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Influence of hydrothermal venting on water column properties in the crater of the Kolumbo submarine volcano, Santorini volcanic field (Greece)

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Abstract

The Kolumbo submarine volcano, located 7 km northeast of the island of Santorini, is part of Santorini’s volcanic complex in the south Aegean Sea, Greece. Kolumbo’s last eruption was in 1650 AD. However, a unique and active hydrothermal vent field has been revealed in the northern part of its crater floor during an oceanographic survey by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in 2006. In the present study, conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) data collected by ROV Hercules during three oceanographic surveys onboard E/V Nautilus in 2010 and 2011 have served to investigate the distribution of physicochemical properties in the water column, as well as their behavior directly over the hydrothermal field. Additional CTD measurements were carried out in volcanic cone 3 (VC3) along the same volcanic chain but located 3 km northeast of Kolumbo where no hydrothermal activity has been detected to date. CTD profiles exhibit pronounced anomalies directly above the active vents on Kolumbo’s crater floor. In contrast, VC3 data revealed no such anomalies, essentially resembling open-sea (background) conditions. Steep increases of temperature (e.g., from 16 to 19 °C) and conductivity near the maximum depth (504 m) inside Kolumbo’s cone show marked spatiotemporal correlation. Vertical distributions of CTD signatures suggest a strong connection to Kolumbo’s morphology, with four distinct zones identified (open sea, turbid flow, invariable state, hydrothermal vent field). Additionally, overlaying the near-seafloor temperature measurements on an X–Y coordinate grid generates a detailed 2D distribution of the hydrothermal vent field and clarifies the influence of fluid discharges in its formation.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Institute for Exploration (IFE–USA) and the collaborative project “New Frontiers in the Ocean Exploration” in 2010 and 2011. The officers and crew of the E/V Nautilus are gratefully acknowledged for their expertise in handling the fieldwork. Thanks go also to Dr. Katherine Croff Bell, Vice President of the Ocean Exploration Trust for her important contribution during the cruises. This paper benefitted significantly from discussions with Prof. S. Kilias and Dr. S.L. Walker. TJM would like to thank Mr. I. Livanos for assistance in creating the isobath distributions. We are grateful to an anonymous reviewer and the journal editors for their comments that vastly improved the quality of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15784, Athens, Greece

    Maria E. Christopoulou, Paraskevi Nomikou & Dimitrios Papanikolaou

  2. Faculty of Physics, University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15784, Athens, Greece

    Theo J. Mertzimekis

  3. Graduate School of Oceanography, The University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA

    Steven Carey

  4. Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Gournes Pediados, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Greece

    Manolis Mandalakis

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  1. Maria E. Christopoulou
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  4. Dimitrios Papanikolaou
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Correspondence to Theo J. Mertzimekis.

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Christopoulou, M.E., Mertzimekis, T.J., Nomikou, P. et al. Influence of hydrothermal venting on water column properties in the crater of the Kolumbo submarine volcano, Santorini volcanic field (Greece). Geo-Mar Lett 36, 15–24 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-015-0429-z

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