Genesis and transformation of metalliferous sediments from the East Pacific Rise, Bauer Deep, and Central Basin, northwest Nazca plate

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 1977 Genesis and transformation of metalliferous sediments from the East Pacific Rise, Bauer Deep, and Central Basin, northwest Nazca plate G. ROSS HEATH; G. ROSS HEATH 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar JACK DYMOND JACK DYMOND 2School of Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1977) 88 (5): 723–733. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1977)88<723:GATOMS>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation G. ROSS HEATH, JACK DYMOND; Genesis and transformation of metalliferous sediments from the East Pacific Rise, Bauer Deep, and Central Basin, northwest Nazca plate. GSA Bulletin 1977;; 88 (5): 723–733. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1977)88<723:GATOMS>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Analytical data for northwest Nazca plate sediments can be described in terms of a mixture of hydrothermal, detrital, hydrogenous, and biogenous material. Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Ba, Si, and Al are more than 50 percent hydrothermal in East Pacific Rise samples from lat 10° to 25 °S. The first four elements are dominantly hydrothermal in the Bauer Deep and Central Basin as well. Seventy to 80 percent of the Ni, 60 to 80 percent of the Ba, and 30 to 60 percent of the Cu and Zn in Bauer Deep and Central Basin sediments are hydrogenous. Si, Ba, and Zn are dominantly biogenous on the northern East Pacific Rise crest, where more than one-third of the Cu also is derived from this source. Detrital Al and Si are dominant away from the rise crest, particularly in the Central Basin, where about 40 percent of the Fe and 15 percent of the Zn may also be detrital. Much of the hydrothermal Fe and biogenous Si have been transformed to an iron-rich smectite. The proportion of total Fe bound in this phase varies from less than 20 percent on the southern rise crest to about 40 percent in the Bauer Deep.The distribution of each element is governed by (1) supply from the four basic sources; (2) lateral transport by bottom currents moving east and then south across the northern East Pacific Rise and Bauer Deep to the Central Basin and moving west from the Peru Basin to the Central Basin; and (3) transformation of the unstable metalliferous hydroxides into more stable smectite and ferromanganese oxyhydroxides. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.