Scientific discovery of submarine hydrothermal systems associated with intraoceanic arcs, and to a lesser degree backarcs, has been continuous and largely systematic since the first methodical survey in 1999 of hydrothermal plumes discharging from volcanoes of the southern Kermadec arc. Around 150 volcanoes have since been mapped for their bathymetry and plume emissions. Most efforts have been focused along the Kermadec, Tofua and Mariana arcs, and to a lesser extent the Izu-Bonin arc. The introduction of deepsea vehicles, such as manned submersibles, ROVs and AUVs, has facilitated more focused studies on these arc hydrothermal systems, placing any mineralisation in an appropriate geophysical, geological, structural and geochemical context, and at a scale that is applicable to ore deposit formation. However, only about 30 have ever been sampled, or mapped in high resolution, by AUVs or ROVs. Recently, drilling by IODP of Brothers volcano of the Kermadec arc has enabled the third dimension of one of these arc volcanoes to be explored, providing insight into the roots of the hydrothermal system and the distribution and transport of metals through the volcano.
CITATION: de Ronde, C E J, 2019. What is the link between Cu-Au mineralization and modern seafloor hydrothermal systems associated with submarine volcanic arcs?, in Proceedings PACRIM 2019, pp 21 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).