Molluscs as Recorders of Ridge Volcanism and Hydrothermal Vent Field Activity

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This project will analyze stable isotopes and trace elements in bivalves collected from vent sites on the East Pacific Rise. Potential tracers of water temperture (Sr, Mg, F) and fluid chemistry (metals) will be analyzed by ion microprobe, with 18O analyzed by mass spectrometry, and compared with water samples collected in time-series studies nearby. Partition coefficients will be evaluated, and radiometric dating will be used to determine growth rates. The goal is to determine the utility of bivalves as a record of temperture and fluid chemistry variations on decade to century time scales at mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems. If successful, this will provide a tool to asses temporal variability of venting, and to estimate the hydrothermal component of geochemical fluxes.