobacteria, particularly Desulfobacteraceae (Savage et al. 2011). To date, no microbes capable of ethane oxidation or anaerobic C2-C4 alkane oxidation at thermophilic temperature have been isolated. The sediment-covered, hydrothermal vent systems found at Middle Valley (Juan de Fuca Ridge, eastern Pacific Ocean) are a prime environment for investigating mesophilic to thermophilic anaerobic oxidation of short-chain alkanes, given the elevated temperatures and dissolved

Fossil evidence for serpentinization fluids fueling chemosynthetic assemblages.

Science.gov (United States)

Lartaud, Franck; Little, Crispin T S; de Rafelis, Marc; Bayon, Germain; Dyment, Jerome; Ildefonse, Benoit; Gressier, Vincent; Fouquet, Yves; Gaill, Françoise; Le Bris, Nadine

2011-05-10

Among the deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites discovered in the past 30 years, Lost City on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is remarkable both for its alkaline fluids derived from mantle rock serpentinization and the spectacular seafloor carbonate chimneys precipitated from these fluids. Despite high concentrations of reduced chemicals in the fluids, this unique example of a serpentinite-hosted hydrothermal system currently lacks chemosynthetic assemblages dominated by large animals typical of high-temperature vent sites. Here we report abundant specimens of chemosymbiotic mussels, associated with gastropods and chemosymbiotic clams, in approximately 100 kyr old Lost City-like carbonates from the MAR close to the Rainbow site (36 °N). Our finding shows that serpentinization-related fluids, unaffected by high-temperature hydrothermal circulation, can occur on-axis and are able to sustain high-biomass communities. The widespread occurrence of seafloor ultramafic rocks linked to likely long-range dispersion of vent species therefore offers considerably more ecospace for chemosynthetic fauna in the oceans than previously supposed.

Metal concentration and structural changes in Corallina elongata (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from hydrothermal vents.

Science.gov (United States)

Couto, Ruben P; Neto, Ana I; Rodrigues, Armindo S

2010-04-01

Shallow-water hydrothermal activity is widely present at Azores archipelago. Organisms in such environments present great potential as sentinels of the effects derived from chronically exposure to increased temperature, metal concentrations and reduced pH. This study aimed to evaluate metal concentration in Corallina elongata collected at locations exposed and not exposed to shallow-water hydrothermal activity and evaluate changes in its calcareous structure. Elemental concentration was determined and morphometric analysis was performed by scanning electron microscopy. Thicker cell walls and a bleached appearance were observed on C. elongata specimens from the hydrothermally active location, as well as increased concentrations of elements associated to volcanic activity. This study reports on metal accumulation and morphometric changes in the calcareous structure of C. elongata from a hydrothermally active location, adding new data for further research on such habitats and communities, providing an insight on how coralline algae might be affected by ocean acidification. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemolithoautotrophy in a shallow-sea hydrothermal system, Milos Island, Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, G. S.; LaRowe, D.; Gilhooly, W., III; Druschel, G. K.; Fike, D. A.; Amend, J.

2017-12-01

In recent decades, numerous (hyper)thermophilic microorganisms have been isolated from hydrothermal venting systems. Although they have been shown to have the capabilities to catalyze a wide variety of reactions to gain energy, few pure cultures have been isolated from these environments. In order to more fully understand the catabolic potential of organisms living in and near hydrothermal vents, we have calculated the Gibbs energies (ΔGr) of 730 redox reactions that could be supplying energy to organisms in the shallow-sea hydrothermal sediments of Paleochori Bay, Milos Island, Greece. This analysis required in-depth geochemical data on the pore fluids and minerals in these sediments near the vent site at several depths. The geochemical profiles of Saganaki vent show steep gradients in temperature, pH, and redox-sensitive compounds resulting from the mixing of hot ( 75oC), acidic ( pH 4), chemically reduced venting fluid with colder, slightly basic and oxidized seawater. We determined values of ΔGr for 47 sediment porewater samples along a 20cm x 2m transect for metabolic reactions involving 23 inorganic H-, O-, C-, N-, S-, Fe-, Mn-, and As- bearing compounds. 379 of the reactions considered were exergonic at one or more sampling locations. The most exergonic reactions were anaerobic CO oxidation with NO2- (136 - 162 kJ/mol e-), followed by the O2/CO, NO3-/CO, and NO2-/ H2S redox pairs. ΔGr values exhibit significant variation among sites as temperature, pH and chemical concentration vary, especially concentrations of Fe2+, Mn2+, and H2S. A great diversity of energy sources are available for microbial populations to exploit: in hotter sediments, sulfide oxidation coupled to nitrite reduction yields large amounts of energy per kg of sediment, whereas aerobic S0 oxidation is more energy-yielding in cooler areas. Our results show that at Saganaki there is a substantial amount of energy available from to microorganisms from sulfur-redox reactions. 16S rRNA pyrotag

Spontaneous and Widespread Electricity Generation in Natural Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Masahiro; Nakamura, Ryuhei; Kasaya, Takafumi; Kumagai, Hidenori; Suzuki, Katsuhiko; Takai, Ken

2017-05-15

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents discharge abundant reductive energy into oxidative seawater. Herein, we demonstrated that in situ measurements of redox potentials on the surfaces of active hydrothermal mineral deposits were more negative than the surrounding seawater potential, driving electrical current generation. We also demonstrated that negative potentials in the surface of minerals were widespread in the hydrothermal fields, regardless of the proximity to hydrothermal fluid discharges. Lab experiments verified that the negative potential of the mineral surface was induced by a distant electron transfer from the hydrothermal fluid through the metallic and catalytic properties of minerals. These results indicate that electric current is spontaneously and widely generated in natural mineral deposits in deep-sea hydrothermal fields. Our discovery provides important insights into the microbial communities that are supported by extracellular electron transfer and the prebiotic chemical and metabolic evolution of the ocean hydrothermal systems. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microbial Life in the Subseafloor at Mid-Ocean Ridges: A Key to Understanding Ancient Ecosystems on Earth and Elsewhere?

Science.gov (United States)

Baross, J. A.; Delaney, J. R.

2001-12-01

Some planets and moons in our solar system were similar to Earth in their geological properties during the first few hundred million years after accretion. This is the period when life arose and became established on Earth. It follows that understanding the geophysical and geochemical characteristics of early Earth could provide insight into life-supporting environments on other solar bodies that have not evolved "Garden of Eden" conditions. Hydrothermal systems are primordial and their emergence coincided with the accumulation of liquid water on Earth. The interactions of water and rock associated with hydrothermal systems result in predictable suites of dissolved elements and volatiles. While the concentrations of these chemicals vary at different vent locations and were certainly different during the early Archaean, the overall chemical composition of aqueous hydrothermal fluid is likely to be the same because of the basaltic nature of oceanic crust. In present-day hydrothermal systems, those environments not contaminated by electron acceptors produced from pelagic photosynthesis would most closely mimic the earliest conditions on Earth. These conditions include the subseafloor and high temperature, anaerobic environments associated with hydrothermal systems. The microorganisms associated with these environments derive energy from sulfur, iron, hydrogen and organic compounds. New seafloor eruptions and diffuse flow vents provide unprecedented access to deep subseafloor microbial communities. For example, 12 new eruptions have occurred in the past 15 years including five in the Northeast Pacific. Hyperthermophiles were isolated from 5-30oC diffuse vent fluids from new eruption sites at CoAxial within months of the June, 1993 eruption and from the 1998 eruption at Axial Volcano, and from plume fluids within days of the February, 1996 eruption at the N. Gorda Ridge. The presence of such organisms in fluids that are 20 to 50°C below their minimum growth temperature

Key factors influencing rates of heterotrophic sulfate reduction in active seafloor hydrothermal massive sulfide deposits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiana Laieikawai Frank

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Hydrothermal vents are thermally and geochemically dynamic habitats, and the organisms therein are subject to steep gradients in temperature and chemistry. To date, the influence of these environmental dynamics on microbial sulfate reduction has not been well constrained. Here, via multivariate experiments, we evaluate the effects of key environmental variables (temperature, pH, H2S, SO42-, DOC on sulfate reduction rates and metabolic energy yields in material recovered from a hydrothermal flange from the Grotto edifice in the Main Endeavor Field, Juan de Fuca Ridge. Sulfate reduction was measured in batch reactions across a range of physico-chemical conditions. Temperature and pH were the strongest stimuli, and maximum sulfate reduction rates were observed at 50 °C and pH 6, suggesting that the in situ community of sulfate-reducing organisms in Grotto flanges may be most active in a slightly acidic and moderate thermal/chemical regime. At pH 4, sulfate reduction rates increased with sulfide concentrations most likely due to the mitigation of metal toxicity. While substrate concentrations also influenced sulfate reduction rates, energy-rich conditions muted the effect of metabolic energetics on sulfate reduction rates. We posit that variability in sulfate reduction rates reflect the response of the active microbial consortia to environmental constraints on in situ microbial physiology, toxicity, and the type and extent of energy limitation. These experiments help to constrain models of the spatial contribution of heterotrophic sulfate reduction within the complex gradients inherent to seafloor hydrothermal deposits.

24 CFR 3280.611 - Vents and venting.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) Materials—(1) Pipe. Vent piping shall be standard weight steel, wrought iron, brass, copper tube DWV, listed...) Size of vent piping—(1) Main vent. The drain piping for each toilet shall be vented by a 11/2 inch... venting cross section of a 11/2 inch diameter vent, connected to the toilet drain by one of the following...

Relative Importance of Chemoautotrophy for Primary Production in a Light Exposed Marine Shallow Hydrothermal System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalo V. Gomez-Saez

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The unique geochemistry of marine shallow-water hydrothermal systems promotes the establishment of diverse microbial communities with a range of metabolic pathways. In contrast to deep-sea vents, shallow-water vents not only support chemosynthesis, but also phototrophic primary production due to the availability of light. However, comprehensive studies targeting the predominant biogeochemical processes are rare, and consequently a holistic understanding of the functioning of these ecosystems is currently lacking. To this end, we combined stable isotope probing of lipid biomarkers with an analysis of the bacterial communities to investigate if chemoautotrophy, in parallel to photoautotrophy, plays an important role in autotrophic carbon fixation and to identify the key players. The study was carried out at a marine shallow-water hydrothermal system located at 5 m water depth off Dominica Island (Lesser Antilles, characterized by up to 55°C warm hydrothermal fluids that contain high amounts of dissolved Fe2+. Analysis of the bacterial diversity revealed Anaerolineae of the Chloroflexi as the most abundant bacterial class. Furthermore, the presence of key players involved in iron cycling generally known from deep-sea hydrothermal vents (e.g., Zetaproteobacteria and Geothermobacter, supported the importance of iron-driven redox processes in this hydrothermal system. Uptake of 13C-bicarbonate into bacterial fatty acids under light and dark conditions revealed active photo- and chemoautotrophic communities, with chemoautotrophy accounting for up to 65% of the observed autotrophic carbon fixation. Relatively increased 13C-incorporation in the dark allowed the classification of aiC15:0, C15:0, and iC16:0 as potential lipid biomarkers for bacterial chemoautotrophy in this ecosystem. Highest total 13C-incorporation into fatty acids took place at the sediment surface, but chemosynthesis was found to be active down to 8 cm sediment depth. In conclusion

A high-temperature hydrothermal deposit on the East Pacific Rise near 70N

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulegue, J.; Stouff, P.; Perseil, E.A.; Bernat, M.; Dupre, B.; Francheteau, J.

1984-01-01

A SEABEAM survey of the East Pacific Rise (EPR) led to the selection of several sites having structural characteristics favorable for hydrothermal activity. Dredging of such an area located at 7 0 N on the EPR resulted in the recovery of sulfides, oxides and fresh basalt. Chemical analyses and isotopic compositions showed that the recovered pyrites were probably precipitated directly from hot vent hydrothermal waters. Chemical analyses and isotopic composition of manganese-iron oxides indicated that they too were of hydrothermal origin. 210 Pb/Pb measurements yielded ages of 90 +- 10 years for the deposits. This site may still be undergoing hydrothermal activity. (orig.)

Lithium isotope as a proxy for water/rock interaction between hydrothermal fluids and oceanic crust at Milos, Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, U.-Lat; You, Chen-Feng; Wu, Shein-Fu; Chung, Chuan-Hsiung

2014-05-01

Hydrothermal activity at Milos in the Aegean island (Greece) is mainly located at rather shallow depth (about 5 m). It is interesting to compare these chemical compositions and the evolution processes of the hydrothermal fluids at deep sea hydrothermal vents in Mid-ocean Ridge (MOR). Lithium (Li) is a highly mobile element and its isotopic composition varies at different geological settings. Therefore, Li and its isotope could be used as an indicator for many geochemical processes. Since 6Li preferential retained in the mineral phase where 7Li is leached into fluid phase during basalt alteration, the Li isotopic fractionation between the rocks and the fluids reflect sensitively the degree of water-rock interaction. In this study, Bio-Rad AG-50W X8 cation exchange resin was used for purifying the hydrothermal fluids to separate Li from other matrix elements. The Li isotopic composition (δ7Li) was determined by Multi-collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) with precision better than 0.2‰ (2σ, n=20). The Li concentration in the hydrothermal fluids falls between 0.02 to 10.31 mM. The δ7Li values vary from +1.9 to +29.7‰, indicating significant seawater contamination have occurred. These hydrothermal fluids fit well with seawater and brine two end-member binary mixing model. During phase separation, lithium, boron, chlorine, iodine, bromine, sodium and potassium were enriched in the brine phase. On the other hand, aluminum, sulphur and iron were enriched in the vapor phase. There is no significant isotope fractionation between the two phases. The water/rock ratio (W/R) calculated is low (about 1.5 to 1.8) for the Milos fluids, restricted seawater recharge into the oceanic crust. Moreover, the oceanic crust in the region becomes less altered since the W/R is low. The δ7Li value of the hydrothermal fluids can be used as a sensitive tool for studying water-rock interaction.

Complete genome sequence of the aerobic, heterotroph Marinithermus hydrothermalis type strain (T1T) from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Copeland, A [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Gu, Wei [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Yasawong, Montri [HZI - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Lapidus, Alla L. [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Lucas, Susan [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Deshpande, Shweta [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pagani, Ioanna [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Tapia, Roxanne [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Cheng, Jan-Fang [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Goodwin, Lynne A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Pitluck, Sam [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Liolios, Konstantinos [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Ivanova, N [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mavromatis, K [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mikhailova, Natalia [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pati, Amrita [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Chen, Amy [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Palaniappan, Krishna [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Land, Miriam L [ORNL; Pan, Chongle [ORNL; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Rohde, Manfred [HZI - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany; Tindall, Brian [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Sikorski, Johannes [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Goker, Markus [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Detter, J. Chris [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Bristow, James [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Eisen, Jonathan [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Markowitz, Victor [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Hugenholtz, Philip [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Kyrpides, Nikos C [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Klenk, Hans-Peter [DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Woyke, Tanja [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute

2012-01-01

Marinithermus hydrothermalis Sako et al. 2003 is the type species of the monotypic genus Marinithermus. M. hydrothermalis T1 T was the first isolate within the phylum ThermusDeinococcus to exhibit optimal growth under a salinity equivalent to that of sea water and to have an absolute requirement for NaCl for growth. M. hydrothermalis T1 T is of interest because it may provide a new insight into the ecological significance of the aerobic, thermophilic decomposers in the circulation of organic compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems. This is the first completed genome sequence of a member of the genus Marinithermus and the seventh sequence from the family Thermaceae. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 2,269,167 bp long genome with its 2,251 protein-coding and 59 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

Complete genome sequence of the aerobic, heterotroph Marinithermus hydrothermalis type strain (T1(T)) from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney.

Science.gov (United States)

Copeland, Alex; Gu, Wei; Yasawong, Montri; Lapidus, Alla; Lucas, Susan; Deshpande, Shweta; Pagani, Ioanna; Tapia, Roxanne; Cheng, Jan-Fang; Goodwin, Lynne A; Pitluck, Sam; Liolios, Konstantinos; Ivanova, Natalia; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Mikhailova, Natalia; Pati, Amrita; Chen, Amy; Palaniappan, Krishna; Land, Miriam; Pan, Chongle; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie; Rohde, Manfred; Tindall, Brian J; Sikorski, Johannes; Göker, Markus; Detter, John C; Bristow, James; Eisen, Jonathan A; Markowitz, Victor; Hugenholtz, Philip; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Woyke, Tanja

2012-03-19

Marinithermus hydrothermalis Sako et al. 2003 is the type species of the monotypic genus Marinithermus. M. hydrothermalis T1(T) was the first isolate within the phylum "Thermus-Deinococcus" to exhibit optimal growth under a salinity equivalent to that of sea water and to have an absolute requirement for NaCl for growth. M. hydrothermalis T1(T) is of interest because it may provide a new insight into the ecological significance of the aerobic, thermophilic decomposers in the circulation of organic compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems. This is the first completed genome sequence of a member of the genus Marinithermus and the seventh sequence from the family Thermaceae. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 2,269,167 bp long genome with its 2,251 protein-coding and 59 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

Geochemical evidence for the existence of high-temperature hydrothermal brines at Vesuvio volcano, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Chiodini, Giovanni; Marini, Luigi; Russo, Massimo

2001-07-01

A high-temperature hydrothermal system is present underneath the crater area of Vesuvio volcano. It is suggested that NaCl brines reside in the high-temperature reservoir and influence the chemical composition of the gases discharged by the fumaroles of the crater bottom (vents FC1, FC2, and FC5). These have typical hydrothermal compositions, with H 2O and CO 2 as major components, followed by H 2, H 2S, N 2, CH 4, and CO (in order of decreasing contents) and undetectable SO 2, HCl, and HF. Fumarolic H 2O is either meteoric water enriched in 18O through high-temperature water-rock oxygen isotope exchange or a mixture of meteoric and arc-type magmatic water. Fumarolic CO 2 is mainly generated by decarbonation reactions of marine carbonates, but the addition of small amounts of magmatic CO 2 is also possible. All investigated gas species (H 2O, CO 2, CO, CH 4, H 2, H 2S, N 2, and NH 3) equilibrate, probably in a saturated vapor phase, at temperatures of 360 to 370°C for vent FC1 and 430 to 445°C for vents FC2 and FC5. These temperatures are confirmed by the H 2-Ar geoindicator. The minimum salt content of the liquid phase coexisting with the vapor phase is ˜14.9 wt.% NaCl, whereas its maximum salinity corresponds to halite saturation (49.2-52.5 wt.% NaCl). These poorly constrained salinities of NaCl brines reflect in large uncertainties in total fluid pressures, which are estimated to be 260 to 480 bar for vents FC2 and FC5 and 130 to 220 bar for vent FC1. Pressurization in some parts of the hydrothermal system, and its subsequent discharge through hydrofracturing, could explain the relatively frequent seismic crises recorded in the Vesuvio area after the last eruption. An important heat source responsible for hydrothermal circulation is represented by the hot rocks of the eruptive conduits, which have been active from 1631 to 1944. Geochemical evidence suggests that no input of fresh magma at shallow depths took place after the end of the last eruptive period.

