Cold seep formation from salt diapir–controlled deep biosphere oases

Author:

Chowdhury Anirban1,Ventura Gregory T.1,Owino Yaisa1,Lalk Ellen J.2,MacAdam Natasha3,Dooma John M.1,Ono Shuhei2ORCID,Fowler Martin4,MacDonald Adam3,Bennett Robbie5,MacRae R. Andrew1ORCID,Hubert Casey R. J.6ORCID,Bentley Jeremy N.1,Kerr Mitchell J.1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada

2. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139

3. Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Halifax, NS B3J 3J9, Canada

4. Applied Petroleum Technology (Canada) Ltd., Calgary, AB T3A 2M3, Canada

5. Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada

6. Geomicrobiology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada

Abstract

Deep sea cold seeps are sites where hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich fluids vent from the ocean floor. They are an important component of Earth’s carbon cycle in which subsurface hydrocarbons form the energy source for highly diverse benthic micro- and macro-fauna in what is otherwise vast and spartan sea scape. Passive continental margin cold seeps are typically attributed to the migration of hydrocarbons generated from deeply buried source rocks. Many of these seeps occur over salt tectonic provinces, where the movement of salt generates complex fault systems that can enable fluid migration or create seals and traps associated with reservoir formation. The elevated advective heat transport of the salt also produces a chimney effect directly over these structures. Here, we provide geophysical and geochemical evidence that the salt chimney effect in conjunction with diapiric faulting drives a subsurface groundwater circulation system that brings dissolved inorganic carbon, nutrient-rich deep basinal fluids, and potentially overlying seawater onto the crests of deeply buried salt diapirs. The mobilized fluids fuel methanogenic archaea locally enhancing the deep biosphere. The resulting elevated biogenic methane production, alongside the upward heat-driven fluid transport, represents a previously unrecognized mechanism of cold seep formation and regulation.

Funder

Canadian Government | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Research Nova Scotia

Publisher

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Cited by 2 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. Diapiric controls on deep-biosphere oases: Take with a grain of salt;Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences;2024-09-03

2. Reply to Jautzy et al.: Considerations on methane equilibrium—do not forget to add the pepper;Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences;2024-09-03

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