The experience in estimating the sedimentary basin petroleum potential on the basis of study of mud volcanic breccia clasts (an Example from the Deep Part of the Gulf of Cadiz)

Mud volcanism is a natural phenomenon well-known for on-shore and off-shore environments. Its major driving forces are deeply seated fluid accumulations and lithology and tectonism favorable for creating overpressure within deep strata with subsequent breakthrough of solid, liquid, and gaseous products of mud volcanism towards a ground surface. The mud breccia clasts provide information about the sedimentary section (up to several kilometers thick) through which the mud volcano erupted. Geochemical investigation of mud breccia clasts with characteristics of source rocks can help in understanding the petroleum potential of entire basin prior to expensive offshore exploration drilling. This is an especially important and useful method for initial estimation of petroleum potential of deep continental margin basins. The method of geochemical investigation of organic matter in the mud breccia clasts allowed to identify the Miocene and Upper Cretaceous clayey and carbonate deposits in the sedimentary sequence in the deep part of the Gulf of Cadiz as having the highest petroleum potential.     

Liquefied vs stratified sediment mobilization processes: Insight from the South of the Barbados accretionary prism

This paper discusses the nature and origin of subsurface sediment mobilization processes in deep marine clay-rich environments. In the studied area of the southern Barbados accretionary prism, new geophysical acquisitions have emphasized the spectacular widespread development of mud volcanoes that are well-developed along ramp anticlines and along sigmoidal rises with trends that are oblique to the axes of the main folds of the accretionary wedge. On some active mud volcanoes, heat-flow measurements show high positive anomalies related to high fluxes of mud transfer. The mobilized solid fraction expelled by the mud volcanoes does not originate from a unique source bed but from various formations pierced by the mud conduits and is driven by the water phase. The area studied also exhibits trends of structures corresponding to sub-circular massive local uplifts of deformed but well-preserved stratified sediments (turbidites and hemipelagics). No piercing shale diapirs have been encountered in this area. Some of these local uplift structures are complicated by the development of collapses, calderas, and superimposed mud volcanoes. Mud volcanism corresponds fundamentally to fluid displacement (water and gas), whereas massive sedimentary uplift corresponds to large vertical displacements of stratified solid levels but for which the deep cause could be partly the intrusion of mud plugs. Both are dynamic phenomena controlled by the development of overpressure at depth, contributing to sedimentary mobilizations.     

Simulation of the 2011 South Sakhalin mud volcano eruption based on the GPS data

Sakhalin Island is the only region in the Russian Far East where mud volcanism is manifested on land. The South Sakhalin mud volcano is located in the south of the island in the zone of the Central Sakhalin Fault (upthrow-thrust). The horizontal and vertical displacements of the earth’s surface after this mud volcano erupted in 2011 are revealed for the first time based on the GPS observation data. On the basis of the inversion of the measured displacements for the homogeneous elastic half-space, a model of the finite spherical eruption source is constructed. The coordinates, depth, and possible size of the source are defined and the volumes of the erupted clay rock, water, and gas are estimated.     

五大连池药用矿泥的主要特点及其药用价值

五大连池药用矿泥２００目筛上样品主要由玄武质火山碎屑、石英、辉石以及其它少量晶屑组成，２００目筛下样品由伊利石、绿泥石、高岭石和石英、少量长石等多种粘土矿物组成。该矿泥应属于与本区多期火山喷发物源有关的表生泥质沉积。由于这种沉积矿泥有特殊成因，从而具有药用价值     

Spatial variation in fluid flow and geochemical fluxes across the sediment-seawater interface at the Carlos Ribeiro mud volcano (Gulf of Cadiz)