U, Th, and Pb isotopes in hot springs on the Juan de Fuca Ridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.H.

1987-01-01

The concentrations and isotopic compositions of U, Th, and Pb in three hydrothermal fluids from the Juan de Fuca Ridge were determined. The samples consisted of 10.2--57.6% of the pure hydrothermal end-members based on Mg contents. The Pb contents of the samples ranged from 34 to 87 ng/g, U from 1.3 to 3.0 ng/g, and Th from 0.2 to 7.7 pg/g. These samples showed large enrichments of Pb and Th relative to deep-sea water and some depletion of U. They did not show coherent relationships with Mg, however, indicating nonideal mixings between the hot hydrothermal fluids and cold ambient seawater. Particles filtered from these hydrothermal fluids contained significant amounts of Th and Pb which may effectively increase the concentration of these elements in the fluids when acidified. The /sup 234/U//sup 238/U values in all samples show a /sup 234/U enrichment relative to the equilibrium value and have a seawater signature. The Pb isotopic composition of the Juan de Fuca hydrothermal fluids resembles that of 21 0 N East Pacific Rise and has a uniform mid-ocean ridge basalt signature. The hydrothermal systems at oceanic spreading ridges have circulated through a large volume of basalts. Therefore Pb in these fluids may represent the best average value of the local oceanic crust. From the effects of U deposition from seawater to the crust and Pb extraction from rock to the ocean, the U/Pb ratio in the hydrothermally altered oceanic crust may be increased significantly. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

Diversity and distribution of microbes in deep-sea sub-vent systems, using newly designed in situ growth chambers

Science.gov (United States)

Higashi, Y.; Sunamura, M.; Utsumi, M.; Urabe, T.; Maruyama, A.

2004-12-01

Subsurface of deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments is one of the most difficult fields on the Earth to approach and collect reliable samples for microbiological study. In our Archaean Park project, we developed in situ incubation instruments to directly collect microbes from sub-vent fields through a drilled borehole. After excavation using a portable submarine driller (BMS) around deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Suiyo Seamount on the Izu-Bonin Arc (2001, 2002) and the South Mariana (2003), microbial diversity was examined in samples collected from the boreholes, as well as natural vents, using catheter- and column-type in situ growth chambers. In the catheter samples collected from the Suiyo Seamount, several novel phylotypes of microbial SSU rRNA genes were assigned within epsilon-Proteobacteria and hyperthermophile-related Euryarchaea groups. The former novel epsilon group (SSSV-BE1) was also detected in the South Mariana, but they only appeared in the catheter samples collected just below the venting seafloor. These suggest that the group must be significant in warm, shallow and microaerobic sub-vent layers over the sea, at least in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The column-type in situ growth chamber was specially designed for creating and maintaining physico-chemical gradients in a ca. 40-cm-long column situated on an active vent. In Suiyo Seamount samples (vent temp.: ca. 30-100 degree C), a unique vertical profile was found in the diversity of Archaea. At the column bottom, most of the clones were assigned to be members within the lithoautotrophic thermophilic Ignicoccus, while heterotrophic thermophilic Thermococcus were abundant at the column top. Similar vertical profile has also been appeared in the column samples from the South Mariana. Further quantitative population analysis is now under going using these samples. Our approach to the sub-vent biosphere by the combination of drilling and in situ incubation is almost sure to give us important clues

Dissolved iron anomaly in the deep tropical-subtropical Pacific: Evidence for long-range transport of hydrothermal iron

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jingfeng; Wells, Mark L.; Rember, Robert

2011-01-01

Dissolved iron profiles along a north-south transect along 158°W in the tropical Pacific show evidence of two deepwater anomalies. The first extends from Station ALOHA (22.78°N) to the equator at ˜1000-1500 m and lies below the maximum apparent oxygen utilization and nutrient (N, P) concentrations. The feature is not supported by vertical export processes, but instead corresponds with the lateral dilution field of δ 3He derived from the Loihi seamount, Hawaii, though a sediment source associated with the Hawaiian Island Chain cannot be entirely ruled out. The second, deeper (2000-3000 m) anomaly occurs in tropical South Pacific waters (7°S) and also does not correlate with the depths of maximum nutrient concentrations or apparent oxygen utilization, but it does coincide closely with δ 3He emanating from the East Pacific Rise, more than 5000 km to the east. We hypothesize that these anomalies represent the long-range (>2000 km) transport of hydrothermal iron residuals, stabilized against scavenging by complexation with excess organic ligands in the plume source regions. Such trace leakage of hydrothermal iron to distal plume regions would have been difficult to identify in most hydrothermal vent mapping studies because low analytical detection limits were not needed for the proximal plume regions. These findings suggest that hydrothermal activity may represent a major source of dissolved iron throughout the South Pacific deep basin today, as well as other regions having high mid-ocean spreading rates in the geologic past. In particular, we hypothesize that high spreading rates along the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean mid-oceanic ridges, combined with the upwelling ventilation of these distal hydrothermal plumes, may have increased ocean productivity and carbon export in the Southern Ocean. Assessing the magnitude and persistence of dissolved hydrothermal iron in basin scale deep waters will be important for understanding the marine biogeochemistry of iron

Influence of Hydrodynamics on the Larval Supply to Hydrothermal Vents on the East Pacific Rise

Science.gov (United States)

2007-06-01

the species inhabiting the vents are endenic, sessile , benthic invertebrates , so recovery from large disturbances occurs primarily through the...Dubilier, N. (2007). Species identifi- cation of marine invertebrate early stages by whole-larvae in situ hybridisation of 18S ribosomal RNA. Marine Ecology...31] Tyler, P. A. & Young, C. M. (1999). Reproduction and dispersal at vents and cold seeps. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the

REE controls in ultramafic hosted MOR hydrothermal systems: An experimental study at elevated temperature and pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Douglas E.; Seyfried, W. E.

2005-02-01

A hydrothermal experiment involving peridotite and a coexisting aqueous fluid was conducted to assess the role of dissolved Cl - and redox on REE mobility at 400°C, 500 bars. Data show that the onset of reducing conditions enhances the stability of soluble Eu +2 species. Moreover, Eu +2 forms strong aqueous complexes with dissolved Cl - at virtually all redox conditions. Thus, high Cl - concentrations and reducing conditions can combine to reinforce Eu mobility. Except for La, trivalent REE are not greatly affected by fluid speciation under the chemical and physical condition considered, suggesting control by secondary mineral-fluid partitioning. LREE enrichment and positive Eu anomalies observed in fluids from the experiment are remarkably similar to patterns of REE mobility in vent fluids issuing from basalt- and peridotite-hosted hydrothermal systems. This suggests that the chondrite normalized REE patterns are influenced greatly by fluid speciation effects and secondary mineral formation processes. Accordingly, caution must be exercised when using REE in hydrothermal vent fluids to infer REE sources in subseafloor reaction zones from which the fluids are derived. Although vent fluid patterns having LREE enrichment and positive Eu anomalies are typically interpreted to suggest plagioclase recrystallization reactions, this need not always be the case.

Glacial modulation of mid-ocean ridge magmatism and anomalous Pacific Antarctic Ridge volcanism during Termination II

Science.gov (United States)

Asimow, P. D.; Lewis, M.; Lund, D. C.; Seeley, E.; McCart, S.; Mudahy, A.

2017-12-01

Glacially-driven sea level rise and fall may modulate submarine volcanism by superposing pressure changes on the tectonic decompression that causes melt production in the mantle below mid-ocean ridges. A number of recent studies have considered whether this effect is recorded in the periodicity of ridge flank bathymetry (Tolstoy, 2015; Crowley et al., 2015) but interpretation of the bathymetric data remains controversial (Goff, 2016; Olive et al., 2016). We have pursued an independent approach using hydrothermal metals in well-dated near-ridge sediment cores. Along the full length of the East Pacific Rise, in areas of the ocean with widely variable biologic productivity, there are large and consistent rises in Fe, Mn, and As concentrations during the last two glacial terminations. We interpret these cores as records of excess hydrothermal flux due to delayed delivery to the axis of excess melt generated by the preceding falls in sea level. Here we discuss the potentially related discovery, in a core near the Pacific Antarctic Ridge (PAR), of a 10 cm thick layer of basaltic ash shards up to 250 mm in size, coincident with the penultimate deglaciation (Termination II). Although the site was 8 km off-axis at the time, the glasses have major element, volatile, and trace element composition consistent with more evolved members of the axial MORB suite from the nearby ridge axis. Their morphologies are typical of pyroclastic deposits created by explosive submarine volcanism (Clague et al., 2009). We propose that a period of low magmatic flux following a sea-level rise caused cooling of crustal magmatic systems, more advanced fractionation in the axial magma chamber, and increases in viscosity and volatile concentration. We hypothesize subsequent arrival of high magmatic flux during Termination II then reactivated the system and triggered an unusually vigorous series of explosive eruptions along this segment of the PAR. Ash layers recording large eruptions such as this one

Ferrous iron- and ammonium-rich diffuse vents support habitat-specific communities in a shallow hydrothermal field off the Basiluzzo Islet (Aeolian Volcanic Archipelago).

Science.gov (United States)

Bortoluzzi, G; Romeo, T; La Cono, V; La Spada, G; Smedile, F; Esposito, V; Sabatino, G; Di Bella, M; Canese, S; Scotti, G; Bo, M; Giuliano, L; Jones, D; Golyshin, P N; Yakimov, M M; Andaloro, F

2017-09-01

Ammonium- and Fe(II)-rich fluid flows, known from deep-sea hydrothermal systems, have been extensively studied in the last decades and are considered as sites with high microbial diversity and activity. Their shallow-submarine counterparts, despite their easier accessibility, have so far been under-investigated, and as a consequence, much less is known about microbial communities inhabiting these ecosystems. A field of shallow expulsion of hydrothermal fluids has been discovered at depths of 170-400 meters off the base of the Basiluzzo Islet (Aeolian Volcanic Archipelago, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea). This area consists predominantly of both actively diffusing and inactive 1-3 meters-high structures in the form of vertical pinnacles, steeples and mounds covered by a thick orange to brown crust deposits hosting rich benthic fauna. Integrated morphological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses revealed that, above all, these crusts are formed by ferrihydrite-type Fe 3+ oxyhydroxides. Two cruises in 2013 allowed us to monitor and sampled this novel ecosystem, certainly interesting in terms of shallow-water iron-rich site. The main objective of this work was to characterize the composition of extant communities of iron microbial mats in relation to the environmental setting and the observed patterns of macrofaunal colonization. We demonstrated that iron-rich deposits contain complex and stratified microbial communities with a high proportion of prokaryotes akin to ammonium- and iron-oxidizing chemoautotrophs, belonging to Thaumarchaeota, Nitrospira, and Zetaproteobacteria. Colonizers of iron-rich mounds, while composed of the common macrobenthic grazers, predators, filter-feeders, and tube-dwellers with no representatives of vent endemic fauna, differed from the surrounding populations. Thus, it is very likely that reduced electron donors (Fe 2+ and NH 4 + ) are important energy sources in supporting primary production in microbial mats, which form a habitat

Microbial diversity in hydrothermal surface to subsurface environments of Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, using a catheter-type in situ growth chamber.

Science.gov (United States)

Higashi, Yowsuke; Sunamura, Michinari; Kitamura, Keiko; Nakamura, Ko-ichi; Kurusu, Yasurou; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Urabe, Tetsuro; Maruyama, Akihiko

2004-03-01

After excavation using a portable submarine driller near deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, microbial diversity was examined in samples collected from inside the boreholes using an in situ growth chamber called a vent catheter. This instrument, which we devised for this study, consists of a heat-tolerant pipe tipped with a titanium mesh entrapment capsule that is packed with sterilized inorganic porous grains, which serve as an adhesion substrate. After this instrument was deployed inside each of the boreholes, as well as a natural vent, for 3-10 days in the vicinity of hot vent fluids (maxima: 156-305 degrees C), DNA was extracted from the adhesion grains, 16S rDNA was amplified, and randomly selected clones were sequenced. In phylogenetic analysis of more than 120 clones, several novel phylotypes were detected within the epsilon-Proteobacteria, photosynthetic bacteria (PSB)-related alpha-Proteobacteria, and Euryarchaeota clusters. Members of epsilon-Proteobacteria were frequently encountered. Half of these were classified between two known groups, Corre's B and D. The other half of the clones were assigned to new groups, SSSV-BE1 and SSSV-BE2 (Suiyo Seamount sub-vent origin, Bacteria domain, epsilon-Proteobacteria, groups 1 and 2). From this hydrothermal vent field, we detected a novel lineage within the PSB cluster, SSNV-BA1 (Suiyo Seamount natural vent origin, Bacteria domain, alpha-Proteobacteria, group 1), which is closely related to Rhodopila globiformis isolated from a hot spring. A number of archaeal clones were also detected from the borehole samples. These clones formed a novel monophyletic clade, SSSV-AE1 (Suiyo Seamount sub-vent origin, Archaea domain, Euryarchaeota, group 1), approximately between methanogenic hyperthermophilic members of Methanococcales and environmental clone members of DHVE Group II. Thus, this hydrothermal vent environment appears to be a noteworthy microbial and genetic resource. It is also

Acidophiles of saline water at thermal vents of Vulcano, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Susan; Norris, R

2002-06-01

DNA was extracted from samples taken from close to acidic hydrothermal vents on shore of the Aeolian Island of Vulcano (Italy). RNA gene sequences were amplified by PCR, cloned, and sequenced. A sequence with an origin in samples at 35 degrees and 45 degrees C corresponded to that of a novel Acidithiobacillus species that was isolated from water close to the vents. Novel, iron-oxidizing mesophilic acidophiles were isolated through enrichment cultures with ferrous iron but were not represented in the clone banks of environmental rDNA. These acidophiles were related to Thiobacillus prosperus, which was isolated previously from Vulcano. The archaeal sequences that comprised a clone bank representing a high-temperature sample (75 degrees C) corresponded to those of Acidianus brierleyi and of thermophiles previously isolated from Vulcano, Thermoplasma volcanium and Acidianus infernus.

Characterization and function of the first antibiotic isolated from a vent organism: the extremophile metazoan Alvinella pompejana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurélie Tasiemski

Full Text Available The emblematic hydrothermal worm Alvinella pompejana is one of the most thermo tolerant animal known on Earth. It relies on a symbiotic association offering a unique opportunity to discover biochemical adaptations that allow animals to thrive in such a hostile habitat. Here, by studying the Pompeii worm, we report on the discovery of the first antibiotic peptide from a deep-sea organism, namely alvinellacin. After purification and peptide sequencing, both the gene and the peptide tertiary structures were elucidated. As epibionts are not cultivated so far and because of lethal decompression effects upon Alvinella sampling, we developed shipboard biological assays to demonstrate that in addition to act in the first line of defense against microbial invasion, alvinellacin shapes and controls the worm's epibiotic microflora. Our results provide insights into the nature of an abyssal antimicrobial peptide (AMP and into the manner in which an extremophile eukaryote uses it to interact with the particular microbial community of the hydrothermal vent ecosystem. Unlike earlier studies done on hydrothermal vents that all focused on the microbial side of the symbiosis, our work gives a view of this interaction from the host side.

Delta-proteobacterial SAR324 group in hydrothermal plumes on the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge

KAUST Repository

Cao, Huiluo

2016-03-08

In the dark ocean, the SAR324 group of Delta-proteobacteria has been associated with a chemolithotrophic lifestyle. However, their electron transport chain for energy generation and information system has not yet been well characterized. In the present study, four SAR324 draft genomes were extracted from metagenomes sampled from hydrothermal plumes in the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge. We describe novel electron transport chain components in the SAR324 group, particularly the alternative complex III, which is involved in energy generation. Moreover, we propose that the C-type cytochrome, for example the C553, may play a novel role in electron transfer, adding to our knowledge regarding the energy generation process in the SAR324 cluster. The central carbon metabolism in the described SAR324 genomes exhibits several new features other than methanotrophy e.g. aromatic compound degradation. This suggests that methane oxidation may not be the main central carbon metabolism component in SAR324 cluster bacteria. The reductive acetyl-CoA pathway may potentially be essential in carbon fixation due to the absence of components from the Calvin-Benson cycle. Our study provides insight into the role of recombination events in shaping the genome of the SAR324 group based on a larger number of repeat regions observed, which has been overlooked thus far.

Electrochemical CO2 Reduction by Ni-containing Iron Sulfides: How Is CO2 Electrochemically Reduced at Bisulfide-Bearing Deep-sea Hydrothermal Precipitates?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Akira; Yamamoto, Masahiro; Takai, Ken; Ishii, Takumi; Hashimoto, Kazuhito; Nakamura, Ryuhei

2014-01-01

The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the late 1970's has led to many hypotheses concerning chemical evolution in the prebiotic ocean and the early evolution of energy metabolism in ancient Earth. Such studies stand on the quest for the bioenergetic evolution to utilize reducing chemicals such as H 2 for CO 2 reduction and carbon assimilation. In addition to the direct reaction of H 2 and CO 2 , the electrical current passing across a bisulfide-bearing chimney structure has pointed to the possible electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction at the cold ocean-vent interface (R. Nakamura, et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 7692 − 7694). To confirm the validity of this hypothesis, here, we examined the energetics of electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction by iron sulfide (FeS) deposits at slightly acidic pH. Although FeS deposits inefficiently reduced CO 2 , the efficiency of the reaction was substantially improved by the substitution of Fe with Ni to form FeNi 2 S 4 (violarite), of which surface was further modified with amine compounds. The potential-dependent activity of CO 2 reduction demonstrated that CO 2 reduction by H 2 in hydrothermal fluids was involved in a strong endergonic electron transfer reaction, suggesting that a naturally occurring proton-motive force (PMF) as high as 200 mV would be established across the hydrothermal vent chimney wall. However, in the chimney structures, H 2 generation competes with CO 2 reduction for electrical current, resulting in rapid consumption of the PMF. Therefore, to maintain the PMF and the electrosynthesis of organic compounds in hydrothermal vent mineral deposits, we propose a homeostatic pH regulation mechanism of FeS deposits, in which elemental hydrogen stored in the hydrothermal mineral deposits is used to balance the consumption of the electrochemical gradient by H 2 generation

Lipid synthesis under hydrothermal conditions by Fischer-Tropsch-type reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

McCollom, T M; Ritter, G; Simoneit, B R

1999-03-01

Ever since their discovery in the late 1970's, mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems have received a great deal of attention as a possible site for the origin of life on Earth (and environments analogous to mid-ocean-ridge hydrothermal systems are postulated to have been sites where life could have originated or Mars and elsewhere as well). Because no modern-day terrestrial hydrothermal systems are free from the influence of organic compounds derived from biologic processes, laboratory experiments provide the best opportunity for confirmation of the potential for organic synthesis in hydrothermal systems. Here we report on the formation of lipid compounds during Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis from aqueous solutions of formic acid or oxalic acid. Optimum synthesis occurs in stainless steel vessels by heating at 175 degrees C for 2-3 days and produces lipid compounds ranging from C2 to > C35 which consist of n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkenes, n-alkanes and alkanones. The precursor carbon sources used are either formic acid or oxalic acid, which disproportionate to H2, CO2 and probably CO. Both carbon sources yield the same lipid classes with essentially the same ranges of compounds. The synthesis reactions were confirmed by using 13C labeled precursor acids.

The Statherian itabirite-bearing sequence from the Morro Escuro Ridge, Santa Maria de Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira Braga, Flávia Cristina; Rosière, Carlos Alberto; Queiroga, Gláucia Nascimento; Rolim, Vassily Khoury; Santos, João Orestes Schneider; McNaughton, Neal Jesse

2015-03-01

The itabirite-bearing metasedimentary sequence from Morro Escuro Ridge comprises the basal units of the Espinhaço Supergroup and makes up a small tectonic inlier developed during one of the Brasiliano orogenic events (800-500 Ma), amongst horses of the Archean TTG gneisses, including sheared granites of the anorogenic Borrachudos Suite (˜1700 Ma). The metasedimentary rocks are comprised of low-to intermediate-amphibolite facies schists, quartzites, conglomerates and banded iron formation (itabirite) correlatable with the sequences of the Serro Group, which underlies the metasedimentary rocks of the Espinhaço Supergroup in the Serra da Serpentina Ridge. A maximum Statherian deposition age (1668 Ma) was established using SHRIMP U-Pb isotopic constraints on zircon grains from conglomerate and quartzite units overlying the itabirite. The itabirite is predominantly hematitic and its geochemical characteristics are typical of a Lake Superior-type BIF deposited in a platformal, suboxic to anoxic environment distant from Fe-bearing hydrothermal vents. Close to the contact zone with amphibolites of the Early Neoproterozoic Pedro Lessa mafic suite, an increase of the magnetite content and crystallization of metasomatic Mg-hornblende and Ce-allanite can be observed. These mineralogical changes developed preferentially along the igneous contact zone but are probably co-genetic with the formation of alteration haloes in zircon grains during the Neoproterozoic Brasiliano orogeny (506 ± 6 Ma).

Diversity of meiofauna from the 9°50'N East Pacific rise across a gradient of hydrothermal fluid emissions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabine Gollner

2010-08-01

Full Text Available We studied the meiofauna community at deep-sea hydrothermal vents along a gradient of vent fluid emissions in the axial summit trought (AST of the East Pacific Rise 9°50'N region. The gradient ranged from extreme high temperatures, high sulfide concentrations, and low pH at sulfide chimneys to ambient deep-sea water conditions on bare basalt. We explore meiofauna diversity and abundance, and discuss its possible underlying ecological and evolutionary processes.After sampling in five physico-chemically different habitats, the meiofauna was sorted, counted and classified. Abundances were low at all sites. A total of 52 species were identified at vent habitats. The vent community was dominated by hard substrate generalists that also lived on bare basalt at ambient deep-sea temperature in the axial summit trough (AST generalists. Some vent species were restricted to a specific vent habitat (vent specialists, but others occurred over a wide range of physico-chemical conditions (vent generalists. Additionally, 35 species were only found on cold bare basalt (basalt specialists. At vent sites, species richness and diversity clearly increased with decreasing influence of vent fluid emissions from extreme flow sulfide chimney (no fauna, high flow pompei worm (S: 4-7, H'(loge: 0.11-0.45, vigorous flow tubeworm (S: 8-23; H'(loge: 0.44-2.00 to low flow mussel habitats (S: 28-31; H'(loge: 2.34-2.60.Our data suggest that with increasing temperature and toxic hydrogen sulfide concentrations and increasing amplitude of variation of these factors, fewer species are able to cope with these extreme conditions. This results in less diverse communities in more extreme habitats. The finding of many species being present at sites with and without vent fluid emissions points to a non endemic deep-sea hydrothermal vent meiofaunal community. This is in contrast to a mostly endemic macrofauna but similar to what is known for meiofauna from shallow-water vents.

Ultrastructure and potential sub-seafloor evidence of bacteriogenic iron oxides from Axial Volcano, Juan de Fuca Ridge, north-east Pacific Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, C B; Scott, S D; Ferris, F G

2003-03-01

Iron oxides from the caldera of Axial Volcano, a site of hydrothermal vent activity along the Juan de Fuca Ridge, were found to consist predominantly of microbial structures in hydrated whole mounts examined using an environmental scanning electron microscope. Novel observations were made of the iron oxides revealing the spatial relationships of the bacteria within to be more consistent with microbial mats than mineral precipitates. The bacterial structures are attributed to the sheaths of Leptothrix ochracea, the stalks of Gallionella ferruginea, and the filaments of a novel iron oxidizing PV-1 strain, based on the distinctive morphological characteristics of these three bacteria. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the presence and distribution of Fe, Si, and Cl on the bacterial sheaths, stalks and filaments. The iron oxides were identified by X-ray diffraction to be two-line ferrihydrite, a poorly ordered iron oxyhydroxide. Adsorption of Si in particular to two-line ferrihydrite likely contributes to its stability on the seafloor, and might also be a preservation mechanism creating microfossils of the bacterial structures encrusted with ferrihydrite. Presumptive evidence of the sub-seafloor presence of L. ochracea, G. ferruginea and PV-1 at Axial Volcano was obtained from the presence of these bacteria on a trap that had been placed within an active vent, and also in a vent fluid sample. If indeed these bacteria are present in the sub-seafloor, it may be an indication that the surface expression of iron oxide deposits at Axial Volcano is minimal in comparison to what exists beneath the seafloor.

Isotopic evidence for hydrothermal discharge into anoxic seawater, Sudbury basin, Ontario, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitehead, R.E.S.; Davies, J.F.

1990-01-01

The Errington and Vermilion sedex Zn-Cu-Pb deposits occur within hydrothermal carbonate and chert that form part of a carbonaceous slate unit, the contact unit, at the base of the Onwatin formation. Within the underlying Onaping formation sulphur and organic carbon increase upward but maintain S/C org ratios near 0.36, indicative of diagenetic sulphide formed by biogenic sulphate reduction, a process that also accounts for 13 C-depleted carbonates in these rocks. δ 34 S-values in pyrite are close to + 7 0/00 throughout the Onaping but decrease abruptly to +3 0/00 in the contact unit; this decrease coincides with the first appearance of S/C org >> 0.36. Both the decrease in δ 34 S and increase in S/C org ratios result from venting of hydrothermal sulphur into the water column. Fluid-inclusion homogenization temperatures average 170 deg C at the proposed vent site and 125 deg C in the distal contact unit sediment. The isotopic compositions of water, calculated using these temperatures and the isotopic compositions of carbonates, are - 1 0/00 for the sedex deposits at the vent site and - 3 0/00 in the distal sediments. (author). 56 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs

Hydrothermal response to a volcano-tectonic earthquake swarm, Lassen, California

Science.gov (United States)

Ingebritsen, Steven E.; Shelly, David R.; Hsieh, Paul A.; Clor, Laura; P.H. Seward,; Evans, William C.

2015-01-01

The increasing capability of seismic, geodetic, and hydrothermal observation networks allows recognition of volcanic unrest that could previously have gone undetected, creating an imperative to diagnose and interpret unrest episodes. A November 2014 earthquake swarm near Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, which included the largest earthquake in the area in more than 60 years, was accompanied by a rarely observed outburst of hydrothermal fluids. Although the earthquake swarm likely reflects upward migration of endogenous H2O-CO2 fluids in the source region, there is no evidence that such fluids emerged at the surface. Instead, shaking from the modest sized (moment magnitude 3.85) but proximal earthquake caused near-vent permeability increases that triggered increased outflow of hydrothermal fluids already present and equilibrated in a local hydrothermal aquifer. Long-term, multiparametric monitoring at Lassen and other well-instrumented volcanoes enhances interpretation of unrest and can provide a basis for detailed physical modeling.

Biosphere in 3.5 Ga submarine hydrothermal system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, Yuichiro [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Earth Science and Astronomy

2003-04-01

Abundant organic matter (kerogen) was identified in {approx}3.5 Ga hydrothermal silica dikes from the North Pole area in the Pilbara craton, Western Australia. The silica dikes developed in the uppermost 1000 m of the ancient oceanic crust. Thus, they would have been deposited in the 3.5 Ga sub-seafloor hydrothermal system. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of the kerogen were analyzed in this study. Their highly {sup 13}C-depleted isotopic compositions ({delta}{sup 13}C = -38 to -33 per mille) strongly suggest that they are originally derived from biologically produced organic matter. The remarkable similarity of the {delta}{sup 13}C values between the kerogen and modern hydrothermal vent organisms may suggest that the kerogen was derived from chemoautotrophic organisms. This idea is also consistent with their nitrogen isotopic compositions ({delta}{sup 15}N = -4 to +4 per mille). The silica dikes consist mainly of fine-grained silica with minor pyrite and sphalerite. These mineral assemblages indicate that the silica dike was deposited from relatively low-temperature (probably less than 150degC) reducing hydrothermal fluid. Thus, anaerobic thermophilic/hyperthermophilic organisms could have survived in the hydrothermal fluid, which formed the silica dikes. Therefore, it is plausible that a chemoautotrophic-based biosphere (possibly methanogenesis) probably existed in the Early Archean sub-seafloor hydrothermal system. (author)

Energetic and hydrogen limitations of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic methanogens

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, L. C.; Holden, J. F.

2013-12-01

methanogen. These results reflect our observational data from our field site, the Juan de Fuca Ridge hydrothermal vent systems (JdFR), where methanogen presence and abundance was closely correlated to hydrogen concentration in vent fluid. The long-term goal of this project is to model the growth of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic methanogens in hydrothermal vents at the JdFR using physical and chemical constraints from those sites, and use this data to refine our habitability models for the early Earth and extraterrestrial hydrothermal systems.

Thermococcus sulfurophilus sp. nov., a New Hyperthermophilic, Sulfur-Reducing Archaeon Isolated from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent

Science.gov (United States)

Pikuta, Elena V.; Hoover, Richard B.; Whitman, William B.; Marsic, Damien; Garriott, Owen; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A new hyperthermophilic, anaerobic, sulfur-reducing, organo-heterotrophic archaeon, strain OGL-20P, was isolated from "black smoker" chimney material at the Rainbow hydrothermal vent site in the Atlantic Ocean (36.2 N; 33.9 W). The cells of strain OGL-20P have irregular coccoid shape and are motile with a single flagellum. Growth occurs within pH range of 5.5-8.2 (optimal at pH 7.0-7.2), salinity range of 1-5% NaCl (optimal concentration 3% NaCl wt/vol), and temperature range of +55 C to +94 C (optimal growth at +83 C to +85 C). Strain OGL-20P is resistant to freezing (at -20 C). New isolate is strictly anaerobic with sulfur-type of respiration. A limited number of compounds are utilized as electron donors, including peptone, becto-tryptone, casamino-acids, and yeast extract but does not grow with separate amino acids. Sulfur and Iron can be used as electron acceptors; but not sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate or nitrate. Strain OGL-20P is resistant to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and gentamycin. Growth of str. OGL20P is inhibited by tetracyclin but not by Na2MoO4. The G+C content of DNA is 57.2 mol%. The 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analysis allows one to classify strain OGL-20P as a representative of a now species of Thermococcus genus. The name Thermococcus sulfurophilus op. nov., was suggested for the new isolate, type strain OGL-20P (sup T) (= ATCC BAA_394 (sup T) = DSM...(supT)).

Phylogenetic and Physiological Diversity of Subseafloor Microbial Communities at Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge: Summary of Results From the New Millenium Observatory (NeMO), 1998-2004

Science.gov (United States)

Baross, J. A.; Huber, J. A.; Mehta, M. P.; Opatkiewicz, A.; Bolton, S. A.; Butterfield, D. A.; Sogin, M. L.; Embley, R. W.

2005-12-01

Axial Seamount (45 ° 58' N; 130 ° 00' W) is an active submarine volcano located on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, approximately 300 miles off the coast of Oregon. Lying at the intersection of a seamount chain and a spreading axis, Axial is a unique study site from both the geological and biological perspective. In January of 1998, Axial experienced a week-long series of earthquakes, and subsequent water column and seafloor observations on the southeast portion of the caldera found temperature and chemical anomalies, extensive new seafloor lava flows, large "snow blower" type vents, and other characteristics commonly associated with diking-eruptive events. Due to its high activity and close proximity to shore, Axial was chosen as a site for a multi-year observatory (New Millenium Observatory, NeMO) to document changes and interactions between geology, chemistry, and biology on the mid-ocean ridge system. From 1998 through 2004, we extensively sampled diffuse vents at Axial Seamount to determine the physiological and phylogenetic diversity of subseafloor microbial communities and their relationship to the geochemical environment. Here we present a summary of those studies, including molecular-based phylogenetic surveys of bacteria, archaea, and potential nitrogen-fixing organisms, culturing results of thermophiles and hyperthermophiles from over 20 sites, and the distribution of one particular group of hyperthermophiles at diffuse vents throughout the caldera and how that distribution may be linked to the geochemical habitat. Results indicate that Axial supports a diverse subseafloor microbial community, including hydrogen and sulfur oxidizers, hyperthermophilic methane producers and heterotrophs, and many organisms with the potential to fix nitrogen. In addition, we find that the species composition of the microbial community changes in response to changes in the physical and chemical conditions at each vent site. The extent of seawater mixing with hydrothermal fluids

Distribution of hydrothermal fluid around the ore body in the subseafloor of the Izena hydrothermal field

Science.gov (United States)

Toki, T.; Otake, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Matsui, Y.; Kawagucci, S.; Kato, H.; Fuchida, S.; Miyahara, R.; Tsutsumi, A.; Kawakita, R.; Uza, H.; Uehara, R.; Shinjo, R.; Nozaki, T.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.

2017-12-01

From 16th November to 15th December 2016, D/V Chikyu drilled the sea bottom around hydrothermal fields at HAKUREI site in the Izena Hole, Okinawa Trough. Site C9025, C9026, C9027, C9028, and C9032 are located along the transect line from the top of the northern mound of HAKUREI site to the eastward, and Site C9030 for the control site is located about 500 m northwest of the mound. Mg concentrations have generally been used to estimate mixing ratios between hydrothermal end-member and seawater in samples from hydrothermal vents. Higher Mg concentrations, however, were detected in the interstitial water than that of seawater, which could be due to artificially dissolution of Mg-bearing minerals that had formed in in-situ environments, when the cored sediments had become cool after their recovery on ship. Similar features were observed with regard to sulfate concentrations, and it suggests that these chemical species are not suitable to estimate quantitatively the contribution of hydrothermally-derived components. In some layers, chloride concentrations were different from that of seawater, indicating that hydrothermal fluids that had been suffered from phase separation flowed into the layers. The deviation, however, was positive or negative relative to that of seawater for an influence of brine or vapor phase, respectively. Therefore chloride concentrations are also not suitable to evaluate a quantitative contribution of hydrothermal end-member. On the other hand, K and B showed only enrichments relative to the seawater, and their highest concentrations are consistent with the reported hydrothermal end-members of each species at HAKUREI site. Using the concentrations of K and B can be evaluated for an influence of hydrothermal components. Furthermore, the headspace gas data are useful in the layers of sulfide minerals and silicified rocks, even though the interstitial waters could not be obtained because of their hardness. Based on these indices, hydrothermal fluids

The effect of the water-to-rock ratio on REE distribution in hydrothermal fluids: An experimental study

Science.gov (United States)

Beermann, Oliver; Garbe-Schönberg, Dieter; Holzheid, Astrid

2013-04-01

High-temperature submarine MOR hydrothermalism creates high elemental fluxes into, and out of, oceanic lithosphere significantly affecting ocean chemistry. The Turtle Pits hydrothermal system discovered at 5° S on the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) in water depths of ~3000 m (~300 bar) emanates 'ultrahot' fluids > 400 ° C [1] with high concentrations of dissolved gases (e.g., H2), transition metals, and rare earth elements (REE). The normalised REE patterns of these 'ultrahot' fluids are uncommon as they exhibit depletions of LREE and no Eu-anomaly ('special' REE-signature in [2]), which is in contrast to the "typical" LREE enrichment and pronounced positive Eu-anomaly known from many MOR vent fluids observed world-wide [e.g., 3]. Although hydrothermal fluid REE-signatures may play a key role in understanding processes during water-rock interaction, only few experimental data have been published on REE distribution in seawater-like fluids reacted with rocks from the ocean crust [e.g., 4, 5]. Besides temperature, the seawater-to-rock ratio (w/r ratio) strongly affects water-rock reaction processes and, thus, has significant control on the fluid chemistry [e.g., 6, 7]. To understand how vent fluid REE-signatures are generated during water-rock interaction processes we designed a series of experiments reacting different fluid types with mineral assemblages from fresh, unaltered gabbro at 425 ° C and 400 bar using cold seal pressure vessels (CSPV). Mixtures of 125-500 μm-sized hand-picked plagioclase and clinopyroxene grains separated from unaltered gabbro reacted in gold capsules with 3.2 wt.% NaCl(aq) fluid (similar to seawater salinity), or with natural seawater. The w/r (mass) ratio ranged from 1 to 100 and the run durations were varied from 3 to 30 d in the NaCl(aq) experiments, and was 3 d in the seawater experiments. The reacted fluids were extracted after quenching and analysed by ICP-OES and ICP-MS. Only in the seawater experiments, the gabbro

Clumped isotopologue constraints on the origin of methane at seafloor hot springs

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, David T.; Reeves, Eoghan P.; McDermott, Jill M.; Seewald, Jeffrey S.; Ono, Shuhei

2018-02-01

Hot-spring fluids emanating from deep-sea vents hosted in unsedimented ultramafic and mafic rock commonly contain high concentrations of methane. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed for the origin(s) of this methane, ranging from synthesis via reduction of aqueous inorganic carbon (∑CO2) during active fluid circulation to leaching of methane-rich fluid inclusions from plutonic rocks of the oceanic crust. To further resolve the process(es) responsible for methane generation in these systems, we determined the relative abundances of several methane isotopologues (including 13CH3D, a "clumped" isotopologue containing two rare isotope substitutions) in hot-spring source fluids sampled from four geochemically-distinct hydrothermal vent fields (Rainbow, Von Damm, Lost City, and Lucky Strike). Apparent equilibrium temperatures retrieved from methane clumped isotopologue analyses average 310-42+53 °C, with no apparent relation to the wide range of fluid temperatures (96-370 °C) and chemical compositions (pH, [H2], [∑CO2], [CH4]) represented. Combined with very similar bulk stable isotope ratios (13C/12C and D/H) of methane across the suite of hydrothermal fluids, all available geochemical and isotopic data suggest a common mechanism of methane generation at depth that is disconnected from active fluid circulation. Attainment of equilibrium amongst methane isotopologues at temperatures of ca. 270-360 °C is compatible with the thermodynamically-favorable reduction of CO2 to CH4 at temperatures at or below ca. 400 °C under redox conditions characterizing intrusive rocks derived from sub-ridge melts. Collectively, the observations support a model where methane-rich aqueous fluids, known to be trapped in rocks of the oceanic lithosphere, are liberated from host rocks during hydrothermal circulation and perhaps represent the major source of methane venting with thermal waters at unsedimented hydrothermal fields. The results also provide further evidence that water

14 CFR 25.975 - Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Fuel System § 25.975 Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents. (a) Fuel tank vents. Each fuel tank must be vented from the... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents...

14 CFR 29.975 - Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Fuel System § 29.975 Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents. (a) Fuel tank vents. Each fuel tank must be vented from the... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents...

Insights From Magnesium Isotopic Compositions on the Oceanic Hydrothermal Circulation: Is Seamount Weathering the Solution?

Science.gov (United States)

Galy, A.; Carder, E.; Elderfield, H.

2006-12-01

It has been long recognised that the input of Mg in the ocean by river is removed by precipitation of Mg-rich bearing phases, either directly from the ocean such as dolomite or through hydrothermal circulation in the oceanic crust. The sampling of hydrothermal fluids demonstrated the efficiency of Mg consumption by the alteration of the oceanic crust, even at temperatures as low as 15°. For high-temperature fluids vented through black or white smokers in the vicinity of the ridge, the Mg concentration is up to 50 time lower than in seawater, and the close relationship between chlorine and Mg led to the idea that seawater was feeding the hydrothermal system and that Mg is quantitatively removed from it during high-T° alteration, the so called zero Mg hypothesis. Despite some hint for a non zero Mg hydrothermal end-member for a handful sites, the low concentration of Mg in oceanic hydrothermal fluids (around 1 mmol/l) has been mainly attributed to contamination by seawater during the sampling. Here we present Mg isotopic composition of 14 seawater samples from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean and Red Seas and covering a range of depth of almost 5km and 26 hydrothermal fluids from 7 sites in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with temperature from 15° to 380°C. We find the magnesium isotope composition of seawater to be constant, with a δ^{26}Mg = -0.82±0.10 ‰ relative to the DSM3 standard. This value is consistent with a long residence time for Mg in seawater. In addition, out of the 26 hydrothermal fluids studied, more than 58% differ from seawater for their Mg isotopic composition by more than 2σ. This number rises up to 88% at 2σmean level and the shift is systematic with the fluids being either indistinguishable from seawater or enriched in light isotopes by up to 2.4‰ in δ^{26}Mg. This clearly demonstrates that fluids having low Mg concentrations are not solely bearing Mg added by contamination during sampling. The isotopic

Organic sulfur metabolisms in hydrothermal environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Karyn L; Schulte, Mitchell D

2012-07-01

Sulfur is central to the metabolisms of many organisms that inhabit extreme environments. While biotic and abiotic cycling of organic sulfur compounds has been well documented in low-temperature anaerobic environments, cycling of organic sulfur in hydrothermal environments has received less attention. Recently published thermodynamic data have been used to estimate aqueous alkyl thiol and sulfide activities in deep-sea hydrothermal systems. Here we use geochemical mixing models to predict fluid compositions that result from mixing end-member hydrothermal fluid from the East Pacific Rise with bottom seawater. These fluid compositions are combined with estimates of methanethiol and dimethylsulfide activities to evaluate energy yields for potential organic sulfur-based metabolisms under hydrothermal conditions. Aerobic respiration has the highest energy yields (over -240 kJ/mol e⁻) at lower temperature; however, oxygen is unlikely to persist at high temperatures, restricting aerobic respiration to mesophilic communities. Nitrite reduction to N₂ has the highest energy yields at higher temperatures (greater than ∼40 °C). Nitrate and nitrite reduction to ammonium also yield significant energy (up to -70 kJ/mol e⁻). Much lower, but still feasible energy yields are calculated for sulfate reduction, disproportionation, and reduction with H₂. Organic compound family and the activity of methanethiol and dimethylsulfide were less important than metabolic strategy in determining overall energy yields. All metabolic strategies considered were exergonic within some portion of the mixing regime suggesting that organic sulfur-based metabolisms may be prevalent within deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbial communities. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Characterisation of dissolved organic compounds in hydrothermal fluids by stir bar sorptive extraction - gas chomatography - mass spectrometry. Case study: the Rainbow field (36°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konn Cecile

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The analysis of the dissolved organic fraction of hydrothermal fluids has been considered a real challenge due to sampling difficulties, complexity of the matrix, numerous interferences and the assumed ppb concentration levels. The present study shows, in a qualitative approach, that Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE followed by Thermal Desorption – Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-MS is suitable for extraction of small sample volumes and detection of a wide range of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds dissolved in hydrothermal fluids. In a case study, the technique was successfully applied to fluids from the Rainbow ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal field located at 36°14’N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR. We show that n-alkanes, mono- and poly- aromatic hydrocarbons as well as fatty acids can be easily identified and their retention times determined. Our results demonstrate the excellent repeatability of the method as well as the possibility of storing stir bars for at least three years without significant changes in the composition of the recovered organic matter. A preliminary comparative investigation of the organic composition of the Rainbow fluids showed the great potential of the method to be used for assessing intrafield variations and carrying out time series studies. All together our results demonstrate that SBSE-TD-GC-MS analyses of hydrothermal fluids will make important contributions to the understanding of geochemical processes, geomicrobiological interactions and formation of mineral deposits.

Chemical composition of hydrothermal ores from Mid-Okinawa trough and Suiyo Seamount determined by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noguchi, Takuroh; Taira, Naoto; Oomori, Tamotsu; Taira, Hatsuo; Tanahara, Akira; Takada, Jitsuya

2007-01-01

Neutron activation analysis of 13 hydrothermal ore samples (70 subsamples) collected from the Mid-Okinawa Trough and Suiyo Seamount revealed higher contents of precious metal such as Au and Ag, and those of As, Sb, Ga, and Hg than those from mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems. In addition, the Mid-Okinawa Trough samples were richer in Ag and Sb than those from the Suiyo Seamount. The geochemical differences among these hydrothermal ore deposits are regarded as reflecting both differences in the chemical composition of the hosted magma of hydrothermal system and the abundance of sediments that is reacted with hydrothermal fluids. (author)

Ferromanganese oxides from Mid-Indian ridge, seamounts and abyssal plains from the Indian Ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rao, P.S.; Pattan, J.N.

.47%) in the seamount crusts. The ferromanganese oxides from the Mid-Indian Ridge, seamount crusts and abyssal nodules appear to be of hydrothermal, hydrogenous and early-diagenetic in origin respectively...

3D imaging of vents and sand injectites produced by Lower Cretaceous hydrothermal activity in the southern North Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moreau, Julien

Ma. Strong amplitude anomalies present within the salt are good indication of the presence of igneous intrusions. The vents are imaged as sub-transparent agglomeration of sub-vertical pipe structures emanating above the seismic amplitude anomalies. The vents were analyzed through distinct categories......: size, shape, upper part shape and source bed. Most of the vents originate from the Lower Germanic Triassic Group (Bundsandstein). They are conical in shape and have an eye-shaped upper dome. At the top, numerous domes have been eroded. A few domes have jacked up the overburden, sometimes including...

14 CFR 23.975 - Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Fuel System § 23.975 Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents. (a) Each fuel tank must be vented... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel tank vents and carburetor vapor vents...

Sill intrusion driven fluid flow and vent formation in volcanic basins: Modeling rates of volatile release and paleoclimate effects

Science.gov (United States)

Iyer, Karthik; Schmid, Daniel

2016-04-01

Evidence of mass extinction events in conjunction with climate change occur throughout the geological record and may be accompanied by pronounced negative carbon isotope excursions. The processes that trigger such globally destructive changes are still under considerable debate. These include mechanisms such as poisoning from trace metals released during large volcanic eruptions (Vogt, 1972), CO2 released from lava degassing during the formation of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) (Courtillot and Renne, 2003) and CH4 release during the destabilization of sub-seafloor methane (Dickens et al., 1995), to name a few. Thermogenic methane derived from contact metamorphism associated with magma emplacement and cooling in sedimentary basins has been recently gaining considerable attention as a potential mechanism that may have triggered global climate events in the past (e.g. Svensen and Jamtveit, 2010). The discovery of hydrothermal vent complexes that are spatially associated with such basins also supports the discharge of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (e.g. Jamtveit et al., 2004; Planke et al., 2005; Svensen et al., 2006). A previous study that investigated this process using a fluid flow model (Iyer et al., 2013) suggested that although hydrothermal plume formation resulting from sill emplacement may indeed release large quantities of methane at the surface, the rate at which this methane is released into the atmosphere is too slow to trigger, by itself, some of the negative δ13C excursions observed in the fossil record over short time scales observed in the fossil record. Here, we reinvestigate the rates of gas release during sill emplacement in a case study from the Harstad Basin off-shore Norway with a special emphasis on vent formation. The presented study is based on a seismic line that crosses multiple sill structures emplaced around 55 Ma within the Lower Cretaceous sediments. A single well-defined vent complex is interpreted above the termination of the

Seismic Structure of the Shallow Mantle Beneath the Endeavor Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

Science.gov (United States)

VanderBeek, B. P.; Toomey, D. R.; Hooft, E. E.; Wilcock, W. S.; Weekly, R. T.; Soule, D. C.

2013-12-01

We present tomographic images of the seismic structure of the shallow mantle beneath the intermediate-spreading Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge. Our results provide insight into the relationship between magma supply from the mantle and overlying ridge crest processes. We use seismic energy refracted below the Moho (Pn), as recorded by the Endeavor tomography (ETOMO) experiment, to image the anisotropic and isotropic P wave velocity structure. The ETOMO experiment was an active source seismic study conducted in August 2009 as part of the RIDGE2000 science program. The experimental area extends 100 km along- and 60 km across-axis and encompasses active hydrothermal vent fields near the segment center, the eastern end of the Heck seamount chain, and two overlapping spreading centers (OSCs) at either end of the segment. Previous tomographic analyses of seismic arrivals refracted through the crust (Pg), and reflected off the Moho (PmP), constrain a three-dimensional starting model of crustal velocity and thickness. These Pg and PmP arrivals are incorporated in our inversion of Pn travel-time data to further constrain the isotropic and anisotropic mantle velocity structure. Preliminary results reveal three distinct mantle low-velocity zones, inferred as regions of mantle melt delivery to the base of the crust, that are located: (i) off-axis near the segment center, (ii) beneath the Endeavor-West Valley OSC, and (iii) beneath the Cobb OSC near Split Seamount. The mantle anomalies are located at intervals of ~30 to 40 km along-axis and the low velocity anomalies beneath the OSCs are comparable in magnitude to the one located near the segment center. The direction of shallow mantle flow is inferred from azimuthal variations in Pn travel-time residuals relative to a homogeneous isotropic mantle. Continuing analysis will focus on constraining spatial variations in the orientation of azimuthal anisotropy. On the basis of our results, we will discuss the transport of

Massive Hydrothermal Flows of Fluids and Heat: Earth Constraints and Ocean World Considerations

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, A. T.

2018-05-01

This presentation reviews the hydrogeologic nature of Earth's ocean crust and evidence for massive flows of low-temperature (≤70°C), seafloor hydrothermal circulation through ridge flanks, including the influence of crustal relief and crustal faults.

Elemental compositions of crab and snail shells from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field in the southwestern Okinawa Trough

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Zhigang; Ma, Yao; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Yin, Xuebo; Zhang, Suping; Zhang, Junlong; Jiang, Wei

2018-04-01

To reveal differences in the behavior of benthic vent animals, and the sources and sinks of biogeochemical and fluid circulations, it is necessary to constrain the chemical characteristics of benthic animals from seafloor hydrothermal fields. We measured the abundances of 27 elements in shells of the crab Xenograpsus testudinatus and the snail Anachis sp., collected from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field (KHF) in the southwestern Okinawa Trough, with the aim of improving our understanding of the compositional variations between individual vent organisms, and the sources of the rare earth elements (REEs) in their shells. The Mn, Hg, and K concentrations in the male X. testudinatus shells are found to be higher than those in female crab shells, whereas the reverse is true for the accumulation of B, implying that the accumulation of K, Mn, Hg, and B in the crab shells is influenced by sex. This is inferred to be a result of the asynchronous molting of the male and female crab shells. Snail shells are found to have higher Ca, Al, Fe, Ni, and Co concentrations than crab shells. This may be attributed to different metal accumulation times. The majority of the light rare earth element (LREE) distribution patterns in the crab and snail shells are similar to those of Kueishantao vent fluids, with the crab and snail shells also exhibiting LREE enrichment, implying that the LREEs contained in crab and snail shells in the KHF are derived from vent fluids.

Constraints On Fluid Evolution During Mid-Ocean Ridge Hydrothermal Circulation From Anhydrite Sampled by ODP Hole 1256D

Science.gov (United States)

Smith-Duque, C.; Teagle, D. A.; Alt, J. C.; Cooper, M. J.

2008-12-01

Anhydrite is potentially a useful mineral for recording the evolution of seawater-derived fluids during mid- ocean ridge hydrothermal circulation because it exhibits retrograde solubility, and hence may precipitate due to the heating of seawater or the sub-surface mixing of seawater with black smoker-like fluids. Here we provide new insights into the chemical and thermal evolution of seawater during hydrothermal circulation through analyses of anhydrite recovered from ODP Hole 1256D, the first complete penetration of intact upper oceanic crust down to gabbros. Previously, crustal anhydrite has been recovered only from Hole 504B. Measurements of 87Sr/86Sr, major element ratios, Rare Earth Elements and δ18O in anhydrite constrain the changing composition of fluids as they chemically interact with basalt. Anhydrite fills veins and pore-space in the lower lava sequences from ~530 to ~1000 meters sub- basement (msb), but is concentrated in the lava-dike transition (754 to 811 msb) and uppermost sheeted dikes. Although present in greater quantities than in Hole 504B, the amount of anhydrite recovered from the Site 1256 crust is low compared to that predicted by models of hydrothermal circulation (e.g., Sleep, 1991). Two distinct populations of anhydrite are indicated by measurements of 87Sr/86Sr suggesting different fluid evolution paths within Site 1256. One group of anhydrites have 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7070 to 0.7085, close to that of 15 Ma seawater (0.70878), suggesting that some fluids penetrate through the lavas and into the sheeted dikes with only minimal Sr-exchange with the host basalts. A second group, with low 87Sr/86Sr between 0.7048 and 0.7052, indicates precipitation from a fluid that has undergone far greater interaction with basalt. This range is close to that estimated from Sr-isotopic analyses of epidote for the Hole 1256D hydrothermal fluids (87Sr/86Sr ~0.705). Sr/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr indicate a similar relationship to that seen at ODP Hole 504B suggesting that

87Sr/86Sr ratios in hydrothermal waters and deposits from the east pacific rise at 210N

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albarede, F.; Michard, A.; Minster, J.F.; Michard, G.

1981-01-01

87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of three hydrothermal waters collected on the East Pacific Rise at 21 0 N define a mixing line between seawater and a hydrothermal end-member at 0.7030 which is derived by seawater-basalt interaction at ca. 350 0 C and water/rock ratio of about 1.5. Sr concentrations are not affected in the process while Mg uptake from seawater is almost complete. Up to 2/3 of this hydrothermal component is involved in anhydrite precipitation while the Sr isotopic ratio in sulfides (chalcopyrite + sphalerite) cannot be distinguished from that of sulfate. It is estimated that ca. 1 x 10 10 moles of strontium are yearly cycled in the hydrothermal systems of mid-oceanic ridges, thereby affecting the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr budget of seawater. Mass balance between river runoff, limestone precipitation and ridge basalt alteration suggests that the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of the river runoff are in the range 0.7097-0.7113, and are largely dominated by limestone alteration. (orig.)

