IODP 311航次--Cascadia边缘天然气水合物

IODP 311航次钻探天然气水合物的目的是ODP天然气水合物项目计划组提出的,它们是：●研究海洋沉积物中天然气水合物的形成;●确定天然气水合物的性质、规模、发育机制以及全球分布的储量;●调查天然气水合物从生成到储藏的运移机制和通道;     

海洋天然气水合物的地球物理勘探技术

天然气水合物将成为21世纪的替代能源，地球物理方法是勘探天然气水合物的重要手段。本文比较全面地分析和总结了天然气水合物的各种地球物理识别技术以及地震资料的特殊处理和分析方法，详细地介绍了水平地震剖面、垂直地震剖面、测井以及旁侧声纳剖面上天然气水合物的表现和识别方法。特别地，针对海洋地震资料的特点以及天然气水合物在地震剖面上的识别标志BSR、振幅空白带等特征，文章引入了真振幅处理、子波处理以及多项式拟合等处理方法来提高天然气水合物识别标志在地震剖面上的显示效果。最后，为了全面了解海底天然气水合物的分布 以及微细结构，文章介绍了AVO分析、全波形反演速率分析、叠加速度分析和走时反演等正、反演技术。     

韩国东海Ulleung盆地天然气水合物地震识别标志

2005年KIGAM利用1035in。的气枪和240道电缆在Ulleung盆地采集了共6600mile的二维地震数据。Ulleung盆地中央深2100m,包含有重力流成因（褶滑断层／滑塌构造、碎屑流和浊积岩）的晚第三纪和第四纪的大部分沉积物。通过分析地震剖面,可以识别BSR、声波空白带、柱状构造、气苗、增强反射。     

南海东北部陆坡天然气水合物区的滑塌和泥火山活动

本文研究了南海东北部陆坡天然气水合物区滑塌和泥火山活动的特征及表现形式,探讨了滑塌和泥火山活动对天然气水合物成藏的影响,提出了滑塌主导和滑塌、泥火山共同作用两种控制模式。根据地震数据、浅层剖面和海底地形数据解释,将研究区划分为规则滑塌区和泥火山活动影响区,并识别出泥火山、泥火山脊、凹槽、凹坑等特征地形。滑塌和泥火山活动是陆坡天然气水合物发育区重要的地形控制因素,两种活动共同作用产生复杂的地形特征。综合多条地震测线中似海底反射层(BSR)形态、连续性和滑塌、泥火山活动的关系,认为滑塌控制的区域,BSR连续,天然气水合物储藏较完整,泥火山活动区天然气水合物储藏也仅受到局部破坏。同时指出滑塌和泥火山活动对研究区长期天然气渗漏活动具有重要作用。     

天然气水合物对全球气候变化、海平面旋回性的影响

天然气水合物作为21世纪的重要能源地位已受到广泛认可和关注,然而作为一个重要的气候致变因子,其赋存状况及其行为规律对全球气候和海平面的影响仍不容忽视。作者从甲烷的温室效应出发,提出了天然气水合物的生成和分解与全球气候的冷暖变化、海平面的升降变化这两个旋回之间相互依存的猜想。     

韩国天然气水合物勘探行动

韩国的天然气水合物研究始于1996年。最初的研究工作只是集中在实验分析和基本信息收集。初期的近海地震勘测之后,在2000—2004年间,韩国地球科学和矿产资源研究院（KIGAM）使用大河2号考察船在日本海的郁龙（Ulleung）盆地进行了区域性地球物理和海洋地质调查,为确定日本海的天然气水合物储量提供了地质和地球化学的信息。     

南海东北部陆坡与恒春海脊天然气水合物分布的地震反射对比

经过对"探宝号"调查船在2001年8月在南海东北部陆坡及台湾南部恒春海脊海域采集的多道地震剖面资料进行的地震反射波数据分析、研究和解释,结果表明:(1)南海东北部陆坡段区域和台湾南部恒春海脊海域地震剖面上均显示有被作为天然气水合物存在标志的BSR,但两区域构造成因、形式和相关地质环境的不同造成了此两处的天然气水合物成因及过程的不同.(2)南海东北部陆坡区域的水合物形成与该区广泛发育的断裂带、滑塌构造体及其所形成的压力场屏蔽环境有关,而台湾南部恒春海脊海域的天然气水合物的形成则与马尼拉海沟俯冲带相关的逆冲推覆构造、增生楔等及其所对应的海底流体疏导体系有关.(3)南海陆缘区域广泛发育有各种断裂带、滑塌构造体、泥底辟、俯冲带、增生楔等,且温压环境合适,是天然气水合物矿藏极有可能广泛分布的区域.     

美国东南部大陆边缘的天然气水合物利用宽角地震资料进行全波形约束和走时反演

利用BSR已完成美国东南边缘大约50000km2的地区编图，并已证实可能与大量天然气水合物有关。1992年6月，同时获得该地区的单道地震和宽角海底地震资料，主要集中在布莱克洋脊和卡罗来纳海隆，能清楚地观察到来自BSR的宽角反射偏移距（达6km）。为了了解区域性的变化和生成卡罗纳海隆高背景速度的二维平均速度模型，用宽角和垂直入射资料进行走时反演，然后做全波形反演业确定BSR的地震成因。最合适的模型显示了两处的BSR之下具相似的低速（1.4km/s），暗示圈闭了低饱和度（10％）的游离气，反演结果也显示有一薄层高速楱状体，最大速度为2.3km/s，刚好位于布莱克洋脊的BSR上方；计算了沉积物反射率，观察到卡罗来纳海隆具有较高的反射率，BSR之下的反射率增加几乎与两个站位的含气带对应。根据速度模型估算了水合物的浓度。另一方面，占沉积物总体积3%的水合物之平均浓度暗示布莱克洋脊地区水合物稳定带厚度少一半。卡罗来纳海隆水合物平均 浓度最大为20%，卡罗来纳海隆7%。这两处水合物浓度高，无法仅用原地生物活动来解释，可能与次生的聚集机制不关，因稳定域迁移引起水合物循环，可能影响两地的水合物凝聚。另外，流体向上排出的增加，也可以使 布莱克洋脊生存下去。     

Studies of Sedimentary Matter Fluxes along a Long-Term Transoceanic Transect in the North Atlantic and Arctic Interaction Area

Oceanology - New data are presented on sedimentary matter fluxes and its main components along a meridional transect (59°30′ N) in the North Atlantic under the effect of multidirectional...     

Combining 2D-basin and structural modelling to constrain heat transport along the Muroto Transect,Nankai Trough,Japan

The Nankai Trough located southeast of Shikoku Island, Japan, exhibits a zone of exceptionally high heat flow. In the central part of the Nankai Trough the fossil spreading centre of the Shikoku Basin is subducted beneath the southwest Japan arc. We have modelled the temperature and maturation history along the Muroto Transect reaching from the tip of the thrust zone out into nearly undeformed Quaternary and Tertiary sediments seawards of Nankai Trough. We used two balanced cross-sections defining the sections before and after overthrusting as input for 2D-basin modelling. We can show that rapid burial and overthrusting during the Quaternary in combination with a heat flow history following the cooling curve of a 15 Ma old oceanic plate is not sufficient to explain the measured maturity of organic material in the sediments. Several heat flow scenarios derived from theoretical concepts [Yamano, M., Kinoshita, M., Goto, S., Matsubayashi, O., 2003. Extremely high heat flow anomaly in the middle part of the Nankai Trough. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 28, 487–497.] and previous modelling approaches [e.g. Brown, K.M., Saffer, D.M., Bekins, B.A., 2001. Smectite diagenesis, pore water freshening, and fluid flow at the toe of the Nankai wedge. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 194, 97–109; Spinelli, G.A., Underwood, M.B., 2005. Modeling thermal history of subducting crust in Nankai Trough: constraints from in situ sediment temperature and diagenetic reaction progress. Geophysical Research Letters 32(L09301): doi:10.1029/2005GL022793; Steurer, J., Underwood, M.B., 2003. Clay mineralogy of mudstones from the Nankai Trough reference sites 1173 and 1177 and frontal accretionary prism site 1174. In: H. Mikada et al. (Eds.), pp. 1–37. Available from: <http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/190196SR/VOLUME/CHAPTERS/211.PDF>] were tested. The best match between observed maturity levels, temperature and heat flow measurements is reached for a heat flow history which initially assumes the cooling of a 15 Ma old oceanic lithosphere but is reheated to 170–180 mW/m² during the phase of rapid burial in the Quaternary. This can be achieved either by assuming the onset of hydrothermal circulation in the cooling crust or by reheating caused by off-axis volcanism at about 6 Ma [Yamano, M., Kinoshita, M., Goto, S., Matsubayashi, O., 2003. Extremely high heat flow anomaly in the middle part of the Nankai Trough. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 28, 487–497.].     