Submarine mud volcanism is an important pathway for transfer of deep-sourced fluids enriched in hydrocarbons and other elements into the ocean. Numerous mud volcanoes (MVs) have been discovered along oceanic plate margins, and integrated elemental fluxes are potentially significant for oceanic chemical budgets. Here, we present the first detailed study of the spatial variation in fluid and chemical fluxes at the Carlos Ribeiro MV in the Gulf of Cadiz. To this end, we combine analyses of the chemical composition of pore fluids with a 1-D transport-reaction model to quantify fluid fluxes, and fluxes of boron, lithium and methane, across the sediment-seawater interface. The pore fluids are significantly depleted in chloride, but enriched in lithium, boron and hydrocarbons, relative to seawater. Pore water profiles of sulphate, hydrogen sulphide and total alkalinity indicate that anaerobic oxidation of methane occurs at 34-180 cm depth below seafloor. Clay mineral dehydration, and in particular the transformation of smectite to illite, produces pore fluids that are depleted in chloride and potassium. Profiles of boron, lithium and potassium are closely related, which suggests that lithium and boron are released from the sediments during this transformation. Pore fluids are expelled into the water column by advection; fluid flow velocities are 4 cm yr⁻¹ at the apex of the MV but they rapidly decrease to 0.4 cm yr⁻¹ at the periphery. The associated fluxes of boron, lithium and methane vary between 7-301, 0.5-6 and 0-806 mmol m⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively. We demonstrate that fluxes of Li and B due to mud volcanism may be important on a global scale, however, release of methane into the overlying water column is suppressed by microbial methanotrophy.     

Regional and local geothermal conditions in the northern Black Sea

More than 100 new heat flow measurements have been collected in recent years (2002–2004) in different tectonic environments of the northern Black Sea. The northern periphery of the Black Sea is characterized by strong geodynamic and seismic activity, high sedimentation rates, diapiric structures, mud volcanism, and fluid and gas escape at the sea floor. We present new thermal data from the shelf, continental slope and deep-water basin, measured off-shore using a marine thermo-probe and on-shore in drill holes. Heat flow density ranges from 20 to more than 2,000 mW/m². For two local areas (the Dnieper gas seeps and the Dvurechenski mud volcano area), we discuss the relation between heat flow variability and the geological and physical processes in the near-bottom sediment layer. The Dnieper gas seeps area is characterized by strong small-scale heat flow variability and is controlled by fluid and gas migration. In the Dvurechenski active mud volcano, the near-bottom temperature in sediments is anomalously elevated because additional heat is carried out by mass flows of fluids and clay minerals. Away from the mud volcano heat flow quickly decreases to background values.     

New evidence of extensive active mud volcanism in the Anaximander mountains (Eastern Mediterranean): The “ATHINA” mud volcano

A 3000 km² multibeam survey was carried out on the eastern Anaximander Mountains (Mts), (Eastern Mediterranean). The objective was to obtain detailed bathymetry of known mud volcanoes and identify new sites of active mud volcanism in the area. N-NW of the Amsterdam Mud-Volcano (MV) several mounds and cone-like morphological irregularities with a height of few tens of meters to about one hundred meters were detected and considered as potential MVs on the basis of their distinctive backscattered character. A group of two mounds was selected, the northern mound was sampled, documented as active, and named accordingly Athina MV. These new findings strongly support the presence of extensive active mud volcanism in the Anaximander Mountains especially in the area north of the Amsterdam MV.GEM     

Deep structure of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk mud volcano: Results of multidisciplinary seismic surveys

The paper presents the results of multidisciplinary seismic surveys carried out by refraction and reflection methods for compressional and shear waves on Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk mud volcano. A large extinct (approximately 60–70 years ago) volcano was identified near the active volcano, and its structure was studied. It was found that the recognized intermediate fluid-bearing chambers correlate with the distinguished tectonic dislocations. A supposition was made that the mud volcanism is sequentially developed in the northeastern direction and related to the modern tectonics of the Central Sakhalin Fault.     

