Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW Taiwan
Abstract Hydrocarbon seeps are common manifestations of gas leakage from the seafloor. However, the fate of methane seepage within the gas hydrate stability zone at active margins is poorly constrained. This study presents a 40‐thousand‐year record of hydrocarbon seepage archived by a ∼5‐m long core...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010652 |
| _version_ | 1797637975383736320 |
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| author | Yiting Tseng Daniel Smrzka Saulwood Lin Andrea Schröder‐Ritzrau Norbert Frank Gerhard Bohrmann |
| author_facet | Yiting Tseng Daniel Smrzka Saulwood Lin Andrea Schröder‐Ritzrau Norbert Frank Gerhard Bohrmann |
| author_sort | Yiting Tseng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Hydrocarbon seeps are common manifestations of gas leakage from the seafloor. However, the fate of methane seepage within the gas hydrate stability zone at active margins is poorly constrained. This study presents a 40‐thousand‐year record of hydrocarbon seepage archived by a ∼5‐m long core composed of authigenic carbonate from the Yam Seep area, Four‐Way Closure Ridge off SW Taiwan. Different carbonate microfacies could be distinguished: Consolidated microcrystalline aragonite representing lithified host sediments intercalated by pure aragonite present in 10–50 cm thick intervals in the core. These aragonite intervals are interpreted as having precipitated within former fractures in the host rock. High resolution U‐Th dating of these aragonites is interpreted to record the minimum age of the opening of these fractures. The chronology of aragonite precipitation throughout the core suggests a record of continuous seepage from ∼41 to 2 ka that fluctuated in intensity over this time period. The chronology of putative fracturing events and observed carbonate precipitation suggest (a) an active period of fracturing and seepage from ∼37 to 27 ka, (b) a more quiescent period from ∼27 to 16 ka, followed by (c) another active period from ∼16 to 12 ka. A schematic model illustrates the evolution of carbonate formation within the core influenced by faulting, fracturing, erosion, gas hydrate accumulation, and aragonite precipitation and provides a unique 40,000‐year‐old record of methane seepage and crucial insights into the dynamics of long‐term seepage systems at active margins. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:55:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d6e87b536b7646fda3de38e409b060a8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:55:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-d6e87b536b7646fda3de38e409b060a82023-11-03T17:01:14ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272023-07-01247n/an/a10.1029/2022GC010652Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW TaiwanYiting Tseng0Daniel Smrzka1Saulwood Lin2Andrea Schröder‐Ritzrau3Norbert Frank4Gerhard Bohrmann5MARUM Center of Environmental Sciences, and Department of Geosciences University of Bremen Bremen GermanyMARUM Center of Environmental Sciences, and Department of Geosciences University of Bremen Bremen GermanyInstitute of Oceanography National Taiwan University Taipei TaiwanInstitute of Environmental Physics Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg Heidelberg GermanyInstitute of Environmental Physics Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg Heidelberg GermanyMARUM Center of Environmental Sciences, and Department of Geosciences University of Bremen Bremen GermanyAbstract Hydrocarbon seeps are common manifestations of gas leakage from the seafloor. However, the fate of methane seepage within the gas hydrate stability zone at active margins is poorly constrained. This study presents a 40‐thousand‐year record of hydrocarbon seepage archived by a ∼5‐m long core composed of authigenic carbonate from the Yam Seep area, Four‐Way Closure Ridge off SW Taiwan. Different carbonate microfacies could be distinguished: Consolidated microcrystalline aragonite representing lithified host sediments intercalated by pure aragonite present in 10–50 cm thick intervals in the core. These aragonite intervals are interpreted as having precipitated within former fractures in the host rock. High resolution U‐Th dating of these aragonites is interpreted to record the minimum age of the opening of these fractures. The chronology of aragonite precipitation throughout the core suggests a record of continuous seepage from ∼41 to 2 ka that fluctuated in intensity over this time period. The chronology of putative fracturing events and observed carbonate precipitation suggest (a) an active period of fracturing and seepage from ∼37 to 27 ka, (b) a more quiescent period from ∼27 to 16 ka, followed by (c) another active period from ∼16 to 12 ka. A schematic model illustrates the evolution of carbonate formation within the core influenced by faulting, fracturing, erosion, gas hydrate accumulation, and aragonite precipitation and provides a unique 40,000‐year‐old record of methane seepage and crucial insights into the dynamics of long‐term seepage systems at active margins.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010652methane seepageauthigenic carbonatesgas hydratesuranium ‐ thorium datingactive margin |
| spellingShingle | Yiting Tseng Daniel Smrzka Saulwood Lin Andrea Schröder‐Ritzrau Norbert Frank Gerhard Bohrmann Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW Taiwan Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems methane seepage authigenic carbonates gas hydrates uranium ‐ thorium dating active margin |
| title | Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW Taiwan |
| title_full | Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW Taiwan |
| title_fullStr | Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW Taiwan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW Taiwan |
| title_short | Authigenic Carbonate Precipitation at Yam Seep Controlled by Continuous Fracturing and Uplifting of Four‐Way Closure Ridge Offshore SW Taiwan |
| title_sort | authigenic carbonate precipitation at yam seep controlled by continuous fracturing and uplifting of four way closure ridge offshore sw taiwan |
| topic | methane seepage authigenic carbonates gas hydrates uranium ‐ thorium dating active margin |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010652 |
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