Sources of organic nitrogen at the serpentinite-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field.

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, S Q; Früh-Green, G L; Bernasconi, S M; Butterfield, D A

2013-03-01

The reaction of ultramafic rocks with water during serpentinization at moderate temperatures results in alkaline fluids with high concentrations of reduced chemical compounds such as hydrogen and methane. Such environments provide unique habitats for microbial communities capable of utilizing these reduced compounds in present-day and, possibly, early Earth environments. However, these systems present challenges to microbial communities as well, particularly due to high fluid pH and possibly the availability of essential nutrients such as nitrogen. Here we investigate the source and cycling of organic nitrogen at an oceanic serpentinizing environment, the Lost City hydrothermal field (30°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Total hydrolizable amino acid (THAA) concentrations in the fluids range from 736 to 2300 nm and constitute a large fraction of the dissolved organic carbon (2.5-15.1%). The amino acid distributions, and the relative concentrations of these compounds across the hydrothermal field, indicate they most likely derived from chemolithoautotrophic production. Previous studies have identified the presence of numerous nitrogen fixation genes in the fluids and the chimneys. Organic nitrogen in actively venting chimneys has δ(15) N values as low as 0.1‰ which is compatible with biological nitrogen fixation. Total hydrolizable amino acids in the chimneys are enriched in (13) C by 2-7‰ compared to bulk organic matter. The distribution and absolute δ(13) C(THAA) values are compatible with a chemolithoautotrophic source, an attribution also supported by molar organic C/N ratios in most active chimneys (4.1-5.5) which are similar to those expected for microbial communities. In total, these data indicate nitrogen is readily available to microbial communities at Lost City. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Deep-water chemosynthetic ecosystem research during the census of marine life decade and beyond: a proposed deep-ocean road map.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher R German

Full Text Available The ChEss project of the Census of Marine Life (2002-2010 helped foster internationally-coordinated studies worldwide focusing on exploration for, and characterization of new deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystem sites. This work has advanced our understanding of the nature and factors controlling the biogeography and biodiversity of these ecosystems in four geographic locations: the Atlantic Equatorial Belt (AEB, the New Zealand region, the Arctic and Antarctic and the SE Pacific off Chile. In the AEB, major discoveries include hydrothermal seeps on the Costa Rica margin, deepest vents found on the Mid-Cayman Rise and the hottest vents found on the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It was also shown that the major fracture zones on the MAR do not create barriers for the dispersal but may act as trans-Atlantic conduits for larvae. In New Zealand, investigations of a newly found large cold-seep area suggest that this region may be a new biogeographic province. In the Arctic, the newly discovered sites on the Mohns Ridge (71 °N showed extensive mats of sulfur-oxidisng bacteria, but only one gastropod potentially bears chemosynthetic symbionts, while cold seeps on the Haakon Mossby Mud Volcano (72 °N are dominated by siboglinid worms. In the Antarctic region, the first hydrothermal vents south of the Polar Front were located and biological results indicate that they may represent a new biogeographic province. The recent exploration of the South Pacific region has provided evidence for a sediment hosted hydrothermal source near a methane-rich cold-seep area. Based on our 8 years of investigations of deep-water chemosynthetic ecosystems worldwide, we suggest highest priorities for future research: (i continued exploration of the deep-ocean ridge-crest; (ii increased focus on anthropogenic impacts; (iii concerted effort to coordinate a major investigation of the deep South Pacific Ocean - the largest contiguous habitat for life within Earth's biosphere, but

Deep-water chemosynthetic ecosystem research during the census of marine life decade and beyond: a proposed deep-ocean road map.

Science.gov (United States)

German, Christopher R; Ramirez-Llodra, Eva; Baker, Maria C; Tyler, Paul A

2011-01-01

The ChEss project of the Census of Marine Life (2002-2010) helped foster internationally-coordinated studies worldwide focusing on exploration for, and characterization of new deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystem sites. This work has advanced our understanding of the nature and factors controlling the biogeography and biodiversity of these ecosystems in four geographic locations: the Atlantic Equatorial Belt (AEB), the New Zealand region, the Arctic and Antarctic and the SE Pacific off Chile. In the AEB, major discoveries include hydrothermal seeps on the Costa Rica margin, deepest vents found on the Mid-Cayman Rise and the hottest vents found on the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It was also shown that the major fracture zones on the MAR do not create barriers for the dispersal but may act as trans-Atlantic conduits for larvae. In New Zealand, investigations of a newly found large cold-seep area suggest that this region may be a new biogeographic province. In the Arctic, the newly discovered sites on the Mohns Ridge (71 °N) showed extensive mats of sulfur-oxidisng bacteria, but only one gastropod potentially bears chemosynthetic symbionts, while cold seeps on the Haakon Mossby Mud Volcano (72 °N) are dominated by siboglinid worms. In the Antarctic region, the first hydrothermal vents south of the Polar Front were located and biological results indicate that they may represent a new biogeographic province. The recent exploration of the South Pacific region has provided evidence for a sediment hosted hydrothermal source near a methane-rich cold-seep area. Based on our 8 years of investigations of deep-water chemosynthetic ecosystems worldwide, we suggest highest priorities for future research: (i) continued exploration of the deep-ocean ridge-crest; (ii) increased focus on anthropogenic impacts; (iii) concerted effort to coordinate a major investigation of the deep South Pacific Ocean - the largest contiguous habitat for life within Earth's biosphere, but also the

Acoustics advances study of sea floor hydrothermal flow

Science.gov (United States)

Rona, Peter A.; Jackson, Darrell R.; Bemis, Karen G.; Jones, Christopher D.; Mitsuzawa, Kyohiko; Palmer, David R.; Silver, Deborah

Sub-sea floor hydrothermal convection systems discharge as plumes from point sources and as seepage from the ocean bottom. The plumes originate as clear, 150-400°C solutions that vent from mineralized chimneys; precipitate dissolved metals as particles to form black or white smokers as they turbulently mix with ambient seawater; and buoyantly rise hundreds of meters to a level of neutral density where they spread laterally. The seepage discharges from networks of fractures at the rock-water interface as clear, diffuse flow, with lower temperatures, metal contents, and buoyancy than the smokers. The diffuse flow may be entrained upward into plumes, or laterally by prevailing currents in discrete layers within tens of meters of the sea floor. The role of these flow regimes in dispersing heat, chemicals, and biological material into the ocean from sub-sea floor hydrothermal convection systems is being studied on a global scale.

Community Structure of Lithotrophically-Driven Hydrothermal Microbial Mats from the Mariana Arc and Back-Arc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin W. Hager

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The Mariana region exhibits a rich array of hydrothermal venting conditions in a complex geological setting, which provides a natural laboratory to study the influence of local environmental conditions on microbial community structure as well as large-scale patterns in microbial biogeography. We used high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the bacterial small subunit (SSU rRNA gene from 22 microbial mats collected from four hydrothermally active locations along the Mariana Arc and back-arc to explore the structure of lithotrophically-based microbial mat communities. The vent effluent was classified as iron- or sulfur-rich corresponding with two distinct community types, dominated by either Zetaproteobacteria or Epsilonproteobacteria, respectively. The Zetaproteobacterial-based communities had the highest richness and diversity, which supports the hypothesis that Zetaproteobacteria function as ecosystem engineers creating a physical habitat within a chemical environment promoting enhanced microbial diversity. Gammaproteobacteria were also high in abundance within the iron-dominated mats and some likely contribute to primary production. In addition, we also compare sampling scale, showing that bulk sampling of microbial mats yields higher diversity than micro-scale sampling. We present a comprehensive analysis and offer new insights into the community structure and diversity of lithotrophically-driven microbial mats from a hydrothermal region associated with high microbial biodiversity. Our study indicates an important functional role of for the Zetaproteobacteria altering the mat habitat and enhancing community interactions and complexity.

Biaxial vent extruder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Idemoto, A.; Maki, Y.; Oda, N.

1981-01-01

A biaxial vent extruder is described for processing of slurry-like waste fluids or radioactive waste fluids which have a hopper cylinger, a solidifying substance port and a solidified substance port. A plurality of vent cylinders each having a vent port are provided with a plunger type scraper. An extruding cylinder having a single opening for a main screw is connected to the assembled vent cylinders. The main screw extends to the upstream end of the extruding cylinder and a sub-screw extends to the extruding cylinder. The screws each having a full flight engaging the other and a set of rings are mounted on the screws near the respective vent port inlets. The screws are rotated in different directions and inwardly with respect to the vent ports. Rotors may be mounted on the screws to break down solid particles

Numerical Analysis of a Passive Containment Filtered Venting System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Taejoon; Ha, Huiun; Heo, Sun

2014-01-01

The passive Containment Filtered Venting system (CFVS) does not have principally any kind of isolation valves or filtering devices which need periodic maintenance. In this study, the hydro-thermal analysis is presented to investigate the existence of flow instability in the passive CFVS and its performance under the pressure change of APR+ containment building with LB-LOCA M/E data. The Passive Containment Filtered Venting System was suggested as a part in i-Power development project and the operation mechanism was investigated by numerical modeling and simulation using GOTHIC8.0 system code. There are four Phases for consideration to investigate the pressurization of the containment building, loss of hydrostatic head in the pipe line of CFVS, opening of pipe line and gas ejection to the coolant tank, and the head recovery inside the pipe as the containment gas exhausted. The simulation results show that gas generation rate determine the timing of head recovery in the CFVS pipe line and that the equipment of various devices inducing pressure loss at the pipe can give the capacity of Phase control of the passive CFVS operation

V isotope composition in modern marine hydrothermal sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, F.; Owens, J. D.; Nielsen, S.; German, C. R.; Rachel, M.

2017-12-01

Vanadium is multivalence transition metal with two isotopes (51V and 50V). Recent work has shown that large V isotope variations occur with oxygen variations in modern sediments (Wu et al., 2016 and 2017 Goldschmidt Abstracts), providing its potential as a promising proxy for determining low oxygen conditions. However, the development of V isotopes as a proxy to probe past redox conditions requires a comprehensive understanding of the modern oceanic isotopic mass balance. Therein, the scavenging of V from the hydrous iron oxides in hydrothermal fluid has been shown to be an important removal process from seawater (Rudnicki and Elderfield, 1993 GCA) but remains unquantified. In this study, we analyzed V isotopic compositions of metalliferous sediments around the active TAG hydrothermal mound from the mid-Atlantic Ridge (26° degrees North) and the Eastern Pacific Zonal Transect (GEOTRACES EPZT cruise GP16). The TAG sediments deposited as Fe oxyhydroxides from plume fall-out, and have δ51V values between -0.3 to 0‰. The good correlation between Fe and V for these metalliferous sediments indicate that the accumulation of V in these samples is directly related to the deposition of Fe oxyhydroxides, which also control their V isotope signature. The EPZT samples cover 8,000 km in the South Pacific Ocean with sedimentary areas that underlie the Peru upwelling region and the well-oxygenated deep South Pacific Ocean influenced by hydtorthermal plume material from southern East Pacific Rise (EPR). The sediments collected at the east of the EPR have δ51V values between -1.2 to -0.7‰, similar to previous δ51V of oxic sediments. In contrast, the sediments from the west of the EPR have δ51V values (-0.4 to 0‰) similar to hydrothermal sediments from the mid-Atlantic Ridge, indicating the long transportation (more than 4,000 km, Fitzsimmons et al., 2017 NG) of Fe and Mn from hydrothermal plume and their incorporation into sediments have a major impact on the cycle of V

Miocene phosphorites from the Murray Ridge, northwestern Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rao, V.P.; Hegner, E.; Naqvi, S.W.A.; Kessarkar, P.M.; Ahmad, S.M.; Raju, D.S.

.F., Charlou, J.L., 1983. Rare- earth elements and uranium in high-temperature solutions from East Pacific Rise hydrothermal vent field (13 degree N). Nature 303, 795–797. Minshull, T.A., White, R.S., Barton, P.J., Collier, J.S., 1992. Deformation at plate..., 1951 (base of zone N9 to Recent), Praeorbulina sicana De Stefani, 1950 (base of zone N8 to lower of zone N9), Globigerinoides trilobus (Reuss), 1850 (Zone N5 to Recent), Globigerinoides cf. bisphericus (lower N7 to lower N9), Globorotalia archeomenardii...

Integrated 3D Geological Modeling to Gain Insight in the Effects of Hydrothermal Alteration on Post-Ore Deformation Style and Strain Localization in the Flin Flon Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Ore System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernst Schetselaar

2017-12-01

Full Text Available 3D geological modeling of lithogeochemical and geological data provides insight into the role of the sulfide ore horizon and associated footwall hydrothermal alteration in localizing shear strain in the Flin Flon volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, Canada, as deformation evolved from brittle-ductile to ductile regimes during collisional stages of the 1.9–1.8 Ga Trans-Hudson orogeny. 3D spatial characterization of hydrothermal alteration based on the Ishikawa index (AI and normative corundum percentages outline sericite + chlorite-rich high strain zones, consisting of Al-enriched and Na-depleted felsic and mafic volcanic rocks in the footwall of the sulfide ore horizon. The hydrothermal vent complex, from which these sheared alteration zones originated, was stacked together with the ore horizon by W-vergent thrust faults during an early collisional deformation regime, imbricating molasse-type clastic sediments with the ore-hosting volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Flin Flon arc assemblage. Chlorite-rich planar zones marked by high values of the Carbonate–chlorite–pyrite index (CCPI are laterally more extensive and outline a later system of ductile shear zones, in which phyllosilicates, quartz and chalcopyrite in stringer zones localized shear strain and enhanced transposition of the hydrothermal vent stockwork. The contrasting deformation styles of these two thrusting events and their localization within the ore horizon and hydrothermal vent stockwork have important implications for vectoring towards undiscovered ore in this mature mining camp that are possibly also relevant to other strongly deformed VMS ore systems.

Insights into fluid flow and environmental conditions present in deep-sea hydrothermal vent deposits from measurements of permeability and porosity

Science.gov (United States)

Gribbin, J. L.; Zhu, W.; Tivey, M. K.

2008-12-01

Evolution of permeability-porosity relationships (EPPRs) of different seafloor vent deposit sample types provide crucial information about how fluid flows within the deposits. In this study, we conducted permeability and porosity measurements on a wide range of vent sample types recovered from many different active seafloor vent fields. The sample set includes chalcopyrite-lined black smoker chimneys, Zn-rich diffusing spires (including white smokers), flanges/slabs/crusts (i.e., plate-like deposits that overlie pooled fluid), massive anhydrite, and cores recovered from the sides of vent structures. Using a probe permeameter, permeability measurements were systematically taken of each sample along several orientations. The measured permeability ranges over 6 orders of magnitude from 10-14 to 10-8 m2. Our data indicate that in general massive anhydrite samples are the least permeable with a mean at ~10-13 m2 and the samples from Zn-rich diffusing spires that were actively venting when collected are the most permeable with a mean at ~10-11 m2. With a mean at 10-11.5 m2, permeability data of flanges/slabs/crusts span over 4 orders of magnitude from 10-13 to 10-9 m2, the largest spread among all sample types tested. Permeability values of the outer portions of relict spires, ranging from ~10-13 m2 to 10-9.5 m2, displayed clear anisotropic trends: permeability along the radial directions is higher than that along the axial direction. Black smokers exhibit a strong layered heterogeneity, where inner chalcopyrite linings were significantly less permeable than outermost layers. To conduct porosity and directional permeability measurements, cylindrical cores will be taken from these vent samples. We will examine whether different sample types, or portions of samples, exhibit distinct permeability-porosity relationships, and will then use micro-structural observations of the cores to examine chimney growth processes (e.g., mineral deposition or cracking) that likely result

Volcano-Hydrothermal Systems of the Kuril Island Arc (Russia): Geochemistry of the Thermal Waters and Gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalacheva, E.; Taran, Y.; Voloshina, E.; Kotenko, T.; Tarasov, K.

2017-12-01

More than 30 active volcanoes with historical eruptions are known on 20 main islands composing the Kuril Arc. Eight islands - Paramushir, Shiashkotan, Rasshua, Ushishir, Ketoy, Urup, Iturup and Kunashir - are characterized by hydrothermal activity, complementary to the fumarole activity in the craters and volcano slopes. At Paramushir, Shiashkotan, Iturup and Kunashir most of thermal manifestations are acidic to ultra-acidic hot springs associated with hydrothermal aquifers inside volcano edifices. The most powerful of them is the ultra-acid hydrothermal system of Ebeko volcano (Paramushir island) with more than 80 t/day of the chloride output and pH of springs of 1.5. At the summit part of the Ebeko volcano there are 12 thermal fields with the total thermal area exceeding 1 km2. The measured temperatures of fumaroles are from 98º C to 500ºC. Another type of hydrothermal activity are the wide spread coastal hot and neutral springs situated as a rule within the tide zone. Four groups of this type of thermal manifestation were found on the western shore of Shiashkotan island. It have Na-Ca-Cl-SO4 composition with temperatures 50-80°C and TDS 7-8 g/L. Coastal neutral springs were found also on Russhua, Uturup and Kunashir islands. Ushishir volcano-hydrothermal system in the middle of the arc is formed by the absorption of magmatic gases by seawater. In the crater of the Pallas cone (Ketoy island) there is a small Glazok lake with acid SO4 water and pH=2.4, TDS=2g/L, T=12oC. Ketoy volcano on the same island hosts a high temperature hydrothermal system with unusual boiling Ca-Na-SO4 neutral springs and steam vents. Mendeleev and Golovnin volcanoes on Kunashir Island are the southernmost of the Kuril arc. Mendeleev edifice is a centre of a large thermal area with many manifestations of different types including steam vents, acid springs and neutral coastal springs. In a 4.2x4 km wide caldera of Golovnin volcano there are two lakes with acid Cl-SO4 water and numerous

Archaeal and Bacterial Variation Across Geochemical Gradients in an Arsenic-Rich, Shallow Submarine Vent, Papua New Guinea

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer-Dombard, D. R.; Osburn, M. R.; Amend, J. P.

