Authigenic gypsum crystals, along with pyrite and carbonate mineralization, predominantly calcites were noticed in distinct intervals in a 32 m long piston core, collected in the gas hydratebearing sediments in the no...Authigenic gypsum crystals, along with pyrite and carbonate mineralization, predominantly calcites were noticed in distinct intervals in a 32 m long piston core, collected in the gas hydratebearing sediments in the northern portion of the Krishna-Godavari basin, eastern continental margin of India at a water depth of 1691 m. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectrum studies confirm presence of pyrite, gypsum, calcite, and other mineral aggregates. The occurrence of gypsum in such deep sea environment is intriguing, because gypsum is a classical evaporite mineral and is under saturated with respect to sea water. Sedimentological, geochemical evidences point to diagenetic formation of the gypsum due to oxidation of sulphide minerals （i.e. pyrite）. Euhedral, transparent gypsum crystals, with pyrite inclusions are cemented with authigenic carbonates, possibly indicating that they were formed authigenically in situ in the gas hydrate-influenced environment due to late burial diagenesis involving sulphate reduction and anaerobic oxidation of methane （AOM）. Therefore, the authigenic gypsums found in sediments of the Krishna-Godavari and Mahanadi offshore regions could be seen as one of the parameters to imply the presence of high methane flux possibly from gas hydrate at depth.展开更多
Carbonate samples were collected from the northern Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea in 2013.The petrology,mineralogy,carbon and oxygen isotopes,and rare earth elements(REEs)of these samples were analyzed.Aragonite...Carbonate samples were collected from the northern Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea in 2013.The petrology,mineralogy,carbon and oxygen isotopes,and rare earth elements(REEs)of these samples were analyzed.Aragonite,high-Mg calcite,and dolomite were the main carbonate minerals,the contents of which varied greatly among the carbonate samples.Petrological observations revealed the common occurrence of framboidal pyrites.Theδ^(13)C values of carbonates varied from-53.7‰to-39.3‰(average of-47.3‰based on Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite(V-PDB),n=9),and theδ^(18)O values ranged from 0.6‰to 3.4‰(average of 1.9‰;V-PDB,n=9).The carbon and oxygen isotope characteristics indicated that the carbonates precipitated during the anaerobic oxidation of methane.The carbon source was a mixture of thermogenic methane and biogenic methane,possibly with a greater contribution from the former.The oxygen isotope data showed that gas hydrate dissociation occurred during carbonate precipitation.The Ce anomalies suggested that the carbonates precipitated in an anoxic environment.A slight enrichment of middle REEs(MREEs)could be attributable to the early diagenesis.The structures,minerals,oxygen isotopes,and MREEs all indicated that the carbonates experienced some degree of early diagenesis.Therefore,the infl uence of early diagenesis should be considered when using geological and geochemical proxies to reconstruct original methane seepage environments.展开更多
The anaerobic oxidation of methane （AOM） has strongly developed at Core A, Site 79 of the middle Okinawa Trough, East China Sea, and a large amount of authigenic pyrite is preserved in the surface sediment. In this ...The anaerobic oxidation of methane （AOM） has strongly developed at Core A, Site 79 of the middle Okinawa Trough, East China Sea, and a large amount of authigenic pyrite is preserved in the surface sediment. In this study, we analyze the characteristics of the authigenic pyrite and its sulfur isotopic values. The authigenic pyrite is stripy and tubular, and there were foraminifera compartments filled with pyrite. The pyrite is extracted using chromium reduction, and the values of δ348 are found to lie between -41.20‰ and 8.92‰ V-CDT. The bulk pyrite tends to be more enriched in 348 with increasing depth. Particularly, the 834S value of the pyrite lies between -32.73%o and -41.20‰ V-CDT above 278 cmbsf, but it quickly increases below this depth （-21.49%o-8.92‰ V-CDT）. At the same time, the total sulfur content of the pyrite shows an abrupt increase above 100 cmbsf but is otherwise stable between 1.04% and 0.55% below 100 cmbsf. The stable and negative values of 8345 and the decreasing values of total sulfur above 278 cmbsf indicate reduced AOM activities in 17.18-5.3 ka. In addition, the increasing δ34S and pyrite content indicate strong AOM development and methane seep below 278 cmbsf in 18.8-17.18 ka. In particular, the highest positive value of δ34S occurring in 18.78 ka indicates the most intense AOM activity. The shallow sul- fate-methane interface （SMI） and high methane flux below marine sediments also strongly support this activity.展开更多
基金funded by National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP), India
文摘Authigenic gypsum crystals, along with pyrite and carbonate mineralization, predominantly calcites were noticed in distinct intervals in a 32 m long piston core, collected in the gas hydratebearing sediments in the northern portion of the Krishna-Godavari basin, eastern continental margin of India at a water depth of 1691 m. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectrum studies confirm presence of pyrite, gypsum, calcite, and other mineral aggregates. The occurrence of gypsum in such deep sea environment is intriguing, because gypsum is a classical evaporite mineral and is under saturated with respect to sea water. Sedimentological, geochemical evidences point to diagenetic formation of the gypsum due to oxidation of sulphide minerals （i.e. pyrite）. Euhedral, transparent gypsum crystals, with pyrite inclusions are cemented with authigenic carbonates, possibly indicating that they were formed authigenically in situ in the gas hydrate-influenced environment due to late burial diagenesis involving sulphate reduction and anaerobic oxidation of methane （AOM）. Therefore, the authigenic gypsums found in sediments of the Krishna-Godavari and Mahanadi offshore regions could be seen as one of the parameters to imply the presence of high methane flux possibly from gas hydrate at depth.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41476050,41106047)。
文摘Carbonate samples were collected from the northern Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea in 2013.The petrology,mineralogy,carbon and oxygen isotopes,and rare earth elements(REEs)of these samples were analyzed.Aragonite,high-Mg calcite,and dolomite were the main carbonate minerals,the contents of which varied greatly among the carbonate samples.Petrological observations revealed the common occurrence of framboidal pyrites.Theδ^(13)C values of carbonates varied from-53.7‰to-39.3‰(average of-47.3‰based on Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite(V-PDB),n=9),and theδ^(18)O values ranged from 0.6‰to 3.4‰(average of 1.9‰;V-PDB,n=9).The carbon and oxygen isotope characteristics indicated that the carbonates precipitated during the anaerobic oxidation of methane.The carbon source was a mixture of thermogenic methane and biogenic methane,possibly with a greater contribution from the former.The oxygen isotope data showed that gas hydrate dissociation occurred during carbonate precipitation.The Ce anomalies suggested that the carbonates precipitated in an anoxic environment.A slight enrichment of middle REEs(MREEs)could be attributable to the early diagenesis.The structures,minerals,oxygen isotopes,and MREEs all indicated that the carbonates experienced some degree of early diagenesis.Therefore,the infl uence of early diagenesis should be considered when using geological and geochemical proxies to reconstruct original methane seepage environments.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grand Nos.4130606241104086)+2 种基金the Key Laboratory of Gas Hydrate Foundation(Grand Nos.SHW[2014]-DX-03SHW[2014]-DX-04)the Key Laboratory of Marine Hydrocarbon Resources and Environmental Geology Foundation(Grand No.MRE 201213)
文摘The anaerobic oxidation of methane （AOM） has strongly developed at Core A, Site 79 of the middle Okinawa Trough, East China Sea, and a large amount of authigenic pyrite is preserved in the surface sediment. In this study, we analyze the characteristics of the authigenic pyrite and its sulfur isotopic values. The authigenic pyrite is stripy and tubular, and there were foraminifera compartments filled with pyrite. The pyrite is extracted using chromium reduction, and the values of δ348 are found to lie between -41.20‰ and 8.92‰ V-CDT. The bulk pyrite tends to be more enriched in 348 with increasing depth. Particularly, the 834S value of the pyrite lies between -32.73%o and -41.20‰ V-CDT above 278 cmbsf, but it quickly increases below this depth （-21.49%o-8.92‰ V-CDT）. At the same time, the total sulfur content of the pyrite shows an abrupt increase above 100 cmbsf but is otherwise stable between 1.04% and 0.55% below 100 cmbsf. The stable and negative values of 8345 and the decreasing values of total sulfur above 278 cmbsf indicate reduced AOM activities in 17.18-5.3 ka. In addition, the increasing δ34S and pyrite content indicate strong AOM development and methane seep below 278 cmbsf in 18.8-17.18 ka. In particular, the highest positive value of δ34S occurring in 18.78 ka indicates the most intense AOM activity. The shallow sul- fate-methane interface （SMI） and high methane flux below marine sediments also strongly support this activity.
