Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red Sea
Abstract For decades, hydrothermal activity along the Red Sea Rift was only inferred from metalliferous sediments and hot brines. Active hydrothermal fluid discharge was never directly observed from this young ocean basin, but could be key to understanding the evolution of hydrothermal vent fields a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01169-7 |
| _version_ | 1797376803260596224 |
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| author | Froukje M. van der Zwan Nico Augustin Sven Petersen Sharifah M. Altalhi Júnia Schultz Raquel S. Peixoto Jörg Follmann Arthur Anker Francesca Benzoni Evelyn R. Garcia Paredes Murtadha Al Malallah Lera Shepard Mustapha Ouhssain S. Beatrice Jägerup Burton H. Jones Alexandre S. Rosado |
| author_facet | Froukje M. van der Zwan Nico Augustin Sven Petersen Sharifah M. Altalhi Júnia Schultz Raquel S. Peixoto Jörg Follmann Arthur Anker Francesca Benzoni Evelyn R. Garcia Paredes Murtadha Al Malallah Lera Shepard Mustapha Ouhssain S. Beatrice Jägerup Burton H. Jones Alexandre S. Rosado |
| author_sort | Froukje M. van der Zwan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract For decades, hydrothermal activity along the Red Sea Rift was only inferred from metalliferous sediments and hot brines. Active hydrothermal fluid discharge was never directly observed from this young ocean basin, but could be key to understanding the evolution of hydrothermal vent fields and associated life. Here we report the discovery of widespread diffuse venting at Hatiba Mons, the largest axial volcano in the Red Sea. The active vent fields are composed of iron-oxyhydroxide mounds, host thriving microbial communities and are larger and more abundant than those known from any other (ultra) slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge. Diffuse venting, controlled by intense faulting, and the lack of vent-specific macrofauna, are likely causes for the abundant microbial mats that dominate and built up the hydrothermal mounds. These microbe-rich hydrothermal vent fields, occurring in a warm ocean, may be analogous to Precambrian environments hosting early life and supporting the formation of large iron deposits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:43:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5553789deeb41a895c256030470926e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:43:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5553789deeb41a895c256030470926e2023-12-24T12:30:08ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352023-12-014111310.1038/s43247-023-01169-7Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red SeaFroukje M. van der Zwan0Nico Augustin1Sven Petersen2Sharifah M. Altalhi3Júnia Schultz4Raquel S. Peixoto5Jörg Follmann6Arthur Anker7Francesca Benzoni8Evelyn R. Garcia Paredes9Murtadha Al Malallah10Lera Shepard11Mustapha Ouhssain12S. Beatrice Jägerup13Burton H. Jones14Alexandre S. Rosado15King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielGEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Abstract For decades, hydrothermal activity along the Red Sea Rift was only inferred from metalliferous sediments and hot brines. Active hydrothermal fluid discharge was never directly observed from this young ocean basin, but could be key to understanding the evolution of hydrothermal vent fields and associated life. Here we report the discovery of widespread diffuse venting at Hatiba Mons, the largest axial volcano in the Red Sea. The active vent fields are composed of iron-oxyhydroxide mounds, host thriving microbial communities and are larger and more abundant than those known from any other (ultra) slow-spreading mid-ocean ridge. Diffuse venting, controlled by intense faulting, and the lack of vent-specific macrofauna, are likely causes for the abundant microbial mats that dominate and built up the hydrothermal mounds. These microbe-rich hydrothermal vent fields, occurring in a warm ocean, may be analogous to Precambrian environments hosting early life and supporting the formation of large iron deposits.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01169-7 |
| spellingShingle | Froukje M. van der Zwan Nico Augustin Sven Petersen Sharifah M. Altalhi Júnia Schultz Raquel S. Peixoto Jörg Follmann Arthur Anker Francesca Benzoni Evelyn R. Garcia Paredes Murtadha Al Malallah Lera Shepard Mustapha Ouhssain S. Beatrice Jägerup Burton H. Jones Alexandre S. Rosado Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red Sea Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red Sea |
| title_full | Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red Sea |
| title_fullStr | Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red Sea |
| title_short | Widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron-mounds in the Red Sea |
| title_sort | widespread diffuse venting and large microbial iron mounds in the red sea |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01169-7 |
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