New hydrothermal activity and alkalic volcanism in the backarc Coriolis Troughs, Vanuatu

Timothy F. McConachy; Richard J. Arculus; Christopher J. Yeats; Raymond A. Binns; Fernando J.A.S. Barriga; Brent I.A. McInnes; Stephen Sestak; Robina Sharpe; Brooks Rakau; Tony Tevi

doi:10.1130/G20870.1

New hydrothermal activity and alkalic volcanism in the backarc Coriolis Troughs, Vanuatu

Timothy F. McConachy^*, Richard J. Arculus, Christopher J. Yeats, Raymond A. Binns, Fernando J.A.S. Barriga, Brent I.A. McInnes, Stephen Sestak, Robina Sharpe, Brooks Rakau, Tony Tevi

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Vanuatu Australia Vents Expedition (VAVE) to the Coriolis Troughs in southern Vanuatu during September 2001 aboard the RV Franklin discovered a new hydrothermall vent field-herein informally named Nifonea-and recent alkallic volcanic activity. The Nifonea field in the central Vate Trough was located by coincident light transmission and CH₄ anomalies in a hydrothermal plume of ∼60 km² extent, best developed between 1600 and 1750 m depth at ∼150 m above the seafloor. Extensive hydrothermal fauna and yellow-brown crusts and mounds cover an area of ∼1 km². Very fresh, glassy, variably vesicular, sparsely phyric and aphyric basalt, trachybasalt, and basaltic trachyandesite (with ∼5-6 wt% combined alkalies at ∼ 51%-53% SiO₂ and enriched light rare earth elements, Nb, and Zr) samples were dredged from youthful curtain, tube, and sheet flows, plus iron oxyhydroxide deposits. The alkalic composition of lavas in this tectonic setting is unique and attributed to thin ocean crust being developed in an incipient rifting phase involving a relatively low percentage of source-mantle melting. The Coriolis Troughs are among Earth's most youthful backarc basins and thus provide valuable insights to incipient rifting and hydrothermal processes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	61-64
Number of pages	4
Journal	Geology
Volume	33
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1130/G20870.1
Publication status	Published - Jan 2005

Access to Document

10.1130/G20870.1

Cite this

@article{f924782221934dd1bc3a7c3649191003,

title = "New hydrothermal activity and alkalic volcanism in the backarc Coriolis Troughs, Vanuatu",

abstract = "The Vanuatu Australia Vents Expedition (VAVE) to the Coriolis Troughs in southern Vanuatu during September 2001 aboard the RV Franklin discovered a new hydrothermall vent field-herein informally named Nifonea-and recent alkallic volcanic activity. The Nifonea field in the central Vate Trough was located by coincident light transmission and CH4 anomalies in a hydrothermal plume of ∼60 km2 extent, best developed between 1600 and 1750 m depth at ∼150 m above the seafloor. Extensive hydrothermal fauna and yellow-brown crusts and mounds cover an area of ∼1 km2. Very fresh, glassy, variably vesicular, sparsely phyric and aphyric basalt, trachybasalt, and basaltic trachyandesite (with ∼5-6 wt% combined alkalies at ∼ 51%-53% SiO2 and enriched light rare earth elements, Nb, and Zr) samples were dredged from youthful curtain, tube, and sheet flows, plus iron oxyhydroxide deposits. The alkalic composition of lavas in this tectonic setting is unique and attributed to thin ocean crust being developed in an incipient rifting phase involving a relatively low percentage of source-mantle melting. The Coriolis Troughs are among Earth's most youthful backarc basins and thus provide valuable insights to incipient rifting and hydrothermal processes.",

keywords = "Backarc, Hydrothermal processes, Iron oxyhydroxides, Trachyandesite, Vanuatu",

author = "McConachy, {Timothy F.} and Arculus, {Richard J.} and Yeats, {Christopher J.} and Binns, {Raymond A.} and Barriga, {Fernando J.A.S.} and McInnes, {Brent I.A.} and Stephen Sestak and Robina Sharpe and Brooks Rakau and Tony Tevi",

year = "2005",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1130/G20870.1",

language = "English",

volume = "33",

pages = "61--64",

journal = "Geology",

issn = "0091-7613",

publisher = "Geological Society of America",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - New hydrothermal activity and alkalic volcanism in the backarc Coriolis Troughs, Vanuatu

AU - McConachy, Timothy F.

AU - Arculus, Richard J.

AU - Yeats, Christopher J.

AU - Binns, Raymond A.

AU - Barriga, Fernando J.A.S.

AU - McInnes, Brent I.A.

AU - Sestak, Stephen

AU - Sharpe, Robina

AU - Rakau, Brooks

AU - Tevi, Tony

PY - 2005/1

Y1 - 2005/1

N2 - The Vanuatu Australia Vents Expedition (VAVE) to the Coriolis Troughs in southern Vanuatu during September 2001 aboard the RV Franklin discovered a new hydrothermall vent field-herein informally named Nifonea-and recent alkallic volcanic activity. The Nifonea field in the central Vate Trough was located by coincident light transmission and CH4 anomalies in a hydrothermal plume of ∼60 km2 extent, best developed between 1600 and 1750 m depth at ∼150 m above the seafloor. Extensive hydrothermal fauna and yellow-brown crusts and mounds cover an area of ∼1 km2. Very fresh, glassy, variably vesicular, sparsely phyric and aphyric basalt, trachybasalt, and basaltic trachyandesite (with ∼5-6 wt% combined alkalies at ∼ 51%-53% SiO2 and enriched light rare earth elements, Nb, and Zr) samples were dredged from youthful curtain, tube, and sheet flows, plus iron oxyhydroxide deposits. The alkalic composition of lavas in this tectonic setting is unique and attributed to thin ocean crust being developed in an incipient rifting phase involving a relatively low percentage of source-mantle melting. The Coriolis Troughs are among Earth's most youthful backarc basins and thus provide valuable insights to incipient rifting and hydrothermal processes.

AB - The Vanuatu Australia Vents Expedition (VAVE) to the Coriolis Troughs in southern Vanuatu during September 2001 aboard the RV Franklin discovered a new hydrothermall vent field-herein informally named Nifonea-and recent alkallic volcanic activity. The Nifonea field in the central Vate Trough was located by coincident light transmission and CH4 anomalies in a hydrothermal plume of ∼60 km2 extent, best developed between 1600 and 1750 m depth at ∼150 m above the seafloor. Extensive hydrothermal fauna and yellow-brown crusts and mounds cover an area of ∼1 km2. Very fresh, glassy, variably vesicular, sparsely phyric and aphyric basalt, trachybasalt, and basaltic trachyandesite (with ∼5-6 wt% combined alkalies at ∼ 51%-53% SiO2 and enriched light rare earth elements, Nb, and Zr) samples were dredged from youthful curtain, tube, and sheet flows, plus iron oxyhydroxide deposits. The alkalic composition of lavas in this tectonic setting is unique and attributed to thin ocean crust being developed in an incipient rifting phase involving a relatively low percentage of source-mantle melting. The Coriolis Troughs are among Earth's most youthful backarc basins and thus provide valuable insights to incipient rifting and hydrothermal processes.

KW - Backarc

KW - Hydrothermal processes

KW - Iron oxyhydroxides

KW - Trachyandesite

KW - Vanuatu

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=19944433103&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1130/G20870.1

DO - 10.1130/G20870.1

M3 - Article

SN - 0091-7613

VL - 33

SP - 61

EP - 64

JO - Geology

JF - Geology

IS - 1

ER -

New hydrothermal activity and alkalic volcanism in the backarc Coriolis Troughs, Vanuatu

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this