Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram Strait
Seafloor hydrocarbon seepage is a natural fluid release process that occurs worldwide on continental shelves, slopes, and in deep oceanic basins. The Vestnesa sedimentary ridge in the eastern Fram Strait hosts a deep-water gas hydrate system that became charged with hydrocarbons ∼2.7 Ma and has expe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1188737/full |
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| author | Frances Cooke Andreia Plaza-Faverola Stefan Bünz Nabil Sultan Hariharan Ramachandran Heather Bedle Henry Patton Sunny Singhroha Jochen Knies |
| author_facet | Frances Cooke Andreia Plaza-Faverola Stefan Bünz Nabil Sultan Hariharan Ramachandran Heather Bedle Henry Patton Sunny Singhroha Jochen Knies |
| author_sort | Frances Cooke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seafloor hydrocarbon seepage is a natural fluid release process that occurs worldwide on continental shelves, slopes, and in deep oceanic basins. The Vestnesa sedimentary ridge in the eastern Fram Strait hosts a deep-water gas hydrate system that became charged with hydrocarbons ∼2.7 Ma and has experienced episodic seepage along the entire ridge until a few thousand years ago, when seepage activity apparently ceased in the west but persisted in the east. Although it has been documented that faults and fractures play a key role in feeding the seeps with thermogenic gases, the mechanisms controlling seepage periodicity remain poorly understood. Here we integrate high-resolution P-cable 3D seismic and Chirp data to investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of high-resolution fractures and fluid flow features in the west of the Vestnesa Ridge. We characterize sediment deformation using a fracture density seismic attribute workflow revealing two highly deformed stratigraphic intervals and associated small-scale pockmarks (<20 m diameter). Chronostratigraphic constraints from the region show that these two highly deformed intervals are influenced by at least three major climatic and oceanic events during the last 1.2 million years: the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (∼1.25–0.7 Ma), the penultimate deglaciation (∼130 ka) and the last deglaciation (Heinrich Stadial 1: ∼16 ka). These periods of deformation appear associated with seismic anomalies potentially correlated with buried methane-derived authigenic carbonate and have been sensitive to shifts in the boundary of the free gas-gas hydrate interface. Our results show shifts (up to ∼30 m) in the depth of the base of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) associated with major changes in ocean bottom water temperatures. This ocean-driven effect on the base of the GHSZ since the Last Glacial Maximum coincides with the already highly deformed Mid-Pleistocene Transition sedimentary interval and likely enhanced deformation and gas leakage along the ridge. Our results have implications for understanding how glacial cycles impact fracture formation and associated seepage activity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:03:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-507f3746919d462695c9dcf81444eef0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:03:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-507f3746919d462695c9dcf81444eef02023-06-01T09:50:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632023-05-011110.3389/feart.2023.11887371188737Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram StraitFrances Cooke0Andreia Plaza-Faverola1Stefan Bünz2Nabil Sultan3Hariharan Ramachandran4Heather Bedle5Henry Patton6Sunny Singhroha7Jochen Knies8CAGE—Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, UiT (The Arctic University of Norway), The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayCAGE—Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, UiT (The Arctic University of Norway), The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayCAGE—Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, UiT (The Arctic University of Norway), The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayGeo-Ocean, UMR6538, Ifremer, CNRS, UBO, UBS, Plouzané, FranceInstitute of GeoEnergy Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United KingdomSchool of Geosciences, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United StatesCAGE—Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, UiT (The Arctic University of Norway), The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayCAGE—Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, UiT (The Arctic University of Norway), The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, NorwayNGU—Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, NorwaySeafloor hydrocarbon seepage is a natural fluid release process that occurs worldwide on continental shelves, slopes, and in deep oceanic basins. The Vestnesa sedimentary ridge in the eastern Fram Strait hosts a deep-water gas hydrate system that became charged with hydrocarbons ∼2.7 Ma and has experienced episodic seepage along the entire ridge until a few thousand years ago, when seepage activity apparently ceased in the west but persisted in the east. Although it has been documented that faults and fractures play a key role in feeding the seeps with thermogenic gases, the mechanisms controlling seepage periodicity remain poorly understood. Here we integrate high-resolution P-cable 3D seismic and Chirp data to investigate the spatial and temporal evolution of high-resolution fractures and fluid flow features in the west of the Vestnesa Ridge. We characterize sediment deformation using a fracture density seismic attribute workflow revealing two highly deformed stratigraphic intervals and associated small-scale pockmarks (<20 m diameter). Chronostratigraphic constraints from the region show that these two highly deformed intervals are influenced by at least three major climatic and oceanic events during the last 1.2 million years: the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (∼1.25–0.7 Ma), the penultimate deglaciation (∼130 ka) and the last deglaciation (Heinrich Stadial 1: ∼16 ka). These periods of deformation appear associated with seismic anomalies potentially correlated with buried methane-derived authigenic carbonate and have been sensitive to shifts in the boundary of the free gas-gas hydrate interface. Our results show shifts (up to ∼30 m) in the depth of the base of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) associated with major changes in ocean bottom water temperatures. This ocean-driven effect on the base of the GHSZ since the Last Glacial Maximum coincides with the already highly deformed Mid-Pleistocene Transition sedimentary interval and likely enhanced deformation and gas leakage along the ridge. Our results have implications for understanding how glacial cycles impact fracture formation and associated seepage activity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1188737/fullsediment fracturingepisodic seepagehigh-resolution seismic attributesglacial dynamicsFram Strait |
| spellingShingle | Frances Cooke Andreia Plaza-Faverola Stefan Bünz Nabil Sultan Hariharan Ramachandran Heather Bedle Henry Patton Sunny Singhroha Jochen Knies Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram Strait Frontiers in Earth Science sediment fracturing episodic seepage high-resolution seismic attributes glacial dynamics Fram Strait |
| title | Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram Strait |
| title_full | Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram Strait |
| title_fullStr | Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram Strait |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram Strait |
| title_short | Sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1.2 million years: a multi-scale seismic study from the Vestnesa Ridge, eastern Fram Strait |
| title_sort | sedimentary deformation relating to episodic seepage in the last 1 2 million years a multi scale seismic study from the vestnesa ridge eastern fram strait |
| topic | sediment fracturing episodic seepage high-resolution seismic attributes glacial dynamics Fram Strait |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1188737/full |
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