Natural hydrocarbon seeps in the marine environment are important contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Such gases include methane, which plays a significant role in global carbon cycling and climate cha...Natural hydrocarbon seeps in the marine environment are important contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Such gases include methane, which plays a significant role in global carbon cycling and climate change. To accurately quantify the methane flux from hydrocarbon seeps on the seafloor, a specialized in situ and online gas flux measuring(GFM) device was designed to obtain high-resolution time course gas fluxes using the process of equal volume exchange. The device consists of a 1.0-m diameter, 0.9-m tall, inverted conical tent and a GFM instrument that contains a solenoid valve, level transducer, and gas collection chamber. Rising gas bubbles from seeps were measured by laboratory-calibrated GFM instruments attached to the top of the tent. According to the experimental data, the optimal anti-shake time interval was 5 s. The measurement range of the device was 0–15 L min^(-1), and the relative error was ± 1.0%. The device was initially deployed at an active seep site in the Lingtou Promontory seep field in South China Sea. The amount of gas released from a single gas vent was 30.5 m^3 during the measurement period, and the gas flow rate ranged from 22 to 72 Lh^(-1), depending on tidal period, and was strongly negatively correlated with water depth. The measurement results strongly suggest that oceanic tides and swells had a significant forcing effect on gas flux. Low flow rates were associated with high tides and vice versa. The changes in gas volume escaping from the seafloor seeps could be attributed to the hydrostatic pressure induced by water depth. Our findings suggest that in the marine environment, especially in the shallow shelf area, sea level variation may play an important role in controlling methane release into the ocean. Such releases probably also affect atmospheric methane levels.展开更多
Natural hydrocarbon seeps in a marine environment are one of the important contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,including methane,which is significant to the global carbon cycling and climate change.Four...Natural hydrocarbon seeps in a marine environment are one of the important contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,including methane,which is significant to the global carbon cycling and climate change.Four hydrocarbon seep areas,the Lingtou Promontory,the Yinggehai Rivulet mouth,the Yazhou Bay and the Nanshan Promontory,occurring in the Yinggehai Basin delineate a near-shore gas bubble zone.The gas composition and geochemistry of venting bubbles and the spatial distribution of hydrocarbon seeps are surveyed on the near-shore Lingtou Promontory.The gas composition of the venting bubbles is mainly composed of CO_2,CH_4,N_2 and O_2,with minor amounts of non-methane hydrocarbons.The difference in the bubbles＇ composition is a possible consequence of gas exchange during bubble ascent.The seepage gases from the seafloor are characterized by a high CO_2 content（67.35%） and relatively positive δ^（13）C_（V_PDB） values（-0.49×10^（-3）-0.86×10^（-3））,indicating that the CO_2 is of inorganic origin.The relatively low CH_4 content（23%） and their negative δ^（13）C_（V-PDB） values（-34.43×10^（-3）--37.53×10^（-3）） and high ratios of C_1 content to C_（1-5） one（0.98-0.99）as well point to thermogenic gases.The hydrocarbon seeps on the 3.5 Hz sub-bottom profile display a linear arrangement and are sub-parallel to the No.1 fault,suggesting that the hydrocarbon seeps may be associated with fracture activity or weak zones and that the seepage gases migrate laterally from the central depression of the Yinggehai Basin.展开更多
Four massive brecciated, chimney-like, and slender pipe network carbonate samples(JA-4, JA-5, JX-8 and BG-12) were collected from southwestern Taiwan, which were suggested to have formed as a result of anaerobic oxidi...Four massive brecciated, chimney-like, and slender pipe network carbonate samples(JA-4, JA-5, JX-8 and BG-12) were collected from southwestern Taiwan, which were suggested to have formed as a result of anaerobic oxidization of methane(AOM). Considering that the environmental conditions of the carbonates precipitation and the sources of carbon and organic matter need to be further declared, molecular fossils and compound-specific carbon isotopic investigations of the carbonates were conducted in this study. According to lipid biomarkers of 