Excess 222Rn above the Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge Article

Gendron, JF, Todd, JF, Feely, RA et al. (1994). Excess 222Rn above the Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge . JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES, 99(B3), 5007-5015. 10.1029/93JB03209

cited authors

  • Gendron, JF; Todd, JF; Feely, RA; Baker, ET; Kadko, DC

authors

abstract

  • The distributions of excess 222Rn above the North Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge were determined from 1988 to 1991 in order to obtain a better understanding of the temporal variability of heat flux from this ridge segment. Based on the inventories of excess 222Rn, the hydrothermal heat flux was estimated to be 2.7 ± 1.3 GW in 1990. The large uncertainty results from errors in calculating the standing crop of 222Rn, the difficulty in determining the 222Rn to heat ratio, and the problem of entrainment of low-temperature waters into the rising plume. The mean 222Rn/heat ratios for the high- and low-temperature vent fluids were 0.0017 disintegrations per minute (dpm) g-1 °C-1 and 0.0044 dpm g-1 °C-1, respectively. The extrapolated end-member concentrations of excess 222Rn in low-temperature vent fluids are a factor of 6 greater than the high-temperature fluids, based on the regressions of excess 222Rn activity and Mg concentration in North Cleft segment vent fluid samples. -from Authors

publication date

  • January 1, 1994

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 5007

end page

  • 5015

volume

  • 99

issue

  • B3