Rapid sedimentation of iron oxyhydroxides in an active hydrothermal shallow semi-enclosed bay at Satsuma Iwo-Jima Island, Kagoshima, Japan

Based on the results from the sediment traps and cores, it is estimated that the iron oxyhydroxide mud accumulated in the bay at the relatively rapid rate of 33.3 cm/year (from traps) and 2.8-4.9 cm/year (from cores). The pore water contents within the sediment trap and core sediments are 73%-82% and 47%-67%, respectively. The estimated production of iron oxyhydroxide for the whole fishing port from trap cores is 142.7-253.3 t/year/5000 m2. From sediment cores, however, the accumulation of iron oxyhydroxide sediments on the sea floor is 39-95 t/year/5000 m2. This finding indicates that the remaining 63%-73% of iron was transported out to sea from Nagahama Bay. Even with a high rate of iron oxyhydroxide production, the sedimentation rate of iron oxyhydroxides in the bay is considerably higher than that observed in modern deep-ocean sediments. This example of rapid and abundant oxyhydroxide sedimentation might provide a modern analog for the formation of iron deposits in the geological record, such as ironstones and banded iron formations.