2,6,10,15,19-pentamethyleicosane(PMI) and squalane diagnostic to methanotrophic archaea, as well as the extremely low δ^(13)C values(as low as -1^(13).4‰) detected in samples JA-4, JA-5 and JX-8, these carbonates were revealed to be a result of AOM. Based on the varied δ^(13)C values of characteristic archaea biomarkers in specific samples, biogenic methane was proposed to be responsible for the formation of samples JA-4 and JA-5, whereas a mixed carbon source of ^(13)C-depleted methane and ^(13)C-enriched residual CO_2 from methanogenesis was suggested for the carbonate of JX-8 due to the co-occurrence of a highly positive δ^(13) C_(carb) value(+8‰) and a moderate ^(13)C depletion of PMI. The low content of AOM-related biomarkers and the absence of indicators for ANME-2 suggested that these carbonates were formed in weak seep settings. By comparison, no typical lipid biomarkers for methanotrophic archaea was detected in carbonate BG-12. The short-chain and long-chain n-alkanes accounted for 30% and 45% of all hydrocarbons, respectively, with a CPI value of 1.2, suggesting that the n-alkanes were derived from both marine organisms and terrestrial inputs. A low thermal maturity could be revealed by the incomplete equilibrium value of the C^(31)αβ 22S/(22S+22R) ratio(0.5), and the carbonate BG-12 was probably deposited in a suboxic condition indicated by a value of Pr/Ph ratio(2.5).展开更多
Temperature and pressure on seafloor of the northern slope in the South China Sea are suitable for gas hydrate formation, but bottom simulation reflector (BSR), an indication of gas hydrate occurrence, only occurred i...Temperature and pressure on seafloor of the northern slope in the South China Sea are suitable for gas hydrate formation, but bottom simulation reflector (BSR), an indication of gas hydrate occurrence, only occurred in limited areas of the slope. Drillings in the BSR-distributed area (the District S) on the northern slope of the South China Sea suggested that gas hydrate only occurred at Sites SH2, SH3, and SH7 with high saturation (up to 20%-40%), and there is no hydrate at Sites SH1 and SH5 although the distance between SH1 to SH3 is only 500m. In this paper, we investigated seafloor gradient, fault development, temperature, and pressure in the District S on the northern slope of the South China Sea to understand the possible factors con- trolling BSR distribution and gas hydrate occurrence. The District S is a structurally fractured continental slope zone and its seafloor gradient varied greatly. The BSR-occurred areas have an average gradient of 19.89×10 2 whereas the BSR-free zone has the average gradient of 10.57×10 2 . The calculated relative structural intensities from fault densities and displacements show that the BSR-distributed areas tend to occur in the areas with a moderately high structural intensity, where faults frequently developed close to the seafloor that are possibly favored for lateral migration of gases. On the basis of temperatures and pressures at drilling sites, hydrate-occurred Sites SH2, SH3, and SH7 are located within the thermodynamically stable area for methane hydrate, and hydrate-absent Sites SH1 and SH5 are out of the thermodynamically stable area for methane hydrate formation, suggesting that both BSR and the thermodynamic stability are necessary for hydrate occurrence in the subsurface.展开更多
Seep carbonates were collected from the Alaminos Canyon lease area, Gulf of Mexico. The carbonates are present as slabs and blocks. Bivalve shell and foraminifer are the dominant bioclasts in carbonate. Pores are comm...Seep carbonates were collected from the Alaminos Canyon lease area, Gulf of Mexico. The carbonates are present as slabs and blocks. Bivalve shell and foraminifer are the dominant bioclasts in carbonate. Pores are common and usually filled with acicular aragonite crystals. XRD investigation shows that aragonite is the dominate mineral (98%). Peloids, clotted microfabirc and botryoidal aragonite are de-veloped in carbonate and suggest a genesis linked with bacterial degradation of the hydrocarbons. The δ13C value of bioclasts in carbonate is from-4.9‰ to-0.6‰, indicating that the carbon source is mainly from sea water as well as the small portion incorporation of the seep hydrocarbon. The microcrystalline and sparite aragonite shows the δ13C value from-31.3‰ to-23.4‰, suggesting that their carbon is derived mainly from microbial degradation of crude oil. 14C analyses give the radiocarbon age of about 10 ka. Rare earth elements (REE) analyses of the 5% HNO3-treated solution of the carbonates show that the total REE content of the carbonates is low, that is from 0.752 to 12.725 μg·g-1. The shale-normalized REE patterns show significantly negative Ce anomalies. This suggests that cold seep carbonate is most likely formed in a relatively aerobic environment.展开更多
