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Origin of High- to Low-Temperature Seafloor Deposits: News from Mineralogy...
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Origin of High- to Low-Temperature Seafloor Deposits: News from Mineralogy and Geochemistry

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 March 2023) | Viewed by 6459

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irina Yu. Melekestseva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology, Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432 Miass, Russia
Interests: seafloor massive sulfides; trace elements; formation conditions; mineralogical–geochemical features; precious metals
Prof. Dr. Valeriy Maslennikov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology, Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432 Miass, Russia
Interests: seafloor massive sulfides; massive sulfide deposits; gold deposits; trace elements; LA-ICP-MS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It has been more than a half of century since the discovery of the first hydrothermal sulfide vent site and areas with Fe–Mn nodules and crusts. Despite the long history of seafloor deposit studies, however, seafloor mineral deposits are still of great interest to scientists, with increasingly more questions arising concerning their origin. In fact, these deposits are even more important today due to their economic potential for base (Cu, Zn, Pb), precious (Au, Ag), or critical (Ga, Ge, In, Cd, REEs, etc.) metals. Each seafloor deposit exhibits unique features, which improve our understanding of the formation conditions of seafloor hydrothermal/hydrogenetic/diagenetic systems worldwide.

This Special Issue aims to provide a new reference on mineralogical and geochemical features of shallow-to-deep seafloor massive sulfide deposits, low-temperature (sulfate, carbonate, Fe-oxihydroxide, etc.) hydrothermal fields, Fe–Mn nodules and crusts, and associated host rocks. One of the key issues, especially for the possibility of seafloor mining, is the mode of occurrence of trace (including valuable or deleterious) elements. As Guest Editors, we warmly welcome all researchers to share the most thrilling results of studies of seafloor mineral deposits with the world scientific community.

Dr. Irina Yu. Melekestseva
Prof. Dr. Valeriy Maslennikov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine mineral deposits
  • seafloor massive sulfides
  • low-temperature hydrothermal fields
  • Fe–Mn nodules and crusts
  • hydrothermal fluids
  • trace elements
  • base and precious metals
  • toxic and deleterious metals
  • critical metals

