Seafloor Massive Sulfides Resource along MOR

Working Group on Seafloor Massive Sulfides Resource along Mid-Ocean Ridges

Co-Chairs:
Chunhui Tao (Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA, China)
Georgy Cherkashov (VNIIOkeangeologia, Russia)
Maurice Tivey (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA)

Group Members:
Fernando Barriga (University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Ágata Dias (Institute of Science and Environment, USJ, Macau SAR)
Amy Gartman (United States Geological Survey, USA)
John Jamieson (Memorial University, Canada)
John Kurian (National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research, India)
Jiabiao Li (Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA, China)
Bramley Murton (National Oceanography Center, UK)
Sang-Joon Pak (Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, South Korea)
Sven Petersen (GEOMAR, Germany)
Desiree Roerdink (University of Bergen, Norway)
Isobel Yeo (National Oceanography Center, UK)

Scientific Objectives:
The working group aims to address the following scientific problems:

1) Understand the geological factors that contribute for the formation, distribution and preservation of seafloor massive sulfide deposits, including geological and tectonic setting;
2) Characterize the geological, geophysical and geochemical signatures that allow for the detection and documentation of inactive and buried sulfide deposits at Mid-Ocean Ridge-axis or off-axis settings;
3) Identify multi-scale observations that could be used to predict past, present and possibly future hydrothermal deposit formation;
4) Determine the spatial distribution pattern and resource potential of mid ocean ridges with various spreading rates;
5) Understand the timing and variations in the geological drivers for hydrothermal activity across mid-ocean ridge segment-scale systems;
6) Determine the dimensional structure and metal inventory for mid-ocean spreading ridges based on long-term heat flow, volcanism, fluid fluxes and sedimentation rates;
7) Understand the processes of seafloor and sub-seafloor sulfide formation, weathering, and their impact on crust-to-water column exchange in metals.