Methane and sulfide fluxes in permanent anoxia: In situ studies at the Dvurechenskii mud volcano (Sorokin Trough, Black Sea)

The Dvurechenskii mud volcano (DMV) is located in permanently anoxic waters at 2060 m depth (Sorokin Trough, Black Sea). The DMV was studied during the RV Meteor expedition M72/2 as an example of an active mud volcano system, to investigate the significance of submarine mud volcanism for the methane and sulfide budget of the anoxic Black Sea hydrosphere. Our studies included benthic fluxes of methane and sulfide, as well as the factors controlling transport, consumption and production of both compounds within the sediment. The pie-shaped mud volcano showed temperature anomalies as well as solute and gas fluxes indicating high fluid flow at its summit north of the geographical center. The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to sulfate reduction (SR) was repressed in this zone due to the upward flow of sulfate-depleted fluids through recently deposited subsurface muds, apparently limiting microbial methanotrophic activity. Consequently, the emission of dissolved methane into the water column was high, with an estimated rate of 0.46 mol m⁻² d⁻¹. On the wide plateau and edge of the mud volcano surrounding the summit, fluid flow and total methane flux were lower, allowing higher SR and AOM rates correlated with an increase in sulfate penetration into the sediment. Here, between 50% and 70% of the methane flux (0.07-0.1 mol m⁻² d⁻¹) was consumed within the upper 10 cm of the sediment. The overall amount of dissolved methane released from the entire mud volcano structure into the water column was significant with a discharge of 1.3 × 10⁷ mol yr⁻¹. The DMV maintains also high areal rates of methane-fueled sulfide production and emission of on average 0.05 mol m⁻² d⁻¹. This is a difference to mud volcanoes in oxic waters, which emit similar amounts of methane, but not sulfide. However, based on a comparison of this and other mud volcanoes of the Black Sea, we conclude that sulfide and methane emission into the hydrosphere from deep-water mud volcanoes does not significantly contribute to the sulfide and methane inventory of the Black Sea.     

Recent volcanism in relation to plate interaction and deep-level geodynamics

The spatial distribution of recent (under 2 Ma) volcanism has been studied in relation to mantle hotspots and the evolution of the present-day supercontinent which we named Northern Pangea. Recent volcanism is observed in Eurasia, North and South America, Africa, Greenland, the Arctic, and the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Several types of volcanism are distinguished: mid-ocean ridge (MOR) volcanism; subduction volcanism of island arcs and active continental margins (IA + ACM); continental collision (CC) volcanism; intraplate (IP) volcanism related to mantle hotspots, continental rifts, and transcontinental belts. Continental volcanism is obviously related to the evolution of Northern Pangea, which comprises Eurasia, North and South America, India, Australia, and Africa. The supercontinent is large, with predominant continental crust. The geodynamic setting and recent volcanism of Northern Pangea are determined by two opposite processes. On one hand, subduction from the Pacific Ocean, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa consolidates the supercontinent. On the other hand, the spreading of oceanic plates from the Atlantic splits Northern Pangea, changes its shape as compared with Wegener’s Pangea, and causes the Atlantic geodynamics to spread to the Arctic. The long-lasting steady subduction beneath Eurasia and North America favored intense IA + ACM volcanism. Also, it caused cold lithosphere to accumulate in the deep mantle in northern Northern Pangea and replace the hot deep mantle, which was pressed to the supercontinental margins. Later on, this mantle rose as plumes (IP mafic magma sources), which were the ascending currents of global mantle convection and minor convection systems at convergent plate boundaries. Wegener’s Pangea broke up because of the African superplume, which occupied consecutively the Central Atlantic, the South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean and expanded toward the Arctic. Intraplate plume magmatism in Eurasia and North America was accompanied by surface collisional or subduction magmatism. In the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, deep-level plume magmatism (high-alkali mafic rocks) was accompanied by surface spreading magmatism (tholeiitic basalts).     

