Enigmatic H₂- and CH₄-rich hydrothermal plumes at the ultramafic-hosted Lucky B site, 81°N on Lena Trough, Arctic Ocean.

ABSTRACT: Tectonic uplift of mantle rocks along slow- and ultraslow-spreading mid-ocean ridges facilitates diverse styles of hydrothermal circulation. Here, we report on Lucky B, an ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal field on the ultraslow-spreading Lena Trough at 81°N in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean. At the seafloor we observed diffuse, metal-poor fluid discharge with abundant vent fauna alongside sites of massive sulfide deposits and hydrothermal chimneys, extending laterally over at least 1.9 km. The overlying water column exhibited two geochemically distinct plumes, the stronger of which showed strong redox and particle anomalies. We hence identify Lucky B as 'black smoker'-type system featuring distinct styles of venting from several major fluid sources. The strongest plume also contained high conc

SUBMITTER: Albers E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12521595 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature