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Article Dans Une Revue Diversity of Hydrothermal Systems on Slow Spreading Ocean Ridges. (2010), Geophys. Monogr. Ser. Année : 2010

The magnetic signature of hydrothermal systems in slow spreading environments

Maurice A. Tivey
  • Fonction : Auteur
Jérôme Dyment

Résumé

Slow spreading mid-ocean ridges like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge host a remarkable diversity of hydrothermal systems including vent systems located on the neovolcanic axis, large axial volcanoes, in transform faults and nontransform offsets, and associated with low-angle detachment faults, now recognized as a major tectonic feature of slow spreading environments. Hydrothermal systems are hosted in various lithologies from basalt to serpentinized peridotite and exposed lower oceanic crust. The substantial variations of hydrothermal processes active in these environments have important implications for the magnetic structure of oceanic crust and upper mantle. Hydrothermal processes can both destroy the magnetic minerals in basalt, diabase, and gabbro and create magnetic minerals by serpentinization of ultramafic rocks and deposition of magnetic minerals. We report on the diversity of magnetic anomaly signatures over the vent systems at slow spreading ridges and show that the lateral scale of hydrothermal alteration is fundamentally a local phenomenon. This highly focused process leads to magnetic anomalies on the scale of individual vent fields, typically a few hundreds of meters or less in size. To detect such features, high-resolution, near-bottom magnetic surveys are required rather than sea surface surveys. High-resolution surveys are now more tractable with deep-towed systems, dynamically positioned ships, and with the recent development of autonomous underwater vehicles, which allow detailed mapping of the seafloor on a scale relevant to hydrothermal activity. By understanding these present-day active hydrothermal systems, we can explore for yet to be discovered buried deposits preserved off-axis, both to determine past history of hydrothermal activity and for resource assessment.

Dates et versions

insu-03605354 , version 1 (11-03-2022)

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Citer

Maurice A. Tivey, Jérôme Dyment. The magnetic signature of hydrothermal systems in slow spreading environments. Diversity of Hydrothermal Systems on Slow Spreading Ocean Ridges. (2010), Geophys. Monogr. Ser., 2010, 188, pp.43-66. ⟨10.1029/2008GM000773⟩. ⟨insu-03605354⟩
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