Barite mineralization in the Deryugin Basin of the Okhotsk Sea: Active processes and formation conditions

The paper reports on seafloor terrains mapped to a high resolution, the structure of shallow-water sediments, and the extent of barite mineralization in the Deryugin Basin, Okhotsk Sea. The data were collected by different methods of remote sounding of the bottom and a Comanche submersible in the area of the Barite Ridge deposit. The sedimentary cover, including Holocene sediments, is strongly deformed in this area and in some other areas of the basin. Several small mud volcanoes and new barite build-ups along the ridge axis are evidence of active fluid venting. Precipitated barite forms columns (chimneys) or grows over older layered barite build-ups. The research confirms the hypothesis of Ba supply by deep cold hydrotherms.