Hydrothermal Systems in Kamchatka Peninsula and the Adjoining Region: Geological and Hydrochemical Characteristics

Abstract

The general geological and geochemical descriptions of the several hydrothermal systems in Kamchatka Peninsula and the adjoining region have been described in Chapter 8. Thermodynamic and chemical parameters in the explored hydrothermal systems are very different and embrace almost complete set of conditions peculiar to terrestrial hydrothermal systems on the Earth: pH ranges from 1.5 to 10, temperature 55–99 ℃ in hot springs and up to 230 ℃ in deep wells , pressure may reach 40 bars at wellheads and 80 bars at the depth of about 1 km. Prevalent hydrochemical components are Cl⁻, ${\text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }$, ${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and ${\text{NH}}_{4}^{ + }$. Hydrothermal fluid discharges on the surface in the form of hot (up to boiling) water and water-mud pools, geysers , and water vapor or gas-vapor jets. The most detailed descriptions are given for Mutnovsky, Uzon, Pauzhetsky, and Kuldur hydrothermal systems, which are the basic objects for special exploration of multilevel fluctuations of the parameters and composition of organic matter considered in the Chaps. 9 and 10.