Investigation of microbial influences on seafloor gas-hydrate formations

Microbial communities flourish at gas hydrate occurrences in ocean sediments. Studies are reported in this paper on the laboratory production, separation, characterization and hydrate catalysis of biosurfactants from cultures of the Bacillus subtilis bacterium associated with Gulf of Mexico gas-hydrate accumulations. The B. subtilis bacterium from ATCC 21332 species was cultured anaerobically with glucose as carbon-source to produce surfactin, one of the more potent surface active agents known. The surface-active agent was removed from the broth in foam created by bubbling inert gas through the mixture, and biosurfactant was then recovered from the collapsed-foam distilled water solution by acid precipitation and dichloromethane extraction. According to HPLC spectra, five surfactin isomers were identified in the sample of laboratory-generated biosurfactant. Recovered surfactin was then used to perform gas-hydrate formation studies in porous media saturated with the surfactin-water solution. Gas-hydrate induction time and formation rate determinations showed that the anaerobically-produced biosurfactants catalyzed hydrate formation markedly. The tests suggest prolific surfactin production by the B. subtilis bacterium and of other species under prevailing anaerobic conditions around seafloor gas hydrates that promotes hydrate formation and the propensity of the bioproduct to be dispersed in the porous media by natural gas vents.     

Morphogenesis of the SW Balearic continental slope and adjacent abyssal plain,Western Mediterranean Sea

We present the seafloor morphology and shallow seismic structure of the continental slope south-east of the Balearic promontory and of the adjacent Algero-Balearic abyssal plain from multibeam and chirp sonar data. The main purpose of this research was to identify the sediment pathways from the Balearic promontory to the Algero-Balearic deep basin from the Early Pliocene to the Present. The morphology of the southern Balearic margin is controlled by a SW–NE structural trend, whose main expressions are the Emile Baudot Escarpment transform fault, and a newly discovered WSW–ENE trend that affects the SW end of the escarpment and the abyssal plain. We relate the two structural trends to right-lateral simple shear as a consequence of the Miocene westward migration of the Gibraltar Arc. Newly discovered steep and narrow volcanic ridges were probably enabled to grow by local transtension along the transform margin. Abyssal plain knolls and seahills relate to the subsurface deformation of early stage halokinetic structures such as salt rollers, salt anticlines, and salt pillows. The limited thickness of the overburden and the limited amount of deformation in the deep basin prevent the formation of more mature halokinetic structures such as diapirs, salt walls, bulbs, and salt extrusions. The uppermost sediment cover is affected by a dense pattern of sub-vertical small throw normal faults resulting from extensional stress induced in the overburden by subsurface salt deformation structures. Shallow gas seismic character and the possible presence of an active polygonal fault system suggest upward fluid migration and fluid and sediment expulsion at the seafloor through a probable mud volcano and other piercement structures. One large debris flow deposit, named Formentera Debris Flow, has been identified on the lower slope and rise of the south Formentera margin. Based on current observations, we hypothesize that the landslide originating the Formentera Debris Flow occurred in the Holocene, perhaps in historical times.

五台山新太古代块状硫化物矿床成矿作用研究——海底喷流沉积成因显微构造证据

在五台山金岗库新太古代块状硫化物矿床发现了一些多孔状黄铁矿石标本,经过详细的显微构造鉴别和相关的电子探针分析,发现其中保留的一些特征性显微结构(胶状结构、通道构造、分带构造及淬火构造等)与现代海底硫化物黑烟囱结构构造非常类似,初步得出这些标本为新太古代海底黑烟囱的残片,显示了该矿床黑烟囱模式的海底喷流成因机制。     

现代海底热水活动的系统性研究及其科学意义

现代海底热水活动是当前地球系统科学研究的一个重要组成部分,它是研究海底地质作用体系中的一个关键环节。海底的构造作用、岩浆活动等因素制约了热水循环的发育和活动规律,而热水活动又直接或间接地产生了一些地质效应,如海底的热水喷流成岩成矿效应,此外它还与海底的热能输导与转化、海洋化学组分特征、海洋生命和生命起源等现象有着密切的成因联系。开展现代海底热水活动的系统性研究,应注重将热水循环的内部动力学机制和热水活动所引发的外部环境效应相结合,为此我们把它初步展开为：热水循环的空间组构研究、热量输导作用研究、热水流体的化学成分研究、热水活动与极端生命的关系研究以及热水活动的生命周期研究等5个方面,分别解析其内部特征以及引发的环境效应。最后初步探讨了开展海底热水活动的系统性研究的科学意义。     

Current Status of Scientific Deep-diving Investigations in Submarine Canyons

Submarine canyons represent one of the most important geomorphologic features in continental margins, act as one of the most important conduits of seafloor sediment transporting from shallow waters into the deep sea, and are also biodiversity hotspots. Submarine-canyon investigations are therefore significant for seafloor scientific research, submarine mineral and resource exploitation, and the construction and safety operation of submarine infrastructures. Deep-sea diving by manned submersibles and robot submersibles represented by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) provides an important approach to the investigation of modern submarine canyons. The biggest advantage of manned submersibles is that they can bring scientists to the deep sea for in-place observations and precise sampling, while the robot deep-sea diving has the advantages of low cost, high efficiency, no personnel safety concerns, and the ability to reach the extreme sea areas that are difficult for humans to reach. Deep-sea diving has found broad applications in the geo-scientific research of submarine canyons. These studies cover seafloor topography and geomorphology, seafloor sediments, erosional and depositional bedforms, mass transport processes and flow dynamics, cold springs, cold-water corals and other biological habitats, as well as seafloor biological erosion. The research experience and scientific findings in scientific diving investigation of submarine canyons accumulated by the developed countries in Europe and the United States over the past 70 years are of great reference and significance to the emerging scientific deep-sea diving in China.     

海洋工程地质的回顾与展望

本文通过对海洋工程地质发展的简单回顾阐述了其调查和评价的类别、方法与内容 ,对海底滑坡、砂土液化和原位土工测试等几个问题进行了重点展开 ,并对 2 1世纪的发展作了展望。     

海底电性源频率域CSEM勘探建模及水深影响分析

为了探索我国海域油气和水合物等高阻目标体CSEM勘探的可行性和方法技术,本文研究了在海水中水平电性源激励下有限水深海洋地电模型的频率域电磁响应,为进一步的1D和3D仿真计算奠定了理论基础.在推导电磁响应公式时,首先给出了各层介质的Lorentz势,然后根据Coulomb势与Lorentz势的关系,得到了各层介质的Coulomb势.各层介质中的电磁场均可以由Lorentz势或者Coulomb势计算得到,但在有限元计算时Coulomb势具有优势.长导线源的电磁场和势函数可以由电偶源的电磁场和势函数沿导线长度积分得到.文中具体给出了海水中水平电偶源和长导线源在海水层的电磁场公式,并根据该公式计算了不同水深环境下海底表面的电磁场分布,分析了海水深度对海底油气储层电磁异常的影响.结果表明,随着水深减小,异常幅度和形态特征发生明显变化.当水深很浅时(如50 m),只有同线方向的E_x和E_z两个电场分量存在明显异常.最后,以两个已知海底油田为例,计算了不同水深环境下可观测到的电场异常,展示了电性源频率域CSEM在海底勘探中(包括浅海环境)的良好应用前景.对于该方法实用化过程中还需进一步解决的问题,文中结尾部分也进行了初步探讨.     

The control of Phanerozoic atmosphere and seawater composition by basalt–seawater exchange reactions

We present results from a long term geochemical cycling model, with a focus on the sensitivity of atmospheric carbon dioxide, oxygen, and the major element composition of seawater to seafloor spreading rates. This model incorporates rock weathering, basalt–seawater exchange reactions, and the formation and destruction of chemical sediments and organic matter. Hydrothermal reactions between seafloor and seawater involving calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and carbon are the high temperature counterparts to low temperature redox, weathering, precipitation and diagenetic reactions. A major source of uncertainty is the extent to which these exchange fluxes are controlled by seafloor spreading rate. In addition, the return fluxes of these components to the atmospheric and primary silicate reservoirs reflect not only the overall rates of subduction and metamorphism, but the distribution of the overlying sedimentary burden and authigenic minerals formed during basalt alteration as well. In particular, we show how the stoichiometry of exchange fluxes (Mg/Ca and SO₄/Ca) may buffer atmospheric CO₂ and O₂ concentrations.     

Asphalt mounds and associated biota on the Angolan margin

Release of hydrocarbons from sediments is important in increasing habitat heterogeneity on deep ocean margins. Heterogeneity arises from variation in abiotic and biotic conditions, including changes in substratum, geochemistry, fluid flow, biological communities and ecological interactions. The seepage of heavy hydrocarbons to the seafloor is less well studied than most other cold seep systems and may lead to the formation of asphalt mounds. These have been described from several regions, particularly the Gulf of Mexico. Here, we describe the structure, potential formation and biology of a large asphalt mound province in Block 31SE Angola. A total of 2254 distinct mound features was identified by side-scan sonar, covering a total area of 3.7 km² of seafloor. The asphalt mounds took a number of forms from small (<0.5 m diameter; 13% observations) mounds to large extensive (<50 m diameter) structures. Some of the observed mounds were associated with authigenic carbonate and active seepage (living chemosynthetic fauna present in addition to the asphalt). The asphalt mounds are seabed accumulations of heavy hydrocarbons formed from subsurface migration and fractionation of reservoir hydrocarbons primarily through a network of faults. In Angola these processes are controlled by subsurface movement of salt structures. The asphalt mounds were typically densely covered with epifauna (74.5% of mounds imaged had visible epifauna) although individual mounds varied considerably in epifaunal coverage. Of the 49 non-chemosynthetic megafaunal taxa observed, 19 taxa were only found on hard substrata (including asphalt mounds), 2 fish species inhabited the asphalt mounds preferentially and 27 taxa were apparently normal soft-sediment fauna. Antipatharians (3.6±2.3% s.e.) and poriferans (2.6±1.9% s.e.) accounted for the highest mean percentage of the observed cover, with actinarians (0.9±0.4% s.e.) and alcyonaceans (0.4±0.2% s.e.) covering smaller proportions of the area. Asphalt mounds represent a common and important habitat on several margin systems globally and should be recognised in future environmental assessment and management of these areas.