Deep high-temperature hydrothermal circulation in a detachment faulting system on the ultra-slow spreading ridge

Chunhui Tao, W. E. Seyfried, R. P. Lowell, Yunlong Liu, Jin Liang, Zhikui Guo, Kang Ding, Huatian Zhang, Jia Liu, Lei Qiu, Igor Egorov, Shili Liao, Minghui Zhao, Jianping Zhou, Xianming Deng, Huaiming Li, Hanchuang Wang, Wei Cai, Guoyin Zhang, Hongwei ZhouJian Lin, Wei Li

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Abstract

Coupled magmatic and tectonic activity plays an important role in high-temperature hydrothermal circulation at mid-ocean ridges. The circulation patterns for such systems have been elucidated by microearthquakes and geochemical data over a broad spectrum of spreading rates, but such data have not been generally available for ultra-slow spreading ridges. Here we report new geophysical and fluid geochemical data for high-temperature active hydrothermal venting at Dragon Horn area (49.7°E) on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Twin detachment faults penetrating to the depth of 13 ± 2 km below the seafloor were identified based on the microearthquakes. The geochemical composition of the hydrothermal fluids suggests a long reaction path involving both mafic and ultramafic lithologies. Combined with numerical simulations, our results demonstrate that these hydrothermal fluids could circulate ~ 6 km deeper than the Moho boundary and to much greater depths than those at Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse and Logachev-1 hydrothermal fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number1300
JournalNature communications
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 10 2020

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