Investigation of hydrothermal activity in the South West Indian Ridge region using Ra isotopes and 227Ac as tracers

Abstract

Hydrothermal vents have been shown to be important vectors for various chemical elements into the ocean. In particular, radium is a naturally occurring radionuclide present in low concentrations in the ocean but is significantly enriched in hydrothermal fluids. Additionally, radium is only slightly impacted by scavenging or biological removal, which makes it a valuable tracer to evaluate the fate of the chemical elements released by hydrothermal vents