Hydrothermal fields of the Piip submarine volcano, Komandorsky Back-Arc Basin: Chemistry and origin of vent mineralization and bubbling gas

Abstract

Active thermal vents of the Piip submarine volcano were studied in 1990 from aboard sub­mersibles MIR 1 and 2. Samples of free gas and hydrothermal deposits were collected in the areas of thermal fluid discharge. Mineralogical, isotopic and microprobe studies of samples have shown, as the hydrothermal system cools, the high-temperature anhydrite association displayed at the surface is substituted by calcite-barite and later by calcite-barite-sulfide assemblages. The chemical and isotopic composition of gas and carbonates indicates the significant role of hydrocarbons from the sedimentary layers which, during the low-temperature stage, stimulate the processes of bacterial sulphate reduction. The evolution of a simular hydrothermal system is traced in the Great Caucasus barite deposits.

Seeps and vents of the Bering Sea

“…Subsequently, scientific expeditions on the R/V Vulkanologist (1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)1991), R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh (1990), R/V Professor Khromov (2004), R/V Sonne (2009,2016) intensively studied the massif (Sagalevich et al, 1992;Glasby et al, 2006;Seliverstov, 2009;Dullo et al, 2009;Werner et al, 2016). Data on the geological structure of the massif, its origin and hydrothermal activity were obtained (Bogdanova et al, 1990;Sagalevich et al, 1992;Taran et al, 1992;Torokhov and Taran, 1994;Yogodzinski et al, 1994;Bogdanov et al, 2006;Seliverstov, 2009;Melekestsev, 2014), and detailed bathymetric maps were produced (Baranov et al, 2021).…”

Marine minerals in Alaska — A review of coastal and deep-ocean regions

“…The only known submarine hydrothermal activity in the Aleutian Arc is Piip Volcano (lat 55°23′ N., long 167°15′ E.), which falls within the Russian EEZ (Torokhov and Taran, 1994). Hydrothermal activity occurs at both Piip Volcano summit cones-depths of emission range from 380 to 650 m. Mineralogy of Piip Volcano samples includes hydrothermal manganese and iron oxides, anhydrite, barite, pyrite, and calcium carbonate.…”