Submarine Hydrothermal Mineral Systems

Abstract

Present-day, active submarine hydrothermal effluents, at spreading centres (mid-ocean ridges) and in oceanic volcanic arcs and back-arcs, are of considerable interest because they provide a window into ore systems of the ancient geological record that are interpreted to have originated from submarine fluids venting. A wide range of volcanogenic, volcanic-associated or volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits, commonly known as VMS orVHMS, as for example the giant ore deposits of the Iberian belt, Cyprus, the Japanese Kuroko deposits and the Archaean Canadian Noranda- or Abitibi-type deposits and similar style ore systems in the very ancient ({\textasciitilde}3.25 Ga) geological record of the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia, are all explained by models of submarine venting at spreading centres, arc or back-arc rift settings.