Slumping and shallow faulting related to the presence of salt on the Continental Slope and Rise off North Carolina

Seismic reflection profiles and long- and medium-range sidescan sonar were used to investigate a salt diapir complex and area of slope instability near the base of the Continental Slope off North Carolina. Within the area of investigation three diapirs are bounded on their upslope side by a scarp 60 m high and 50 km long. The slope above the scarp is characterized by a series of shallow rotational normal faults. The bottom below the scarp is furrowed by slide tracks, which were probably carved by large blocks that broke off the scarp face and slid downslope leaving rubble and scree lobes.Extensive slumping in this area appears to be a result of uplift and faulting associated with salt intrusion, which has fractured and oversteepened the slope leading to instability and failure. Sharply defined slide tracks suggest that slope failure above the breached diapir complex is a continuing process, in contrast to much of the surrounding slope area where few instability features were observed.     

澳大利亚北波拿巴盆地北部地区中生界层序地层及地震相研究

利用层序地层学理论,对北波拿巴盆地北部地区中生界的层序地层特征进行了研究,可以分为4个二级层序和9个三级层序。从内部反射结构和外部几何形态出发,再辅以振幅、连续性等参数,在研究区的中生界地震反射剖面上可见多种地震相类型,其中亚平行波状地震相、丘状地震相、发散充填相、前积地震相等最为发育。地震相的分布和演化受沉积体系演化的控制,在测井和钻井资料约束下的地震相解释能够重现北波拿巴盆地北部地区沉积体系的演化。     

Crustal Structure of the High Magnetic Anomaly Belt, Western Taiwan, and its Implications for Continental Margin Deformation

A joint analysis of gravity anomaly and seismic travel-time data has been used to construct a three-dimensional velocity structure for the northeastern extension of the northern South China Sea’s high-magnetic belt in the Taiwan region. The earthquake data used in this study was collected by the Central Weather Bureau Seismological Network from 1991 to 2002, while the gravity data around Taiwan was compiled by Hsu et al. (1998), Terr. Atmos. Oceanic. Sci., 9, 509–532, and Wang et al. (2002), >Terr. Atmos. Oceanic. Sc., 13, 339–354. A modified velocity model obtained by local earthquake tomography was used to construct an initial three-dimensional gravity model, using a linear velocity–density relationship. To derive a crustal velocity–density model that accounts for both types of observations, this study performed a sequential inversion of travel-time and gravity data. The main features of our three-dimensional velocity model are:(1) an uplifted zone with velocity greater than 6.5 km/s being observed in the lower crust, (2) the width and the shape of the uplifted zone being found to be strongly correlated with the high-magnetic belt, (3) a trend by which the lower crustal high-velocity zone turns from northeast to north in central Taiwan, where the high-magnetic zone was truncated. A combination of seismic, gravity, and structural interpretations suggests that the crustal deformation relating to the magnetic truncation observed in northwestern Taiwan could be correlated closely with the collision between the Philippine Sea plate and the Asian continental margin.     

Deep Crustal Structure of the Continental Margin off the Explora Escarpment and in the Lazarev Sea, East Antarctica

This study presents the results of a seismic refraction experiment that was carried out off Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica) along the Explora Escarpment (14° W–12° W) and close to Astrid Ridge (6°E). Oceanic crust of about 10 km thickness is observed northwest of the Explora Escarpment. Stretched continental crust, observed southeast of the escarpment, is most likely intruded by volcanic material at all crustal levels. Seismic velocities of 7.0–7.4 km/s are modelled for the lower crust. The northern boundary of this high velocity body coincides approximately with the Explora Escarpment. The upper crystalline crust is overlain by a 4-km thick and 70-km wide wedge of volcanic material: the Explora Wedge. Seismic velocities for the oceanic crust north of the Explora Escarpment are in good agreement with global studies. The oceanic crust in the region of the Lazarev Sea is also up to 10-km thick. The lower crystalline crust shows seismic velocities of up to 7.4 km/s. This, together with the larger crustal thickness might point to higher mantle temperatures during the formation of the oceanic crust. The more southerly rifted continental crust is up to 25-km thick, and also has seismic velocities of 7.4 km/s in the lower crystalline crust. This section is interpreted to consist of stretched continental crust, which is heavily intruded by volcanic material up to approximately 8-km depth. Multichannel seismic data indicate that, in this region, two volcanic wedges are present. The wedges are interpreted to have evolved during different time/rift periods. The wedges have a total width of at least 180 km in the Lazarev Sea. Our results support previous findings that the continental margin off Dronning Maud Land between ≈2°E and ≈13°E had a complex and long-lived rift history. Both continental margins can be classified as rifted volcanic continental margins that were formed during break-up of Gondwana.     

Temporal variability in phytoplankton pigments,picoplankton and coccolithophores along a transect through the North Atlantic and tropical southwestern Pacific

Biogeochemical processes in the sea are triggered in various ways by chlorophyll-containing phytoplankton groups. While the variability of chlorophyll concentration at sea has been observed from satellites for several years, these groups are known only from cruises which are limited in space and time. The Geochemistry, Phytoplankton and Color of the Ocean programme (GeP&CO) was set up to describe and understand the variability of phytoplankton composition on large spatial scales under a multi-year sampling strategy. It was based on sea-surface sampling along the route of the merchant ship Contship London which travelled four times a year from Le Havre (France) to Nouméa (New Caledonia) via New York, Panama and Auckland. Observations included the measurement of photosynthetic pigments, counts of picoplanktonic cells by flow cytometry (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeucaryotes) and counting and identification of coccolithophores. The results confirmed that tropical areas have low seasonal variability and are characterized by relatively high divinyl-chlorophyll a and zeaxanthin concentration and that the variability is strongest at high latitudes where the phytoplankton biomass and population structure are found to have large seasonal cycles. Thus, the spring bloom in the North Atlantic and an austral winter bloom north of New Zealand are marked by chlorophyll concentrations which are often higher than 0.5 μg l⁻¹ and by high concentration of fucoxanthin (a pigment used as an indicator for diatoms), while summer populations are dominated by Prochlorococcus sp. and have low chlorophyll concentrations. Apart from this yearly bloom at temperate latitudes, fucoxanthin is scarce, except in the equatorial upwelling zone in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where it is found in moderate amounts. In this region, relatively high chlorophyll concentrations extend generally as far as 14°S and do not respond to the seasonal strengthening of the equatorial upwelling during the austral winter. Prochlorococcus, which is known to dominate in oligotrophic tropical seas and to disappear in cold conditions, in fact has its minimum during the spring bloom in the North Atlantic, rather than during the winter. Coccolithophores are ubiquitous, showing a succession of species in response to oceanic conditions and provinces. 19′Hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, the pigment generally considered as an indicator of coccolithophores, is relatively abundant at all times and in all regions, but its abundance is generally not tightly correlated with that of coccolithophores. The regional differences revealed by these results are in overall agreement with Longhurst's division of the ocean into ecological provinces.     

