Daikoku Vent

Latitude: 21.324ºN    Longitude: 144.194ºE    Depth: 323 m bsl

Vent Sites: Bottomless pit, Bubble bath, White smoker, Bubble field, Barnacles, Alka Seltzer, Sulfur Cauldron, Smoking (Figure: Lupton et al., 2008)

Daikoku is a symmetrical cratered arc volcano, located in the Northern Seamount Province. Expeditions to this seamount in 2006 found liquid sulfur eruptions (Submarine Ring of Fire, 2006). This vent site were observed using CTD casts and tows. Seamount is actively degassing CO₂, hydrogen, and particulates (Submarine Ring of Fire 2014-Ironman, Resing et al., 2009).  The region around the summit crater is a good habitat for the new flatfish species Symphurus thermophillus (Tunnicliffe et al., 2010).

Table 1: Operations history for Daikoku vent

Table 2: Vent activity and host rocks

Table 3: Vent fluid characteristics

* ΔpH, ΔCO₂ – Measured relative to the regional background; Δ³He – Measured above the background.

Table 4: Vent Biology

Images: 

• The pond of molten sulfur discovered at Daikoku volcano is about 15 ft long and 10 ft wide.
• At Daikoku and Nikko volcanoes tonguefish and crabs cover the sea floor in some areas.
• The toungefish at Nikko are almost twice as big as their counterparts on Daikoku.
• Tonguefish at the edge of the Sulfur Cauldron at Daikoku volcano.
• At Daikoku volcano, a black pool of liquid sulfur with a solidified sulfur crust.
• Tongue fish and crabs on the sea floor at Daikoku.
• Jason holds up a large piece of sulfur crust that was sampled at Daikoku.
• A large plume of white fluid slowly rises out of one of the craters at the summit of Daikoku.                                                                                                                                                                                                 (For more images see Okeanos Explorer 2016 dive summary)

Video Links:

• Sulfur Cauldron at Daikoku (Note: click Quicktime or Windows media link).
• Molten sulfur and volcanic gases are bubbling out of a vent (note: click Quicktime or Windows media link).
• Flatfish swimming out on the crusted-over surface of the molten sulfur pond (Note: click Quicktime or Windows media link).
• Jason II measures the temperature of the sulfur pond (note: click Quicktime or Windows media link).
• Tube worms with red gills and anemones

References:

1. Baker, E. T., Embley, R. W., Walker, S. L., Resing, J. A., Lupton, J. E., Nakamura, K., de Ronde, C. E. J., Massoth, G. J., 2008. Hydrothermal activity and volcano distribution along the Mariana arc: Journal of Geophysical Research 113 (B8), 1-16.
2. Black, M. B., Halanych, K. M., Mass, P. A. Y., Hoeh, W.R., Hashimoto, J., Desbruyères, D., Lutz, R. A., Vrijenhoek, R. C., 1997. Molecular systematic of vestimetiferan tubeworms from hydrothermal vents and cold-water seeps. Marine Biology 130, 141–149.
3. Davis, R. E., Moyer, C. L., 2008. Extreme spatial and temporal variability of hydrothermal microbial mat communities along the Mariana Island Arc and southern Mariana back-arc system. Journal of Geophysical Research 113 (B8), doi:10.1029/2007JB005413.
4. Embley, R. W., Baker, E. T., Chadwick, W. W. JR., Lupton, J. E., Resing, J. A., Massoth, G. J., Nakamura, K., 2004. Explorations of Mariana Arc. Eos 85 (4), 37-44.
5. Embley, R. W., Baker, E. T., Butterfield, D. A., Chadwick, W. W., Lupton, J. E., Resing, J. A.,… & Merle, S. G., 2007. Exploring the submarine ring of fire: Mariana Arc-Western Pacific. OCEANOGRAPHY-WASHINGTON DC-OCEANOGRAPHY SOCIETY-, 20(4), 68.Grichuk, D. V., 2012. Thermodynamic model of ore-forming processes in a submarine island-arc hydrothermal system: Geochemistry International 50 (13), 1069-1100.
6. Kawagucci, S., Toki, T., Ishibashi, J., Takai, K., Ito, M., Oomori, T., Gamo, T., 2010. Isotopic variation of molecular hydrogen in 20°–375°C hydrothermal fluids as detected by a new analytical method. Journal of Geophysical Research 115 (G03021), 1-9.
7. Kojima S, Murakami S, Nemoto S, Watanabe H, Miyake H, Tsuchida S., 2012. Genetic diversity and population structure of a vestimentiferan annelid Lamellibrachia satsuma in Japanese and northern Mariana waters. Plankton Benthos Res 7, 146–150.
8. Lupton, J., Lilley, M., Butterfield, D., Evans, L., Embley, R., Massoth, G., Christenson, B., Nakamura, K., Schmidt, M., 2008. Venting of a separate CO2-rich gas phase from submarine arc volcanoes: Examples from the Mariana and Tonga-Kermadec arcs. Journal of Geophysical Research 113 (B8), 1-21.
9. Resing, J. A., Baker, E. T., Lupton, J. E., Walker, S. L., Butterfield, D. A., Massoth, G. J., Nakamura, K., 2009. Chemistry of hydrothermal plumes above submarine volcanoes of the Mariana Arc. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 10 (2), 1-23.
10. Tunnicliffe, V., Koop, B. F., Tyler, J., & So, S. (2010). Flatfish at seamount hydrothermal vents show strong genetic divergence between volcanic arcs. Marine Ecology, 31(s1), 158-167.

Website References:

1. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: ROV JASON/MEDEA: Operations Summary http://www.whoi.edu/main/jason/operations-summary (accessed 11/25/2015)

Website References:

1. Submarine Ring of Fire 2003 http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03fire/logs/summary/marianas_cruisereport.pdf (accessed 11/25/2015)
2. Submarine Ring of Fire 2004 http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/04fire/logs/summary/media/marianas2004cruisereport.pdf (accessed 11/25/2015)
3. Submarine Ring of Fire 2006 http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06fire/logs/summary/media/srof06_cruisereport_final.pdf (accessed 11/25/2015)
4. Submarine Ring of Fire 2014-Ironman http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/eoi/marianas/SRoF-Ironman-2014-CruiseReport-withdivelogs.pdf (accessed 2/27/2017)
5. NOAA Okeanos Explorer 2016 https://docs.lib.noaa.gov/OEDV/Okeanos_Explorer_2016_EX1605/Leg_3/doc/dive_summaries/EX1605L3_DIVE09_20160626_ROVDiveSummary_Final.pdf (accessed 2/27/2017)