Dissolved and particulate metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb) in two habitats from an active hydrothermal field on the EPR at 13°N

Le texte intégral est accessible via Archimer: http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-3830.pdfInternational audienceThe distribution of Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd between the dissolved ( 2 μm) fractions was measured after in-situ filtration in two hydrothermal habitats. The total metal concentration ranges exhibit a clear enrichment compared with the seawater concentration, accounting for the hydrothermal input for all the metals considered. Iron is the predominant metal (5-50 μM) followed by Zn and Cu. Cd and Pb are present at the nM level. At the scale studied, the behavior of temperature, pH and dissolved iron is semi-conservative whereas the other dissolved and particulate metals are characterized by non-conservative patterns. The metal enrichment of the > 2 μm fraction results from the settlement and accumulation of particulate matter close to the organisms, acting as a secondary metal source. The enrichment observed in the dissolved fraction can be related to the dissolution or oxidation of particles (mainly polymetallic sulfide) or to the presence of small particles and large colloids not retained on the 2 μm frit. SEM observations indicate that the bulk particulate observed is characteristic of crystalline particles settling rapidly from the high temperature smoker (sphalerite, wurtzite and pyrite), amorphous structures and eroded particles formed in the external zone of the chimney. Precipitation of Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb with Fe as wurtzite, sphalerite and pyrite is the main process taking place within the area studied and is semi-quantitative. The distribution of the dominant observed fauna has been related to the gradient resulting from the dilution process, with the alvinellids worms colonizing the hotter and more variable part of the mixing zone, but also to the metallic load of the mixing zone. Dissolved and particulate metal concentrations are therefore necessary abiotic factors to be studied in a multiparametric approach to understand the faunal distribution in hydrothermal ecosystems

Multi-disciplinary investigation of fluid seepage on an unstable margin: The case of the Central Nile deep sea fan

We report on a multidisciplinary study of cold seeps explored in the Central Nile deep-sea fan of the Egyptian margin. Our approach combines in situ seafloor observation, geophysics, sedimentological data, measurement of bottom-water methane anomalies, pore-water and sediment geochemistry, and 230Th/U dating of authigenic carbonates. Two areas were investigated, which correspond to different sedimentary provinces. The lower slope, at ∼ 2100 m water depth, indicates deformation of sediments by gravitational processes, exhibiting slope-parallel elongated ridges and seafloor depressions. In contrast, the middle slope, at ∼ 1650 m water depth, exhibits a series of debris-flow deposits not remobilized by post-depositional gravity processes. Significant differences exist between fluid-escape structures from the two studied areas. At the lower slope, methane anomalies were detected in bottom-waters above the depressions, whereas the adjacent ridges show a frequent coverage of fractured carbonate pavements associated with chemosynthetic vent communities. Carbonate U/Th age dates (∼ 8 kyr BP), pore-water sulphate and solid phase sediment data suggest that seepage activity at those carbonate ridges has decreased over the recent past. In contrast, large (∼ 1 km2) carbonate-paved areas were discovered in the middle slope, with U/Th isotope evidence for ongoing carbonate precipitation during the Late Holocene (since ∼ 5 kyr BP at least). Our results suggest that fluid venting is closely related to sediment deformation in the Central Nile margin. It is proposed that slope instability leads to focused fluid flow in the lower slope and exposure of ‘fossil’ carbonate ridges, whereas pervasive diffuse flow prevails at the unfailed middle slope

Multidisciplinary investigation on cold seeps with vigorous gas emissions in the Sea of Marmara (MarsiteCruise): Strategy for site detection and sampling and first scientific outcome

MarsiteCruise was undertaken in October/November 2014 in the Sea of Marmara to gain detailed insight into the fate of fluids migrating within the sedimentary column and partially released into the water column. The overall objective of the project was to achieve a more global understanding of cold-seep dynamics in the context of a major active strike-slip fault. Five remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives were performed at selected areas along the North Anatolian Fault and inherited faults. To efficiently detect, select and sample the gas seeps, we applied an original procedure. It combines sequentially (1) the acquisition of ship-borne multibeam acoustic data from the water column prior to each dive to detect gas emission sites and to design the tracks of the ROV dives, (2) in situ and real-time Raman spectroscopy analysis of the gas stream, and (3) onboard determination of molecular and isotopic compositions of the collected gas bubbles. The in situ Raman spectroscopy was used as a decision-making tool to evaluate the need for continuing with the sampling of gases from the discovered seep, or to move to another one. Push cores were gathered to study buried carbonates and pore waters at the surficial sediment, while CTD-Rosette allowed collecting samples to measure dissolved-methane concentration within the water column followed by a comparison with measurements from samples collected with the submersible Nautile during the Marnaut cruise in 2007. Overall, the visited sites were characterized by a wide diversity of seeps. CO2- and oil-rich seeps were found at the westernmost part of the sea in the Tekirdag Basin, while amphipods, anemones and coral populated the sites visited at the easternmost part in the Cinarcik Basin. Methane-derived authigenic carbonates and bacterial mats were widespread on the seafloor at all sites with variable size and distributions. The measured methane concentrations in the water column were up to 377 μmol, and the dissolved pore-water profiles indicated the occurrence of sulfate depleting processes accompanied with carbonate precipitation. The pore-water profiles display evidence of biogeochemical transformations leading to the fast depletion of seawater sulfate within the first 25-cm depth of the sediment. These results show that the North Anatolian Fault and inherited faults are important migration paths for fluids for which a significant part is discharged into the water column, contributing to the increase of methane concentration at the bottom seawater and favoring the development of specific ecosystems

Analyse des hydrocarbures volatils dans l'eau par entraÎnement gazeux - Application de la technique de Grob

The analysis of volatile organic substances requires a specifie methodology. We have taken up the Grob's procedure [1]. Enrichment of the volatile trace organics is performed by close-loop gaseous stripping followed by absorption on a microcharcoal filter. The organic substances are eluted from the charcoal by 15 µ of carbon disulfide and analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography. The recovery of the method (trapping from water, desorption from activated charcoal) is determined for different kinds of volatile organic compounds: saturated hydrocarbons (n-C7 to n-C19), aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, naphtalene and alkylated compounds) and chloro-aromatic hydrocarbons of benzene and naphthalene.L'analyse des substances organiques volatiles dans l'eau nécessite une méthodologie particulière. Nous avons adopté la méthode mise au point par Grob [1] qui consiste à réaliser une extraction par entraînement gazeux et une préconcentration sur un microfiltre en charbon actif. Les substances volatiles sont ensuite éluées par 15 µI de sulfure de carbone et identifiées par chromatographie en phase gazeuse à haute résolution. Le rendement de la méthode (extraction de l'eau, désorption du charbon actif) a été calculé pour différents types de substances volatiles, hydrocarbures saturés (n-C7 à n-C19), hydrocarbures aromatiques (benzène, naphtalène et dérivés alkylés), hydrocarbures aromatiques chlorés dérivés du benzène et du naphtalène

Identification des organochlorés à haut poids moléculaire par chromatographie en phase gazeuse sur colonnes capillaires

The use of glass capillary columns in gas-liquid chromatography, to identify high weight molecular organochlorine compounds, greatly improve the capacity of separation of the different detected compounds, specially between PCB residues and sorne chlorinated insectieides (dieldrin, DDT and metabolites). A comparison is given between chromatographie results obtained with glass capillary columns and classical columns.L'utilisation des colonnes capillaires en chromatographie en phase gazeuse, pour l'identification des organochlorés à haut poids moléculaire, améliore considérablement le pouvoir de séparation chromatographique, notamment entre les résidus de polychlorobiphényles (peB) et certains insecticides chlorés (dieldrine, DDT et métabolites). L'amélioration apportée par les colonnes capillaires est comparée aux résultats obtenus sur colonnes classiques remplies