| Abstract: | Hydrothermal chimney is a product of hydrothermal activity on the seabed. Chimney samples dredged from Jade hydrothermal area in Izena depression of the Okinawa Trough, are characterized by relatively enriched light rare earth elements (LREE) and strongly positive Eu anomalies. 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd of these samples are exactly between those of seawater and of acidic pumice, averaged at 0.708928 and 0.512292, respectively. These characteristics imply that the main source of hydrothermal sulfide at Jade area is possibly the undersurface acidic rocks. The mineralizing mechanism can be summarized as follows: Large amount of mineralized material would be leached out and LREEenriched hydrothermal solution would be subsequently produced as a result of thermo-chemical exchange reaction between acidic volcanic rocks and heated seawater that penetrated in advance from upper water mass. The spurting out from the seabed and quickly crystallizing in the seawater of hydrothermal solution are responsible for the formation of Cu-Zn sulfide and barite-amorphous SiO2 minerals that are characterized by enriched LREE and positively strong Eu anomalies. |
