Hydrothermal venting within a coral reef ecosystem, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea

Research Article| May 01, 1996 Hydrothermal venting within a coral reef ecosystem, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea Thomas Pichler; Thomas Pichler 1Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre and Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar George R. Dix George R. Dix 1Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre and Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1996) 24 (5): 435–438. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0435:HVWACR>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Thomas Pichler, George R. Dix; Hydrothermal venting within a coral reef ecosystem, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea. Geology 1996;; 24 (5): 435–438. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0435:HVWACR>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Shallow-water (5–10 m) hydrothermal venting in a nearshore coral reef environment at Ambitle Island in the Tabar-Feni island arc, east of Papua New Guinea, occurs as focused discharge of boiling fluid from discrete ports 10–15 cm in diameter, and as dispersed discharge of diffuse bubble streams that issue through the sandy mixed carbonate-volcaniclastic sea floor. Abiotic aragonite and microcrystalline ferroan, low-Mg calcite, interlaminated with Fe-oxyhydroxides, are the prominent hydrothermal precipitates. Geochemical attributes of aragonite (δ18O, δ13C, and fluid inclusions) suggest that cements formed from a solution with salinities <5‰ at temperatures of ∼100 °C, with probable contribution of hydrothermal CO2. Sr isotope ratios in abiotic (hydrothermal) aragonite (∼ 0.704 15) are similar to those in island-arc basalt and denote considerable subsurface water-rock interaction of meteoric water derived from the adjacent volcanic island. The Sr isotope ratio of a coral sample (0.707 46) collected adjacent to a vent portal suggests coral growth within a mixed seawater-hydrothermal environment. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.