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Bahia Concepcion
Name Alias(es):
Bahia Conception
Punta Santa Barbara
Activity:
Maximum Temperature:
92
Latitude:
26.6667
Longitude:
-111.8333
Location on map:
Ocean:
Region:
National Jurisdiction:
Maximum or Single Reported Depth (mbsl):
15
Minimum Depth (mbsl):
0
Tectonic setting:
Host Rock:
NotProvided
Deposit Type:
NotProvided
Notes on Vent Field Description:
hydrothermal liquids (up to 92 C) and gas are being released in the intertidal and shallow subtidal (to 13 m water depths) through rocks and sediment in a roughly linear trend extending over 750 m of coastline; "The geochemistry of the fluids currently being released along the El Requesón fault zone (ERFZ) in Bahía Concepción suggests that these faults are deep-seated, and are acting as conduits for meteoric water heated by high local thermal gradients along extensional tectonic structures, similar to other coastal hydrothermal systems reported in Baja and western Mexico"; "continental margins actively affected by extension tectonic processes" (Canet and Prol-Ledesma 2007); Prol-Ledesma et al. (2004): "Temperature varies from about 50 C at the sea bottom to 87 C at a depth of 10 cm within the sediments."; Prol-Ledesma et al. (2004): "bright red and yellow precipitates that contain mostly iron oxyhydroxides"; Las Tres Vırgenes geothermal field near the study area; note Punta Pulpito volcano (Smithsonian GVP Volcano Number 341804) is approx. 40 km to the SE
Notes Relevant to Biology:
diversity and abundances of biota on rocky habitats adjacent to diffuse venting sites appear to be enhanced, particularly in fish and epifaunal filter-feeding invertebrate assemblages, while infaunal animals are significantly less diverse and abundant in areas of active venting through soft sediment (Forrest and Melwani, 2003)
Year and How Discovered (if active, visual confirmation is listed first):
1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Discovery References (text):
McFall, C. C. (1968) Reconnaissance geology of the Concepcion Bay area, Baja California, Mexico. Stanford University Publications in Geological Sciences 10: no.5, 25pp., Stanford University, Stanford.
Other References (text):
Prol-Ledesma, R.M., et al. (2004) Vent fluid chemistry in Bahia Conception coastal submarine hydrothermal system, Baja California Sur, Mexico. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 137, 311-328, doi: 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2004.06.003
Forrest, M.J. et al. (2005) Gas geochemistry of a shallow submarine hydrothermal vent associated with the El Requesón fault zone, Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, México. Chemical Geology 224: 82-95
Canet, C. et al. (2005).Mn-Ba-Hg mineralization at shallow submarine hydrothermal vents in Bahia Concepcion, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Chemical Geology 224: 96-112
Canet and Prol-Ledesma (2007) Mineralizing processes at shallow submarine hydrothermal vents: Examples from México. Geological Society of America Special Paper 422: 359–376, doi: 10.1130/2007.2422(13).
Camprubí, A., Canet, C., Rodríguez-Díaz, A. A., Prol-Ledesma, R. M., Blanco-Florido, D., Villanueva, R. E. and López-Sánchez, A. (2008), Geology, ore deposits and hydrothermal venting in Bahía Concepción, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Island Arc, 17: 6–25. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1738.2007.00586.x
RDF link: