A total of 1 264 sulfur isotopic values for modem seafloor hydrothermel sediments from different hydrothermal fidds have been collected. On this basis, combining our sulfur isotpic data for surface hydrothermal sediments from the Jade hydrohtermal field in the Okinawa Trough and the TAG hydrothermal field in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, respectively, and comparing the sulfur isotopic compositions and analyzing their sources of sulfur in seafloor hydrothermal sediments from different geologic-tectonic setting, the results show that:(1) sulfur isotopic values of sulfides and sulfates in modern seafloor hydrothermal sediments are concentrated in a narrow range, δ34S values of sulfides vary from l×10-3 to 9×10-3, with a mean of 4.5×10-3 (n=1 042), δ34S values of sulfates vary from 19×10-3 to 24×10-3, with a mean of 21.3×10-3 (n=217); (2) comparing the sulfur isotopic compositions of hydrothermal sediments from the sediment-hosted hydrothermal fields, the range of sulfur isotopic values for hydrothermal sediments from the sediment-free hydrothermal fields is narrow relatively; (3) the differences of sulfur isotopic compositions in sulfides from different hydrothermal fields show the differences in the sources of sulfur. The sulfur of hydrothermal sulfides in the sediment-free mid-ocean ridges is mainly from mid-ocean ridge basalt, and partially from the reduced seawater sulfate, and it is the result of partially reduced seawater sulfate mixed with basaltic sulfur. In the sediment-hosted nid-ocean ridges and the back-arc basins, the volcanics, the sediments and the organic matters also can offer their sulfur for forming hydrothermal sulfides; (4) the variations of sulfur isotopic compositions and the different sources of sulfur for hydrothermal sediments may be attributed to the various physical-chemical characteristics of hydrothermal fluids, the magmatic evolution and the different geologic-tectonic settings of seafloor hydrothermal systems.
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