Pyrite δ34S and Δ33S constraints on sulfur cycling at sublacustrine hydrothermal vents in Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming, USA

Fowler, Andrew; Liu, Qiu li; Huang, Yong-Shu; Tan, Chunyang; Volk, M.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Seyfried, William E.

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2019.09.004

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…This process requires H 2 S and O 2 , and both are likely present in the mixing zone around the periphery of the hydrothermal system, whereas only H 2 S, CO 2 , and steam are present in the center of the upflow zone. This scenario is consistent with results from Fowler, Liu, et al (2019) and Fowler, Tan, Luttrell, et al (2019) who have demonstrated the formation of abundant pyrite and trace amounts of pyrrhotite in the intensely altered surficial sediments collected by push cores in the Deep Hole vapor-dominated hydrothermal vent area.…”

Section: Journal Of Geophysical Research: Solid Earthsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…At the Deep Hole site, which was the focus of the HD‐YLAKE AUV survey, fluid sampling and temperature measurements document a 174°C fluid with a pH of 4.2 that contains 18 wt.% of steam originating from boiling meteoritic water plus volatiles composed of CO 2 and H 2 S and is mixed with lake water (Fowler, Tan, Cino, et al, 2019; Tan et al, 2017), indicative of a vapor‐dominated system. Push cores collected by submersible at the vent site show that the surficial sediments consist of clast‐supported, semilithified, altered mud breccias composed of kaolinite, boehmite, pyrite, and traces of pyrrhotite (Fowler, Tan, Cino, et al, 2019; Fowler, Liu, et al, 2019). The clay sediments likely act as an impermeable cap containing the buoyant vapor‐dominated fluids beneath the Deep Hole vent site.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geological and Thermal Control of the Hydrothermal System in Northern Yellowstone Lake: Inferences From High‐Resolution Magnetic Surveys

et al. 2020

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A multiscale magnetic survey of the northern basin of Yellowstone Lake was undertaken in 2016 as part of the Hydrothermal Dynamics of Yellowstone Lake Project (HD-YLAKE)-a broad research effort to characterize the cause-and-effect relationships between geologic and environmental processes and hydrothermal activity on the lake floor. The magnetic survey includes lake surface, regional aeromagnetic, and near-bottom autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) data. The study reveals a strong contrast between the northeastern lake basin, characterized by a regional magnetic low punctuated by stronger local magnetic lows, many of which host hydrothermal vent activity, and the northwestern lake basin with higher-amplitude magnetic anomalies and no obvious hydrothermal activity or punctuated magnetic lows. The boundary between these two regions is marked by a steep gradient in heat flow and magnetic values, likely reflecting a significant structure within the currently active~20-km-long Eagle Bay-Lake Hotel fault zone that may be related to the~2.08-Ma Huckleberry Ridge caldera rim. Modeling suggests that the broad northeastern magnetic low reflects both a shallower Curie isotherm and widespread hydrothermal activity that has demagnetized the rock. Along the western lake shoreline are sinuous-shaped, high-amplitude magnetic anomaly highs, interpreted as lava flow fronts of upper units of the West Thumb rhyolite. The AUV magnetic survey shows decreased magnetization at the periphery of the active Deep Hole hydrothermal vent. We postulate that lower magnetization in the outer zone results from enhanced hydrothermal alteration of rhyolite by hydrothermal condensates while the vapor-dominated center of the vent is less altered. Plain Language Summary Despite many previous investigations, uncertainties remain about the circulation of hot fluids and gas below the floor of Yellowstone Lake. In this study, we use measurements of the strength of the magnetic field at different heights above the lake floor (via plane, helicopter, boat, and autonomous submersible) to study the rock magnetization, which is a physical property caused by the presence of magnetic minerals. Magnetization varies with rock type, temperature, and hydrothermal alteration of the rock. Our results show that rocks beneath the northeastern part of the lake are less magnetized because of higher temperatures at depth and intense and widespread circulation of hot fluids in the lake floor that destroys magnetic minerals in the rock. In contrast, stronger magnetization beneath the northwestern lake basin suggests that volcanic rocks are unaltered because of lower temperatures and the absence of similar hot fluid circulation at depth. Our measurements allow us to observe structures in the subsurface that might be paths or barriers to fluids. The submersible measurements acquired near the lake floor show decreased rock magnetization at the periphery of a hot gas venting area, where mixing with lower-temperature waters allows the gas to condense and efficiently alter the rock.

