De Ronde, Cornel

Hydrothermal alteration processes involve mineralogical, chemical, and textural changes as a result of hot aqueous #uid-rock interaction under evolving boundary conditions. These changes affect the physico-chemical properties of the rocks, enabling high-resolution geophysical prospecting to be an important tool in the detection of sea#oor hydrothermal alteration. Here we present the results of recent geophysical investigations of the Marsili and Palinuro volcanic complexes, southern Tyrrhenian Sea, during the 2010 TIR10 and 2011 MAVA2011 cruises by the R/V Urania. The new dataset includes a dense grid of multibeam bathymetry; sea#oor re#ectivity, magnetic and gravity lines; and high-resolution single (CHIRP) and multichannel seismic proYles. The surveys were focused on areas known to host intense hydrothermal alteration in order to provide a more detailed description of the Marsili and Palinuro hydrothermal systems. Ground-truthing was based on earlier discoveries of hydrothermal vents and their associated deposits, and on direct observations made by ROV dives. High-resolution morpho-bathymetry, sonar re#ectivity, rock magnetization, and density distribution together enabled us to assess the extent of sea#oor hydrothermal alteration and its relationship to local volcanic and tectonic structures. Hydrothermal alteration associated with the Marsili seamount is largely distributed along primary volcano-tectonic structures at the ridge crest. By contrast, at Palinuro hydrothermal alteration is mostly associated with secondary volcanic structures such as collapsed calderas and volcanism reactivation along ring faults. In particular, evidence for intense hydrothermal activity occurs at Palinuro where volcanotectonic features interact with regional tectonic structures.

Catastrophic collapses of submarine volcanoes have the potential to generate major tsunami, threatening many coastal populations. Recognizing the difficulties surrounding anticipations of these events, quantitative assessment of collapse-prone regions based on detailed morphological, geological, and geophysical mapping can still provide important information about the hazards associated with these collapses. Rumble III is one of the shallowest, and largest, submarine volcanoes found along the Kermadec arc, and is both volcanically and hydrothermally active. Previous surveys have delineated major collapse features at Rumble III ; based on time-lapse bathymetry, dramatic changes in the volcano morphology have been shown to have occurred over the interval 2007–2009. Furthermore, this volcano is located just 300 km from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Here, we present a geophysical model for Rumble III that provides the locations and sizes of potential weak regions of this volcano. Shipborne and near-seafloor geological and geophysical data collected by the AUV Sentry are used to determine the subsurface distribution of weak and unstable volcanic rocks. The resulting model provides evidence for potentially unstable areas located in the Southeastern flank of this volcano which should be included in future hazard predictions.

In November 2007 we conducted a water column and seafloor mapping study of the submarine volcanoes of the Aeolian Arc in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea aboard the R/V Urania. On 26 conductivity‐temperature‐depth casts and tows we measured temperature, conductivity, pressure, and light scattering and also collected discrete samples for helium isotopes, methane, and pH. The 3He/4He isotope ratio, an unambiguous indicator of hydrothermal input, showed a clear excess above background at 6 of the 10 submarine volcanoes surveyed. Marsili seamount had the highest anomaly, where the 3He/4He ratio reached a d3He value of 23% at 610 m depth compared with background values of ∼5%. Smaller but distinct d3He anomalies occurred over Palinuro, Enarete, Eolo, Sisifo, and Secca del Capo. Although hydrothermal emissions are known to occur offshore of some Aeolian subaerial volcanoes, and hydrothermal deposits have been sampled throughout the arc, our results are the first to confirm active discharge on Marsili, Enarete, Eolo, Sisifo, and Secca del Capo. Samples collected over Lametini, Filicudi North, Alicudi North, and Alcione had d3He near the regional background values, suggesting either absence of, or very weak, hydrothermal activity on these seamounts. Hydrocasts between the volcanoes revealed a consistent d3He maximum between 11% and 13% at 2000mdepth throughout the SE Tyrrhenian Sea. The volcanoes of the Aeolian arc and the Marsili back arc, all <1000 m deep, cannot contribute directly to this maximum. This deep 3He excess may be a remnant of tritium decay or may have been produced by an unknown deep hydrothermal source.

Volcanism is the most widespread expression of cyclic processes of formation and/or destruction that shape the Earth’s surface. Calderas are morphological depressions resulting from the collapse of a magma chamber following large eruptions and are commonly found in subduction-related tectono-magmatic regimes, such as arc and back-arc settings. Some of the most impressive examples of seafloor hydrothermal venting occur within submarine calderas. Here, we show the results of magnetic investigations at two hydrothermally active submarine calderas, i.e., Palinuro Seamount in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy, and Brothers volcano of the Kermadec arc, New Zealand. These volcanoes occur in different geodynamic settings but show similarities in the development of their hydrothermal systems, both of which are hosted within calderas. We present a new integrated model based on morphological, geological and magnetic data for the Palinuro caldera, and we compare this with the well-established model of Brothers caldera, highlighting the differences and common features in the geophysical expressions of both hydrothermal systems. For consistency with the results at Brothers volcano, we build a model of demagnetised areas associated with hydrothermal alteration derived from 3D inversion of magnetic data. Both these models for Brothers and Palinuro show that hydrothermal up-flow zones are strongly controlled by caldera structures which provide large-scale permeability pathways, favouring circulation of the hydrothermal fluids at depth.

Near-bottom magnetic field data were collected using a towed magnetometer over selected parts of Palinuro and Marsili submarine volcanoes in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. We obtained equivalent magnetizations maps at these sites by inverting the corresponding magnetic anomalies, highlighting the seafloor expression of hydrothermal alteration. Zones of reduced magnetization are interpreted as evidence for alteration related to hydrothermal processes; they are associated with water-column and seafloor observations of hydrothermal activity and altered host rocks. At Marsili volcano, a large elliptical area of reduced magnetization is located south of the summit cone and perpendicular to the trend of Marsili volcano itself. This confirms the presence of a large hydrothermal system centered over the more recent eastern volcanic ridge and its associated magma chamber. Similarly, areas of reduced magnetization over Palinuro caldera are consistent with hydrothermal venting occurring along the caldera walls, consistent with permeability structures related to caldera ring faults providing preferred pathways for the upflow of hydrothermal fluids.

The 3-D subseafloor architecture of submarine hydrothermal systems is largely unknown, particularly at arc volcanoes. The alteration of volcanic rocks in these systems produces dramatic changes in their magnetic prop- erties. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of paleomagnetic measurements from oriented samples of hydrothermally altered dacites from Brothers volcano (Kermadec arc), drilled during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 376. These data have enabled insight into the progressive evolution of magnetic minerals in subseafloor volcanic rocks affected by variable types and degrees of hydrothermal alteration in response to varying fluid temperatures, chemistry, and associated mineralization; from initial chlo- ritization typical of relatively low-temperature interaction with seawater to extremely altered rocks affected by higher-temperature, very acidic magmatic fluids. Hydrothermally altered samples show a significant reduction in natural remanent magnetization intensity (10–4 to 10–2 A/m) compared with unaltered samples (1–10 A/m), suggesting that primary titanomagnetite grains are destroyed during the hydrothermal alteration process. Except for a small region in proximity to the mineral- ized stockwork zone, no chemical remanent magnetization is observed in association with hydrothermal altera- tion, consistent with the widespread formation of diamagnetic and/or paramagnetic minerals such as pyrite, rutile, and leucoxene, which do not carry any natural remanent magnetization. Demagnetization experiments show that most of the oriented samples possess a stable characteristic rema- nent magnetization induced by the residual primary magnetic minerals formed at the time the rocks cooled on the sea floor. Partially chloritized dacites, however, are characterized by large magnetic susceptibilities, low Koenigsberger ratios, and very low magnetic coercivities, consistent with initial dissolution of smaller, single- domain magnetic grains, indicating that intensely hydrothermally altered rocks are better paleomagnetic indica- tors than initially chloritized samples at the periphery of the hydrothermal systems. The significant magnetic contrast between fresh and hydrothermally altered rocks, in addition to a thick layer (>300 m) of demagnetized rocks observed at Brothers volcano, confirms the empirical results that magnetic anomalies are important geophysical tools to determine the geometry of hydrothermal systems at submarine arc volcanoes.

In November 2007 we conducted a water-column and seafloor mapping study of the submarine volcanoes of the Aeolian Arc in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea aboard the R/V Urania. A total of 26 CTD casts were completed, 13 vertical casts and 13 tows. In addition to in situ measurements of temperature, conductivity, pressure and suspended particles, we also collected discrete samples for helium isotopes, methane, and trace metals. The helium isotope ratio, which is known to be an unambiguous indicator of hydrothermal input, showed a clear excess above background at 5 out of the 10 submarine volcanoes surveyed. We found the strongest helium anomaly over Marsili seamount, where the 3He/4He ratio reached maximum values of 3He = 23% at 610 m depth compared with background values of ~ 7%. We also found smaller but distinct 3He anomalies over Enerato, Eolo, Palinuro, and Secca del Capo. We interpret these results as indicating the presence of hydrothermal activity on these 5 seamounts. Hydrothermal venting has been documented at subsea vents offshore of the islands of Panarea, Stromboli, and Vulcano (Dando et al., 1999; Di Roberto et al., 2008), and hydrothermal deposits have been sampled on many of the submarine volcanoes of the Aeolian Arc (Dekov and Savelli, 2004). However, as far as we know this is the first evidence of present day hydrothermal activity on Marsili, Enerato, and Eolo. Samples collected over Filicudi, Glabro, Lamentini, Sisifo, and Alcioni had 3He very close to the regional background values, suggesting either absence of or very weak hydrothermal activity on these seamounts. Helium isotope measurements from the background hydrocasts positioned between the volcanoes revealed the presence of an excess in 3He throughout the SE Tyrrhenian Sea. These background profiles reach a consistent maximum of about 3He = 11% at 2300 m depth. Historical helium profiles collected in the central and northern Tyrrhenian Sea in 1987 and 1997 do not show this deep 3He maximum (W. Roether and B. Klein, private comm.). Furthermore, the maximum is too deep to be attributed to the volcanoes of the Aeolian Arc, which are active at <1000 m depth. We are currently conducting additional measurements to determine whether this deep 3He maximum is from a local hydrothermal source or is somehow related to the deep water mass transient which occurred in the eastern Mediterranean in the 1990’s.