Mineralized Microbiota: A Possible Indicator of Hydrocarbon Flows in the Rift Zone of Iceland

Relationships of mineralized microbiota with the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in hydrothermal systems are considered. It has been established that the mineralized microbiota can serve as an indicator of hydrothermal hydrocarbon flows in present-day and ancient deposits.     

Hydrocarbons in the Bay of Bengal and Central Indian Basin bottom sediments: indicators of geochemical processes in the lithosphere

A study on the bulk distributions and molecular structures of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in organic matter of the sediments from the Bay of Bengal and the Eastern and Central Indian Basins was undertaken. The former two regions represent areas characterised by “normal” sedimentation while the third one mainly represents a region of “active tectonism”. Content of the hydrocarbons in the sediments of “normal” sedimentation ranges between 4.6 and 10.5 μg/g and aromatic hydrocarbons ranges between 0 and 0.38 μg/g. n-Alkanes in the sediments of the northern deep part of the Bay of Bengal consist mostly of long-chain structures (total C₂₅–C₃₃ up to 70%) with a high carbon preference index (CPI=3.01–3.43), indicating a large contribution of organic matter from terrigenous sources. The sediments from the Eastern Indian Basin have n-alkane distributions in which the long-chain components did not exceed 52.5% and the CPI was 1.7–1.90, indicating that the hydrocarbons are mostly derived from marine sources. Sharp increases of hydrocarbons are found in the vicinity of the tectonically active region of the Central Indian Basin, particularly in the sediments collected from the fracture zone. The total concentration of hydrocarbons increase to 170 μg/g and the aromatic hydrocarbons fraction to 156.3 μg/g. The proportion of short-chain n-alkanes increases up to 70%, CPI decreases to 0.76–1.12, and high concentrations of n-C₁₆ (16–40%) occur, all of which are absent in the other samples. The molecular content of PAH includes the unsubstituted individual structures: biphenyl, fluorene, pyrene, perylene, benzo(ghi)perylene, and the groups of homologues of naphthalene, benzofluorene, phenanthrene and chrysene. The association of the PAH and composition of paraffin hydrocarbons in the surficial sediments of deformation zone indicate that these are the resultant products of hydrothermal processes. It is, therefore, suggested that the association and composition of the hydrocarbons in sediments can be utilised as a paleoceanographic parameter to decipher the history of tectonism of an area.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as evidence of hydrocarbon migration in marine and lagoon sediments of a recent rift zone (Skjálfandi and Öxarfjörður), Iceland

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content and distribution was studied in the northern part of modern rift zone. All samples analysed represent slightly altered clastic deposits and hot water discharging in springs and from wells. To study PAH in present-day gas emission traps with diatomite absorbent were installed in the Skógalón geothermal field. All samples were analysed by the method of Shpol'sky spectroscopy. Hydrothermally altered deposits show the highest amount of PAH. Data obtained allow to believe that the distribution of PAH is closely associated with the dynamics of the hydrothermal environment. The fissure formation and temperature fluctuation in hydrothermal systems can govern both the processes of PAH synthesis and sorption. The evidences of PAH migration up through the Skjálfandi and Öxarfjörður sedimentary basins show that hydrocarbons associate mainly with hydrothermal minerals and deep ground waters. Studying PAH associations can be used as an indicator of hydrocarbons distribution, ways of migration and possible zones of accumulation in the land and marine sedimentary basins in active and ancient rift zones of Iceland.     

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Holocene Sediments and Tephra of Iceland (Composition and Distribution Features)

This work considers results of the study of Holocene cover sediments of Iceland largely composed of wind-transported palagonitized hyaloclastite particles and coeval horizons of acid and basic tephra. It is established that polyciclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are released from the basaltic glass in natural environments only in the case of intense physicochemical alteration and destruction of its structure. This process does not influence the composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their quantitative proportions. No new polyclic aromatic hydrocarbons formed during several thousands of years of the Holocene section accumulation. Hydrocarbons are transferred from fixed the state in basaltic glass into the free state in palagonites practically without any changes. Polyciclic aromatic hydrocarbons were mainly redeposited by winds, derived together with palagonite from weathered hyaloclastites, and precipitated from atmosphere with tephra during eruptions.