Hydrothermal activity fuels microbial sulfate reduction in deep and distal marine settings along the Arctic Mid Ocean Ridges

Abstract

Microbial sulfate reduction is generally limited in the deep sea compared to shallower marine environments, but cold seeps and hydrothermal systems are considered an exception. Here, we report sulfate reduction rates and geochemical data from marine sediments and hydrothermal vent fields along the Arctic Mid Ocean Ridges (AMOR), to assess the significance of basalt-hosted hydrothermal activity on sulfate reduction in a distal deep marine setting. We find that cored marine sediments do not display evidence for sulfate reduction, apart from low rates in sediments from the Knipovich Ridge. This likely reflects the overall limited availability of reactive organic matter and low sedimentation rates along the AMOR, except for areas in the vicinity of Svalbard and Bear Island. In contrast, hydrothermal samples from the Seven Sisters, Jan Mayen and Loki’s Castle vent fields all demonstrate active microbial sulfate reduction. Rates increase from a few 10s to 100s of pmol SO 4 2- cm -3 d -1 in active high-temperature hydrothermal chimneys, to 10s of nmol SO 4 2- cm -3 d -1 in low-temperature barite chimneys and up to 110 nmol cm -3 d -1 in diffuse venting hydrothermal sediments in the Barite field at Loki’s Castle. Pore fluid and sediment geochemical data suggest that these high rates are sustained by organic compounds from microbial mats and vent fauna as well as methane supplied by high-temperature hydrothermal fluids. However, significant variation was observed between replicate hydrothermal samples and observation of high rates in seemingly inactive barite chimneys suggests that other electron donors may be important as well. Sediment sulfur isotope signatures concur with measured rates in the Barite field and indicate that microbial sulfate reduction has occurred in the hydrothermal sediments since the recent geological past. Our findings indicate that basalt-hosted vent fields provide sufficient electron donors to support microbial sulfate reduction in high- and low-temperature hydrothermal areas in settings that otherwise show very low sulfate reduction rates.

Bibliographic Information