Hydrocarbon seeps,widely occurring in continental margins,have become increasingly focused owing to their close relationships with gas hydrates,strong greenhouse gas methane,and biological resources in extreme environ...Hydrocarbon seeps,widely occurring in continental margins,have become increasingly focused owing to their close relationships with gas hydrates,strong greenhouse gas methane,and biological resources in extreme environments.Ancient hydrocarbon seeps have already been recognized from Devonian to Quaternary strata worldwide based on seep carbonates or seep-related fossil chemosynthetic assemblages.However,seep-related deposits are rarely found from ancient strata in the China's Mainland.Here,we report the first discovery of an ancient seep deposit,specifically late Cretaceous seep carbonates from Xigaze in Tibet,China.Xigaze seep carbonates,occurring as nodules,are enclosed in upper Cretaceous turbidite strata in Xigaze forearc basin.These carbonates are composed of authigenic carbonate(56.2% on average),clastic quartz and feldspar(27.3% on average),and clay minerals(chlorite,illite and smectite,16.5% on average).Clotted micrites,peloids and framboid pyrites are frequently observed,all of which are common in modern seep carbonates.The carbonates have negative δ13 C values varying from 27.7‰ to 4.0‰(V-PDB),suggesting that thermogenic methane is the primary carbon source.Ce/Ce* values revised by eliminating La effects show no real Ce anomaly,indicating the carbonates were primarily precipitated in a weak reducing environment.Overall,these features provide unequivocal evidences that the seafloor of Xigaze forearc basin developed hydrocarbon seeps in late Cretaceous.展开更多
A cold vent is an area where methane-rich fluid seepage occurs. This seepage may alter the local temperature, salinity, and subsequent accumulation of the gas hydrate. Using a kinetic gas hydrate formation model and i...A cold vent is an area where methane-rich fluid seepage occurs. This seepage may alter the local temperature, salinity, and subsequent accumulation of the gas hydrate. Using a kinetic gas hydrate formation model and in situ measurement of tempera- ture, salinity and fluid flux at the southern summit of Hydrate Ridge, we simuIate the gas hydrate accumulation at three distinct fluid sites： clam, bacterial mat, and gas discharge sites. At the clam sites （pore water flux 〈 20 kg m-2 yr-1）, pore water advec- tion has little influence on temperature and salinity. However, the salinity and temperature are increased （peak salinity 〉 0.8 tool kg-1） by the formation of gas hydrate causing the base of the hydrate stability zone to move gradually from -115 to -70 meters below seafloor （mbsf）. The gas hydrate saturation at the clam sites is relatively high. The water flux at the bacterial mat sites ranges from 100 to 2500 kg m-2 yr-1. The water flow suppresses the increase in salinity resulting in a salinity close to or slightly higher than that of seawater （〈 0.65 mol kg-l）. Heat advection by water flow increases temperature significantly, shifting the base of the hydrate stability zone to above 50 or even 3 mbsf. The gas hydrate saturation is relatively low at the bacterial mat site. At the gas discharge sites, the pore water flux could reach 10^10 kg m-2 yr-1, and the temperature could reach that of the source area in 9 min. There is no gas hydrate formation at the gas discharge sites. Our simulative analysis therefore reveals that a lower pore water flux would result in lower salinity, higher temperature, and a shallower base of the hydrate sta- bility zone. This in turn induces a lower gas hydrate formation rate, lower hydrate saturation, and eventually less gas hydrate resources.展开更多
Here we reported the fatty-acids and their δ13 C values in seep carbonates collected from Green Canyon lease block 185 (GC 185;Sample GC-F) at upper continental slope (water depth:～540 m),and Alaminos Canyon lease b...Here we reported the fatty-acids and their δ13 C values in seep carbonates collected from Green Canyon lease block 185 (GC 185;Sample GC-F) at upper continental slope (water depth:～540 m),and Alaminos Canyon lease block 645 (GC 645;Sample AC-E) at lower continental slope (water depth:～2200 m) of the Gulf of Mexico.More than thirty kinds of fatty acids were detected in both samples.These fatty acids are maximized at C 16.There is a clear even-over-odd carbon number predominance in carbon number range.The fatty acids are mainly composed of n-fatty acids,iso-/anteiso-fatty acids and terminally branched odd-numbered fatty acids (iso/anteiso).The low δ13 C values (-39.99‰ to -32.36‰) of n-C 12:0,n-C 13:0,i-C 14:0 and n-C 14:0 suggest that they may relate to the chemosynthetic communities at seep sites.The unsaturated fatty acids n-C 18:2 and C 18:1 △9 have the same δ13 C values,they may originate from the Beggiatoa/Thioploca.Unlike other fatty acids,the terminally branched fatty acids (iso/anteiso) show lower δ13 C values (as low as -63.95‰) suggesting a possible relationship to sulfate reducing bacteria,which is common during anaerobic oxidation of methane at seep sites.展开更多
基金provided by the National Scientific Foundation of China (Nos. 41676046 and 41306045)the Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nos. SIDSSE-201208 and SQ201110)+1 种基金the 'Hundred Talents Program' of the Chinese Academy of Sciencesfinancial support from China Scholarship Council
文摘Natural hydrocarbon seeps in the marine environment are important contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Such gases include methane, which plays a significant role in global carbon cycling and climate change. To accurately quantify the methane flux from hydrocarbon seeps on the seafloor, a specialized in situ and online gas flux measuring(GFM) device was designed to obtain high-resolution time course gas fluxes using the process of equal volume exchange. The device consists of a 1.0-m diameter, 0.9-m tall, inverted conical tent and a GFM instrument that contains a solenoid valve, level transducer, and gas collection chamber. Rising gas bubbles from seeps were measured by laboratory-calibrated GFM instruments attached to the top of the tent. According to the experimental data, the optimal anti-shake time interval was 5 s. The measurement range of the device was 0–15 L min^(-1), and the relative error was ± 1.0%. The device was initially deployed at an active seep site in the Lingtou Promontory seep field in South China Sea. The amount of gas released from a single gas vent was 30.5 m^3 during the measurement period, and the gas flow rate ranged from 22 to 72 Lh^(-1), depending on tidal period, and was strongly negatively correlated with water depth. The measurement results strongly suggest that oceanic tides and swells had a significant forcing effect on gas flux. Low flow rates were associated with high tides and vice versa. The changes in gas volume escaping from the seafloor seeps could be attributed to the hydrostatic pressure induced by water depth. Our findings suggest that in the marine environment, especially in the shallow shelf area, sea level variation may play an important role in controlling methane release into the ocean. Such releases probably also affect atmospheric methane levels.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41306045,91228206,41422602 and 41676046the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘Natural hydrocarbon seeps in a marine environment are one of the important contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,including methane,which is significant to the global carbon cycling and climate change.Four hydrocarbon seep areas,the Lingtou Promontory,the Yinggehai Rivulet mouth,the Yazhou Bay and the Nanshan Promontory,occurring in the Yinggehai Basin delineate a near-shore gas bubble zone.The gas composition and geochemistry of venting bubbles and the spatial distribution of hydrocarbon seeps are surveyed on the near-shore Lingtou Promontory.The gas composition of the venting bubbles is mainly composed of CO_2,CH_4,N_2 and O_2,with minor amounts of non-methane hydrocarbons.The difference in the bubbles＇ composition is a possible consequence of gas exchange during bubble ascent.The seepage gases from the seafloor are characterized by a high CO_2 content（67.35%） and relatively positive δ^（13）C_（V_PDB） values（-0.49×10^（-3）-0.86×10^（-3））,indicating that the CO_2 is of inorganic origin.The relatively low CH_4 content（23%） and their negative δ^（13）C_（V-PDB） values（-34.43×10^（-3）--37.53×10^（-3）） and high ratios of C_1 content to C_（1-5） one（0.98-0.99）as well point to thermogenic gases.The hydrocarbon seeps on the 3.5 Hz sub-bottom profile display a linear arrangement and are sub-parallel to the No.1 fault,suggesting that the hydrocarbon seeps may be associated with fracture activity or weak zones and that the seepage gases migrate laterally from the central depression of the Yinggehai Basin.
基金supported by Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology(No.QNLM2016ORP0210)the NSF of China(No.41473080 and 41673029)
文摘Four massive brecciated, chimney-like, and slender pipe network carbonate samples(JA-4, JA-5, JX-8 and BG-12) were collected from southwestern Taiwan, which were suggested to have formed as a result of anaerobic oxidization of methane(AOM). Considering that the environmental conditions of the carbonates precipitation and the sources of carbon and organic matter need to be further declared, molecular fossils and compound-specific carbon isotopic investigations of the carbonates were conducted in this study. According to lipid biomarkers of 2,6,10,15,19-pentamethyleicosane(PMI) and squalane diagnostic to methanotrophic archaea, as well as the extremely low δ^(13)C values(as low as -1^(13).4‰) detected in samples JA-4, JA-5 and JX-8, these carbonates were revealed to be a result of AOM. Based on the varied δ^(13)C values of characteristic archaea biomarkers in specific samples, biogenic methane was proposed to be responsible for the formation of samples JA-4 and JA-5, whereas a mixed carbon source of ^(13)C-depleted methane and ^(13)C-enriched residual CO_2 from methanogenesis was suggested for the carbonate of JX-8 due to the co-occurrence of a highly positive δ^(13) C_(carb) value(+8‰) and a moderate ^(13)C depletion of PMI. The low content of AOM-related biomarkers and the absence of indicators for ANME-2 suggested that these carbonates were formed in weak seep settings. By comparison, no typical lipid biomarkers for methanotrophic archaea was detected in carbonate BG-12. The short-chain and long-chain n-alkanes accounted for 30% and 45% of all hydrocarbons, respectively, with a CPI value of 1.2, suggesting that the n-alkanes were derived from both marine organisms and terrestrial inputs. A low thermal maturity could be revealed by the incomplete equilibrium value of the C^(31)αβ 22S/(22S+22R) ratio(0.5), and the carbonate BG-12 was probably deposited in a suboxic condition indicated by a value of Pr/Ph ratio(2.5).
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No. 2009CB219508)Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.KZCX2-YW-GJ03)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No. 91228206)
文摘Temperature and pressure on seafloor of the northern slope in the South China Sea are suitable for gas hydrate formation, but bottom simulation reflector (BSR), an indication of gas hydrate occurrence, only occurred in limited areas of the slope. Drillings in the BSR-distributed area (the District S) on the northern slope of the South China Sea suggested that gas hydrate only occurred at Sites SH2, SH3, and SH7 with high saturation (up to 20%-40%), and there is no hydrate at Sites SH1 and SH5 although the distance between SH1 to SH3 is only 500m. In this paper, we investigated seafloor gradient, fault development, temperature, and pressure in the District S on the northern slope of the South China Sea to understand the possible factors con- trolling BSR distribution and gas hydrate occurrence. The District S is a structurally fractured continental slope zone and its seafloor gradient varied greatly. The BSR-occurred areas have an average gradient of 19.89×10 2 whereas the BSR-free zone has the average gradient of 10.57×10 2 . The calculated relative structural intensities from fault densities and displacements show that the BSR-distributed areas tend to occur in the areas with a moderately high structural intensity, where faults frequently developed close to the seafloor that are possibly favored for lateral migration of gases. On the basis of temperatures and pressures at drilling sites, hydrate-occurred Sites SH2, SH3, and SH7 are located within the thermodynamically stable area for methane hydrate, and hydrate-absent Sites SH1 and SH5 are out of the thermodynamically stable area for methane hydrate formation, suggesting that both BSR and the thermodynamic stability are necessary for hydrate occurrence in the subsurface.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40725011 and U0733003)the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Foundation of Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology of CAS (Grant No. MSGL07-21)
文摘Seep carbonates were collected from the Alaminos Canyon lease area, Gulf of Mexico. The carbonates are present as slabs and blocks. Bivalve shell and foraminifer are the dominant bioclasts in carbonate. Pores are common and usually filled with acicular aragonite crystals. XRD investigation shows that aragonite is the dominate mineral (98%). Peloids, clotted microfabirc and botryoidal aragonite are de-veloped in carbonate and suggest a genesis linked with bacterial degradation of the hydrocarbons. The δ13C value of bioclasts in carbonate is from-4.9‰ to-0.6‰, indicating that the carbon source is mainly from sea water as well as the small portion incorporation of the seep hydrocarbon. The microcrystalline and sparite aragonite shows the δ13C value from-31.3‰ to-23.4‰, suggesting that their carbon is derived mainly from microbial degradation of crude oil. 14C analyses give the radiocarbon age of about 10 ka. Rare earth elements (REE) analyses of the 5% HNO3-treated solution of the carbonates show that the total REE content of the carbonates is low, that is from 0.752 to 12.725 μg·g-1. The shale-normalized REE patterns show significantly negative Ce anomalies. This suggests that cold seep carbonate is most likely formed in a relatively aerobic environment.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41273041)No. IS-1542 from GIGCAS
文摘Hydrocarbon seeps,widely occurring in continental margins,have become increasingly focused owing to their close relationships with gas hydrates,strong greenhouse gas methane,and biological resources in extreme environments.Ancient hydrocarbon seeps have already been recognized from Devonian to Quaternary strata worldwide based on seep carbonates or seep-related fossil chemosynthetic assemblages.However,seep-related deposits are rarely found from ancient strata in the China's Mainland.Here,we report the first discovery of an ancient seep deposit,specifically late Cretaceous seep carbonates from Xigaze in Tibet,China.Xigaze seep carbonates,occurring as nodules,are enclosed in upper Cretaceous turbidite strata in Xigaze forearc basin.These carbonates are composed of authigenic carbonate(56.2% on average),clastic quartz and feldspar(27.3% on average),and clay minerals(chlorite,illite and smectite,16.5% on average).Clotted micrites,peloids and framboid pyrites are frequently observed,all of which are common in modern seep carbonates.The carbonates have negative δ13 C values varying from 27.7‰ to 4.0‰(V-PDB),suggesting that thermogenic methane is the primary carbon source.Ce/Ce* values revised by eliminating La effects show no real Ce anomaly,indicating the carbonates were primarily precipitated in a weak reducing environment.Overall,these features provide unequivocal evidences that the seafloor of Xigaze forearc basin developed hydrocarbon seeps in late Cretaceous.
