Open AccessSubmarine venting of liquid carbon dioxide on a Mariana Arc volcano
Author(s) -
Lupton John,
Butterfield David,
Lilley Marvin,
Evans Leigh,
Nakamura Koichi,
Chadwick William,
Resing Joseph,
Embley Robert,
Olson Eric,
Proskurowski Giora,
Baker Edward,
de Ronde Cornel,
Roe Kevin,
Greene Ronald,
Lebon Geoff,
Young Conrad
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2005gc001152
Subject(s) - hydrothermal circulation , submarine volcano , geology , volcano , hydrothermal vent , submarine , geochemistry , carbon dioxide , oceanography , paleontology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Although CO 2 is generally the most abundant dissolved gas found in submarine hydrothermal fluids, it is rarely found in the form of CO 2 liquid. Here we report the discovery of an unusual CO 2 ‐rich hydrothermal system at 1600‐m depth near the summit of NW Eifuku, a small submarine volcano in the northern Mariana Arc. The site, named Champagne, was found to be discharging two distinct fluids from the same vent field: a 103°C gas‐rich hydrothermal fluid and cold (<4°C) droplets composed mainly of liquid CO 2 . The hot vent fluid contained up to 2.7 moles/kg CO 2 , the highest ever reported for submarine hydrothermal fluids. The liquid droplets were composed of ∼98% CO 2 , ∼1% H 2 S, with only trace amounts of CH 4 and H 2 . Surveys of the overlying water column plumes indicated that the vent fluid and buoyant CO 2 droplets ascended <200 m before dispersing into the ocean. Submarine venting of liquid CO 2 has been previously observed at only one other locality, in the Okinawa Trough back‐arc basin (Sakai et al., 1990a), a geologic setting much different from NW Eifuku, which is a young arc volcano. The discovery of such a high CO 2 flux at the Champagne site, estimated to be about 0.1% of the global MOR carbon flux, suggests that submarine arc volcanoes may play a larger role in oceanic carbon cycling than previously realized. The Champagne field may also prove to be a valuable natural laboratory for studying the effects of high CO 2 concentrations on marine ecosystems.