Iron-Copper-Zinc Isotopic Compositions of Andesites from the Kueishantao Hydrothermal Field off Northeastern Taiwan

The studies of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) isotopic compositions in seafloor andesites are helpful in understanding the metal stable isotope fractionation during magma evolution. Here, the Fe, Cu, and Zn isotopic compositions of andesites from the Kueishantao hydrothermal field (KHF) off northeastern Taiwan, west Pacific, have been studied. The majority of δ56Fe values (+0.02‰ to +0.11‰) in the KHF andesites are consistent with those of MORBs (mid-ocean ridge basalts). This suggests that the Fe in the KHF andesites is mainly from a MORB-type mantle. The Fe-Cu-Zn isotopic compositions (δ56Fe +0.22‰, δ65Cu +0.16‰ to +0.64‰, and δ66Zn +0.29‰ to +0.71‰) of the KHF andesites, which are significantly different from those of the MORBs and the continental crust (CC), have a relatively wide range of Cu and Zn isotopic compositions. This is most likely to be a result of the entrainment of the sedimentary carbonate-derived components into an andesitic magma. The recycled altered rocks (higher δ56Fe, lower δ66Zn) could preferentially incorporate isotopically light Fe and heavy Zn into the magma, resulting in relative enrichment of the lighter Fe and heavier Zn isotopes in the andesites. The majority of the δ56Fe values in the KHF andesites are higher than those of the sediments and the local CC and lower than those of the subducted altered rocks, while the reverse is true for δ66Zn, suggesting that the subseafloor sediments and CC materials (lower δ56Fe, higher δ66Zn) contaminating the rising andesitic magma could preferentially incorporate isotopically heavy Fe and light Zn into the magma, resulting in relative enrichment of the heavier Fe and lighter Zn isotopes in the andesites. Thus, the characteristics of the Fe and Zn isotopes in back-arc and island-arc volcanic rocks may also be influenced by the CC and plate subduction components.

Research Progress on Corrosion of Equipment and Materials in Deep-Sea Environment

The deep sea is the frontier of materials research in the 21st century. Owing to the particularity of pressure (15–120 MPa), hydrothermal temperature (90–400°C), and explosive fluid (strong H2S) in the deep-sea hydrothermal field environment, the research on the corrosion mechanism of service materials in this environment under the coupling action of many harsh factors is almost blank. It has become the bottleneck of equipment and material research and development for China to explore the deep sea. This paper reviews the research progress of corrosion mechanisms of deep-sea environmental materials at home and abroad, and forecasts the research trend and difficulties in this field, especially in the deep-sea hydrothermal field. At the same time, it points out the urgency of the construction of harsh environment materials platform and its relevance to the discipline construction of marine college.

Multispecies populations of methanotrophic Methyloprofundus and cultivation of a likely dominant species from the Iheya North deep-sea hydrothermal field

