Rock descriptions, Cruise AT03-56
3609-1A
New growth(?) from Bastille
27 long x 15 wide x 11 cm thick piece of chimney wall. 50% of exterior exhibits 1 to 3
mm thick casing (Mc?-rich). A few tubes are present. Inner side is anhydrite-rich
w/patches lined by fine-grained chalcopyrite. Majority of 11 cm thick wall is composed
of mixed anh/sulfide and is fairly dense. Not sure if this is really new growth – was
picked up lying near the vent opening. Outer 4 cm layer (mc-rich casing is ~4 mm thick,
black layer of fine-gr sulfide (Zn-rich?) in to mixed layer) from the top (3609-1A-top)
given to Sheryl for microbial analyses.
3609-1B
11 cm tall x 7 cm wide x 4 cm thick piece of chimney wall.
Zonation same as 3609-1A.
3609-1C
analyses.
Smaller piece similar to 3609-1B given to Sheryl for microbial
3609-M1
Misc. sample from dive. 8 cm wide x 5 cm x 3 cm thick piece of beehive.
Half of sample to Sheryl for microbial analyses (had outer mc-rich casing). Piece
exhibits delicate layers of mixed anhydrite and sulfide in a beehive texture.
Two other misc pieces, m2 and m3, also given to Sheryl. Also, 13+ small (<7 cm)
pieces.
3612-misc
All volunteers from northern part of Main Endevaour vent field.
Largest piece is 22 cm long x 16 cm wide by 6 cm thick. The two parallel sides with
largest areas show patches of Fe-oxide so were probably exterior sides. One of the 6 cm
wide sides is lined with anh and fn-gr chalcopyrite and was likely the edge of a conduit.
Sample is composed of dominantly anh w/minor chalcopyrite and other mixed sulfides.
Also 13+ smaller (<8 cm) pieces, most of anh-dominated wall. 2 smaller pieces lined
with chalcopyrite, each ~5 x 3 x <0.5 cm thick. 3 pieces w/evidence of being near or at
exterior given to Sheryl for microbial analyses.
3616-1
Spire w/mushroom shaped top from Cathedral
Spire is 43 cm long and ~ 6 cm in diameter. Outer side exhibits crenulations and small
(cm to 2-3 cm) knobs, and is barite-rich (inferred from radioactivity), and sparsely
populated w/sulfide worms, snails and limpets.
Broken base measures 8.5 x 5 cm and is concentrically zoned: center is open 1.5 x 1.5
cm area, but 1.5 cm into stalk it is filled w/porous fn-gr sulfide (cannot tell if Zn or Fe
rich). Less permeable wall of stalk is 1 to 2 cm thick and composed of fn-gr mixed
sulfide (maybe Po-rich??). At top of stalk there is an abrupt transition from the white
colored stalk to the brown colored mushroom cap. The cap is ~ 10 cm high w/a diameter
of ~15 to 19 cm. Upper side of musroom cap is smooth and dirt brown in color. Under
side exposes dendritic layers that run vertically from the top to the bottom of the cap.
The network of layers resembles the underside of a mushroom cap, or what would result
if a beehive texture was transected. Dendrites are composed of fn-gr Fe sulfide(?)
Maybe some Cu and Zn. Possibly Po-rich? Hard to tell. No visible anhydrite.
3616-2
From Cathedral?
Small spire 10 cm long x 5 cm x 3 cm w/open conduit that measures 3 x 1.5 cm at base
and 1 cm x 1 cm at top. Wall at base is 3 to 8 mm thick w/inner 1 to 2 mm thick Cu-Fe
sulfide lining (has oxidized since samples), mid-wall of anh and mixed sulfide, and
outerside is brown in color, <1 mm thick. Wall at top is only 1 to 2 mm thick.
3616-3
beehive?
5+ pieces – not sure where they are from (Salut?) – of outer side of
Pieces measure 9x5x1 cm thick
8x10x3 cm thick (3A = nicest beehive texture)
9x7x1 cm thick
9x8x3.5 cm thick
8x6x1.5 cm thick
All have nice thick (3 mm) outer mc-rich(?) casing. Niceness of beehive layers on inside
varies from piece to piece.
3616-4
9x5x2 cm and 6.5 x 4 x 2 cm and 2 smaller pieces = piece of chimney
wall lined w/Cu-Fe sulfide and anh, anh dominated outer walls
Location unknown.
3617-1
Easter Island, from base = flange-like.
9x5x3 cm thick piece of “flange” or ledge. Upper surface exhibits mc-rich casing and
orange/white outercoat and was very sparsely populated w/sulfide worms.
Underside/remainder is fn-gr black intermixed sulfide.
3619
Volunteer, location unknown (in skins of sub)
12x12x5 cm piece from outside of a structure. No open conduits. Outer side exhibits a
thick (5 mm) mc casing and some tube casts. Fresh broken surface exposes fn-gr sulfide
w/dendritic, beehive-like layering. Some more Cu-rich areas and other more Fe-rich
areas. Finer grained and less porous 1 cm thick layer lies beneath mc-rich casing and
above more porous dendritic layers.
3620-1
Very small pieces of chimney layer that grew on top of res probe at MilliQ.
3622-1
20x21x15 cm piece of fn-gr mixed sulfide
3622-2
12x5x5 cm thick piece of chimney wall lined w/Cu-Fe and possibly Zn
sulfide. Some anh.
3622-3
30x19 cm piece of sheet flow, 3 to 4 cm thick. Upper side glassy,
underside w/Mn.
3622-4
Large 4x27 cm piece of old sheet flow. Sheet is ~9 cm thick w/glass on
upper surface and Mn coating the convex underside. Was covered w/organisms
(sponges).
3622-5
5 pieces <8 cm in size of dominantly anh w/thin (<1 mm) patchy layers of
Zn sulfide(?). 3 <4 cm size pieces lined w/some Cu-Fe sulfide intermixed
w/either Fe or Zn-Fe sulfide. One piece exhibits mixed anh/sulfide wall and an
exterior w/some Fe-oxide.
3622-6
26x15x11 cm piece of fn-gr mixed sulfide. Was covered w/tubeworms.
3622-7
2 pieces of basalt covered w/small tubeworms. 10x11x7cm and
27x23x17cm.
3622-8
25x28x17 cm tall top of inactive(?) sulfide structure. Break exposes a
silicified(?) sulfide dominated surface w/multiple cm to 3x1 cm sized cavities; a
few are lined w/sulfide, but most are lined w/up to 1 cm thick layers of white
amorphous silica(?). Outer and upper surface is brown to black, w/broken surface
showing a <1 mm thick layer of Fe-oxide(?).
3623-1
2 10x11x8 cm sized pieces of fn-gr Fe (and minor Zn) sulfide, plus 3
much smaller pieces. Were covered w/limpets (sampled by Mark Fox). Upper
surface exhibits whote coating.
3623-2
8x15x2 cm thick piece of structure (flange?) wall. Exterior exhibits
porous brown layer. Wall is of fn-gr sulfide (dark brown in color (mix of Fe and Zn
sulfide??)) and inner side is lined w.Cu-Fe sulfide.