Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcano

Abstract Hydrothermal chimneys are the upmost expression of fluids, metals and ligands transfer from the subseafloor to the hydrosphere, eventually forming seafloor massive sulfides. In volcanic arc settings, both magmatic and hydrothermal fluids occur together. While each fluid reflects different m...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Simon Hector, Qasid Ahmad, Clifford G.C. Patten, Massimo Chiaradia, Paraskevi Nomikou, Stephanos Kilias, Alexandre Peillod, Simon Wagner, Jochen Kolb
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99586-5
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849713645729087488
author Simon Hector
Qasid Ahmad
Clifford G.C. Patten
Massimo Chiaradia
Paraskevi Nomikou
Stephanos Kilias
Alexandre Peillod
Simon Wagner
Jochen Kolb
author_facet Simon Hector
Qasid Ahmad
Clifford G.C. Patten
Massimo Chiaradia
Paraskevi Nomikou
Stephanos Kilias
Alexandre Peillod
Simon Wagner
Jochen Kolb
author_sort Simon Hector
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Hydrothermal chimneys are the upmost expression of fluids, metals and ligands transfer from the subseafloor to the hydrosphere, eventually forming seafloor massive sulfides. In volcanic arc settings, both magmatic and hydrothermal fluids occur together. While each fluid reflects different metal mobilizing mechanisms (i.e. magmatic degassing and hydrothermal leaching of subseafloor lithologies), it is unclear which metals they respectively provide to the budget of the chimneys. We investigate the metal sources and mobilizing mechanisms associated with a gold-rich hydrothermal field from Kolumbo volcano (South Aegean Volcanic Arc, Greece) by comparing Pb isotope ratios of ore minerals from a chimney with those of potential source rocks. Four key findings result from our study: (1) Kolumbo volcanic rocks are the main source of Pb for the chimneys; (2) Magmatic assimilation of Cycladic Basement allows to track magmatic differentiation and identify metal mobilizing mechanisms for Pb and metals with similar behavior. At Kolumbo, magmatic degassing mobilizes As, Ag, Au, Cu, Hg, Sb, Sn and Zn along with Pb, while hydrothermal leaching of rhyolite provides Tl and likely some base metals to the chimneys; (3) Magmatic fluids contributed to galena and Sb-Pb sulfosalts formation while pyrite formed from hydrothermal fluids leaching rhyolite; (4) Galena growth zones in pyrite reveal episodic pulses of magmatic fluids during the chimney growth. The combined use of Pb isotopes on ore minerals and source rocks provides an additional tool to discriminate between magmatic and hydrothermal fluids contribution during seafloor massive sulfide formation, especially in arc settings where magmatic assimilation of crustal material with distinct isotopic signature is more likely to occur.
format Article
id doaj-art-f2bfde7deccb460ea02c41f7af9e9a98
institution DOAJ
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-f2bfde7deccb460ea02c41f7af9e9a982025-08-20T03:13:54ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-011511910.1038/s41598-025-99586-5Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcanoSimon Hector0Qasid Ahmad1Clifford G.C. Patten2Massimo Chiaradia3Paraskevi Nomikou4Stephanos Kilias5Alexandre Peillod6Simon Wagner7Jochen Kolb8Institute of Applied Geosciences, Geochemistry and Economic Geology, KITCentre de Recherches Pétrographiques et GéochimiquesInstitute of Applied Geosciences, Geochemistry and Economic Geology, KITSection of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of GenevaDepartment of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensDepartment of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of AthensInstitute of Applied Geosciences, Geochemistry and Economic Geology, KITInstitute of Mineralogy and Petrography, University of InnsbruckInstitute of Applied Geosciences, Geochemistry and Economic Geology, KITAbstract Hydrothermal chimneys are the upmost expression of fluids, metals and ligands transfer from the subseafloor to the hydrosphere, eventually forming seafloor massive sulfides. In volcanic arc settings, both magmatic and hydrothermal fluids occur together. While each fluid reflects different metal mobilizing mechanisms (i.e. magmatic degassing and hydrothermal leaching of subseafloor lithologies), it is unclear which metals they respectively provide to the budget of the chimneys. We investigate the metal sources and mobilizing mechanisms associated with a gold-rich hydrothermal field from Kolumbo volcano (South Aegean Volcanic Arc, Greece) by comparing Pb isotope ratios of ore minerals from a chimney with those of potential source rocks. Four key findings result from our study: (1) Kolumbo volcanic rocks are the main source of Pb for the chimneys; (2) Magmatic assimilation of Cycladic Basement allows to track magmatic differentiation and identify metal mobilizing mechanisms for Pb and metals with similar behavior. At Kolumbo, magmatic degassing mobilizes As, Ag, Au, Cu, Hg, Sb, Sn and Zn along with Pb, while hydrothermal leaching of rhyolite provides Tl and likely some base metals to the chimneys; (3) Magmatic fluids contributed to galena and Sb-Pb sulfosalts formation while pyrite formed from hydrothermal fluids leaching rhyolite; (4) Galena growth zones in pyrite reveal episodic pulses of magmatic fluids during the chimney growth. The combined use of Pb isotopes on ore minerals and source rocks provides an additional tool to discriminate between magmatic and hydrothermal fluids contribution during seafloor massive sulfide formation, especially in arc settings where magmatic assimilation of crustal material with distinct isotopic signature is more likely to occur.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99586-5
spellingShingle Simon Hector
Qasid Ahmad
Clifford G.C. Patten
Massimo Chiaradia
Paraskevi Nomikou
Stephanos Kilias
Alexandre Peillod
Simon Wagner
Jochen Kolb
Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcano
Scientific Reports
title Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcano
title_full Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcano
title_fullStr Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcano
title_full_unstemmed Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcano
title_short Unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at Kolumbo volcano
title_sort unravel subseafloor hydrothermal leaching and magmatic degassing during chimney formation at kolumbo volcano
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99586-5
work_keys_str_mv AT simonhector unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT qasidahmad unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT cliffordgcpatten unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT massimochiaradia unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT paraskevinomikou unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT stephanoskilias unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT alexandrepeillod unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT simonwagner unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano
AT jochenkolb unravelsubseafloorhydrothermalleachingandmagmaticdegassingduringchimneyformationatkolumbovolcano