The Origin of Carbonate Veins Within the Sedimentary Cover and Igneous Rocks of the Cocos Ridge: Results From IODP Hole U1414A.

Carbonate veins in the igneous basement and in the lithified sedimentary cover of the Cocos Ridge at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Hole 344-U1414A reveal the hydrologic system and fluid-rock interactions. IODP Hole 344-U1414A was drilled on the northern flank of the Cocos Ridge and is situated 1 km seaward from the Middle America Trench offshore Costa Rica. Isotopic and elemental compositions were analyzed to constrain the fluid source of the carbonate veins and to reveal the thermal history of Hole 344-U1414A. The formation temperatures (oxygen isotope thermometer) of the carbonate veins in the lithified sedimentary rocks range from 70 to 92 °C and in the basalt from 32 to 82 °C. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the veins in the altered Cocos Ridge basalt range between 0.707307 and 0.708729. The higher ratios are similar to seawater strontium ratios in the Neogene. 87Sr/86Sr ratios lower 0.7084 indicate exchange of Sr with the igneous host rock. The calcite veins hosted by the sedimentary rocks are showing more primitive 87Sr/86Sr ratios <0.706396. The isotopic compositions indicate seawater, modified into a hydrothermal fluid by subsequent heating, as the main fluid source. Low-temperature alteration and the presence of a high-temperature fluid resulted in different carbonate precipitates forming up to several cm thick veins. The geochemical data combined with age data of the sedimentary rocks suggest intraplate seamount volcanism in the area between the Galapagos hot spot and the Cocos Island as an additional heating source, after the formation of the Cocos Ridge at the Galapagos hot spot.

Microstructural analysis and calcite piezometry on hydrothermal veins: Insights into the deformation history of the Cocos Plate at Site U1414 (IODP Expedition 344).

In this study we present microstructural data from hydrothermal veins in the sedimentary cover and the igneous basement recovered from Hole U1414A, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 344 (Costa Rica Seismogenesis Project), to constrain deformation mechanism operating in the subducting Cocos Plate. Cathodoluminescence studies, mechanical e-twin piezometry and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analyses of carbonate veins were used to give insights into the deformation conditions and to help to understand the tectonic deformation history of the Cocos Plate offshore Costa Rica. Analyses of microstructures in the sedimentary rocks and in the basalt of the igneous basement reveal brittle deformation, as well as crystal-plastic deformation of the host rock and the vein material. Cathodoluminescence images showed that in the basalt fluid flow and related precipitation occurred over several episodes. The differential stresses, obtained from two different piezometers using the same parameter (twin density), indicate various mean differential stresses of 49 ± 11 and 69 ± 30 MPa and EBSD mapping of calcite veins reveals low-angle subgrain boundaries. Deformation temperatures are restricted to the range from 170°C to 220°C, due to the characteristics of the existing twins and the lack of high-temperature intracrystalline deformation mechanisms (>220°C). The obtained results suggest that deformation occurred over a period associated with changes of ambient temperatures, occurrence of fluids and hydrofracturing, induced differential stresses due to the bending of the plate at the trench, and related seismic activity.

Fluid inclusion petrology and microthermometry of the Cocos Ridge hydrothermal system, IODP Expedition 344 (CRISP 2), Site U1414.

In this study, we present new data from microthermometry of fluid inclusions entrapped in hydrothermal veins along the Cocos Ridge from the IODP Expedition 344 Site U1414. The results of our study concern a primary task of IODP Expedition 344 to evaluate fluid/rock interaction linked with the tectonic evolution of the incoming Cocos Plate from the Early Miocene up to recent times. Aqueous, low saline fluids are concentrated within veins from both the Cocos Ridge basalt and the overlying lithified sediments of Unit III. Mineralization and crosscutting relationships give constraints for different vein generations. Isochores from primary, reequilibrated, and secondary fluid inclusions crossed with litho/hydrostatic pressures indicate an anticlockwise PT evolution during vein precipitation and modification by isobaric heating and subsequent cooling at pressures between ∼210 and 350 bar. Internal over and underpressures in the inclusions enabled decrepitation and reequilibration of early inclusions but also modification of vein generations in the Cocos Ridge basalt and in the lithified sediments. We propose that lithification of the sediments was accompanied with a first stage of vein development (VU1 and VC1) that resulted from Galapagos hotspot activity in the Middle Miocene. Heat advection, either related to the Cocos-Nazca spreading center or to hotspot activity closer to the Middle America Trench, led to subsequent vein modification (VC2, VU2/3) related to isobaric heating. The latest mineralization (VC3, VU3) within aragonite and calcite veins and some vesicles of the Cocos Ridge basalt occurred during crustal cooling up to recent times. Fluid inclusion analyses and published isotope data show evidence for communication with deeper sourced, high-temperature hydrothermal fluids within the Cocos Plate. The fluid source of the hydrothermal veins reflects aqueous low saline pore water mixed with invaded seawater.

CO(2) partial pressure and calcite saturation in springs - useful data for identifying infiltration areas in mountainous environments.

Mountainous regions such as the Central European Alps host considerable karstified or fractured groundwater bodies, which meet many of the demands concerning drinking water supply, hydropower or agriculture. Alpine hydrogeologists are required to describe the dynamics in fractured aquifers in order to assess potential impacts of human activities on water budget and quality. Delineation of catchment areas by means of stable isotopes and hydrochemical data is a well established method in alpine hydrogeology. To achieve reliable results, time series of (at least) one year and spatial and temporal close-meshed data are necessary. In reality, test sites in mountainous regions are often inaccessible due to the danger of avalanches in winter. The aim of our work was to assess a method based on the processes within the carbonic acid system to delineate infiltration areas by means of single datasets consisting of the main hydrochemical parameters of each spring. In three geologically different mountainous environments we managed to classify the investigated springs into four groups. (1) High PCO2 combined with slight super-saturation in calcite, indicating relatively low infiltration areas. (2) Low PCO2 near atmospheric conditions in combination with calcite saturation, which is indicative of relatively high infiltration areas and a fractured aquifer which is not covered by topsoil layers. (3) High PCO2 in combination with sub-saturation in calcite, representing a shallow aquifer with a significant influence of the topsoil layer. (4) The fourth group of waters is characterized by low PCO2 and sub-saturation in calcite, which is interpreted as evidence for a shallow aquifer without significant influence of any hard rock aquifer or topsoil layer. This study shows that CO2-partial pressure can be an ideal natural tracer to estimate the elevation of infiltration areas, especially in non-karstified fractured groundwater bodies.