Coupled Detachment Faulting and Hydrothermal Circulation at 49.7°E Southwest Indian Ridge Revealed by Seafloor Magnetism

Author:

Liu Long12ORCID,Zhou Jianping13ORCID,Wu Tao1ORCID,Tao Chunhui14ORCID,Wang Shishun1ORCID,Su Zhaoyang5ORCID,Li Qianyu6ORCID,Chen Ming4,Jie Tianyu1,Sui Bin1

Affiliation:

1. Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences Second Institute of Oceanography Ministry of Natural Resources Hangzhou China

2. Xi'an Center of Geological Survey China Geological Survey Xi'an China

3. Technology Innovation Center for Intelligent Ocean Observation Ministry of Natural Resources Hangzhou China

4. School of Oceanography Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China

5. State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting China University of Petroleum (Beijing) Beijing China

6. Institute of Geophysics and Geomatics China University of Geosciences Wuhan China

Abstract

AbstractDetachment faults at slow‐ and ultraslow‐spreading mid‐ocean ridges are essential for lithosphere‐hydrosphere interactions. However, their coupling with subseafloor hydrothermal circulation is poorly understood. Here, we investigated shallow hydrothermal fluid circulations in the active Dragon Horn detachment fault system of the Southwest Indian Ridge using combined near‐bottom magnetic anomaly data and rock magnetic analyses. We observed enhanced magnetic anomalies related to the high magnetization of basaltic country rocks and highly serpentinized (>80%) peridotite, whereas the hydrothermally altered basalts and sulfide deposits had weak magnetization and reduced magnetic anomalies. Therefore, the low‐magnetization zone was interpreted as a proxy for the hydrothermal fluid channel. The spatial distribution of the low‐magnetization zone revealed that the inactive Suye field expanded more than 500 m in diameter horizontally and ∼100 m vertically, and the active Longqi hydrothermal field had a >1 km fluid channel, both centered around the detachment fault fracture zone. Our results establish a robust link between detachment faulting and shallow hydrothermal circulation in which the detachment fault system provides critical fluid paths. Therefore, detachment tectonics are important elements for evolving seafloor hydrothermal fields along the Southwest Indian Ridge and possibly other slow‐ and ultraslow‐spreading mid‐ocean ridges globally.

Funder

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province

Publisher

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

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