The oldest seafloor massive sulfide deposits at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: 230Th/U chronology and composition

Vladislav Kuznetsov; Eriks Tabuns; Kathrine Kuksa; Georgy Cherkashov; Fedor Maksimov; Viktor Bel’Tenev; Larisa Lazareva; Igor Zherebtsov; Vasily Grigoriev; Nadezhda Baranova

doi:10.1515/geochr-2015-0009

Abstract

A geochronological and geochemical study on 10 samples of seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) from the inactive Peterburgskoye hydrothermal field at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) was carried out. The ²³⁰Th/U ages of the SMS are the oldest for the Quaternary hydrothermal ores ever found at the ocean floor. According to them the hydrothermal activity at Peterburgskoye field started at least 170 ka and continued down to 63 ka. The oldest hydrothermal ores from this field consist mainly of pyrite and chalcopyrite and have geochemical properties typical for SMS associated with basalts.

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The oldest seafloor massive sulfide deposits at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: 230Th/U chronology and composition

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