Observations collected by AUV Sentry, ROV Jason-II (Dec 2013, AT26-09) and submersible ALVIN (Dec 2014, AT26-24) on Dorado Outcrop; chemical composition of rock samples, discrete temperature data and long-term temperature and dissolved oxygen data

DOI

Two expeditions to Dorado Outcrop on the eastern flank of the East Pacific Rise and west of the Middle America Trench collected images, video, rocks, and sediment samples and measured temperature and fluid discharge rates to document the physical and biogeochemical characteristics of a regional, low‐temperature (~15 °C) hydrothermal system. Analysis of video and images identified lava morphologies: pillow, lobate, and sheet flows. Glasses from collected lavas were consistent with an off‐axis formation. Hydrothermal discharge generally occurs through pillow lavas but is patchy, sporadic, and sometimes ceases at particular sites of discharge. Yearlong temperature measurements at five of these discharge sites show daily ranges that oscillate with tidal frequencies by 6 °C or more. Instantaneous fluid discharge rates (0.16 to 0.19 L/s) were determined resulting in a calculated discharge of ~200 L/s when integrated over the area defined by the most robust fluid discharge. Such discharge has a power output of 10-12 MW. Hydrothermal seepage through thin sediment adjacent to the outcrop accounts for <3% of this discharge, but seepage may support an oxic sediment column. High extractable Mn concentrations and depleted δ13C in the low but variable organic solid phase suggest that hydrothermal fluids provide a source for manganese accumulation and likely enhance the oxidation of organic carbon. Comparisons of the physical and geochemical characteristics at Dorado and Baby Bare Outcrops, the latter being the only other site of ridge‐flank hydrothermal discharge that has been sampled directly, suggest commonalities and differences that have implications for future discoveries.

Supplement to: Wheat, C Geoffrey; Hartwell, Anne M; McManus, James; Fisher, Andrew T; Orcutt, Beth N; Schlicht, Lucy E M; Niedenzu, Sara; Bach, Wolfgang (2019): Geology and fluid discharge at Dorado Outcrop, a low temperature ridge-flank hydrothermal system. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 20(1), 487-504

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.900771
Related Identifier IsSupplementTo https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GC007933
Metadata Access https://ws.pangaea.de/oai/provider?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=datacite4&identifier=oai:pangaea.de:doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.900771
Provenance
Creator Wheat, C Geoffrey ORCID logo; Hartwell, Anne M ORCID logo; McManus, James; Fisher, Andrew T ORCID logo; Orcutt, Beth N; Schlicht, Lucy E M; Niedenzu, Sara; Bach, Wolfgang ORCID logo
Publisher PANGAEA
Publication Year 2019
Rights Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
OpenAccess true
Representation
Resource Type Supplementary Publication Series of Datasets; Collection
Format application/zip
Size 18 datasets
Discipline Geology; Geosciences; Geospheric Sciences; Natural Sciences
Spatial Coverage (-87.116W, 9.000S, 87.111E, 9.099N)
Temporal Coverage Begin 2013-12-08T00:00:00Z
Temporal Coverage End 2014-12-11T00:00:00Z