Computer reconstruction of the physicochemical conditions of sulfide formation for the Krasnov and Ashadze hydrothermal systems (Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

Computer-based reconstruction of the physicochemical conditions of formation of the Krasnov (16° N) and Ashadze (13° N) submarine systems in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) has been performed using the equilibrium-thermodynamic approach to study samples from these sites. In the first case, a sphalerite-pyrite-barite association was considered, and in the second case, a sphalerite-pyrite association. In the modeling conducted, the composition of the sphalerite solid solution corresponding to the nonideal mixing of ZnS and FeS was used as a correlation parameter with the total composition of the Fe-Zn-Ba-S-H2O-NaCl-HCl hydrothermal system depending on temperature (200-300°C) and a given pressure of 100bar. The calculation results predict that at an iron content of 0.17-0.36wt.% in sphalerite, the minimum formation temperatures of the equilibrium sphalerite-pyrite-barite association should correspond to the interval of 280-300°C (Krasnov site). As the iron content in sphalerite increases to 4.15-13.28wt.%, the occurrence of barite in the systems studied becomes impossible and the formation temperatures of the sphalerite-pyrite association become equal to or higher than 300°C (Ashadze site).