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Molten Sulfur Lakes of Intraoceanic Arc Volcanoes

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Volcanic Lakes

Part of the book series: Advances in Volcanology ((VOLCAN))

Abstract

Intraoceanic arcs of the world are dominated by submarine volcanoes, many of which host active hydrothermal systems. A considerable number of the morphological features common to subaerial volcanoes are also present on the submarine edifices, including summit craters. Surprisingly, some of the craters, such as at Daikoku and Nikko volcanoes of the Mariana Arc, and Macauley Cone of the Kermadec Arc, are host to lakes of molten sulfur, both ancient and modern. These lakes, up to ~200 m in diameter, act as condensers of gases that derive from the underlying magmas. Volcanic vents beneath these lakes provide a steady outflow of hot gases that continuously generate molten sulfur. At Daikoku, an extraordinary lake of liquid sulfur is in constant convective and gas escape-driven motion. Smaller pools of molten sulfur occur on Nikko, and there is evidence of older, larger lakes on both this volcano and Macauley, based on the accumulation of large quantities of sulfur in the subsurface. The elemental S at these sites is produced largely by the reaction 2H2S + SO2 = 3S + 2H2O and the disproportionation of magmatic SO2. Anomalous concentrations of Au and Cu in the lakes are most likely transported by vapor.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was written while C de R was on sabbatical at NOAA/PMEL. A.G. Reyes, R.J. Stern and R.W. Henley are thanked for their discussion on volcanic lakes, sulfur, and magmas. K. Nakamura commented on an earlier draft of this paper. Reviews bv R.J. Arculus, D. Rouwet, and B.W. Christenson improved this contribution. The captain and crew of the research tender vessels R/V Thompson (2004), R/V Kaimikai-o-Kanaloa (2005) and R/V Melville (2006), and the ROV (ROPOS and Jason II) pilots and engineers, are thanked for careful and safe operations while at sea. Funding for C de R was from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) contract #C05X0406. Funding for the Submarine Ring of Fire expeditions was from the NOAA Ocean Exploration and NOAA Vents Programs. This is PMEL contribution #3942.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GNS Science, P.O. Box 30-368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

    C. E. J. de Ronde & R. G. Ditchburn

  2. CIMRS, Oregon State University, 2115 SE O.S.U. Dr, Newport, OR, 97365-5258, USA

    W. W. Chadwick Jr & S. M. Merle

  3. NOAA/PMEL, 2115 SE O.S.U. Dr, Newport, OR, 97365-5258, USA

    R. W. Embley

  4. Department of Biology/School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, PO Box 3020, Victoria, BC, V8W 3N5, Canada

    V. Tunnicliffe

  5. Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115-6349, USA

    E. T. Baker & S. L. Walker

  6. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Marine Geology and Geophysics, 61 Route 9 W, Palisades, NY, 10964-8000, USA

    V. L. Ferrini

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  1. C. E. J. de Ronde
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  2. W. W. Chadwick Jr
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  4. R. W. Embley
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  5. V. Tunnicliffe
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  6. E. T. Baker
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  7. S. L. Walker
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  8. V. L. Ferrini
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  9. S. M. Merle
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Correspondence to C. E. J. de Ronde .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sezione di Bologna, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Bologna, Italy

    Dmitri Rouwet

  2. GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

    Bruce Christenson

  3. Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Franco Tassi

  4. Institut des Sciences de la Terre, Université de Savoie, Le Bourget du Lac, France

    Jean Vandemeulebrouck

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de Ronde, C.E.J. et al. (2015). Molten Sulfur Lakes of Intraoceanic Arc Volcanoes. In: Rouwet, D., Christenson, B., Tassi, F., Vandemeulebrouck, J. (eds) Volcanic Lakes. Advances in Volcanology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36833-2_11

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