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Metal remobilization at a spreading centre studied using lead isotopes

Nature volume 333, pages 165–167 (1988)Cite this article

Abstract

The metalliferous sediment deposits of the Atlantis II Deep in the Red Sea are an example of submarine hydrothermal deposits at a spreading centre. The brine salinities (∼270% for the Atlantis II Lower Brine) originate from leaching of the Miocene evaporites. The mantle is considered as a possible source of metal by analogy with East Pacific Rise deposits. During the 'Hydrotherm' cruise (May, 1985) on RV Marion Dufresne, two cores, numbered 683 and 684 were collected from the SW and W basins respectively of the Atlantis II Deep (Fig. 1). These two cores reached the basaltic basement and therefore allowed full and representative sampling of the metalliferous sediment series, as well as of the underlying basalt. Our lead isotope results suggest that the metals in the sediments are not derived from a basaltic source. We show that lead in the metalliferous sediments was derived both from the Recent biogenic-terrigenous sediments and another unknown sedimentary source. The variations in the lead isotopic composition of Atlantis II Deep sediments suggest a discontinuous brine supply.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Géochimie et de Cosmochimie, IPG tour 14-24, 4 place Jussieu, 75252, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    Bernard Dupré & Claude J. Allègre

  2. Laboratoire de Géochimie et de Métallogenie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Tour 26, 4 place Jussieu, 75252, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    Gérard Blanc & Jacques Boulègue

Authors
  1. Bernard Dupré
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  2. Gérard Blanc
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  3. Jacques Boulègue
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  4. Claude J. Allègre
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Dupré, B., Blanc, G., Boulègue, J. et al. Metal remobilization at a spreading centre studied using lead isotopes. Nature 333, 165–167 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/333165a0

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