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No.2009CB219508)Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.KZCX2-YW-GJ03)+2 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (GrantNos. 91228206 & 40725011)GIGCAS 135 Program (Grant No.Y234021001)Scientific and Technological Program of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2011A080403021)
文摘A cold vent is an area where methane-rich fluid seepage occurs. This seepage may alter the local temperature, salinity, and subsequent accumulation of the gas hydrate. Using a kinetic gas hydrate formation model and in situ measurement of tempera- ture, salinity and fluid flux at the southern summit of Hydrate Ridge, we simuIate the gas hydrate accumulation at three distinct fluid sites： clam, bacterial mat, and gas discharge sites. At the clam sites （pore water flux 〈 20 kg m-2 yr-1）, pore water advec- tion has little influence on temperature and salinity. However, the salinity and temperature are increased （peak salinity 〉 0.8 tool kg-1） by the formation of gas hydrate causing the base of the hydrate stability zone to move gradually from -115 to -70 meters below seafloor （mbsf）. The gas hydrate saturation at the clam sites is relatively high. The water flux at the bacterial mat sites ranges from 100 to 2500 kg m-2 yr-1. The water flow suppresses the increase in salinity resulting in a salinity close to or slightly higher than that of seawater （〈 0.65 mol kg-l）. Heat advection by water flow increases temperature significantly, shifting the base of the hydrate stability zone to above 50 or even 3 mbsf. The gas hydrate saturation is relatively low at the bacterial mat site. At the gas discharge sites, the pore water flux could reach 10^10 kg m-2 yr-1, and the temperature could reach that of the source area in 9 min. There is no gas hydrate formation at the gas discharge sites. Our simulative analysis therefore reveals that a lower pore water flux would result in lower salinity, higher temperature, and a shallower base of the hydrate sta- bility zone. This in turn induces a lower gas hydrate formation rate, lower hydrate saturation, and eventually less gas hydrate resources.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No.2009CB219508)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.40725011 and U0733003)+1 种基金the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (Grant No.OGL-200811)Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.KGCX2-YW-805)
文摘Here we reported the fatty-acids and their δ13 C values in seep carbonates collected from Green Canyon lease block 185 (GC 185;Sample GC-F) at upper continental slope (water depth:～540 m),and Alaminos Canyon lease block 645 (GC 645;Sample AC-E) at lower continental slope (water depth:～2200 m) of the Gulf of Mexico.More than thirty kinds of fatty acids were detected in both samples.These fatty acids are maximized at C 16.There is a clear even-over-odd carbon number predominance in carbon number range.The fatty acids are mainly composed of n-fatty acids,iso-/anteiso-fatty acids and terminally branched odd-numbered fatty acids (iso/anteiso).The low δ13 C values (-39.99‰ to -32.36‰) of n-C 12:0,n-C 13:0,i-C 14:0 and n-C 14:0 suggest that they may relate to the chemosynthetic communities at seep sites.The unsaturated fatty acids n-C 18:2 and C 18:1 △9 have the same δ13 C values,they may originate from the Beggiatoa/Thioploca.Unlike other fatty acids,the terminally branched fatty acids (iso/anteiso) show lower δ13 C values (as low as -63.95‰) suggesting a possible relationship to sulfate reducing bacteria,which is common during anaerobic oxidation of methane at seep sites.