Mud volcanoes of Italy

The locations and information about the sizes of 61 mud volcanoes on the Italian mainland and Sicily, plus an area of mud diapirism in the Italian Adriatic Sea, are presented. Data about the emission products are also provided. The majority of these mud volcanoes are found where thick sedimentary sequences occur within a zone of tectonic compression associated with local plate tectonic activity: the movement of the Adriatic microplate between the converging African and Eurasian plates. The principal gas emitted by these mud volcanoes is methane, which probably originates from deep within the sediments. Other mud volcanoes, associated with igneous volcanism, produce mainly carbon dioxide. The mud diapirs in the Adriatic Sea are thought to form as a result of the mobilization of shallow gassy sediments. It has been shown that radon emissions from mud volcanoes are indicators of forthcoming earthquake events. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Volcanic emissions and the early Earth atmosphere

Despite uncertainties in our understanding of early Earth volcanism and atmospheric composition, thermodynamic modelling is able to offer estimates of the global production of reactive trace species (NO, OH, SO₃, Cl, Br and I) from early Earth volcanism, and thereby to shed light on processes which may have been different in Earth’s early atmosphere. Model results show that thermal decomposition of magmatic H₂O, CO₂ and SO₂ in high-T mixtures of magmatic and atmospheric gases (at T > 1400 °C) generate high levels of reactive trace gas species. Production of these reactive trace species is insensitive to atmospheric CO₂ in mixtures where the atmospheric gas is the minor component and will hence continue during periods of low atmospheric CO₂. Fluxes of NO, OH, Cl, Br and I from early Earth volcanism are predicted to exceed those from modern Earth volcanism as the higher temperature of early Earth emissions compensates for lower levels of O₂ in the atmosphere, compared to the modern Earth. Under certain conditions, the volcanic NO flux from early Earth volcanism is found to be comparable to other sources of reactive N such as lightning NO and photochemical HCN. This is one possible source of fixed nitrogen which may alleviate any postulated Archean nitrogen crisis. Our thermodynamic model reveals that production of SO₃ (a potential precursor for near-source volcanic sulphate and hence ‘primary’ volcanic aerosol) is likely to be significantly lower from early Earth volcanism. Uncertainty in the pathway to near-source sulphate in modern volcanism (i.e., the reaction of SO₃ with water or direct emission) introduces a large uncertainty into the production rate of near-source volcanic sulphate on the early Earth.     

Mud volcanic natural phenomena in the South Caspian Basin: geology,fluid dynamics and environmental impact

The South Caspian sedimentary basin is a unique area with thick Mesozoic-Cenozoic sediments (up to 30–32 km) characterized by an extremely high fluid generation potential. The large amount of active mud volcanoes and the volumes of their gas emissions prove the vast scale of fluid generation. Onshore and offshore mud volcanoes annually erupt more than 10⁹ cubic meters of gases consisting of CH₄ (79–98%), and a small admixture of C₂H₆, C₃H₈, C₄H₁₀, C₅H₁₂, CO₂, N, H₂S, Ar, He. Mud volcanism is closely connected to the processes occurring in the South Caspian depression, its seismicity, fluctuations of the Caspian Sea level, solar activity and hydrocarbon generation.The large accumulations of gas hydrates are confined to the bottom sediments of the Caspian Sea, mud volcanoes crater fields (interval 0–0.4 m, sea depth 480 m) and to the volcanoes body at the depth of 480–800 from the sea bottom. Resources of HC gases in hydrates saturated sediments up to a depth of 100 m and are estimated at 0.2×10¹⁵–8×10¹⁵ m³. The amount of HC gases concentrated in them is 10¹¹–10¹² m³.The Caspian Sea, being an inland closed basin is very sensitive to climatic and tectonic events expressed in sea level fluctuations. During regressive stages as a result of sea level fall and the reducing of hydrostatic pressure the decomposition of gas hydrates and the releasing of a great volume of HC gases consisting mainly of methane are observed.From the data of deep drilling, seismoacoustics, and deep seismic mud volcanic activity in the South Caspian Basin started in the Lower Miocene. Activity reached its highest intensity at the boundary between the Miocene and Pliocene and was associated with dramatic Caspian Sea level fall in the Lower Pliocene of up to 600 m, which led to the isolation of the PaleoCaspian from the Eastern ParaTethys. Catastrophic reduction of PaleoCaspian size combined with the increasing scale of mud volcanic activity caused the oversaturation and intoxication of water by methane and led to the mass extinction of mollusks, fishes and other groups of sea inhabitants. In the Upper Pliocene and Quaternary mud volcanism occurred under the conditions of a semi-closed sea periodically connected with the Pontian and Mediterranean Basins. Those stages of Caspian Sea history are characterized by the revival of the Caspian organic world.Monitoring of mud volcanoes onshore of the South Caspian demonstrated that any eruption is predicted by seismic activation in the region (South-Eastern Caucasus) and intensive fluid dynamics on the volcanoes.     

台湾利吉蛇纹岩角砾碎屑岩地球化学特征及其指示意义

马里亚纳海沟弧前广泛发育来源于深部地幔楔、由泥火山作用形成的碎屑蛇纹岩,并且在泥火山顶部海底有非生物成因甲烷渗漏和无光合作用的自养生物群,是地球科学界的研究热点。在弧陆碰撞形成的台湾利吉混杂岩带发育有蛇纹岩角砾碎屑岩,一直有构造成因、沉积成因与构造沉积复合成因的争议。本次研究对台湾利吉蛇纹岩角砾碎屑岩的岩石学和地球化学进行了研究,蛇纹岩角砾碎屑岩呈层状或巨砾发育于台东利吉村附近的混杂岩泥质基质中,蛇纹岩角砾碎屑岩的角砾和粉砂质-泥质基质均由蛇纹岩组成,角砾呈次棱角状至次圆状,显示沉积成因特征。蛇纹岩角砾碎屑岩的Al2O3-MgO-CaO位于与蛇绿岩套有关的变质橄榄岩范围内,且偏低的Al2O3和CaO含量表明,其来源于活动大陆边缘俯冲带上盘的弧前环境。此外,蛇纹岩角砾富集As、Sb和Pb元素,暗示具有俯冲带上驮板块地幔楔蛇纹岩的特征,并富集来自俯冲板片的中低温流体。因此,利吉蛇纹岩角砾碎屑岩很可能来自俯冲带上盘地幔楔,由北吕宋火山岛弧弧前基底形成的蛇纹岩通过泥火山作用喷出海底,最后经弧陆碰撞进入台湾利吉混杂岩带。     

Hierarchical probabilistic regionalization of volcanism for Sengan region,Japan

A 1 km square regular grid system created on the Universal Transverse Mercator zone 54 projected coordinate system is used to work with volcanism related data for Sengan region. The following geologic variables were determined as the most important for identifying volcanism: geothermal gradient, groundwater temperature, heat discharge, groundwater pH value, presence of volcanic rocks and presence of hydrothermal alteration. Data available for each of these important geologic variables were used to perform directional variogram modeling and kriging to estimate geologic variable vectors at each of the 23949 centers of the chosen 1 km cell grid system. Cluster analysis was performed on the 23949 complete variable vectors to classify each center of 1 km cell into one of five different statistically homogeneous groups with respect to potential volcanism spanning from lowest possible volcanism to highest possible volcanism with increasing group number. A discriminant analysis incorporating Bayes’ theorem was performed to construct maps showing the probability of group membership for each of the volcanism groups. The said maps showed good comparisons with the recorded locations of volcanism within the Sengan region. No volcanic data were found to exist in the group 1 region. The high probability areas within group 1 have the chance of being the no volcanism region. Entropy of classification is calculated to assess the uncertainty of the allocation process of each 1 km cell center location based on the calculated probabilities. The recorded volcanism data are also plotted on the entropy map to examine the uncertainty level of the estimations at the locations where volcanism exists. The volcanic data cell locations that are in the high volcanism regions (groups 4 and 5) showed relatively low mapping estimation uncertainty. On the other hand, the volcanic data cell locations that are in the low volcanism region (group 2) showed relatively high mapping estimation uncertainty. The volcanic data cell locations that are in the medium volcanism region (group 3) showed relatively moderate mapping estimation uncertainty. Areas of high uncertainty provide locations where additional site characterization resources can be spent most effectively. The new data collected can be added to the existing database to perform future regionalized mapping and reduce the uncertainty level of the existing estimations.     

