Geochemistry and geochronology along the Mohns Ridge

Project title

Geochemistry and geochronology along the Mohns Ridge

Supervisors

Rolf Birger Pedersen, GEO, UiB

Ingunn H. Torseth, GEO, UiB

Haflidi Haflidason, GEO, UiB

Project description

The Center for Deep Sea Research has identified a number of hydrothermal fields along the Mohn Ridge. In the areas around these fields, the hemipelagic deep-sea sediments are affected to varying degrees by hydrothermal particle fallout from the water masses, and they are partly also affected by erosion of hydrothermal deposits. Hydrothermally affected sediments provide important information about the hydrothermal activity. They provide new information about the spread of hydrothermal particles in the water masses. They also provide information about when the hydrothermal activity started in a given area, and whether there have been important changes in the activity. At one of the fields (Loki´s Castle), we have already demonstrated that the hydrothermal activity started around 10,000 years ago, and that since then there have been significant changes in the hydrothermal outflow.  

This master's thesis will continue the work already begun on Loki´s Castle and expand it to include two other hydrothermal fields (Fåvne and Mohnskatten). A main goal of the assignment is to document the chemical composition of the hydrothermal sediments. An important goal is to document any variations in the composition through time and distance from the fields, and thereby gain knowledge about changes in fluid composition, outflow rates and dispersion of hydrothermal particles in space and time.