Zealandia Vent

Latitude: 16.88264οN              Longitude: 145.825οE             Depth: 500 m bsl

Zealandia Bank is located in Central Seamount Province of Mariana arc. No vent has been found but Resing et al. (2009, Table 4) report clear evidence of low levels of hydrothermal activity. This is based on Light Scatter and Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) measurements using CTD rosette package. The plume is seen in Small Fe, Mn, and weak 3He anomalies for discrete water samples collected above the volcano (Resing et al., 2009). Casts over the western cone and southern flank detected no plume evidence (Baker et al., 2008). Because the vent has not yet been found, there is no information about biological community.

Table 1: Operations history for Zealandia vent

Ship/ PlatformOperationYearDive NumberReferences
NT09-08 R/V Natsushima/ Hyper-DolphinRock sampling2009 JuneHPD#1019 to HPD#1021NT09-08 cruise report
TN-153 R/V T. G. ThompsonEM 300 multibeam; CTD vertical cast2003 February – MarchNot foundSubmarine Ring of Fire 2003
EX1605/Deep DiscovererCTD, Scanning sonar2016 May (Leg 1)12Okeanos Deep Discoverer 2016

Table 2: Vent activity and host rocks

Activity and host rocksReferences
ActivityActive hydrothermal dischargesNorth Zealandia active while Zealandia and west Zealandia are inactiveArriaga et al., 2014; Resing et al., 2009Baker et al., 2008
Host RocksBasalt and AndesiteResing et al., 2009

Table 3: Vent fluid characteristics

Vent FluidsReferences
Temperature (οC)Low T?Embley et al., 2007
CompositionSmall Fe, Mn, and 3HeResing et al., 2009
TDMn (nM)10Resing et al., 2009
TDFe (nM)16Resing et al., 2009
Δ3He (fM)0.3Resing et al., 2009

3He – Measured above the background.

Table 4: Vent Biology:

General namePhylumClass/OrderFamilySpeciesReferences
Astrophorid demosponge/lithistid /”rock sponge”PoriferaOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Basket starsEchinodermataOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Boarfish (Antigonia)ChordataOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Cookie starsEchinodermataOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
CrabsArthropodaOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
CrinoidsEchinodermataOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Deepwater squirrelfish (Plectranthias)ChordataOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
lestidiid fish (“deep-sea naked barracudina”)ChordataOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Lophiodes (anglerfish relative)ChordataLophiiformesOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Parisis coralsCnidariaOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Red snapperChordataPerciformesLutjanidaeEtelis coruscansOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
Sand tiger sharksChordataLamniformesOdontaspididaeCarcharias taurusOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary
UrchinsEchinodermataOkeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary

Images:

Video Links:

References:

  1. Baker, E. T., Embley, R. W., Walker, S. L., Resing, J. A., Lupton, J. E., Nakamura, K., de Ronde, C. E. J., Massoth, G. J., 2008. Hydrothermal activity and volcano distribution along the Mariana arc: Journal of Geophysical Research 113 (B8), 1-16.
  2. Embley, R. W., Baker, E. T., Butterfield, D. A., Chadwick, W. W. Jr., Lupton, J. E., Resing, J. A., de Ronde, C. E. J., Nakamura, K., Tunnicliffe, V., Dower, J. F., Merle, S. G., 2007. Exploring the submarine ring of fire: Mariana Arc- Western Pacific, Oceanography 20, 68–79.
  3. Resing, J. A., Baker, E. T., Lupton, J. E., Walker, S. L., Butterfield, D. A., Massoth, G. J., Nakamura, K., 2009. Chemistry of hydrothermal plumes above submarine volcanoes of the Mariana Arc. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 10 (2), 1-23.
  4. Suárez-Arriaga, M.C., Bundschuh, J., Samaniego, F., 2014. Assessment of submarine geothermal resources and development of tools to quantify their energy potentials for environmentally sustainable development. Journal of Cleaner Production 83, 21-32.

Website References:

  1. Submarine Ring of Fire 2003 http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03fire/logs/summary/summary.html (accessed: 11/25/2015)
  2. Submarine Ring of Fire 2006 http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06fire/background/marianaarc/media/movies/zealandia_video.html (accessed: 11/25/2015)

Cruise Reports:

  1. NT10-13 leg2 cruise report http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/catalog/data/doc_catalog/media/NT10-13_leg2_all.pdf (accessed: 11/25/2015)
  2. NOAA Okeanos Explorer 2016 https://docs.lib.noaa.gov/OEDV/Okeanos_Explorer_2016_EX1605/Leg_1/doc/rov_dive_summaries/EX1605l1_Dive12_Summary_20160502_FINAL.pdf (accessed: 07/05/2016)