Late Pliocene Mega Debris Flow Deposit and Related Fluid Escapes Identified on the Antarctic Peninsula Continental Margin by Seismic Reflection Data Analysis

We have obtained improved images of a debris flow deposit through the reprocessing of multichannel seismic reflection data between Drifts 6 and 7 of the continental rise of the Pacific margin of the Antarctic Peninsula. The reprocessing, primarily aimed at the reduction of noise, relative to amplitude preservation, deconvolution, also included accurate velocity analyses. The deposit is dated as upper Pliocene (nearly 3.0 Ma) via correlation to Sites 1095 and 1096 of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 178. The estimated volume is about 1800 km³ and the inferred provenance from the continental slope implies a run out distance exceeding 250 km. The dramatic mass-wasting event that produced this deposit, unique in the sedimentary history of this margin, is related to widespread late Pliocene margin erosion. This was associated with a catastrophic continental margin collapse, following the Antarctic ice sheet expansion in response to global cooling. The seismic data analysis also allowed us to identify diffractions and amplitude anomalies interpreted as expressions of sedimentary mounds at the seafloor overlying narrow high-velocity zones that we interpret as conduits of fluid expulsion hosting either methane hydrates or authigenic carbonates. Fluid expulsion was triggered by loading of underlying sediments by the debris flow deposits and may have continued until today by input of fluids from sediment compaction following the deep diagenesis of biogenic silica.     

Seismic stratigraphy and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Lower Cretaceous Knurr Sandstone lobes along the southern margin of Loppa High,Hammerfest Basin,Barents Sea

The Lower Cretaceous Knurr Sandstone deposited along the southern slope of Loppa High and overlain by the Kolje and Kolmule seals forms an attractive play in the Hammerfest Basin of the Barents Sea. Late Jurassic organic-rich Hekkingen shale directly underlies the Knurr Sandstone and acts as a source to provide effective charge. Three wells, 7120/2-2, 7122/2-1 and 7120/1-2, have proven the Knurr-Kolje play in structural traps, with an oil discovery in 7120/1-2. Prospectivity related to stratigraphic traps is, however, highly under-explored.In order to document and map the reservoir distribution and stratigraphic-trap fairway, the Lower Cretaceous sedimentary package containing the Knurr Sandstone is divided into a number of depositional sequences and systems tracts using key regional seismic profiles calibrated with logs. Mapping of the key surfaces bounding the Knurr sandstone has been carried out using all the seismic vintages available from Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).The thick massive nature of the sandstone (123 m in well 7122/2-1), sedimentary features characteristic of gravity flow deposits, high-resolution internal seismic reflections and stratal geometries (truncations and lapout patterns), and sequence stratigraphic position of the Knurr Sandstone on seismic profiles confirm that the lobes identified on the seismic section are gravity driven base of the slope lobes. These Knurr lobes and slope aprons were formed as a result of uplift of the Loppa paleo-high in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous times which caused subaerial exposure and incision. The characteristic mounded, lobate geometry evident on the seismic can be mapped along the toe-of-slope and records multiple stacked lobes fed by multiple feeder canyons. Lateral partitioning and separation of the lobes along the toe-of-slope could potentially create stratigraphic traps. The existing 2D seismic coverage is, however, not sufficient to capture lateral stratigraphic heterogeneity to identify stratigraphic traps. 3D seismic coverage with optimum acquisition parameters (high spatial and vertical resolution, appropriate seismic frequency and fold, long offsets and original amplitudes preserved) can allow for the reconstruction of 3D geomorphologic elements to de-risk potential stratigraphic traps prior to exploratory drilling.