Table 1 Geochemistry of fluids and particles from the Mid-Cayman spreading centre.

From: Hydrothermal vent fields and chemosynthetic biota on the world's deepest seafloor spreading centre

Site

Von Damm

Beebe

Rainbow 55

TAG 58, 59

Depth (m)

2,300

4,960

2,300

3,600

Particulate metals

Fe part (nM)

17.0

49,000.0

420

212

Mn part (nM)

<0.1

5.80

0.4

0.3

Cu part (nM)

3.40

3,100.00

3.25

NA

Dissolved metals

Fe diss (nM)

394.0

105.0

24×106

5.59×106

Mn diss (nM)

416.0

17.0

2.25×106

6.8×105

Cu diss (nM)

9.9

33.7

1.4×105

1.4×105

Dissolved gases

H2S (nM)

53,000.0

7,000.0

1×106

3×106

Methane (nM)

30,686.0

741.0

2.22×106

1.47×105

Ratio data

Fe diss:H2S

0.0074

0.015

24

1.86

Fe:Mn diss

0.95

6.18

10.67

8.22

Fe:Mn part

170.00

8,448.28

1,050

706.67

Cu diss:H2S

0.00019

0.0048

0.14

0.047

Cu:Mn diss

0.024

1.98

0.062

0.21

Cu:Mn part

34

534.48

8.13

 

Cu:Fe diss

0.025

0.32

0.0058

0.025

  1. Abbreviation: diss, dissolved.
  2. Fluid and particulates were collected by the HyBIS vehicle from <5-m altitude above active vents using a Niskin sampler and stand-alone pump filtration system. Particulate concentrations represent nmol per litre of filtered water. For comparison, elemental ratios are shown for undiluted end-member vent fluids sampled at other vent sites55,58,59.
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