2005-12-01

Near the Feni Islands of Papua New Guinea, reduced hydrothermal fluids mix with seawater, establishing redox disequilibria that may serve as energy sources for chemotrophic Archaea and Bacteria. Of particular interest are elevated arsenite concentrations (1000 μg/L) in the vent water and arsenate-rich ferrihydrite deposits (up to 7 wt.%) that envelope the sediment and coral. In sediment pore waters out to > 200m from the vents, a steeply decreasing arsenic gradient is observed. To establish a baseline of microbial community composition at the vent fluid-seawater interface, bulk DNA was extracted from ferrihydrite coatings, then amplified (16S rRNA, targeting both Archaea and Bacteria), cloned, and sequenced. Red and green biofilms associated with the coatings revealed archaeal communities exclusively composed of deeply-branching, uncultured Crenarchaea. The bacterial members of the community differed in the two biofilms; the red biofilm is primarily composed of gamma Proteobacteria, Chloroflexis, and Planctomycetes, but 60% of clones from the green biofilm community affiliates with the alpha Proteobacteria and candidate group OP11. The remaining portion of the bacterial community in the red coating is made of Thermotogales, Aquificales, Thermales phylotypes and uncultured Bacteria, while OP10, Chloroflexis and Plantomycetales complete the community in the green coatings. No clones associating with thermophilic bacterial groups were found in the green coatings. To provide a comparison to the vent source communities, a sediment core was taken 2.5m from the vent and two depths (10 and 40cm) were analyzed by similar molecular analysis. In both core horizons, the archaeal community is composed of > 75% uncultured Crenarchaea, similar to phylotypes found in deep-sea and terrestrial hydrothermal locations, with the remainder of the communities from known crenarchaeal phylotypes. The bacterial communities are primarily Chloroflexis and gamma Proteobacteria-like phylotypes

Coastal submarine hydrothermal activity off northern Baja California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidal, V.M.V.; Vidal, F.V.; Isaacs, J.D.; Young, D.R.

1978-01-01

In situ observations of submarine hydrothermal activity have been conducted in Punta Banda. Baja Califronia, Mexico, approximately 400 m from the coast and at a seawater depth of 30 m. The hydrothermal activity occurs within the Agua Blanca Fault, a major transverse structure of Northern Baja California. Hot springwater samples have been collected and analyzed. Marked differences exist between the submarine hot springwater, local land hot springwaters, groundwater, and local seawater. SiO 2 , HCO 3 , Ca, K, Li, B, Ba, Rb, Fe, Mn, As, and Zn are enriched in the submarine hot springwater, while Cl, Na, So 4 2 , Mg, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr, and perhaps Pb are depleted in relation to average and local seawater values. Very high temperatures, at the hydrothermal vents, have been recorded (102 0 C at 4-atm pressure). Visible gaseous emanations rich in CH 4 and N 2 coexist with the hydrothermal solutions. Metalliferous deposits, pyrite, have been encountered with high concentrations of Fe, S, Si, Al, Mn, Ca, and the volatile elements As, Hg, Sb, and Tl, X ray dispersive spectrometry (1500-ppm detection limit). X ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy of the isolated metalliferous precipitates indicate that the principal products of precipitation are pyrite and gypsum accompanied by minor amounts of amorphous material containing Si and Al. Chemical analyses and XRD of the reference control rocks of the locality (volcanics) versus the hydrothermally altered rocks indicate that high-temperature and high-pressure water-rock interactions can in part explain the water chemistry characteristics of the submarine hydrothermal waters. Their long residence time, the occurrence of an extensive marine sedimentary formation, their association with CH 4 and their similarities with connate waters of oil and gas fields suggest that another component of their genesis could be in cation exchange reactions within deeply buried sediments of marine origin

Seismic Velocity Variation and Evolution of the Upper Oceanic Crust across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 1.3°S

Science.gov (United States)

Jian, H.; Singh, S. C.

2017-12-01

The oceanic crust that covers >70% of the solid earth is formed at mid-ocean ridges, but get modified as it ages. Understanding the evolution of oceanic crust requires investigations of crustal structures that extend from zero-age on the ridge axis to old crust. In this study, we analyze a part of a 2000-km-long seismic transect that crosses the Mid-Atlantic Ridge segment at 1.3°S, south of the Chain transform fault. The seismic data were acquired using a 12-km-long multi-sensor streamer and dense air-gun shots. Using a combination of downward continuation and seismic tomography methods, we have derived a high-resolution upper crustal velocity structure down to 2-2.5 km depth below the seafloor, from the ridge axis to 3.5 Ma on both sides of the ridge axis. The results demonstrate that velocities increase at all depths in the upper crust as the crust ages, suggesting that hydrothermal precipitations seal the upper crustal pore spaces. This effect is most significant in layer 2A, causing a velocity increase of 0.5-1 km/s after 1-1.5 Ma, beyond which the velocity increase is very small. Furthermore, the results exhibit a significant decrease in both the frequency and amplitude of the low-velocity anomalies associated with faults beyond 1-1.5 Ma, when faults become inactive, suggesting a linkage between the sealing of fault space and the extinction of hydrothermal activity. Besides, the off-axis velocities are systematically higher on the eastern side of the ridge axis compared to on the western side, suggesting that a higher hydrothermal activity should exist on the outside-corner ridge flank than on the inside-corner flank. While the tomography results shown here cover 0-3.5 Ma crust, the ongoing research will further extend the study area to older crust and also incorporating pre-stack migration and full waveform inversion methods to improve the seismic structure.

Comparative analyses of the bacterial community of hydrothermal deposits and seafloor sediments across Okinawa Trough

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Long; Yu, Min; Liu, Yan; Liu, Jiwen; Wu, Yonghua; Li, Li; Liu, Jihua; Wang, Min; Zhang, Xiao-Hua

2018-04-01

As an ideal place to study back-arc basins and hydrothermal eco-system, Okinawa Trough has attracted the interests of scientists for decades. However, there are still no in-depth studies targeting the bacterial community of the seafloor sediments and hydrothermal deposits in Okinawa Trough. In the present study, we reported the bacterial community of the surface deposits of a newly found hydrothermal field in the southern Okinawa Trough, and the horizontal and vertical variation of bacterial communities in the sediments of the northern Okinawa Trough. The hydrothermal deposits had a relatively high 16S rRNA gene abundance but low bacterial richness and diversity. Epsilonproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were predominant in hydrothermal deposits whereas Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Chloroflexi were abundant across all samples. The bacterial distribution in the seafloor of Okinawa Trough was significantly correlated to the content of total nitrogen, and had consistent relationship with total carbon. Gradual changes of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were found with the distance away from hydrothermal fields, while the hydrothermal activity did not influence the distribution of the major clades of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Higher abundance of the sulfur cycle related genes (aprA and dsrB), and lower abundance of the bacterial ammonia-oxidizing related gene (amoA) were quantified in hydrothermal deposits. In addition, the present study also compared the inter-field variation of Epsilonproteobacteria among multi-types of hydrothermal vents, revealing that the proportion and diversity of this clade were quite various.

Numerical Modeling of the Hydrothermal System at East Pacific Rise 9°50'N Including Anhydrite Precipitation

Science.gov (United States)

Kolandaivelu, K. P.; Lowell, R. P.

2015-12-01

To better understand the effects of anhydrite precipitation on mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems, we conducted 2-D numerical simulations of two-phase hydrothermal circulation in a NaCl-H2O fluid at the East Pacific Rise 9°50'N. The simulations were constrained by key observational thermal data and seismicity that suggests the fluid flow is primarily along axis with recharge focused into a small zone near a 4th order discontinuity. The simulations considered an open-top square box with a fixed seafloor pressure of 25 MPa, and nominal seafloor temperature of 10 °C. The sides of the box were assumed to be impermeable and insulated. We considered two models: a homogeneous model with a permeability of 10-13 m2 and a heterogeneous model in which layer 2A extrusives were given a higher permeability. Both models had a fixed bottom temperature distribution and initial porosity of 0.1. Assuming that anhydrite precipitation resulted from the decrease in solubility with increasing temperature as downwelling fluid gets heated, we calculated the rate of porosity decrease and sealing times in each cell at certain time snapshots in the simulations. The results showed that sealing would occur most rapidly in limited regions near the base of the high-temperature plumes, where complete sealing could occur on decadal time scales. Though more detailed analysis is needed, it appeared that the areas of rapid sealing would likely have negligible impact on the overall circulation pattern and hydrothermal vent temperatures. The simulations also indicated that sealing due to anhydrite precipitation would occur more slowly at the margins of the ascending plumes. The sealing times in the deep recharge zone determined in these simulations were considerably greater than estimated from 1D analytical calculations, suggesting that with a 2D model, focused recharge at the EPR 9°50'N site may occur, at least on a decadal time scale.

Water-rock interaction in the magmatic-hydrothermal system of Nisyros Island (Greece)

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrosio, Michele; Doveri, Marco; Fagioli, Maria Teresa; Marini, Luigi; Principe, Claudia; Raco, Brunella

2010-04-01

In this work, we investigated the water-rock interaction processes taking place in the hydrothermal reservoir of Nisyros through both: (1) a review of the hydrothermal mineralogy encountered in the deep geothermal borehole Nisyros-2; and (2) a comparison of the analytically-derived redox potentials and acidities of fumarolic-related liquids, with those controlled by redox buffers and pH buffers, involving hydrothermal mineral phases. The propylitic zone met in the deep geothermal borehole Nisyros-2, from 950 to 1547 m (total depth), is characterised by abundant, well crystallised epidote, adularia, albite, quartz, pyrite, chlorite, and sericite-muscovite, accompanied by less abundant anhydrite, stilpnomelane, wairakite, garnet, tremolite and pyroxene. These hydrothermal minerals were produced in a comparatively wide temperature range, from 230 to 300 °C, approximately. Hydrothermal assemblages are well developed from 950 to 1360 m, whereas they are less developed below this depth, probably due to low permeability. Based on the RH values calculated for fumarolic gases and for the deep geothermal fluids of Nisyros-1 and Nisyros-2 wells, redox equilibrium with the (FeO)/(FeO 1.5) rock buffer appears to be closely attained throughout the hydrothermal reservoir of Nisyros. This conclusion may be easily reconciled with the nearly ubiquitous occurrence of anhydrite and pyrite, since RH values controlled by coexistence of anhydrite and pyrite can be achieved by gas separation. The pH of the liquids feeding the fumarolic vents of Stephanos and Polybote Micros craters was computed, by means of the EQ3 code, based on the Cl- δD relationship which is constrained by the seawater-magmatic water mixing occurring at depth in the hydrothermal-magmatic system of Nisyros. The temperature dependence of analytically-derived pH values for the reservoir liquids feeding the fumarolic vents of Stephanos and Polybote Micros craters suggests that some unspecified pH buffer fixes the

Controls on ferromanganese crust composition and reconnaissance resource potential, Ninetyeast Ridge, Indian Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Hein, James; Conrad, Tracey A.; Mizell, Kira; Banakar, Virupaxa K.; Frey, Frederick A.; Sager, William W.

2016-01-01

A reconnaissance survey of Fe-Mn crusts from the 5000 km long (~31°S to 10°N) Ninetyeast Ridge (NER) in the Indian Ocean shows their widespread occurrence along the ridge as well as with water depth on the ridge flanks. The crusts are hydrogenetic based in growth rates and discrimination plots. Twenty samples from 12 crusts from 9 locations along the ridge were analyzed for chemical and mineralogical compositions, growth rates, and statistical relationships (Q-mode factor analysis, correlation coefficients) were calculated. The crusts collected are relatively thin (maximum 40 mm), and those analyzed varied from 4 mm to 32 mm. However, crusts as thick as 80 mm can be expected to occur based on the age of rocks that comprise the NER and the growth rates calculated here. Growth rates of the crusts increase to the north along the NER and with water depth. The increase to the north resulted from an increased supply of Mn from the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) to depths below the OMZ combined with an increased supply of Fe at depth from the dissolution of biogenic carbonate and from deep-sourced hydrothermal Fe. These increased supplies of Fe increased growth rates of the deeper-water crusts along the entire NER. Because of the huge terrigenous (rivers, eolian, pyroclastic) and hydrothermal (three spreading centers) inputs to the Indian Ocean, and the history of primary productivity, Fe-Mn crust compositions vary from those analyzed from open-ocean locations in the Pacific.

Cool seafloor hydrothermal springs reveal global geochemical fluxes

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Wheat, C. Geoffrey; Fisher, Andrew T.; McManus, James; Hulme, Samuel M.; Orcutt, Beth N.

2017-10-01

We present geochemical data from the first samples of spring fluids from Dorado Outcrop, a basaltic edifice on 23 M.y. old seafloor of the Cocos Plate, eastern Pacific Ocean. These samples were collected from the discharge of a cool hydrothermal system (CHS) on a ridge flank, where typical reaction temperatures in the volcanic crust are low (2-20 °C) and fluid residence times are short. Ridge-flank hydrothermal systems extract 25% of Earth's lithospheric heat, with a global discharge rate equivalent to that of Earth's river discharge to the ocean; CHSs comprise a significant fraction of this global flow. Upper crustal temperatures around Dorado Outcrop are ∼15 °C, the calculated residence time is V, U, Mg, phosphate, Si and Li are different. Applying these observed differences to calculated global CHS fluxes results in chemical fluxes for these ions that are ≥15% of riverine fluxes. Fluxes of K and B also may be significant, but better analytical resolution is required to confirm this result. Spring fluids also have ∼50% less dissolved oxygen (DO) than bottom seawater. Calculations of an analytical model suggest that the loss of DO occurs primarily (>80%) within the upper basaltic crust by biotic and/or abiotic consumption. This calculation demonstrates that permeable pathways within the upper crust can support oxic water-rock interactions for millions of years.

Comparative composition, diversity and trophic ecology of sediment macrofauna at vents, seeps and organic falls.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelo F Bernardino

Full Text Available Sediments associated with hydrothermal venting, methane seepage and large organic falls such as whale, wood and plant detritus create deep-sea networks of soft-sediment habitats fueled, at least in part, by the oxidation of reduced chemicals. Biological studies at deep-sea vents, seeps and organic falls have looked at macrofaunal taxa, but there has yet to be a systematic comparison of the community-level attributes of sediment macrobenthos in various reducing ecosystems. Here we review key similarities and differences in the sediment-dwelling assemblages of each system with the goals of (1 generating a predictive framework for the exploration and study of newly identified reducing habitats, and (2 identifying taxa and communities that overlap across ecosystems. We show that deep-sea seep, vent and organic-fall sediments are highly heterogeneous. They sustain different geochemical and microbial processes that are reflected in a complex mosaic of habitats inhabited by a mixture of specialist (heterotrophic and symbiont-associated and background fauna. Community-level comparisons reveal that vent, seep and organic-fall macrofauna are very distinct in terms of composition at the family level, although they share many dominant taxa among these highly sulphidic habitats. Stress gradients are good predictors of macrofaunal diversity at some sites, but habitat heterogeneity and facilitation often modify community structure. The biogeochemical differences across ecosystems and within habitats result in wide differences in organic utilization (i.e., food sources and in the prevalence of chemosynthesis-derived nutrition. In the Pacific, vents, seeps and organic-falls exhibit distinct macrofaunal assemblages at broad-scales contributing to ß diversity. This has important implications for the conservation of reducing ecosystems, which face growing threats from human activities.

Metabolic Profiling as a Screening Tool for Cytotoxic Compounds: Identification of 3-Alkyl Pyridine Alkaloids from Sponges Collected at a Shallow Water Hydrothermal Vent Site North of Iceland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eydis Einarsdottir

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Twenty-eight sponge specimens were collected at a shallow water hydrothermal vent site north of Iceland. Extracts were prepared and tested in vitro for cytotoxic activity, and eight of them were shown to be cytotoxic. A mass spectrometry (MS-based metabolomics approach was used to determine the chemical composition of the extracts. This analysis highlighted clear differences in the metabolomes of three sponge specimens, and all of them were identified as Haliclona (Rhizoniera rosea (Bowerbank, 1866. Therefore, these specimens were selected for further investigation. Haliclona rosea metabolomes contained a class of potential key compounds, the 3-alkyl pyridine alkaloids (3-APA responsible for the cytotoxic activity of the fractions. Several 3-APA compounds were tentatively identified including haliclamines, cyclostellettamines, viscosalines and viscosamines. Among these compounds, cyclostellettamine P was tentatively identified for the first time by using ion mobility MS in time-aligned parallel (TAP fragmentation mode. In this work, we show the potential of applying metabolomics strategies and in particular the utility of coupling ion mobility with MS for the molecular characterization of sponge specimens.

Plumbing the depths of Yellowstone's hydrothermal system from helicopter magnetic and electromagnetic data

Science.gov (United States)

Finn, C.; Bedrosian, P.; Holbrook, W. S.; Auken, E.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Hurwitz, S.; Sims, K. W. W.; Carr, B.; Dickey, K.

2017-12-01

Although Yellowstone's iconic hydrothermal systems and lava flows are well mapped at the surface, their groundwater flow systems and thickness are almost completely unknown. In order to track the geophysical signatures of geysers, hot springs, mud pots, steam vents, hydrothermal explosion craters and lava flows at depths to hundreds of meters, we collected helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic (HEM) data. The data cover significant portions of the caldera including a majority of the known thermal areas. HEM data constrain electrical resistivity which is sensitive to groundwater salinity and temperature, phase distribution (liquid-vapor), and clay formed during chemical alteration of rocks. The magnetic data are sensitive to variations in the magnetization of lava flows, faults and hydrothermal alteration. The combination of electromagnetic and magnetic data is ideal for mapping zones of cold fresh water, hot saline water, steam, clay, and altered and unaltered rock. Preliminary inversion of the HEM data indicates very low resistivity directly beneath the northern part of Yellowstone Lake, intersecting with the lake bottom in close correspondence with mapped vents, fractures and hydrothermal explosion craters and are also associated with magnetic lows. Coincident resistivity and magnetic lows unassociated with mapped alteration occur, for example, along the southeast edge of the Mallard Lake dome and along the northeastern edge of Sour Creek Dome, suggesting the presence of buried alteration. Low resistivities unassociated with magnetic lows may relate to hot and/or saline groundwater or thin (<50 m) layers of early lake sediments to which the magnetic data are insensitive. Resistivity and magnetic lows follow interpreted caldera boundaries in places, yet deviate in others. In the Norris-Mammoth Corridor, NNE-SSW trending linear resistivity and magnetic lows align with mapped faults. This pattern of coincident resistivity and magnetic lows may reflect fractures

Hydrothermal Exploration at the Chile Triple Junction - ABE's last adventure?

Science.gov (United States)

German, C. R.; Shank, T. M.; Lilley, M. D.; Lupton, J. E.; Blackman, D. K.; Brown, K. M.; Baumberger, T.; Früh-Green, G.; Greene, R.; Saito, M. A.; Sylva, S.; Nakamura, K.; Stanway, J.; Yoerger, D. R.; Levin, L. A.; Thurber, A. R.; Sellanes, J.; Mella, M.; Muñoz, J.; Diaz-Naveas, J. L.; Inspire Science Team

2010-12-01

In February and March 2010 we conducted preliminary exploration for hydrothermal plume signals along the East Chile Rise where it intersects the continental margin at the Chile Triple Junction (CTJ). This work was conducted as one component of our larger NOAA-OE funded INSPIRE project (Investigation of South Pacific Reducing Environments) aboard RV Melville cruise MV 1003 (PI: Andrew Thurber, Scripps) with all shiptime funded through an award of the State of California to Andrew Thurber and his co-PI's. Additional support came from the Census of Marine Life (ChEss and CoMarge projects). At sea, we conducted a series of CTD-rosette and ABE autonomous underwater vehicle operations to prospect for and determine the nature of any seafloor venting at, or adjacent to, the point where the the East Chile Rise subducts beneath the continental margin. Evidence from in situ sensing (optical backscatter, Eh) and water column analyses of dissolved CH4, δ3He and TDFe/TDMn concentrations document the presence of two discrete sites of venting, one right at the triple junction and the other a further 10km along axis, north of the Triple Junction, but still within the southernmost segment of the East Chile Rise. From an intercomparison of the abundance of different chemical signals we can intercompare likely characteristics of these differet source sites and also differentiate between them and the high methane concentrations released from cold seep sites further north along the Chile Margin, both with the CTJ region and also at the Concepcion Methane Seep Area (CMSA). This multi-disciplinary and international collaboration - involving scientists from Chile, the USA, Europe and Japan - can serve as an excellent and exciting launchpoint for wide-ranging future investigations of the Chile Triple Junction area - the only place on Earth where an oceanic spreading center is being actively subducted beneath a continent and also the only place on Earth where all known forms of deep

The Genome of Deep-Sea Vent Chemolithoautotroph Thiomicrospira crunogena XCL-2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, K M; Sievert, S M; Abril, F N; Ball, L A; Barrett, C J; Blake, R A; Boller, A J; Chain, P G; Clark, J A; Davis, C R; Detter, C; Do, K F; Dobrinski, K P; Faza, B I; Fitzpatrick, K A; Freyermuth, S K; Harmer, T L; Hauser, L J; Hugler, M; Kerfeld, C A; Klotz, M G; Kong, W W; Land, M; Lapidus, A; Larimer, F W; Longo, D L; Lucas, S; Malfatti, S A; Massey, S E; Martin, D D; McCuddin, Z; Meyer, F; Moore, J L; Ocampo Jr., L H; Paul, J H; Paulsen, I T; Reep, D K; Ren, Q; Ross, R L; Sato, P Y; Thomas, P; Tinkham, L E; Zerugh, G T

2007-01-10

Presented here is the complete genome sequence of Thiomicrospira crunogena XCL-2, representative of ubiquitous chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. This gammaproteobacterium has a single chromosome (2,427,734 bp), and its genome illustrates many of the adaptations that have enabled it to thrive at vents globally. It has 14 methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein genes, including four that may assist in positioning it in the redoxcline. A relative abundance of CDSs encoding regulatory proteins likely control the expression of genes encoding carboxysomes, multiple dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate transporters, as well as a phosphonate operon, which provide this species with a variety of options for acquiring these substrates from the environment. T. crunogena XCL-2 is unusual among obligate sulfur oxidizing bacteria in relying on the Sox system for the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds. A 38 kb prophage is present, and a high level of prophage induction was observed, which may play a role in keeping competing populations of close relatives in check. The genome has characteristics consistent with an obligately chemolithoautotrophic lifestyle, including few transporters predicted to have organic allocrits, and Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle CDSs scattered throughout the genome.

Elemental geochemical records of seafloor hydrothermal activities in the sediments from the Okinawa Trough

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHAI Shikui; YU Zenghui; DU Tongjun

2007-01-01

The major and minor element contents in the sediment core H9 from the hydrothermal fields of the Okinawa Trough show a sharp change at the depth of 80 cm. The elements enriched in the upper 80 cm core are those enriched in the hydrothermal deposits and in the surface sediments recovered from the hydrothermal fields in the trough, which indicates the input of hydrothermal materials. Comparing with other hydrothermal sediments from Mid-ocean Ridges or the Lau Basin, the degree of the enrichment of elements iron, copper, cobalt, and nickel is relatively low. However, the enrichment of elements manganese, lead, arsenic, antimony and mercury is remarkable. The average contents of these elements in the upper 80 cm core sediments are three to six times those in the lower section, and 3 ~ 12 times those in the surface sediments which are not influenced by hydrothermal activities. Hydrothermal activities have contributed significant manganese, lead, arsenic, antimony and mercury to the sediments, and these elements are distinct indicators for the hydrothermal activity in the Okinawa Trough. The significant enrichment of these elements in Core H9 upward from the depth 80 cm indicates the start or the significant enhancing of the hydrothermal activity in this area at about 5 740 aB. P. The average accumulation rate of manganese during this period is about 40 461 μg/( cm2 · ka), which is similar to the hydrothermal sediments in the Lau Basin or the East Pacific Rise.

Energy sources for chemolithotrophs in an arsenic- and iron-rich shallow-sea hydrothermal system.

Science.gov (United States)

Akerman, N H; Price, R E; Pichler, T; Amend, J P

2011-09-01

The hydrothermally influenced sediments of Tutum Bay, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea, are ideal for investigating the chemolithotrophic activities of micro-organisms involved in arsenic cycling because hydrothermal vents there expel fluids with arsenite (As(III)) concentrations as high as 950 μg L(-1) . These hot (99 °C), slightly acidic (pH ~6), chemically reduced, shallow-sea vent fluids mix with colder, oxidized seawater to create steep gradients in temperature, pH, and concentrations of As, N, Fe, and S redox species. Near the vents, iron oxyhydroxides precipitate with up to 6.2 wt% arsenate (As(V)). Here, chemical analyses of sediment porewaters from 10 sites along a 300-m transect were combined with standard Gibbs energies to evaluate the energy yields (-ΔG(r)) from 19 potential chemolithotrophic metabolisms, including As(V) reduction, As(III) oxidation, Fe(III) reduction, and Fe(II) oxidation reactions. The 19 reactions yielded 2-94 kJ mol(-1) e(-) , with aerobic oxidation of sulphide and arsenite the two most exergonic reactions. Although anaerobic As(V) reduction and Fe(III) reduction were among the least exergonic reactions investigated, they are still potential net metabolisms. Gibbs energies of the arsenic redox reactions generally correlate linearly with pH, increasing with increasing pH for As(III) oxidation and decreasing with increasing pH for As(V) reduction. The calculated exergonic energy yields suggest that micro-organisms could exploit diverse energy sources in Tutum Bay, and examples of micro-organisms known to use these chemolithotrophic metabolic strategies are discussed. Energy modeling of redox reactions can help target sampling sites for future microbial collection and cultivation studies. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Uranium accumulation in modern and ancient Fe-oxide sediments: Examples from the Ashadze-2 hydrothermal sulfide field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and Yubileynoe massive sulfide deposit (South Urals, Russia)

Science.gov (United States)

Ayupova, N. R.; Melekestseva, I. Yu.; Maslennikov, V. V.; Tseluyko, A. S.; Blinov, I. A.; Beltenev, V. E.

2018-05-01

Fe-oxyhydroxide sediments (gossans) from the Ashadze-2 hydrothermal sulfide field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and hematite-carbonate-quartz rocks (gossanites) from the Yubileynoe Cu-Zn VHMS deposit (South Urals) are characterized by anomalously high U contents (up to 352 ppm and 73 ppm, respectively). In gossans from the Ashadze-2 hydrothermal sulfide field, rare isometric anhedral uraninite grains (up to 2 μm) with outer P- and Ca-rich rims, and numerous smaller (<1 μm) grains, occur in Fe-oxyhydroxides and sepiolite, associated with pyrite, isocubanite, chalcopyrite, galena, atacamite and halite. In gossanites from the Yubileynoe deposit, numerous uraninite particles (<3 μm) are associated with apatite, V-rich Mg-chlorite, micro-nodules of pyrite, Se-bearing galena, hessite and acanthite in a hematite-carbonate-quartz matrix. Small (1-3 μm) round grains of uraninite, which locally coalesce to large grains up to 10 μm in size, are associated with authigenic chalcopyrite. The similar diagenetic processes of U accumulation in modern and ancient Fe-oxyhydroxide sediments were the result of U fixation from seawater during the oxidation of sulfide minerals. Uraninite in gossanites was mainly deposited from diagenetic pore fluids, which circulated in the sulfide-hyaloclast-carbonate sediments.

From Local to EXtreme Environments (FLEXE): Promoting Earth Systems Science Literacy Through Student Inquiry and Real Data

Science.gov (United States)

Goehring, E. C.; Carlsen, W.; Larsen, J.; Simms, E.; Smith, M.

2007-12-01

From Local to EXtreme Environments (FLEXE) is an innovative new project of the GLOBE Program that involves middle and high school students in systematic, facilitated analyses and comparisons of real environmental data. Through FLEXE, students collect and analyze data from various sources, including the multi-year GLOBE database, deep-sea scientific research projects, and direct measurements of the local environment collected by students using GLOBE sampling protocols. Initial FLEXE materials and training have focused on student understanding of energy transfer through components of the Earth system, including a comparison of how local environmental conditions differ from those found at deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities. While the importance of data acquisition, accuracy and replication is emphasized, FLEXE is also uniquely structured to deepen students' understanding of multiple aspects of the process and nature of science, including written communication of results and on-line peer review. Analyses of data are facilitated through structured, web-based interactions and culminating activities with at-sea scientists through an online forum. The project benefits from the involvement of a professional evaluator, and as the model is tested and refined, it may serve as a template for the inclusion of additional "extreme" earth systems. FLEXE is a partnership of the international GLOBE web- based education program and the NSF Ridge 2000 mid-ocean ridge and hydrothermal vent research program, and includes the expertise of the Center for Science and the Schools at Penn State University. International collaborators also include the InterRidge and ChEss international research programs.

Hydrothermal Solute Flux from Ebeko Volcanic Center, Paramushir, Kuril Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Taran, Y.; Kalacheva, E.; Kotenko, T.; Chaplygin, I.

2014-12-01

Ebeko volcano on the northern part of Paramushir Island, Northern Kurils, is characterized by frequent phreatic eruptions, a strong low-temperature fumarolic activity at the summit and was the object of comprehensive volcanological and geochemical studies during the last half a century. The volcanic center is composed of several Pleistocene volcanic structures aadjacent to Ebeko and hosts a hydrothermal system with a high outflow rate of hot SO4-Cl acidic water (Upper Yurieva springs) with the current maximum temperature of ~85oC, pH 1.3 and TDS ~ 10 g/L. All discharging thermal waters are drained by the Yurieva River to the Sea of Okhotsk. The hot springs have been changing in time, generally decreasing their activity from near boiling in 1960s, with TDS ~ 20 g/L and the presence of a small steaming field at the upper part of the ~ 700 m long discharging area, to a much lower discharge rate of main vents, lower temperature and the absence of the steaming ground. The spring chemistry did not react to the Ebeko volcanic activity (14 strong phreato-magmatic events during the last 60 years).The total measured outputs of chloride and sulfur from the system last time (2006-2010) were estimated on average as 730 g/s and 980 g/s, respectively, which corresponds to the equivalent fluxes of 64 t/d of HCl and 169 t/d of SO2. These values are higher than the fumarolic volatile output from Ebeko. The estimated discharge rate of hot (85oC) water from the system with ~ 3500 ppm of chloride is about 0.3 m3/s which is much higher than the thermal water discharge from El Chichon or Copahue volcano-hydrothermal systems and among the highest hot water natural outputs ever measured for a volcano-hydrothermal system. We also report the chemical composition (major and ~ 60 trace elements including REE) of water from the main hot spring vents and the Yurieva river mouth.

Iron and oxygen isotope signatures of the Pea Ridge and Pilot Knob magnetite-apatite deposits, southeast Missouri, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Childress, Tristan; Simon, Adam C.; Day, Warren C.; Lundstrom, Craig C.; Bindeman, Ilya N.

2016-01-01

New O and Fe stable isotope ratios are reported for magnetite samples from high-grade massive magnetite of the Mesoproterozoic Pea Ridge and Pilot Knob magnetite-apatite ore deposits and these results are compared with data for other iron oxide-apatite deposits to shed light on the origin of the southeast Missouri deposits. The δ18O values of magnetite from Pea Ridge (n = 12) and Pilot Knob (n = 3) range from 1.0 to 7.0 and 3.3 to 6.7‰, respectively. The δ56Fe values of magnetite from Pea Ridge (n = 10) and Pilot Knob (n = 6) are 0.03 to 0.35 and 0.06 to 0.27‰, respectively. These δ18O and the δ56Fe values suggest that magnetite crystallized from a silicate melt (typical igneous δ56Fe ranges 0.06–0.49‰) and grew in equilibrium with a magmatic-hydrothermal aqueous fluid. We propose that the δ18O and δ56Fe data for the Pea Ridge and Pilot Knob magnetite-apatite deposits are consistent with the flotation model recently proposed by Knipping et al. (2015a), which invokes flotation of a magmatic magnetite-fluid suspension and offers a plausible explanation for the igneous (i.e., up to ~15.9 wt % TiO2 in magnetite) and hydrothermal features of the deposits.

The scale of hydrothermal circulation of the Iheya-North field inferred from intensive heat flow measurements and ocean drilling

Science.gov (United States)

Masaki, Y.; Kinoshita, M.; Yamamoto, H.; Nakajima, R.; Kumagai, H.; Takai, K.

2014-12-01

Iheya-North hydrothermal field situated in the middle Okinawa trough backarc basin is one of the largest ongoing Kuroko deposits in the world. Active chimneys as well as diffuse ventings (maximum fluid temperature 311 °C) have been located and studied in detail through various geological and geophysical surveys. To clarify the spatial scale of the hydrothermal circulation system, intensive heat flow measurements were carried out and ~100 heat flow data in and around the field from 2002 to 2014. In 2010, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 331 was carried out, and subbottom temperature data were obtained around the hydrothermal sites. During the JAMSTEC R/V Kaiyo cruise, KY14-01 in 2014, Iheya-North "Natsu" and "Aki" hydrothermal fields were newly found. The Iheya-Noth "Natsu" and "Aki" sites are located 1.2 km and 2.6 km south from the Iheya-North original site, respectively, and the maximum venting fluid temperature was 317 °C. We obtained one heat flow data at the "Aki" site. The value was 17 W/m2. Currently, the relationship between these hydrothermal sites are not well known. Three distinct zones are identified by heat flow values within 3 km from the active hydrothermal field. They are high-heat flow zone (>1 W/m2; HHZ), moderate-heat-flow zone (1-0.1 W/m2; MHZ); and low-heat-flow zone (<0.1 W/m2; LHZ). With increasing distance east of the HHZ, heat flow gradually decreases towards MHZ and LHZ. In the LHZ, temperature at 37m below the seafloor (mbsf) was 6 °C, that is consistent with the surface low heat flow suggesting the recharge of seawater. However, between 70 and 90 mbsf, the coarser sediments were cored, and temperature increased from 25 °C to 40°C. The temperature was 905°C at 151 mbsf, which was measured with thermoseal strips. The low thermal gradient in the upper 40 m suggests downward fluid flow. We infer that a hydrothermal circulation in the scale of ~1.5 km horizontal vs. ~a few hundred meters vertical.

Explosive Volcanic Eruptions from Linear Vents on Earth, Venus and Mars: Comparisons with Circular Vent Eruptions

Science.gov (United States)

Glaze, Lori S.; Baloga, Stephen M.; Wimert, Jesse

2010-01-01

Conditions required to support buoyant convective plumes are investigated for explosive volcanic eruptions from circular and linear vents on Earth, Venus, and Mars. Vent geometry (linear versus circular) plays a significant role in the ability of an explosive eruption to sustain a buoyant plume. On Earth, linear and circular vent eruptions are both capable of driving buoyant plumes to equivalent maximum rise heights, however, linear vent plumes are more sensitive to vent size. For analogous mass eruption rates, linear vent plumes surpass circular vent plumes in entrainment efficiency approximately when L(sub o) > 3r(sub o) owing to the larger entrainment area relative to the control volume. Relative to circular vents, linear vents on Venus favor column collapse and the formation of pyroclastic flows because the range of conditions required to establish and sustain buoyancy is narrow. When buoyancy can be sustained, however, maximum plume heights exceed those from circular vents. For current atmospheric conditions on Mars, linear vent eruptions are capable of injecting volcanic material slightly higher than analogous circular vent eruptions. However, both geometries are more likely to produce pyroclastic fountains, as opposed to convective plumes, owing to the low density atmosphere. Due to the atmospheric density profile and water content on Earth, explosive eruptions enjoy favorable conditions for producing sustained buoyant columns, while pyroclastic flows would be relatively more prevalent on Venus and Mars. These results have implications for the injection and dispersal of particulates into the planetary atmosphere and the ability to interpret the geologic record of planetary volcanism.

