Some Approaches to Modeling Diffuse Flow at Mid-Ocean Ridges

To obtain a sound understanding of subsurface temperatures and the extent of the subsurface biosphere in young oceanic crust, one must understand the mechanisms of diffuse flow at oceanic spreading centers. Mathematical modeling of diffuse flow at oceanic spreading centers has received relatively little attention compared to high-temperature black smoker discharge, in part because the temperature and fluid flow data required to constrain the models are scarce. We review a number of different approaches to modelling diffuse flow: (1) The simplest method considers 1-D steady-state uniform upflow from below subject to a heat transfer boundary condition at the surface, which represents the effects of mixing of hydrothermal fluid with seawater. These models, in which the heat transfer coefficient and the velocity of the ascending fluid are constrained by observed diffuse flow vent temperature and heat flux, typically result in a steep temperature gradient near the seafloor and subsurface biological activity may be limited to the upper few cm of the crust. (2) A related method uses data on the partitioning of heat flux between focused and diffuse flow and chemical data from the focused and diffuse flow components in a two-limb single pass modeling approach to determine the fraction of high-temperature fluid that is incorporated in the diffuse flow. Using data available from EPR 950', the Main Endeavour Field, and ASHES vent field at Axial Volcano on the Juan de Fuca Ridge in conjunction with Mg as a passive tracer, we find that the mixing ratio of high temperature in diffuse flow is <10%. The high-temperature contribution to the diffuse heat flux remains large, however, and high-temperature vent fluid ultimately contributes ~ 90% of the total heat output from the vent field. In these models mixing between high-temperature fluid and seawater may occur over a considerable depth, and the subsurface biosphere may be ~ 100 m deep beneath diffuse flow sites. (3) Finally, in numerical models of high-temperature circulation that incorporate an extrusive layer 2A with high-permeability, high-temperature plumes induce circulation in the extrusives. In these models, mixing between high-temperature fluid and seawater may occur through out the extrusive layer, and perhaps even into the sheeted dikes, suggesting that the subsurface biosphere may be present locally at least to the base of layer 2A.