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Section: Journal Of Geophysical Research: Solid Earthsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geological and Thermal Control of the Hydrothermal System in Northern Yellowstone Lake: Inferences From High‐Resolution Magnetic Surveys

et al. 2020

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“…The short wavelength thermal variability in both the temporal and spatial dimensions observed for sites within, and on the edge of, the Deep Hole thermal field reflect the impact of hydrothermal processes on heat flow in this area. Based on fluid chemistry and mineral alteration data, Fowler, Liu, et al (2019) pos-ited that the Deep Hole thermal area is driven by a steam reservoir that is trapped in the sediments by a relatively shallow, impermeable lid. In this scenario, which is supported by near-bottom magnetics data (Bouligand et al, 2020), the steam escapes the reservoir, immediately condenses, and rises to the lake floor in discrete zones.…”

Section: Conductive Heat Flow and Hydrothermal Circulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives have established the presence of active discharge in several regions, including a site informally known as the “Deep Hole” to the south/southeast of Stevenson Island (Figure 1). The Deep Hole thermal area is a vapor‐dominated system with a total heat output of ∼28 MW (Sohn et al., 2019), discharging volatile‐rich (CO 2 , H 2 S), acidic (in situ pH of 4.2–4.5), and reducing (−0.2 to −0.3 V) fluids, reflecting a mixture of a volatile‐bearing steam condensate with oxygenated, neutral pH lake water (Fowler, Tan, et al., 2019). The hydrothermal fluids locally alter the siliceous lacustrine sediments via sulfide mineralization into pyrite‐bearing kaolinite, with boehmite and trace pyrrhotite, at the discharge sites (Fowler, Liu, et al., 2019).…”

Section: Field Site and Time‐series Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spectral Analysis of Vertical Temperature Profile Time‐Series Data in Yellowstone Lake Sediments

Sohn

Harris

2021

Water Resources Research

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Vertical temperature profile (VTP) data provide a means to quantify heat and mass fluxes across the ground surface in a variety of geological and ecological environments. VTP measurements have long been used to constrain heat fluxes across the Earth's solid surface, and these studies have played an important role in our understanding of the Earth's thermal history (e.g., Bullard, 1945;Kelvin, 1863). VTP measurements can also be used to estimate fluid fluxes. Stallman (1965) and Bredehoeft and Papadopulos (1965) described how temperature-depth profiles in a steady state, porous medium can be used to constrain vertical fluid flux rates. Although this method has been applied in a variety of hydrologic environments (e.g., Cartwright, 1970;Ferguson et al., 2003;Sorey, 1971;Taniguchi, 1993), the steady state thermal assumption is not always satisfied in natural systems. Suzuki (1960) and Stallman (1965) demonstrated that fluid flux rates can be constrained using time-series VTP data if the ground surface interface experiences periodic temperature variations. These studies showed that fluid flow modifies the rate and amplitude decay of downward diffusing thermal signals such that the amplitude ratio and phase lag between vertically offset thermistor pairs can be used to constrain fluid flux rates. Because many natural systems experience periodic temperature variations, the Stallman (1965) method has been widely applied to diverse hydrologic environments, including streams, rivers, coastal oceans, and deep-sea hydrothermal fields (e.g.,

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Procedures from samples to sulfur isotopic data: A review

Zhao,

Guo,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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RationaleSulfur isotopes have been widely used to solve some key scientific questions, especially in the last two decades with advanced instruments and analytical schemes. Different sulfur speciation and multiple isotopes analyzed in laboratories worldwide and in situ microanalysis have also been reported in many articles. However, methods of sampling to measurements are multifarious, and occasionally some inaccuracies are present in published papers. Vague methods may mislead newcomers to the field, puzzle readers, or lead to incorrect data‐based correlations.MethodsWe have reviewed multiple methods on sulfur isotopic analyses from the perspectives of sampling, laboratory work, and instrumental analysis in order to help reduce operational inhomogeneity and ensure the fidelity of sulfur isotopic data. We do not deem our proposed solutions as the ultimate standard methods but as a lead‐in to the overall introduction and summary of the current methods used.ResultsIt has been shown that external contamination and transformation of different sulfur species should be avoided during the sampling, pretreatment, storage, and chemical treatment processes. Conversion rates and sulfur isotopic fractionations during sulfur extraction, purification, and conversion processes must be verified by researchers using standard or known samples. The unification of absence of isotopic fractionation is needed during all steps, and long‐term monitoring of standard samples is recommended.ConclusionThis review compiles more details on different methods in sampling, laboratory operation, and measurement of sulfur isotopes, which is beneficial for researchers' better practice in laboratories. Microanalyses and molecular studies are the frontier techniques that compare the bulk sample with the elemental analysis/continuous flow–gas source stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry method, but the latter is widely used. The development of sulfur isotopic measurements will lead to the innovation in scientific issues with sulfur proxies.

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Pyrite δ34S and Δ33S constraints on sulfur cycling at sublacustrine hydrothermal vents in Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming, USA

Cited by 13 publications

References 70 publications

Geological and Thermal Control of the Hydrothermal System in Northern Yellowstone Lake: Inferences From High‐Resolution Magnetic Surveys

Geological and Thermal Control of the Hydrothermal System in Northern Yellowstone Lake: Inferences From High‐Resolution Magnetic Surveys

Spectral Analysis of Vertical Temperature Profile Time‐Series Data in Yellowstone Lake Sediments

Procedures from samples to sulfur isotopic data: A review

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