Geothermal system at 21°N, East Pacific Rise: physical limits on geothermal fluid and role of adiabatic expansion
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Abstract
Pressure-volume-temperature relations for water at the depth of the magma chamber at 21°N on the East Pacific Rise suggest that the maximum subsurface temperature of the geothermal fluid is about 420°C. Both the chemistry of the discharging fluid and thermal balance considerations indicate that the effective water/rock ratios in the geothermal system are between 7 and 16. Such low ratios preclude effective metal transport at temperatures below 350°C, but metal solubilization at 400°C and above is effective even at such low ratios. It is proposed that the 420°C fluid ascends essentially adiabatically and in the process expands, cools, and precipitates metal sulfides within the upper few hundred meters of the sea floor and on the sea floor itself.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Geothermal system at 21°N, East Pacific Rise: physical limits on geothermal fluid and role of adiabatic expansion |
| Series title | Science |
| DOI | 10.1126/science.207.4438.1465 |
| Volume | 207 |
| Issue | 4438 |
| Year Published | 1980 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | AAAS |
| Description | 5 p. |
| First page | 1465 |
| Last page | 1469 |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |