C. E.J. de Ronde

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Verified

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• PhD
• Principal Scientist at GNS Science

Relatively fresh volcanic rocks have been sampled by a remotely operated vehicle in situ from the NE caldera wall of Brothers submarine volcano, associated with Seafloor Massive Sulfide‐SMS deposits. Here, we present the first complete stratigraphic column of the NE caldera wall, comprising at least 12 massive dacitic lava flows, up to 80 m‐thick i...

The powerful eruption of Hunga volcano (15‐January‐2022) excavated ∼6.3 km³ of pre‐existing material, leaving behind an 855 m deep crater. The scientific and humanitarian response to this event was challenging due to the remote location, safety concerns, and COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions. To investigate the status of ongoing eruptive/hydrothermal...

New mapping of the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa shows that the central part is a pseudo-stratigraphy made of shallow-water and deep-water siliciclastic and volcanic slide blocks, with individual blocks ranging in size from tens of meters to >10 km in length. The outcrop pattern and scale are remarkably similar to those of large-scale M...

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 376 cored the submarine Brothers volcano of the Kermadec arc to provide insights into the third dimension and the evolution of the volcano and its associated ore-forming systems. We present new petrological and geochemical data on dacitic rocks drilled from Brothers as well as mafic rocks coll...

The 3-D subseafloor architecture of submarine hydrothermal systems is largely unknown, particularly at arc volcanoes. The alteration of volcanic rocks in these systems produces dramatic changes in their magnetic properties. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of paleomagnetic measurements from oriented samples of hydrothermally altered d...

Variations in trace metal contents and sulfur isotope ratios (δ³⁴S) within pyrite, at the scale of individual mineral grains, preserves a record of temporal fluctuations in the source of metals and sulfur as well as changes in the chemical composition and temperature of hydrothermal fluid during the evolution of the Brothers volcano, Kermadec arc,...

Brothers volcano is arguably the most well-studied submarine arc volcano on Earth. Between 1996, when massive sulfides were first recovered by dredging, and 2018, when International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 376 recovered cores from as deep as 453 m below the sea floor at two chemically distinct hydrothermal upflow zones, over 60 co...

Volcanic lakes in large silicic caldera volcanoes are an important source of CO2 emissions. However, quantifying CO2 output is challenging due to the lack of observed historical CO2 flux records and the large size of the volcanic and hydrothermal systems. Twenty percent of the surface area of Okataina Caldera, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand is co...

Brothers volcano, located on the Kermadec arc north of New Zealand, hosts two geochemically distinct hydrothermal systems. The NW Caldera and Upper Cone hydrothermal fields exhibit distinct fluid compositions that are significantly influenced by seawater and magmatic volatiles, respectively. In this study, we present trace metal chemistry and sulfu...

The 1886 eruption of Mt. Tarawera, in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand, caused significant changes in the hydrothermal system in the vicinity of the pre-eruption Lake Rotomahana. In particular, the world-renowned Pink and White silica terraces disappeared from view. Our aim in this paper is to understand the general features of the pre-erupti...

The hydrothermally active Brothers volcano on the Kermadec arc, New Zealand, hosts two geochemically distinct hydrothermal systems within a single caldera. At the NW Caldera, metal-sulfide–rich black smoker spires form on the caldera wall. In contrast, Fe-rich crusts and native sulfur-rich chimneys occur at the resurgent central Upper Cone. Previou...

Hydrothermal vent fluids from Brothers submarine arc volcano were previously collected in 2004, 2005, and 2017. We present new data from 2018 along with a unique time series of a submarine volcano hosting two distinct types of hydrothermal venting to better understand subsurface processes and how they evolve over time. Samples were collected from k...

Brothers volcano is a submarine dacitic caldera located on the southern Kermadec arc. It is host to the NW Caldera vent field (Site U1530 and Hole U1530A) that locally discharges more focused, metal-rich fluids, and the Upper Cone hydrothermal vent field (Site U1528 and Hole U1528D) that discharges predominantly diffuse, acidic fluids (pH 1.9). The...

Downhole data and cores collected during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 376 at Brothers volcano, Kermadec arc, provide unprecedented, in situ views of volcanic facies and fluid pathways in an actively forming volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) ore deposit. Brothers volcano is a submarine caldera with extensive sea floor hyd...

Volcanism is the most widespread expression of cyclic processes of formation and/or destruction that shape the Earth’s surface. Calderas are morphological depressions resulting from the collapse of a magma chamber following large eruptions and are commonly found in subduction-related tectono-magmatic regimes, such as arc and back-arc settings. Some...

Hydrothermal systems located at intra-oceanic volcanic arcs and in back-arc basins reveal a complex sulfur cycling. Here we present multiple sulfur isotope data for dissolved sulfide and sulfate in hydrothermal fluids from vent sites at the southern Kermadec and the northern Tonga island arcs and the NE Lau Basin. δ³⁴S values for H2S range from −7....

Significance Much of Earth’s volcanism occurs in the deep sea, yet little is known about the microbial communities inhabiting such extreme and dynamic systems. Using a multidisciplinary approach to study distinct hydrothermal systems at Brothers submarine arc volcano, we provide insights into how microbial community composition and function reflect...

The northwestern caldera wall of Brothers volcano in the southern Kermadec arc features several clusters of hydrothermal venting in a large area that extends from near the caldera floor (~1700 mbsl) almost up to the crater rim (~1300 mbsl). Abundant black smoker-type hydrothermal chimneys and exposed stockwork mineralization in this area provide an...

We document the discovery of an active, shallow, seafloor hydrothermal system (known as the Seven Sisters Vent Field) hosted in mafic volcaniclasts at a mid-ocean ridge setting. The vent field is located at the southern part of the Arctic mid-ocean ridge where it lies on top of a flat-topped volcano at ~130 m depth. Up to 200 °C phase-separating fl...

Back-arc basins are found at convergent plate boundaries. Nevertheless, they are zones of significant crustal extension that show volcanic and hydrothermal processes somewhat similar to those of mid-ocean ridges. Accepted models imply the initial rifting and thinning of a pre-existing volcanic arc until seafloor spreading gradually develops over ti...

During the R/V Sonne cruise SO253 in 2016/2017, hydrothermal vent sites along the Kermadec intraoceanic arc were sampled for hydrothermal fluids at four active volcanoes: Macauley, Haungaroa, Brothers and Rumble III, respectively. Water depths ranged between 290 m and 1700 m. A new vent field was discovered at Haungaroa. The samples were taken from...

Key Points First systematic, integrated heat flow and magnetic study of a submarine arc volcano highlights multiscale convection cells Deep circulation structurally controlled, with recharge through the caldera floor and discharge at the caldera walls and postcollapse cones Shallow circulation is characterized by recharge zones in close proximity t...

Hydrothermal systems hosted by submarine arc volcanoes commonly include a large component of magmatic fluid. The high Cu-Au contents and strongly acidic fluids in these systems are similar to those that formed in the shallow parts of some porphyry copper and epithermal gold deposits mined today on land. Two main types of hydrothermal systems occur...

With an increasing importance of green technologies, today’s world relies on an increasing supply of minerals and their contained metals. As the discovery of large deposits of precious metals—such as copper and gold—is becoming rare, explorers now focus on the deepsea to ensure demand is met. We have known for decades that large copper, silver and...

The intra-oceanic Kermadec arc system extends ~1300 km between New Zealand and Fiji and comprises at least 30 arc front volcanoes, the Havre Trough back-arc and the remnant Colville and Kermadec Ridges. To date, most research has focussed on the Kermadec arc front volcanoes leaving the Colville and Kermadec Ridges virtually unexplored. Here, we pre...

High-resolution trace element mapping (2 μm beam) was performed by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence microscopy (SXFM) on Cu- and Zn-rich chimneys from Brothers volcano, Kermadec arc. The maps cover 84- to 136-mm ² cross sections of the inner chimney walls and document the distribution of Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Pb ± Ga, Au, Bi, and U. Compa...

Discovered in 2008 by multibeam seabed mapping and water column plumes, the Mata submarine volcano group comprises 9, young, intra-plate seamounts in the arc-adjacent portion of the NE Lau Basin (SW Pacific Ocean). Exploration by ROV in 2009 (TN234), 2012 (RR1211) and 2017 (FK171110) has revealed details of their geology and biogeography. Relativel...

In 2018, Bunn and Nolden published a paper purporting to have established the true position of the Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana using forensic cartography, ‘reverse engineering’ an 1859 compass survey of Ferdinand von Hochstetter. Their results suggest that the terraces are buried partly on land, near the present-day lake shore. Sight...

Raoul Island is a subaerial island volcano approximately 1000 km northwest of New Zealand. Its caldera contains a circumneutral closed-basin volcanic lake and several associated pools, as well as intertidal coastal hot springs, all fed by a hydrothermal system sourced from both meteoric water and seawater. Here, we report on the geochemistry, proka...

The intra-oceanic Kermadec arc subduction zone system northeast of New Zealand comprises a number of major bathymetric features, including a 1,300 km long Miocene remnant arc –the Colville Ridge– that bounds the Havre Trough back-arc to the west. Until recently, seafloor exploration in this region was largely focused on the Kermadec arc front volca...

The Hinepuia volcanic center is made up of two distinct edifices aligned northwest to southeast, with an active cone complex in the SE. Hinepuia is one of several active volcanoes in the northern segment of the Kermadec arc. Regional magnetic data show no evidence for large-scale hydrothermal alteration at Hinepuia, yet plume data confirm present-d...

Samples of chimneys (black smokers) and other volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) mineralization were collected from hydrothermal vent fields associated with submarine arc and back-arc volcanoes in the western Pacific. Each specimen was dated using radiometric techniques to establish the frequency and duration of hydrothermal activity at that site,...

Arc volcanoes are important to our understanding of submarine volcanism because at some sites frequent eruptions cause them to grow and collapse on human timescales. This makes it possible to document volcanic processes. Active submarine eruptions have been observed at the summit of NW Rota-1 in the Mariana Arc. We use ROV videography and repeat hi...

Text: The intraoceanic Kermadec arc subduction zone system northeast of New Zealand comprises a number of major bathymetric features, including a ~1,300 km long Miocene remnant arc-the Colville Ridge-that bounds the Havre Trough back-arc to the west. Until recently, seafloor exploration in this region was largely focused on the Kermadec arc front v...

Little is known about the effects that subducting an oceanic large igneous province (LIP) has on the petrogenesis of submarine arc volcanoes and their geochemical composition. The southern Kermadec arc represents a rare example where an LIP—the Hikurangi Plateau—is currently subducting and where its effect on mantle composition, element recycling a...

Three active-source seismic refraction profiles are integrated with morphological and potential field data to place the first regional constraints on the structure of the Kermadec subduction zone. These observations are used to test contrasting tectonic models for an along-strike transition in margin structure previously known as the 32°S boundary....

High-resolution geophysical data have been collected using the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Sentry over the ASHES (Axial Seamount Hydrothermal Emission Study) high-temperature (~348°C) vent field at Axial Seamount, on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Multiple surveys were performed on a 3-D grid at different altitudes above the seafloor, providing an...

The Pink and White Terraces that once stood regally on the shores of old Lake Rotomahana, and which were unique in their beauty as a natural wonder of the world, were regarded by the local Maori as a taonga, or treasure, because of the therapeutic qualities of the waters and their majestic appearance. The eruption of Mt. Tarawera on June 10 1886 is...

Hydrothermal fields at submarine volcanoes are generally classified as either ‘water-rock’ or ‘magmatic hydrothermal’ systems. Often, classification is based on visual cues with fluid geochemistry serving to confirm these observations. Systems controlled by water-rock interactions reveal massive sulfide chimneys (black smokers), and they discharge...

Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits that form along intra-oceanic arcs at convergent plate margins contain significantly higher abundances of magma-derived metals (eg Cu, Au and Ag) than those that form along mid ocean ridges (MOR) at divergent plate boundaries. In this paper a review of the scientific literature is presented, followed by a...

The southern Kermadec arc is a rare example where theveffects of subducting an oceanic large igneous province, the Hikurangi Plateau (HP), on arc volcanism and element transfer can be studied. The volcanoes Rumble II East (arc front) and West (backarc) are located above the subducting HP, forming a ~23 km arc - backarc transect. Rumble II East rock...

We investigate the geological and hydrothermal setting at Lake Rotomahana, using recently collected potential-field data, integrated with pre-existing regional gravity and aeromagnetic compilations. The lake is located on the southwest margin of the Okataina Volcanic Center (Haroharo caldera) and had well-known, pre-1886 Tarawera eruption hydrother...

We investigate the geological and hydrothermal setting at Lake Rotomahana, using recently collected potential-field data, integrated with pre-existing regional gravity and aeromagnetic compilations. The lake is located on the southwest margin of the Okataina Volcanic Center (Haroharo caldera) and had well-known, pre-1886 Tarawera eruption hydrother...

Lake Rotomahana is a crater lake in the Okataina Volcanic Centre (New Zealand) that was significantly modified by the 1886 Tarawera Rift eruption. The lake is host to numerous sublacustrine hydrothermal vents. Water column studies were conducted in 2011 and 2014 along with sampling of lake shore hot springs and crater lakes in Waimangu Valley to co...

A new technique for measuring conductive heat flux in a lake was adapted from the marine environment to allow for multiple measurements to be made in areas where bottom sediment cover is sparse, or even absent. This thermal blanket technique, pioneered in the deep ocean for use in volcanic mid-ocean rift environments, was recently used in the geoth...

Intraoceanic arcs of the world are dominated by submarine volcanoes, many of which host active hydrothermal systems. A considerable number of the morphological features common to subaerial volcanoes are also present on the submarine edifices, including summit craters. Surprisingly, some of the craters, such as at Daikoku and Nikko volcanoes of the...

We analysed primary chalcopyrite from modern seafloor ‘black smoker’ chimneys to investigate high-temperature hydrothermal Cu isotope fractionation unaffected by metamorphism. Samples came from nine chimneys collected from Brothers volcano, Kermadec arc, and Niuatahi volcano, Lau backarc basin. This is the first known study of Cu isotopes from subm...

Systematic surveys of SW Pacific intraoceanic arcs have shown hydrothermal activity related to arc volcanoes is commonplace, e.g., the 1220 km long Kermadec arc (KA) is host to 33 volcanic centres where 25 are hydrothermally active, or an incidence of venting of 76%. Similarly, the 1310 km long Tofua arc has ~30% of all its volcanoes hydrothermally...

East Diamante is a submarine volcano in the southern Mariana arc that is host to a complex caldera ∼5 × 10 km (elongated ENE-WSW) that is breached along its northern and southwestern sectors. A large field of barite-sulfide mounds was discovered in June 2009 and revisited in July 2010 with the R/V Natsushima, using the ROV Hyper-Dolphin. The mound...

Clark volcano of the Kermadec arc, northeast of New Zealand, is a large stratovolcano comprised of two coalescing volcanic cones; an apparently younger, more coherent, twin-peaked edifice to the northwest and a relatively older, more degraded and tectonized cone to the southeast. High-resolution water column surveys show an active hydrothermal syst...

Hydrothermal alteration processes involve mineralogical, chemical and textural changes as a result of hot aqueous fluid-rock interaction under evolving boundary conditions. These changes affect the physico-chemical properties of the rocks, enabling high-resolution geophysical prospecting to be an important tool in the detection of seafloor hydrothe...

Subduction-related magmas have higher volatile contents than mid-ocean ridge basalts, which affects the dynamics of associated submarine hydrothermal systems. Interaction of saline magmatic fluids with convecting seawater may enhance ore metal deposition near the seafloor, making active submarine arcs a preferred modern analogue for understanding a...

Large igneous province subduction is a rare process on Earth. A modern example is the subduction of the oceanic Hikurangi Plateau beneath the southern Kermadec arc, offshore New Zealand. This segment of the arc has the largest total lava volume erupted and the highest volcano density of the entire Kermadec arc. Here we show that Kermadec arc lavas...

From April 2010 through February 2011, CO2 flux surveys were performed on Lake Rotomahana, New Zealand. The area has been hydrothermally active with fumaroles and sublacustrine hydrothermal activity before and since the eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886. The total CO2 emission from the lake calculated by sequential Gaussian simulation is 549 ± 72 t d...

Nature Communications 4 : Article number: 1720 10.1038/ncomms2702 ( 2013 ); Published: 16 April 2013 ; Updated: 8 January 2014 . Table 1 was inadvertently omitted during the production of this Article, and should have been referred to in the fourth paragraph of the ‘Geological and geochemical background’ section of the Results, as follows: ‘Sr and...

Subduction of intraplate seamounts beneath a geochemically depleted mantle wedge provides a seldom opportunity to trace element recycling and mantle flow in subduction zones. Here we present trace element and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions of lavas from the central Tonga-Kermadec arc, west of the contemporary Louisville-Tonga trench intersecti...

The Monowai volcanic center is located at the midpoint along the ~2,530-km-long Tonga-Kermadec arc system. The Monowai volcanic center is comprised of a large elongate caldera (Monowai caldera area ~35 km2; depth to caldera floor 1,590 m), which has formed within an older caldera some 84 km2 in area. To the south of this nested caldera system is a...

Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits typically contain significant proportions of magma-derived chalcophile (S affinity) and siderophile (Fe affinity) elements such as Au, Cu, V, Zn, Mo, Bi, Sb, and As that relate to the composition of associated (host) magmatic rocks. Here, we combine new and published trace element data for lavas recovered...

Near-bottom magnetic anomaly data have been acquired using autonomous underwater vehicles at Brothers volcano, southern Kermadec arc, New Zealand. Crustal magnetization for the study area was obtained by inverting the magnetic data and shows a strong correlation between areas of low magnetization and four hydrothermal fields, one of which was unkno...

A survey of the Brothers caldera volcano (Kermadec arc) with the autonomous underwater vehicle ABE has revealed new details of the morphology and structure of this submarine frontal arc caldera and the geologic setting of its hydrothermal activity. Brothers volcano has formed between major SW-NE-trending faults within the extensional field of the H...