Understanding vented gas explosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lautkaski, R. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Systems

1997-12-31

The report is an introduction to vented gas explosions for nonspecialists, particularly designers of plants for flammable gases and liquids. The phenomena leading to pressure generation in vented gas explosions in empty and congested rooms are reviewed. The four peak model of vented gas explosions is presented with simple methods to predict the values of the individual peaks. Experimental data on the external explosion of dust and gas explosions is discussed. The empirical equation relating the internal and external peak pressures in vented dust explosions is shown to be valid for gas explosion tests in 30 m{sup 3} and 550 m{sup 3} chambers. However, the difficulty of predicting the internal peak pressure in large chambers remains. Methods of explosion relief panel design and principles of vent and equipment layout to reduce explosion overpressures are reviewed. (orig.) 65 refs.

Understanding vented gas explosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lautkaski, R [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Systems

1998-12-31

The report is an introduction to vented gas explosions for nonspecialists, particularly designers of plants for flammable gases and liquids. The phenomena leading to pressure generation in vented gas explosions in empty and congested rooms are reviewed. The four peak model of vented gas explosions is presented with simple methods to predict the values of the individual peaks. Experimental data on the external explosion of dust and gas explosions is discussed. The empirical equation relating the internal and external peak pressures in vented dust explosions is shown to be valid for gas explosion tests in 30 m{sup 3} and 550 m{sup 3} chambers. However, the difficulty of predicting the internal peak pressure in large chambers remains. Methods of explosion relief panel design and principles of vent and equipment layout to reduce explosion overpressures are reviewed. (orig.) 65 refs.

Vented fuel experiment for gas-cooled fast reactor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longest, A.W.; Gat, U.; Conlin, J.A.; Campana, R.J.

1975-01-01

A pressure-equalized and vented fuel rod is being irradiated in an instrumented capsule designated GB-10 to approximately 100 MWd/kg-heavy metal. The fuel is a sol-gel derived 88 atom-percent uranium (approximately 9 percent 235 U) 12 atom-percent plutonium oxide, and the cladding is 20 percent cold-worked 316 stainless steel. The capsule is being irradiated in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR) and has exceeded a burnup of 70 MWd/kg. The fuel has been operated at linear power rates of 39 and 44 kW/ m, and peak outer cladding temperature of 565 0 and 630 0 C respectively. A similar fuel rod in a previous capsule (GB-9) was subjected to 48 kW/m (685 0 C). 4 references. (auth)

Recent developments in the thermophilic microbiology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

Science.gov (United States)

Miroshnichenko, Margarita L; Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Elizaveta A

2006-04-01

The diversity of thermophilic prokaryotes inhabiting deep-sea hot vents was actively studied over the last two decades. The ever growing interest is reflected in the exponentially increasing number of novel thermophilic genera described. The goal of this paper is to survey the progress in this field made in the years 2000-2005. In this period, representatives of several new taxa of hyperthermophilic archaea were obtained from deep-sea environments. Two of these isolates had phenotypic features new for this group of organisms: the presence of an outer cell membrane (the genus Ignicoccus) and the ability to grow anaerobically with acetate and ferric iron (the genus Geoglobus). Also, our knowledge on the diversity of thermophilic bacteria from deep-sea thermal environments extended significantly. The new bacterial isolates represented diverse bacterial divisions: the phylum Aquificae, the subclass Epsilonproteobacteria, the order Thermotogales, the families Thermodesulfobacteriaceae, Deferribacteraceae, and Thermaceae, and a novel bacterial phylum represented by the genus Caldithrix. Most of these isolates are obligate or facultative lithotrophs, oxidizing molecular hydrogen in the course of different types of anaerobic respiration or microaerobic growth. The existence and significant ecological role of some of new bacterial thermophilic isolates was initially established by molecular methods.

Finding a needle in the virus metagenome haystack--micro-metagenome analysis captures a snapshot of the diversity of a bacteriophage armoire.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Ray

Full Text Available Viruses are ubiquitous in the oceans and critical components of marine microbial communities, regulating nutrient transfer to higher trophic levels or to the dissolved organic pool through lysis of host cells. Hydrothermal vent systems are oases of biological activity in the deep oceans, for which knowledge of biodiversity and its impact on global ocean biogeochemical cycling is still in its infancy. In order to gain biological insight into viral communities present in hydrothermal vent systems, we developed a method based on deep-sequencing of pulsed field gel electrophoretic bands representing key viral fractions present in seawater within and surrounding a hydrothermal plume derived from Loki's Castle vent field at the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. The reduction in virus community complexity afforded by this novel approach enabled the near-complete reconstruction of a lambda-like phage genome from the virus fraction of the plume. Phylogenetic examination of distinct gene regions in this lambdoid phage genome unveiled diversity at loci encoding superinfection exclusion- and integrase-like proteins. This suggests the importance of fine-tuning lyosgenic conversion as a viral survival strategy, and provides insights into the nature of host-virus and virus-virus interactions, within hydrothermal plumes. By reducing the complexity of the viral community through targeted sequencing of prominent dsDNA viral fractions, this method has selectively mimicked virus dominance approaching that hitherto achieved only through culturing, thus enabling bioinformatic analysis to locate a lambdoid viral "needle" within the greater viral community "haystack". Such targeted analyses have great potential for accelerating the extraction of biological knowledge from diverse and poorly understood environmental viral communities.

D:L-Amino Acid Modeling Reveals Fast Microbial Turnover of Days to Months in the Subsurface Hydrothermal Sediment of Guaymas Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

Møller, Mikkel H; Glombitza, Clemens; Lever, Mark A; Deng, Longhui; Morono, Yuki; Inagaki, Fumio; Doll, Mechthild; Su, Chin-Chia; Lomstein, Bente A

2018-01-01

We investigated the impact of temperature on the microbial turnover of organic matter (OM) in a hydrothermal vent system in Guaymas Basin, by calculating microbial bio- and necromass turnover times based on the culture-independent D:L-amino acid model. Sediments were recovered from two stations near hydrothermal mounds (community of microorganisms in the hydrothermal sediment demonstrated short turnover times. The modeled turnover times of microbial bio- and necromass in the hydrothermal sediments were notably faster (biomass: days to months; necromass: up to a few hundred years) than in the cold sediments (biomass: tens of years; necromass: thousands of years), suggesting that temperature has a significant influence on the microbial turnover rates. We suggest that short biomass turnover times are necessary for maintance of essential cell funtions and to overcome potential damage caused by the increased temperature.The reduced OM quality at the hyrothemal sites might thus only allow for a small population size of microorganisms.

Biogeography and potential exchanges among the atlantic Equatorial belt cold-seep faunas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karine Olu

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Like hydrothermal vents along oceanic ridges, cold seeps are patchy and isolated ecosystems along continental margins, extending from bathyal to abyssal depths. The Atlantic Equatorial Belt (AEB, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Guinea, was one focus of the Census of Marine Life ChEss (Chemosynthetic Ecosystems program to study biogeography of seep and vent fauna. We present a review and analysis of collections from five seep regions along the AEB: the Gulf of Mexico where extensive faunal sampling has been conducted from 400 to 3300 m, the Barbados accretionary prism, the Blake ridge diapir, and in the Eastern Atlantic from the Congo and Gabon margins and the recently explored Nigeria margin. Of the 72 taxa identified at the species level, a total of 9 species or species complexes are identified as amphi-Atlantic. Similarity analyses based on both Bray Curtis and Hellinger distances among 9 faunal collections, and principal component analysis based on presence/absence of megafauna species at these sites, suggest that within the AEB seep megafauna community structure is influenced primarily by depth rather than by geographic distance. Depth segregation is observed between 1000 and 2000 m, with the middle slope sites either grouped with those deeper than 2000 m or with the shallower sites. The highest level of community similarity was found between the seeps of the Florida escarpment and Congo margin. In the western Atlantic, the highest degree of similarity is observed between the shallowest sites of the Barbados prism and of the Louisiana slope. The high number of amphi-atlantic cold-seep species that do not cluster according to biogeographic regions, and the importance of depth in structuring AEB cold-seep communities are the major conclusions of this study. The hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR did not appear as "stepping stones" for dispersal of the AEB seep fauna, however, the south MAR and off axis regions

Understanding the Compositional Variability of the Major Components of Hydrothermal Plumes in the Okinawa Trough

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhigang Zeng

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Studies of the major components of hydrothermal plumes in seafloor hydrothermal fields are critical for an improved understanding of biogeochemical cycles and the large-scale distribution of elements in the submarine environment. The composition of major components in hydrothermal plume water column samples from 25 stations has been investigated in the middle and southern Okinawa Trough. The physical and chemical properties of hydrothermal plume water in the Okinawa Trough have been affected by input of the Kuroshio current, and its influence on hydrothermal plume water from the southern Okinawa Trough to the middle Okinawa Trough is reduced. The anomalous layers of seawater in the hydrothermal plume water columns have higher K+, Ca2+, Mn2+, B3+, Ca2+/SO42-, and Mn2+/Mg2+ ratios and higher optical anomalies than other layers. The Mg2+, SO42-, Mg2+/Ca2+, and SO42-/Mn2+ ratios of the anomalous layers are lower than other layers in the hydrothermal plume water columns and are consistent with concentrations in hydrothermal vent fluids in the Okinawa Trough. This suggests that the chemical variations of hydrothermal plumes in the Tangyin hydrothermal field, like other hydrothermal fields, result in the discharge of high K+, Ca2+, and B3+ and low Mg2+ and SO42- fluid. Furthermore, element ratios (e.g., Sr2+/Ca2+, Ca2+/Cl− in hydrothermal plume water columns were found to be similar to those in average seawater, indicating that Sr2+/Ca2+ and Ca2+/Cl− ratios of hydrothermal plumes might be useful proxies for chemical properties of seawater. The hydrothermal K+, Ca2+, Mn2+, and B3+ flux to seawater in the Okinawa Trough is about 2.62–873, 1.04–326, 1.30–76.4, and 0.293–34.7 × 106 kg per year, respectively. The heat flux is about 0.159–1,973 × 105 W, which means that roughly 0.0006% of ocean heat is supplied by seafloor hydrothermal plumes in the Okinawa Trough.

Implications of spinel compositions for the petrotectonic history of abyssal peridotite from Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR)

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, T.; Jin, Z.; Wang, Y.; Tao, C.

2012-12-01

Abyssal peridotites generate at mid-ocean ridges. Lherzolite and harzburgite are the main rock types of peridotites in the uppermost mantle. The lherzolite subtype, less depleted and less common in ophiolites, characterizes mantle diapirs and slow-spreading ridges. Along the Earth's mid-ocean ridges, abyssal peridotites undergo hydration reactions to become serpentinite minerals, especially in slow to ultraslow spreading mid-ocean ridges. Spinel is common in small quantities in peridotites, and its compositions have often been used as petrogenetic indicators [1]. The Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is one of the two ultraslow spreading ridges in the world. The studied serpentinized peridotite sample was collected by the 21st Voyage of the Chinese oceanic research ship Dayang Yihao (aka Ocean No. 1) from a hydrothermal field (63.5°E, 28.0°S, and 3660 m deep) in SWIR. The studied spinels in serpentinized lherzolite have four zones with different compositions: relic, unaltered core is magmatic Al-spinels; micro- to nano- sized ferrichromite zoned particles; narrow and discontinuous magnetite rim; and chlorite aureoles. The values Cr# of the primary Al-spinels indicate the range of melting for abyssal peridotites from SWIR extends from ~4% to ~7% [2]. The alteration rims of ferrichromite have a chemical composition characterized by Fe enrichment and Cr# increase indicating chromite altered under greenschist-amphibolite facies. Magnetites formed in syn- and post- serpentinization. Chlorite (clinochlore) formed at the boundary and crack of spinel indicating it had undergone with low-temperature MgO- and SiO2-rich hydrothermal fluids [3]. It suggests that serpentinized lherzolite from SWIR had undergone poly-stage hydration reactions with a wide range of temperature. Acknowledgments: EMPA experiment was carried out by Xihao Zhu and Shu Zheng in The Second Institute of Oceanography and China University of Geosciences, respectively. The work was supported by NSFC

Vented fuel experiment for gas-cooled fast reactor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longest, A.W.; Gat, U.; Conlin, J.A.; Campana, R.J.

1976-01-01

A pressure-equalized and vented fuel rod is being irradiated in an instrumented capsule designated GB-10 to approximately 100MWd/kg-heavy metal. The fuel is a sol-gel-derived 88 at.% uranium (approximately 9% 235 U) and 12 at.% plutonium oxide, and the cladding is 20% cold-worked 316 stainless steel. The capsule is being irradiated in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR) and has exceeded a burnup of 70MWd/kg. The fuel has been operated at linear power rates of 39 and 44kW/m, and peak outer cladding temperature of 565 and 630 0 C respectively. A similar fuel rod in a previous capsule (GB-9) was subjected to 48kW/m (685 0 C). Helium gas sweeps through any portion of the three regions of the fuel rod, namely: fuel, blanket, and charcoal trap. The charcoal trap is operated at about 300 0 C. An on-line Ge(Li) detector is used to analyse release rates of several gamma-emitting noble gas isotopes. Analyses are performed primarily on sweep gas flowing through the entire fuel rod, and for sweeps over the top of the charcoal trap. Sweep gas samples are analyzed for stable noble gas isotopes. Results in the form of ratios of release rate over birth rate (R/B) and venting rate over birth rate (V/B) are derived. R/B rates range from 10 -4 % to 30% while V/B ranges from 10 -6 % to 30%. Flow conductance in the capsule was monitored by recording the flow rate and pressure drop across the fuel rod and inlet sweep line. The flow conductance has been falling with increasing burnup, currently restricting the flow to about 20ml (s.t.p.)/min at a pressure difference of about 1.5MPa. Venting rates of the gaseous fission products as a function of gas pressure in the range 6.9 to 1.4MPa have also been measured. Planned future experiments include the monitoring of tritium release, venting and cladding permeation rates, and its molecular form. First measurements have been made. A simulated leak experiment will determine the mixture of fission gases as a function of flow rate and the most

The metatranscriptome of a deep-sea hydrothermal plume is dominated by water column methanotrophs and lithotrophs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lesniewski, Ryan A; Jain, Sunit; Anantharaman, Karthik; Schloss, Patrick D; Dick, Gregory J

2012-12-01

Microorganisms mediate geochemical processes in deep-sea hydrothermal vent plumes, which are a conduit for transfer of elements and energy from the subsurface to the oceans. Despite this important microbial influence on marine geochemistry, the ecology and activity of microbial communities in hydrothermal plumes is largely unexplored. Here, we use a coordinated metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approach to compare microbial communities in Guaymas Basin hydrothermal plumes to background waters above the plume and in the adjacent Carmen Basin. Despite marked increases in plume total RNA concentrations (3-4 times) and microbially mediated manganese oxidation rates (15-125 times), plume and background metatranscriptomes were dominated by the same groups of methanotrophs and chemolithoautotrophs. Abundant community members of Guaymas Basin seafloor environments (hydrothermal sediments and chimneys) were not prevalent in the plume metatranscriptome. De novo metagenomic assembly was used to reconstruct genomes of abundant populations, including Marine Group I archaea, Methylococcaceae, SAR324 Deltaproteobacteria and SUP05 Gammaproteobacteria. Mapping transcripts to these genomes revealed abundant expression of genes involved in the chemolithotrophic oxidation of ammonia (amo), methane (pmo) and sulfur (sox). Whereas amo and pmo gene transcripts were abundant in both plume and background, transcripts of sox genes for sulfur oxidation from SUP05 groups displayed a 10-20-fold increase in plumes. We conclude that the biogeochemistry of Guaymas Basin hydrothermal plumes is mediated by microorganisms that are derived from seawater rather than from seafloor hydrothermal environments such as chimneys or sediments, and that hydrothermal inputs serve as important electron donors for primary production in the deep Gulf of California.

Mesonerilla neridae, n. sp. (Nerillidae): First meiofaunal annelid from deep-sea hydrothermal vents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Worsaae, Katrine; Rouse, Greg W

2009-01-01

Though most common in coastal sandy bottoms, nerillid annelids have been found in a broad variety of habitats around the world and two genera have previously been reported from the deep sea. During a cruise to the southern East Pacific Rise and northern Pacific Antarctic Ridge (near Easter Island...

Mid Ocean Ridge Processes at Very Low Melt Supply : Submersible Exploration of Smooth Ultramafic Seafloor at the Southwest Indian Ridge, 64 degree E

Science.gov (United States)

Cannat, M.; Agrinier, P.; Bickert, M.; Brunelli, D.; Hamelin, C.; Lecoeuvre, A.; Lie Onstad, S.; Maia, M.; Prampolini, M.; Rouméjon, S.; Vitale Brovarone, A.; Besançon, S.; Assaoui, E. M.

2017-12-01

Mid-ocean ridges are the Earth's most extensive and active volcanic chains. They are also, particularly at slow spreading rates, rift zones, where plate divergence is in part accommodated by faults. Large offset normal faults, also called detachments, are characteristic of slow-spreading ridges, where they account for the widespread emplacement of mantle-derived rocks at the seafloor. In most cases, these detachments occur together with ridge magmatism, with melt injection and faulting interacting to shape the newly formed oceanic lithosphere. Here, we seek to better understand these interactions and their effects on oceanic accretion by studying the end-member case of a ridge where magmatism is locally almost absent. The portion of the Southwest Indian ridge we are studying has an overal low melt supply, focused to discrete axial volcanoes, leaving almost zero melt to intervening sections of the axial valley. One of these nearly amagmatic section of the ridge, located at 64°E, has been the focus of several past cruises (sampling, mapping and seismic experiments). Here we report on the most recent cruise to the area (RV Pourquoi Pas? with ROV Victor; dec-jan 2017), during which we performed high resolution mapping, submersible exploration and sampling of the ultramafic seafloor and of sparse volcanic formations. Our findings are consistent with the flip-flop detachment hypothesis proposed for this area by Sauter et al. (Nature Geosciences, 2013; ultramafic seafloor forming in the footwall of successive detachment faults, each cutting into the footwall of the previous fault, with an opposite polarity). Our observations also document the extent and geometry of deformation in the footwall of a young axial detachment, the role of mass-wasting for the evolution of this detachment, and provide spectacular evidence for serpentinization-related hydrothermal circulation and for spatial links between faults and volcanic eruptions.