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Reduced Gases and Bacteria in Hydrothermal Fluids: The Galapagos Spreading Center and 21°N East Pacific Rise

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Hydrothermal Processes at Seafloor Spreading Centers

Part of the book series: NATO Conference Series ((MARS,volume 12))

Abstract

Hydrothermal fluids at the Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) and at 21°N on the East Pacific Rise were enriched in methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide by orders of magnitude over ambient bottom water. Nitrous oxide showed both enrichment and depletion in warm vent waters. Each GSC vent field exhibited unique dissolved gas to silica ratios indicating that complex source — sink mechanisms operated within a small geographic region. The CH4/3 He ratio at 21°N was 6.1 × 106 whereas at the GSC, a range of 12.4 to 42 × 106 was seen. At 21°N the H2/3 He ratio was on the order of 100 times that at the GSC. Microbial data showed as many as 109 organisms ml−1 in GSC samples and 105 ml−1 in the hot 21°N waters. These microbial communities are complex and include organisms known to produce and consume the gases discussed here. We conclude that microbial activity in the warm GSC vents is a significant contributing factor in determining the final gas concentrations in the vent waters.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Marvin D. Lilley, John A. Baross & Louis I. Gordon

Authors
  1. Marvin D. Lilley
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  2. John A. Baross
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  3. Louis I. Gordon
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida, USA

    Peter A. Rona

  2. University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden

    Kurt Boström

  3. National Center for Ocean Exploitation, Paris, France

    Lucien Laubier

  4. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, La Jolla, California, USA

    Kenneth L. Smith Jr.

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© 1983 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Lilley, M.D., Baross, J.A., Gordon, L.I. (1983). Reduced Gases and Bacteria in Hydrothermal Fluids: The Galapagos Spreading Center and 21°N East Pacific Rise. In: Rona, P.A., Boström, K., Laubier, L., Smith, K.L. (eds) Hydrothermal Processes at Seafloor Spreading Centers. NATO Conference Series, vol 12. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0402-7_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0402-7_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0404-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0402-7

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