Million‐Year Scale Hydrothermal and Hydrocarbon Evolution Hosted Within Stratified Thermohydraulic Systems in Sedimented Ultraslow‐Spreading Settings, Svyatogor and Vestnesa Ridges
Abstract Hydrothermal systems at ultraslow‐spreading ridges are poorly understood, especially where thick sediments overlay detachment faults. The International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 403 obtained the longest sediment record in Atlantic‐Arctic ultraslow‐spreading systems, reaching ∼628 m below the seafloor. Heat‐flow measurements, fluid geochemistry, and mineralogical analyses, combined with seismic interpretation, revealed thermohydraulic systems within two contourite drifts on ridge flanks. The Svyatogor Ridge site exhibits extreme heat flow and crustal‐fluid migration from two detachment faults, accompanied by newly documented thermogenic hydrocarbons, resulting in stratified thermohydraulic systems. The Vestnesa Ridge site exhibits moderate heat flow, and partial crustal‐fluid migration suggests developing thermohydraulic systems. The results reveal complex, long‐lived hydrothermal systems in the present day with significant, previously poorly understood reservoirs of geological carbon and suggest their million‐year‐scale evolution. This study advances understanding of fluid dynamics, fluid‐sediment interactions, and carbon cycling in sedimented ultraslow‐spreading ridge environments.
Authors
- O. Tadai
- Yair Rosenthal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7546-6011)
- Andreia Plaza‐Faverola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7282-4277)
- Stefan Bünz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9215-7325)
- Renata Giulia Lucchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5111-6968)
- Weiren Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3228-2789)
- Thomas A. Ronge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2625-719X)
- Lauren A. Haygood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4060-0700)
- Yanguang Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4524-2930)
- Vincent J. Clementi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3695-3412)
- Kristen St. John (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7045-7485)
- Go‐Ichiro Uramoto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8274-493X)
- Mutsumi Iizuka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1472-8994)
- J. Grüetzner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5445-2393)
- Lucinda Cameron Duxbury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1468-8056)
- O. Libman-Roshal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4470-2870)
- L.R. Monito (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4263-8630)
- Y. Sakai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7817-8473)
- Expedition 403 Shipboard Scientists
- Y. Fukamatsu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2451-7947)
Institutions
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Oklahoma State University (US)
- James Madison University (US)
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE)
- University of Tasmania (AU)
- Montclair State University (US)
- Ministry of Natural Resources (CN)
- Kyoto University (JP)
- University of Florida (US)
- First Institute of Oceanography (CN)
- Geological Survey of Japan (JP)
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (IT)
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
- Marine Works Japan Ltd. (Japan) (JP)
- Kōchi University (JP)
- Texas A&M University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Published
- 2026-10-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2026gl123130
- Primary Topic
- Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00