Manganese geochemistry in the Guaymas basin, Gulf of California

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(88)90090-7· OSTI ID:5100419

Campbell, A C; Gieskes, J M; Lupton, J E; Lonsdale, P F

Manganese geochemistry in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California is dominated by hydrothermal processes. The concentration of particulate Mn in the subsill basin is about four times higher than in the non-hydrothermally active basins of the southern Gulf. This excess Mn closely matches the predicted anomaly from a model of hydrothermal fluxes based on dissolved silica and /sup 3/He. The hot spring flux of Mn is about 4 times greater than the benthic flux from the sediments on the slopes of the basin. Dissolved hydrothermal Mn has a residence time of about one week in the water column. The particulate Mn phase consist of 2-5 ..mu..m size particles that are distinct from all other suspended particulate matter. These Mn-rich particles are responsible for the observed turbidity in the water column (hydrothermal clouds) above vents and chimneys in the Guaymas Basin and bear a striking resemblance to the Mn oxidizing bacterium Metallogenium. The rapid conversion of Mn to a particulate phase in these clouds is consistent with bacterial catalysis. This contrasts with the particles at 21/sup 0/N, East Pacific Rise, where Mn is more slowly co-precipitated with or adsorbed onto an iron oxyhydroxide phase.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5100419
• Journal Information: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta; (United States), Journal Name: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta; (United States) Vol. 52:2; ISSN GCACA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580400* -- Geochemistry-- (-1989)
BACTERIA
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GULF OF CALIFORNIA
HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS
MANGANESE
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
PACIFIC OCEAN
PRECIPITATION
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SURFACE WATERS
SYNTHESIS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS