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Magnetic and Gravity Surface Geometry Inverse Modelling of the TAG Active Mound
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  • Christopher George Galley,
  • Peter Lelievre,
  • Amir Haroon,
  • Sebastian Graber,
  • John William Jamieson,
  • Florent Szitkar,
  • Isobel Yeo,
  • Colin Farquharson,
  • Sven Petersen,
  • Rob L. Evans
Christopher George Galley
Memorial University of Newfoundland

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Peter Lelievre
Mount Allison University
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Amir Haroon
GEOMAR
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Sebastian Graber
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre of Ocean Research Kiel
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John William Jamieson
Memorial University of Newfoundland
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Florent Szitkar
Geological Survey of Norway (NGU)
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Isobel Yeo
National Oceanography Center Southampton, NOCS
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Colin Farquharson
Memorial University of Newfoundland
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Sven Petersen
GEOMAR
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Rob L. Evans
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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Abstract

Seafloor massive sulfide deposits form in remote environments, and the assessment of deposit size and composition through drilling is technically challenging and expensive. To aid the evaluation of the resource potential of seafloor massive sulfide deposits, three-dimensional inverse modelling of geophysical potential field data (magnetic and gravity) collected near the seafloor can be carried out to further enhance geologic models interpolated from sparse drilling. Here, we present inverse modelling results of magnetic and gravity data collected from the active mound at the Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse hydrothermal vent field, located at 26o08’N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, using autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and submersible surveying. Both minimum-structure and surface geometry inverse modelling methods were utilized. Through deposit-scale magnetic modelling, the outer extent of a chloritized alteration zone within the basalt host rock below the mound was resolved, providing an indication of the angle of the rising hydrothermal fluid and the depth and volume of seawater/hydrothermal mixing zone. The thickness of the massive sulfide mound was determined by modelling the gravity data, enabling the tonnage of the mound to be estimated at 2.17 +/- 0.44 Mt through this geophysics-based, non-invasive approach.