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Volume 15
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10.3390/min15030264
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Article

The Small-Scale Fluid Heterogeneity in the Tongguan Hydrothermal Field (27.1° S, Mid-Atlantic Ridge): Evidence from Mineralogical and Sulfur Isotope Study of the Hydrothermal Sulfide

by
Bing Li
1,2,3,
Xuefa Shi
1,2,3,*,
Chuanshun Li
1,2,3,*,
Sai Wang
1,2,3,
Quanshu Yan
1,2,3,
Jun Ye
1,2,3,
Yuan Dang
1,2,3 and
Xisheng Fang
1,2,3
1
Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
2
Laboratory for Marine Geology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
3
Key Laboratory of Deep Sea Mineral Resources Development, Shandong (Preparatory), Qingdao 266061, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2025, 15(3), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030264
Submission received: 10 January 2025 / Revised: 19 February 2025 / Accepted: 26 February 2025 / Published: 3 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Mineral Deposits)
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Abstract

Hydrothermal activity on the modern seafloor varies depending on the tectonic setting. In particular, the neovolcanic zones (NVZs) along mid-ocean ridges, where magmatism is intense, generally host high-temperature hydrothermal activities. These high-temperature hydrothermal activities on the NVZs can promote the development of many polymetallic sulfide deposits. Currently, many high-temperature hydrothermal activities and sulfide accumulations have been discovered on the NVZs of major mid-ocean ridges worldwide, but relatively few have been found in the Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR), which limits our understanding of the hydrothermal mineralization characteristics on the NVZs of SMAR. Fortunately, in 2015, a new hydrothermal field—Tongguan—developed on the NVZ of the SMAR was discovered. In this study, we conducted mineralogical and sulfur isotope studies on hydrothermal chimney and massive sulfide samples collected from the Tongguan field. We revealed the mineral composition and growth sequence in the chimney structures and sulfides and discovered two different chimney growth patterns featuring rhythmic banding and opal-filled structures. Additionally, sulfur isotopes suggest the presence of mixing between seawater within the oceanic crust and the upwelling hydrothermal fluid in this hydrothermal field. Our investigation revealed small-scale fluid heterogeneities during the submarine hydrothermal mineralization process, which is due to fluctuations in fluid temperatures and mineral deposition within individual vent frameworks. This work provides a reference for further understanding and comprehension of hydrothermal mineralization on the NVZs of SMAR.
Keywords: Tongguan hydrothermal field; hydrothermal chimney wall; mineralogy; sulfur isotope; Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge Tongguan hydrothermal field; hydrothermal chimney wall; mineralogy; sulfur isotope; Southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge
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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, B.; Shi, X.; Li, C.; Wang, S.; Yan, Q.; Ye, J.; Dang, Y.; Fang, X. The Small-Scale Fluid Heterogeneity in the Tongguan Hydrothermal Field (27.1° S, Mid-Atlantic Ridge): Evidence from Mineralogical and Sulfur Isotope Study of the Hydrothermal Sulfide. Minerals 2025, 15, 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030264

AMA Style

Li B, Shi X, Li C, Wang S, Yan Q, Ye J, Dang Y, Fang X. The Small-Scale Fluid Heterogeneity in the Tongguan Hydrothermal Field (27.1° S, Mid-Atlantic Ridge): Evidence from Mineralogical and Sulfur Isotope Study of the Hydrothermal Sulfide. Minerals. 2025; 15(3):264. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030264

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Bing, Xuefa Shi, Chuanshun Li, Sai Wang, Quanshu Yan, Jun Ye, Yuan Dang, and Xisheng Fang. 2025. "The Small-Scale Fluid Heterogeneity in the Tongguan Hydrothermal Field (27.1° S, Mid-Atlantic Ridge): Evidence from Mineralogical and Sulfur Isotope Study of the Hydrothermal Sulfide" Minerals 15, no. 3: 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030264

APA Style

Li, B., Shi, X., Li, C., Wang, S., Yan, Q., Ye, J., Dang, Y., & Fang, X. (2025). The Small-Scale Fluid Heterogeneity in the Tongguan Hydrothermal Field (27.1° S, Mid-Atlantic Ridge): Evidence from Mineralogical and Sulfur Isotope Study of the Hydrothermal Sulfide. Minerals, 15(3), 264. https://doi.org/10.3390/min15030264

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