Fluid Chemistry of Mid-Ocean Ridge Hydrothermal Vents: A Comparison between Numerical Modeling and Vent Geochemical Data

Figure 4

Comparison between simulated fluid composition (lines) and natural waters from Iceland (diamond symbols) showing selected cation to proton activity ratios as a function of temperature for variable fluid/rock (F/R) mass ratios. The seawater-basalt simulations were carried out from 2 to 400°C, 500 bars, and variable fluid/rock mass ratios. The fluid compositions from the model possess near-seawater salinity values while Icelandic waters are characterized by low-salinity dilute meteoric spring waters and geothermal spring waters. Data for natural Icelandic waters from Stefánsson et al. [63] and Stefánsson and Arnórsson [108] (X = cation; y = cation charge).