Geochemical Features of Bottom Waters in the Zones of Hydrothermal Solution Discharge in the Mid-Ocean Ridges

摘要

In the near-bottom layers, ore-bearing hydrothermal solutions that are discharged on the ocean floor form complex dispersion aureoles (plumes), which are characterized by anomalous temperature and turbidity, as well as variations in density, Eh, pH, concentration of dissolved and suspended elements, and microbiological anomalies [1-4]. The character of processes that accompany the influx of high-temperature solutions in bottom waters is determined by differences in their temperature and com- position. A hot turbulent flow of liquid has a positive buoyancy and rises 100—300 meters above the mound (Fig.1), mixing intensely with seawater. Reaching density equilibrium with surrounding waters, the mixture creates a plume of neutral buoyancy (lateral).