全球火山活动分布特征

根据全球活动火山目录 ,分析研究了全球火山分布的特征 ,描述了各区的火山活动分布 ,总结了火山活动强度的时、空分布特征。全球火山活动可分为三大区 ,西太平洋火山活动区 ,主要与太平洋板块向北西西方向的俯冲活动有关 ;东太平洋火山活动区 ,主要与太平洋东面的小板块 (胡安德富卡板块、科科斯、纳斯卡板块 )向美洲板块的俯冲有关 ;大西洋火山活动区 ,与大西洋和非洲的裂开 ,以及地中海带的活动有关。不同火山区带具有各自的最大喷发等级与相应的复发周期。一条火山弧上活动强度的分布往往是不对称的 ,意味着火山弧在整体上有其动力学的控制机理。火山活动显示了随纬度成带状分布。在 - 10～ 0° ,10 2 0° ,30 4 0°,5 0 6 0°分布有高值带。火山喷发活动还与当地的重力势有关 ,重力势正异常可能与高的正压力有关 ,有利于产生特大喷发。火山活动与大角度的正面俯冲带的弧后火山活动最强 ,当板块运动方向与板块边缘走向成小角度相交时 ,缺少正面俯冲的动力 ,火山活动相对平静。     

Correlation of the Late Cenozoic endogenic events and climatic variations in Central Asia

Trend of climatic changes in geological history of the Earth was determined by gradual decrease in the global surface temperature. Substantial deviations from this trend depended on the prevalent type of volcanism: predominantly explosive volcanism at convergent boundaries between lithospheric plates led to cooling and onset of glacial epochs, while intense intraplate volcanism strengthened greenhouse effect and resulted in global warming. During cold epochs, orogenic processes played an important role in climatic variations. The most frequent and regular climatic variations are controlled by the Earth position in solar orbit (Milankovitch cycles). The Late Cenozoic variations of cold climate were interrelated with orogenic processes caused by collision between the Indian and North Asian lithospheric plates. The first event of considerable cooling in the Northern Hemisphere (2.8–2.5 Ma ago) coincided with a rapid growth of mountains throughout the collision belt. The Tibetan Plateau formed in South Asia. In Central Asia, the large (> 1.5 × 10⁶ km²) Khangai-Altai-Sayan mountain system appeared 3 Ma ago. Total area subjected to orogenic processes in Central and South Asia exceeded 9 × 10⁶ km². The intense intraplate volcanism suggests that sublithospheric mantle was involved into orogenic processes. Alternation of glacial and interglacial climatic epochs during the last 1.8 m.y. is recorded in Central Asia. These climatic variations are compatible with the Milankovitch cycles. As is established, climatic events recognizable in the Baikal sedimentary record are correlative with interglacial and glacial epochs detectable in volcanic lavas of the East Sayan Mountains. There are indications of lava eruptions into ice during the cold periods. It is assumed therefore that all the cooling epochs detectable in the Baikal sedimentary record after 1.8 Ma were associated with development of mountain glaciation that formed glacial sheet up to 3 km thick and 100 000 km² in size. During the Brunhes Chron, there were eight glaciations at least. The endogenic (volcanism and orogeny) and exogenic (glaciation) processes during the last 3 m.y. are shown to be correlative. The intermittent development and degradation of thick ice sheets was responsible for oscillation of lithospheric load on the asthenosphere, and this caused periodical magma generation in marginal parts of volcanic provinces.     

