Formation of Thetis Deep metal-rich sediments in the absence of brines, Red Sea

Almost all Red Sea deeps contain metal-rich sediments covered by brine pools. It is generally agreed that these metal-rich deposits precipitated from overlying metal-rich brines that originated from migrating hydrothermal fluids. No brine pool has ever been reported in Thetis Deep, inciting us to evaluate if such a brine layer ever occurred in the deep during the past. In order to address that questioning, a study combining mineralogical, geochemical (major-, minor-, rare-earth elements) and isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) approaches was completed on cored sediments and extracted interstitial waters from inside and outside the deep.