Reply to the comment by R.M. Prol-Ledesma on ‘‘Geochemistry of fluids from submarine thermal springs at Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico’’

We thank R.M. Prol-Ledesma for her comment
on the paper by Taran et al. (2002a) and the new
data presented on the water composition of the
Punta de Mita (PM) submarine springs.
Prol-Ledesma (2003) comments refer to a supposedly
wrong citation, superficial description of the geological background, incorrect method of
water sampling, wrong approach for the estimation
of the end-member composition, irrelevant
discussion on the origin of fluids and, lastly, the using of someone else’s ideas and conclusions. In addition, she claims that our data on the fluid chemistry of the springs are not the first (original)ones. The Comment is supported by numerous references to publications by Prol-Ledesma et al.
The text below follows the rubrics in the Comment.

Cruz-Ocampo, J.C., Prol-Ledesma, R.M., 2000. Caracterizacion mineralogica de las chimeneas generadas por las ventilas hidrotermales de Punta Mita, Nayarir, Mexico. Unioon Geof. Mexicana, GEOS 20, 203-204.

Ferrari, L., Pascuare, G., Venegas-Salgado, S., Romero-Ruis,F., 2000. Geology of Western Volcanic Belt and adjanced Sierra Madre Occidental and Jalisco Block. Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap. 334, 65-83.

Giggenbach, W.F., 1992. The composition of gases in geothermal and volcanic systems as a function of tectonic setting. Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Water-Rock Interaction 7, pp. 873-878.

Jenden, P.D., Kaplan, I.R., Poreda, R.J., Craig, H., 1988. Origin of nitrogen-rich natural gases in the California Great Valley: Evidence from helium, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 852-861.

Kononov, V.I., Polyak, B.G., Prasolov, E.M., Prol, R.M., Surovtseva, L.I., 1988. Gases of Mexican thermal sources. Int. Geol. Rev. 30, 332-
343.

Motyka, R.J., Poreda, R.J., Je¡rey, A.W.A., 1989. Geochemistry, isotopic composition and origin of £uids emanating from mud volcanoes in the Copper River basin, Alaska. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 29-41.

Nunez-Cornu, F.J., Prol-Ledesma, R.M., Cupul-Magana, A., Suarez-Placencia, C., 2000. Near shore submarine hidrotermal activity in Bahia Banderas, western Me¤xico. Geofis. Int. 36, 171-178.

Prasolov, E.M., Polyak, B.G., Kononov, V.I., Verkhovskii, A.B., Kamenskii, I.L., Prol, R.M., 1999. Inert gases in the Geothermal Fluids of Mexico. Geochem. Int. 37, 128-144.

Prol-Ledesma, R.M., Canet, C., Melgarejo, J.C., Nunez-Cornu , F.J., 1999a. Interaccion agua-roca en el sistema hidrotermal submarino Las Coronas, Punta Mita (Nayarit)(Water-rock interaction in the submarine hydrothermal system Las Coronas, Punta Mita, Nayarit). Union Geof. Mexicana,
GEOS 19, 245.

Prol-Ledesma, R.M., Canet, C., Melgarejo, J.C., Nunez-Cornu, F.J., 1999b. Mineralogy of a shallow hydrothermal spreading center near Punta Mita (Western Mexico): Mineral deposits. Processes to Processing, Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 569-572.

Prol-Ledesma, R.M., 2001. Ventilas Hidrotermales Submarinas en las Costas de Me¤xico (Submarine hydrothermal vents on the coast of Mexico). Sem. Inst. Geofis., Gaceta UNAM 3460, p. 11.

Prol-Ledesma, R.M., Canet, C., Melgarejo, J.C., Tolson, G.,Rubio-Ramos, M.A., Cruz-Ocampo, J.C., Ortega-Osorio,A., Torres-Vera, M.A., Reyes, A., 2002. Cinnabar deposition in submarine coastal hydrothermal vents, Pacific Margin of central Mexico. Econ. Geol. (in press).

Prol-Ledesma, R.M., 2003. Comment to "Geochemistry of fluids from submarine thermal springs at Punta de Mita,Nayarit, Mexico". J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. PII:S0377-0273(02)00461-4.

Taran, Y.A., Inguaggiato, S., Marin, M., Yurova, L.M.,2002a. Geochemistry of £uids from submarine hot springs at Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 115, 329-338.

Taran, Y.A., Inguaggiato, S., Capasso, G., Varley, N.B., Favara,R., 2002b. Helium and carbon isotopes in thermal fluids of the Jalisco Block, Mexico. Geofis. Int. 41, 459-466.

Taran Y. A., Inguaggiato S., Marin M., and Yurova L. M. (2002) Geochemistry of fluids from submarine hot springs at Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico. J. Volcanol. Geoth. Res. 115, 329-338.