Notes on Vent Field Description:
MacLeod et al. (2009): "hydrothermal massive sulphide deposits including sulphide chimneys and beehives were sampled near the toe of the OCC"; Escartin, J., et al. (2017): "The Irinovskoe hydrothermal field, explored during ROV dives 553 and 557, is located on the northern region of the 13 20' N corrugated surface, about 1.8 km from the footwall cutoff in the direction of extension.", "During two ROV dives we identified two active vents at the summit of hydrothermal mounds, Active Pot and Pinnacle Ridge (Table 1). Both show black smoker fluids venting at about 365 C from about 1 to 2 m high cauldron-shaped structures (Figure 13C) with large exit orifices (several decimeters in diameter), clearly associated with very elevated heat and mass fluxes. The nearby hydrothermal mounds show both fallen and standing hydrothermal chimneys, up to 10 m in height."; position and temperature are listed for Active Pot;
Notes Relevant to Biology:
Escartin, J., et al. (2017): "We did not observe any associated macrofauna, while bacterial mats and diffuse lower-temperature outflow were limited to the immediate vicinity of these two active vents."
Year and How Discovered (if active, visual confirmation is listed first):
2013 ROV Victor6000; 2007 dredge only; 2009 or 2011 did not confirm
Discovery References (text):
(deposits only) MacLeod et al. (2009) Life cycle of oceanic core complexes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 287: 333-344;
Escartin, J., et al. (2017), Tectonic structure, evolution, and the nature of oceanic core complexes and their detachment fault zones (13 20' N and 13 30' N, Mid Atlantic Ridge), Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 18, doi:10.1002/2016GC006775;
Other References (text):
Cherkashov, G., Kuznetsov, V., Kuksa, K., Tabuns, E., Maksimov, F., & Bel'tenev, V. (2017). Sulfide geochronology along the Northern Equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Ore Geology Reviews, 87, 147-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2016.10.015;