RUI Collaborative Research: Experimental Investigation of Fluid-Rock Interaction in Back-Arc Environments

最近来自刘弧后盆地的巡航结果证明，热液流体成分与全球大洋中脊(MOR)系统的喷口不同。弧后热液系统可能受许多变量的控制，包括宿主基质和有助于喷发流体成分的岩浆流体。正是这些地质因素可能解释了MOR和弧后热液之间的巨大差异，以及在单个弧后系统内观察到的流体成分的区域差异。由于这些复杂性，对弧后环境中热液流体起源和演化的模型约束很差。这项研究是对海水热液流体与安山岩、英安岩和流纹岩成分的岩石相互作用过程中发生的特殊化学过程的实验室研究。这些实验旨在量化调节弧后热液系统中流体化学的关键过程。刘盆地已被指定为山脊综合研究地点，拟议的研究将增进对这一重点区域的了解。这是国家科学基金会-瑞的调查。它通过伍兹霍尔海洋研究所(WHOI)和布里奇沃特州立学院(BSC)之间以实验室为基础的合作，整合了研究和教育。该项目将使Peter Saccocia博士能够进行与Ridge倡议相关的基于实验室的研究，从而参与如果没有WHOI合作者就不可能进行的前沿研究。其次，该研究计划将构成BSC地球科学本科生研究课程的基础。本课程将招收5-10名学生，在为期三年的授权期内每年春季学期提供。每个学生将1)阅读文献中的相关文章以了解拟议研究的背景，2)通过团队合作积极参与与实验相关的分析工作(在WHOI)，3)在数据产生时解释结果，4)撰写报告描述他们分析团队的重要科学结果，以及5)为制作模仿期刊文章格式的单一手稿做出贡献。因此，这笔瑞安奖学金将为BSC的30名地质学学生提供本科研究经验，使他们成为更具竞争力的高质量研究生项目的申请者，并增加他们在地球科学领域从事职业的可能性。除了研究课程，该项目还为BSC的最多6名本科生提供了一个机会，在夏季的几个月里在世界卫生组织的热液实验室进行更深入的研究。

Recent cruise results from the Lau back-arc basin documents hydrothermal fluid compositions that differ from vents along the global Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR) system. Back-arc hydrothermal systems are likely controlled by a number of variables, including host substrate and magmatic fluids that contribute to vent fluid composition. It is these geologic factors that likely account for both the large differences between MOR and back-arc hydrothermal fluids and the regional variations in fluid composition observed within a single back-arc system. As a consequence of these complexities, models for the origin and evolution of hydrothermal fluids in back-arc environments are poorly constrained. This study is a laboratory investigation of the specific chemical processes that occur during the interaction of seawater-derived hydrothermal fluids with rocks of andesitic, dacitic, and rhyolitic compositions. These experiments are aimed at quantifying key processes that regulate fluid chemistry in back-arc hydrothermal systems. The Lau Basin has been designated as a RIDGE Integrated Study Site and the proposed research will enhance understanding of this focus area.This is a NSF-RUI investigation. It integrates research and education through a laboratory-based collaboration between the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Bridgewater State College (BSC). The project will allow Dr. Peter Saccocia to conduct laboratory-based research relevant to the RIDGE initiative and thereby participate in cutting-edge research that would not otherwise be possible without a WHOI collaborator. Second, the research program will form the basis of an undergraduate research course in Earth Science at BSC. This course will enroll anywhere from 5-10 students and will be offered each spring semester over the three year grant period. Each student will 1) read relevant articles from the literature to learn about the background of the proposed research, 2) actively participate in the analytical work (at WHOI) associated with the experiments by working in teams, 3) interpret the results as the data is generated, 4) write reports describing the significant scientific results from their analytical team, and 5) contribute to the production of a single manuscript that emulates the format of a journal article. Thus, this RUI grant will provide an undergraduate research experience for up to 30 geology students at BSC, making them more competitive applicants to high quality graduate programs and enhancing the likelihood that they will pursue careers in the geosciences. In addition to the research course, this project provides an opportunity for up to 6 undergraduate students at BSC to perform more intensive research in the hydrothermal laboratory at WHOI during the summer months.