High heat flow anomalies on an old oceanic plate observed seaward of the Japan Trench

Thirty-three new measurements on the seaward slope and outer rise of the Japan Trench along a parallel of 38°45′N revealed the existence of high heat flow anomalies on the subducting Pacific plate, where the seafloor age is about 135 m.y.. The most prominent anomaly with the highest value of 114 mW/m² is associated with a small mound on the outer rise, which was reported to be a kind of mud volcano. On the seaward slope of the trench, heat flow is variable: high (70–90 mW/m²) at some locations and normal for the seafloor age (about 50 mW/m²) at others. The spatial variation of heat flow may be related to development of normal faults and horst/graben structures due to bending of the Pacific plate before subduction, with fluid flow along the fault zones enhancing the vertical heat transfer. Possible heat sources of the high heat flow anomalies are intra-plate volcanism in the last several million years like that discovered recently on the Pacific plate east of the Japan Trench.     

江西东岭剖面P-T界线碳同位素变化与沉积物输入的关系

二叠纪末期发生了显生宙以来规模最大的生物灭绝事件,利用江西修水东岭剖面二叠-三叠系界线的碳同位素、主量元素及微量元素分别研究全球碳循环的变化及其相对应的物源的变化进而分析环境变化与生物灭绝的关系。研究结果表明,东岭剖面二叠-三叠系界线存在阶梯式碳同位素负偏,第一阶段阶梯式负偏幅度为2‰,第二阶段阶梯式负偏幅度为2.5‰,总的负偏幅度高达4.5‰。在阶段阶梯式碳同位素负偏过程,碳酸盐岩中的硅酸盐组分物源由基性火成岩转变为岛弧性质的酸性火成岩。后者可能与我国华南周围岛弧火山喷发有关。这些碳同位素负偏在时间上与物源的转变及火山灰层基本一致,推测其与我国华南岛弧火山及西伯利亚大火成岩省喷发有关。大规模火山作用喷出或诱发出的二氧化碳及甲烷温室气体有可能是造成二叠-三叠系阶梯式碳同位素负偏的主要原因。火山喷发造成的环境恶化如全球变暖、海洋缺氧、海洋酸化、植被破坏形成的大量沉积物输入海洋致使生物生存压力增大,从而造成二叠末期生物的大灭绝。     

Deccan volcanism linked to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary mass extinction: New evidence from ONGC wells in the Krishna-Godavari Basin

A scientific challenge is to assess the role of Deccan volcanism in the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (KTB) mass extinction. Here we report on the stratigraphy and biologic effects of Deccan volcanism in eleven deep wells from the Krishna-Godavari (K-G) Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India. In these wells, two phases of Deccan volcanism record the world’s largest and longest lava mega-flows interbedded in marine sediments in the K-G Basin about 1500 km from the main Deccan volcanic province. The main phase-2 eruptions (∼80% of total Deccan Traps) began in C29r and ended at or near the KTB, an interval that spans planktic foraminiferal zones CF1–CF2 and most of the nannofossil Micula prinsii zone, and is correlative with the rapid global warming and subsequent cooling near the end of the Maastrichtian. The mass extinction began in phase-2 preceding the first of four mega-flows. Planktic foraminifera suffered a 50% drop in species richness. Survivors suffered another 50% drop after the first mega-flow, leaving just 7 to 8 survivor species. No recovery occurred between the next three mega-flows and the mass extinction was complete with the last phase-2 mega-flow at the KTB. The mass extinction was likely the consequence of rapid and massive volcanic CO₂ and SO₂ gas emissions, leading to high continental weathering rates, global warming, cooling, acid rains, ocean acidification and a carbon crisis in the marine environment.