Sea-floor imagery, volcanic rock, massive sulfide, and hydrothermal plume samples (δ3He, pH, dissolved Fe and Mn, and particulate chemistry) have been collected from the Rumble II West volcano, southern Kermadec arc, New Zealand. Rumble II West is a caldera volcano with an ~3-km-diameter summit depression bounded by ring faults with a resurgent cen...

Brothers caldera volcano is a submarine volcano of dacitic composition, located on the Kermadec arc, New Zealand. It hosts the NW caldera vent field perched on the steep slope of the caldera walls and includes numerous, active, high-temperature (max 302°C) chimneys and a greater amount of dead, sulfide-rich spires. Petrographic studies of these chi...

Numerical, multiphase pure-water simulations were performed to study the first-order geologic and physical parameters controlling the style and distribution of hydrothermal venting at Brothers volcano, southern Kermadec arc, New Zealand. By comparing the results for different permeability scenarios, we can show that the location of venting on the i...

Radiometric dating methods using 238U and 232Th decay chain isotopes have been developed and applied to volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) samples, most of which were collected from hydrothermal sites at volcanoes along the Kermadec and Mariana intraoceanic arcs. The activity ratios, 228Th/228Ra, 228Ra/226Ra (Bq.Bq-1), and 226Ra/Ba values (Bq.g-1),...

Submarine edifices with caldera summits are common along volcanic arcs and much more likely than simple cones to host hydrothermal venting. Compared with cones, however, locating all vent field locations on a caldera's complex bathymetry is a daunting logistical challenge. Here we describe the first use of an autonomous underwater vehicle, ABE, to...

We describe and apply a new inversion method for 3-D modeling of magnetic anomalies designed for general application but which is particularly useful for the interpretation of near-seafloor magnetic anomalies. The crust subsurface is modeled by a set of prismatic cells, each with uniform magnetization, that together reproduce the observed magnetic...

Most of Earth's volcanoes are under water. As a result of their relative inaccessibility, little is known of the structure and evolution of submarine volcanoes. Advances in navigation and sonar imaging techniques have made it possible to map submarine volcanoes in detail, and repeat surveys allow the identification of regions where the depth of the...

Brothers volcano is a dacitic volcano located along the Kermadec arc, New Zealand, and hosts the NW Caldera hydrothermal vent field perched on part of the steep caldera walls. The field strikes for ~600 m between depths of 1550 and 1700 m and includes numerous, active, high-temperature (max 302°C) chimneys and even more dead, sulfide-rich spires. C...

Monowai cone and caldera on the northern end of the Kermadec arc is one of the world's most active submarine volcanoes with a 60+ year history of visual observations and seismic activity. Swath bathymetry surveys in 1986 (R/V Thomas Washington), 1998 (R/V SONNE), 2004 (R/V Tangaroa) and 2007 (R/V SONNE) document the morphological evolution of the v...

On June 10, 1886, Mt. Tarawera in the rhyolitic Okataina Volcanic Centre of the central North Island, New Zealand, erupted in spectacular fashion. Basaltic eruptions at Tarawera produced tall eruption columns, while hydrothermal and phreatomagmatic eruptions at Rotomahana excavated the pre-1886 Lake Rotomahana site, which later filled to form a new...

In early 1886 Lake Rotomahana (North Island, NZ) was a small, shallow lake surrounded on its northern side by a geothermal field that included New Zealand's first major tourist attraction: the beautiful Pink and White (silica sinter) Terraces. The lake dramatically changed on 10 June 1886 when nearby Mt Tarawera erupted. Volcanic and hydrothermal e...

Hydrothermal alteration may drastically reduce the magnetic signature of host volcanic rocks. Magnetic data can thus provide important information about the geometry of hydrothermal systems. In order to map with accurate resolution the geometry and the structural control of the hydrothermal fields at submarine volcanoes, near-bottom high-resolution...

Seafloor mapping in the deep ocean has benefitted greatly from the advent and now routine use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to collect areally extensive near-bottom bathymetric, photographic, hydrographic, and magnetic data. For geologic investigations, AUV-derived data is often supplemented by near-bottom sidescan sonar backscatter data...

Research dedicated to seafloor hydrothermal activity along intraoceanic arcs was sporadic and uncoordinated prior to the 1999 NZAPLUME cruise that systematically surveyed hydrothermal plumes along 260 km of the southern Kermadec arc, New Zealand. Since that time, ten government-sponsored research cruises focused on hydrothermal venting and associat...