Metalliferous Sediments of the Red Sea

The Zn- and Cu-rich sediments of the Atlantis-II-Deep represent an outstanding modern analogue of sediment-hosted base metal deposits in the geological record. In this project, we investigate the mechanisms of metal precipitation in the Red Sea to inform genetic models for ancient ore deposits.

The Atlantis II Deep drill hole, located at 2000 m depth in the Red Sea, represents a unique modern-day ore-forming environment. It is located in a 60-km long deep-sea depression, where hydrothermally charged, hot metalliferous brines promote the deposition of Zn-Cu-rich sediments.

In this project, we use an interdisciplinary approach to tackle the challenge of understanding base-metal deposition in the Atlantis-II-Deep. Besides a thorough mineralogical, geochemical, and hyperspectral characterisation of the variably Fe-oxide- and clay-rich, sulfidic sediments, a major focus is the utilization of non-traditional stable isotope geochemistry (i.e., stable isotopes of Zn and Cu) to trace brine/fluid evolution and metal precipitation. The results from the Atlantis-II-Deep metalliferous sediments will be compared with data from ancient sediment-hosted base metal deposits, such as the McArthur River deposit of Australia, to refine current models of their formation.

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