SWIMAR – The role of ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems in the formation of seafloor deposits: comparison between SWIR and MAR fields / 超基性岩系海底熱泉系統於海床熱液礦床扮演之角色:以 SWIR 及 MAR 熱泉系統相互比較為例
The project brings together researchers in Mainland China, Macao and Europe to investigate the role of ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems in the formation of massive sulphide deposits. The project provides an excellent opportunity to combine samples from ultramafic fields from MAR, collected by the European partners, and from SWIR, collected by the Chinese partners, to take a comparative and original approach to this question.
The discovery of hydrothermal fields on the seafloor was one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the last century. However, despite the incredible progresses made over the last few decades, still little is known about how mineral deposits associated with hydrothermal systems are formed on the seafloor. This lack of knowledge is even more pronounced for ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems, likely to hold more significant mineral deposits than basalt-hosted systems. This project aims to contribute to (1) our understanding of the geochemical and mineralogical changes that take place within hydrothermal systems, (2) clarify the role of serpentinization reactions in the formation of mineral deposits and (3) provide new insights into the formation of seafloor massive sulphide deposits, characterizing the main differences between mafic and ultramafic hydrothermal systems. Moreover, by characterizing the chemical processes operating in ultramafic hydrothermal settings, the project aims to contribute towards the development of new survey geochemical methods to be used in the detection of ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal fields.
Liao S, Tao C, Dias Á A, Su X, Yang Z, Ni, Liang J, Yang W, Liu J, Li W, Dong C (2019) Surface sediment composition and distribution of hydrothermal derived elements at the Duanqiao-1 hydrothermal field, Southwest Indian Ridge. Marine Geology. 416, 105975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2019.105975
Dias ÁA, Costa P, Marques AF, Ribeiro L, Madureira P, Calado A, Gonçalves E & Morato T (2019) Geochemistry of Fe-Si-(Mn) Chimneys from Luso Vent Field, MAR. Goldschmidt2019. 416, 10i. Barcelona (August). https://goldschmidt.info/2019/abstracts/abstractView?id=2019003072
Costa P and Dias Á A. (2019) Hydrothermal Fe-Mn deposits from low-temperature systems of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. InterRidge Workshop on Hydrothermal Ore-forming Processes, Hangzhou (September)
Qiu W, Dias Á A, Barriga F, Tao C (2019) Sulfide mineralization of the Saldanha hydrothermal field (MAR): constraints from sulfur isotope in-situ microanalysis. InterRidge Workshop on Hydrothermal Ore-forming Processes, Hangzhou (September)
Qiu W, Dias Á A, Costa P (2019) Hydrothermal Field at Mid-Atlantic Ridge, near Azores (Portugal): new perspective with the SWIMAR project. The 17th annual academic conference on Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry, No.11-7. Hangzhou, China