The formation of present-day seafloor sulfide deposits is accompanied by their continuous oxidation and crystallization of insoluble Fe oxyhydroxides, which absorb metals (including heavy metals) (Fallon et al., 2017). Due to the high sorption ability of Fe oxyhydroxides, it is suggested that the removal of metals during submarine oxidation into ambient seawater is insignificant (Fallon et al., 2017). Quantitative data on the redistribution of trace elements between primary sulfides and their oxidation products, however, are insufficient. Recently, we revealed the enrichment of trace elements in covellite with respect to primary sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and isocubanite (Melekestseva et al., 2017). In this study, we estimate the behavior of trace elements during submarine oxidation of sphalerite from smokers at the Irinovskoe hydrothermal field (Atlantic Ocean), which is intensely replaced by Fe oxyhydroxides. As a result, it is established that Fe oxyhydroxides are enriched in many trace elements with respect to sphalerite and the mode of their occurrence is identified.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	sphalerite, iron oxyhydroxides, trace elements, submarine oxidation, Irinovskoe Hydrothermal Field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, LA-ICPMS
Research Division:	Earth Sciences
Research Group:	Geology
Research Field:	Resource geoscience
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences
UTAS Author:	Danyushevsky, L (Professor Leonid Danyushevsky)
UTAS Author:	Large, R (Professor Ross Large)
ID Code:	144702
Year Published:	2020
Funding Support:	Australian Research Council (CE0561595)
Deposited By:	CODES ARC
Deposited On:	2021-06-06
Last Modified:	2021-07-28
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