The Methyloprofundus clade is represented by uncultivated methanotrophic bacterial endosymbionts of deep-sea bathymodiolin mussels, but only a single free-living species has been cultivated to date. This study reveals the existence of free-living Methyloprofundus variants in the Iheya North deep-sea hydrothermal field in the mid-Okinawa Trough. A clade-targeted amplicon analysis of the particulate methane monooxygenase gene ( pmoA ) detected 647 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of the Methyloprofundus clade in microbial communities newly formed in in situ colonization systems. Such systems were deployed at colonies of bathymodiolin mussels and a galatheoid crab. These ASVs were classified into 161 species-like groups. The proportion of the species-like groups representing endosymbionts of mussels was unexpectedly low. A methanotrophic bacterium designated as INp10, a likely dominant species in the Methyloprofundus population in this field, was enriched in biofilm formed in a methane-fed cultivation system operated at 10°C. Genomic characterization with the gene transcription dataset of INp10 from biofilm suggested traits advantageous to niche competition in environments, such as mobility, chemotaxis, biofilm formation, offensive and defensive systems, and hypoxia tolerance. The notable metabolic traits INp10 shares with some Methyloprofundus members are the use of lanthanide-dependent XoxF as the sole methanol dehydrogenase due to the absence of the canonical MxaFI, the glycolytic pathway using fructose-6-phosphate aldolase instead of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, and the potential to perform partial denitrification from nitrate under oxygen-limited conditions. These findings help better understand ecological strategies of this possibly widespread marine-specific methanotrophic clade. Importance The Iheya North deep-sea hydrothermal field in the mid-Okinawa Trough is characterized by abundant methane derived from organic-rich sediments and diverse chemosynthetic animal species, including those harboring methanotrophic bacterial symbionts such as bathymodiolin mussels Bathymodiolus japonicus and “ Bathymodiolus ” platifrons and a galatheoid crab Shinkaia crosnieri . Symbiotic methanotrophs have attracted significant attention, yet free-living methanotrophs in this environment have not been studied in detail. We focused on the free-living Methyloprofundus spp. that thrive in this hydrothermal field and identified an unexpectedly large number of species-like groups in this clade. Moreover, we enriched and characterized a methanotroph whose genome sequence indicated it corresponds to a new species in the genus Methyloprofundus . This species might be a dominant member of the indigenous Methyloprofundus population. New information on free-living Methyloprofundus spp. suggests that the hydrothermal field is a promising locale to investigate the adaptive capacity and associated genetic diversity of Methyloprofundus .

Atypical Diagenesis and Geochemistry of Redox-Sensitive Elements in Hydrothermal Sediments of the Southern Okinawa Trough

Early diagenesis processes and the geochemistry of redox-sensitive elements (RSEs) in four sediment cores in an active hydrothermal field in the southern Okinawa Trough (OT) was investigated. Dissolved Fe, Mn, ΣHS–, and several other RSEs (Mo, U, and V) in pore water were measured. We also studied metal distribution in sediments using sequential extraction methods. Very high dissolved Fe concentrations (∼140 μmol L–1) but insignificant dissolved Mn were observed in surficial pore waters in the station adjacent to the hydrothermal vent, where highly reactive Fe, Mo, U in the sediments were also measured. Such an atypical diagenetic sequence found in those cores could be driven by the overwhelmingly high reactive Fe fraction (mostly Fe oxides) delivered from the vents. Consequently, significant upward benthic fluxes of Fe and Mo were estimated for the studied stations. In addition, we performed a principal component analysis (PCA), together with relative ratios of carbonate-related elements (Sr, Ca, Mg), to identify particles’ origins in the hydrothermal field; two endmembers being the hydrothermal source and hydrogenous processes. This comprehensive study on a unique set of samples collected by advanced technology provided valuable data to demonstrate distinctive geochemical features that occur in hydrothermal sediments.

Fabrication of an All-Solid-State Carbonate Ion-Selective Electrode with Carbon Film as Transducer and Its Preliminary Application in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Field Exploration

Real-time measurements of carbonate ion concentrations in the ocean are critical to advancing marine environmental monitoring and research into deep-sea hydrothermal activity. Herein, we report the first example of deep-sea hydrothermal field exploration using a carbonate ion-selective electrode (ISE). The novel carbonate ISE was composed of a Ni wire as substrate, carbon film as transducers and carbonate-selective membrane layers. This paper describes the preparation process of the electrode and characterises its performance via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical analysis. The detection limit of the electrode for CO32− is 2.821 × 10−6 mol/L, the linear response range is 1.0 × 10−5–1.0 × 10−1 mol/L and the Nernst slope was −30.4 mV/decade. In April 2021, the carbonate ISE was mounted on multi-parameter sensors with pH and Eh (redox) electrodes for the search of hydrothermal activity at the Southwest Indian Ridge. The simultaneous potential anomalies appeared at this carbonate electrode with the pH and Eh electrodes when passing through the hydrothermal field. The study of the hydrothermal field was supported by the in situ camera video and the sulphide samples. Additionally, the carbonate electrode provides enhanced information of water chemistry for the study of the hydrothermal field.