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 70616 KiB  
Article
Trace Element Assemblages of Pseudomorphic Iron Oxyhydroxides of the Pobeda-1 Hydrothermal Field, 17°08.7′ N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge: The Development of a Halmyrolysis Model from LA-ICP-MS Data
by Valeriy V. Maslennikov, Georgy A. Cherkashov, Anna V. Firstova, Nuriya R. Ayupova, Victor E. Beltenev, Irina Yu. Melekestseva, Dmitry A. Artemyev, Aleksandr S. Tseluyko and Ivan A. Blinov
Minerals 2023, 13(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13010004 - 20 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1628
Abstract
Halmyrolysis, as one of the global processes of alteration of seafloor hydrothermal sediments, needs to be recognized in terms of mineral and trace element evolution to elaborate new criteria for metallogenic and geoecological forecasts with respect to ocean exploration. The purpose of this [...] Read more.
Halmyrolysis, as one of the global processes of alteration of seafloor hydrothermal sediments, needs to be recognized in terms of mineral and trace element evolution to elaborate new criteria for metallogenic and geoecological forecasts with respect to ocean exploration. The purpose of this paper is to explain trace elements’ behavior during the halmyrolysis of sulfide deposits. This task is resolved using an LA-ICP-MS analysis of iron oxyhydroxides (IOHs) on examples of oxidized pyrrhotite-rich diffusers of the ultramafic-hosted Pobeda-1 hydrothermal field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge). The IOHs formed after the sulfides were enriched in seawater-derived trace elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, P, U, Mo, V, REE, Cr). Six trace element assemblages (TEAs) are statistically recognized for the IOHs. TEA-I (Cu, In, Sn, Bi, Se, Te) is inherited from chalcopyrite, isocubanine and bornite microinclusions. TEA-II is typical of Zn sulfides (Zn, Cd, Sb, Tl, Ag) interacted with seawater (Mg, U, Mo, Ni, Na, K) and hydrothermal fluid (Eu). TEA-III (Ca, Sr, Cu, Si, Se, P, As) reflects the inclusions of aragonite, opal, atacamite and possibly native selenium, while P and As occur as absorbed oxyanion groups on IOHs or Ca–Fe hydroxyphosphates. TEA-IV (Al, Ga, Ge, Tl, W, Ti ± Mn, Co, Ba) indicates the presence of minor clays, Co-rich Mn oxyhydroxides and barite. TEA-V with Pb and V is closely related to TEA-VI with REEs except for Eu. The halmyrolysis of sulfides includes two stages: (i) oxidation of S(II) of primary sulfides and the formation of supergene sulfides, which scavenge the redox-sensitive elements (e.g., U, Mo, Ni, Eu), and (ii) oxidation of Fe (II) to Fe (III) and absorption of most elements of TEAs III, IV, V and VI by IOHs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Origin of High- to Low-Temperature Seafloor Deposits: News from Mineralogy and Geochemistry)
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40 pages, 11268 KiB  
Article
The Heavy-Metal Fingerprint of the Irinovskoe Hydrothermal Sulfide Field, 13°20′ N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
by Irina Melekestseva, Vasiliy Kotlyarov, Gennadiy Tret’yakov, Vladimir Shilovskikh, Pavel Khvorov, Elena Belogub, Victor Beltenev, Kseniya Filippova and Sergey Sadykov
Minerals 2022, 12(12), 1626; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121626 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2328
Abstract
A number of Cd-, Pb-, Ag- and Sb(±As)-bearing minerals are found in the Zn-rich smoker chimneys of the Irinovskoe hydrothermal sulfide field, 13°20′ N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Sulfide samples were studied using optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, XRD, EBDS, ICP-MS and thermodynamic approaches. The chimneys consist [...] Read more.
A number of Cd-, Pb-, Ag- and Sb(±As)-bearing minerals are found in the Zn-rich smoker chimneys of the Irinovskoe hydrothermal sulfide field, 13°20′ N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Sulfide samples were studied using optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, XRD, EBDS, ICP-MS and thermodynamic approaches. The chimneys consist of major sphalerite (including Cd-bearing type with up to 41.38 wt% Cd) and wurtzite, subordinate opal, pyrite, chalcopyrite and Fe-oxyhydroxides, as well as accessory native sulfur, baryte, secondary copper sulfides, galena, CdS phase (most likely hawleyite), pyrrhotite, isocubanite, acanthite, Ag–Cu–Sb(±As)-bearing minerals, native gold, anglesite, gypsum, smectites, naumannite and lollingite. The main source of metals for the formation of Zn-rich sulfides was mafic rocks, with a subordinate role from ultramafic rocks. Crystallization of most accessory minerals at low temperatures (<120 °C) under acidic/reducing conditions and low S activity could be initiated by a magmatic input, which is supported by a negative S isotopic composition of bulk sulfide samples. The finding of Cd-rich sphalerite and a CdS phase in low-temperature mineral assemblage significantly expands the temperature limits of their possible formation. The high Cd contents of easily soluble sphalerite and the presence of the CdS phase should be taken into account in possible future mining and processing of seafloor hydrothermal sulfide fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Origin of High- to Low-Temperature Seafloor Deposits: News from Mineralogy and Geochemistry)
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24 pages, 12299 KiB  
Article
New Data for the Internal Structure of Ultramafic Hosted Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS) Deposits: Case Study of the Semenov-5 Hydrothermal Field (13°31′ N, MAR)
by Anna Firstova, Georgy Cherkashov, Tamara Stepanova, Anna Sukhanova, Irina Poroshina and Victor Bel’tenev
Minerals 2022, 12(12), 1593; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121593 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1627
Abstract
The internal structure of Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS) deposits is one of the most important and complex issues facing the study of modern hydrothermal ore systems. The Semenov-5 hydrothermal field is a unique area where mass wasting on the slope of the oceanic [...] Read more.
The internal structure of Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS) deposits is one of the most important and complex issues facing the study of modern hydrothermal ore systems. The Semenov-5 hydrothermal field is a unique area where mass wasting on the slope of the oceanic core complex (OCC) structure exposes the subsurface portion of the deposit and offers an exceptional opportunity to observe massive sulfides that have formed not only on the seafloor but in sub-seafloor zones as well. This paper examines the internal structure of the OCC-related Semenov-5 hydrothermal field along with analysis of the mineralogy and chemistry of different parts of sulfide deposit. The seafloor deposit is comprised of pyrite, marcasite, hematite, goethite, lepidocrocite, rare pyrrhotite, isocubanite and Co-rich pyrite. Sulfide chemistry indicates the prevailing influence of ultramafics on their composition irrespective of the spatial relation with basalt lavas. Sub-seafloor mineralization is associated with ultramafic rocks and is represented by massive and disseminated sulfides. Pyrrhotite, isocubanite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, Co-rich pyrite, quartz with rutile, quarts with hematite and Cr-spinels are fixed in massive subseafloor mineralization. The presence of Cr-spinels as well as a very high Cr content are regarded as indicators of the metasomatic nature of this part of the deposit that had formed as a result of ultramafic replacement. As a result, three zones of a hydrothermal ore-forming system have been described: massive sulfides precipitated from hot vents on the surface of the seafloor, massive sulfides formed due to replacement of ultramafics below the seafloor and disseminated sulfide mineralization-filled cracks in hosted rocks which have formed stockwork around metasomatic massive sulfides. Despite differences in the mineral and geochemical composition of sub-seafloor and seafloor mineralization, all minerals subject to the sample formed as a consequence of fluid circulation in ultramafic rocks and were linked by a common ore-forming process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Origin of High- to Low-Temperature Seafloor Deposits: News from Mineralogy and Geochemistry)
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