Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction
Large amounts of gas hydrate are present in marine sediments offshore Taitao Peninsula, near the Chile Triple Junction. Here, marine sediments on the forearc contain carbon that is converted to methane in a regime of very high heat flow and intense rock deformation above the downgoing oceanic spread...
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ftarchimer:oai:archimer.ifremer.fr:58678 2023-05-15T13:50:50+02:00 Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction Villar-muñoz, Lucía Vargas-cordero, Iván Bento, Joaquim Tinivella, Umberta Fernandoy, Francisco Giustiniani, Michela Behrmann, Jan Calderón-díaz, Sergio 2019-01 application/pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/61173.pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/ eng eng MDPI AG https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/61173.pdf doi:10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use Geosciences (2076-3263) (MDPI AG), 2019-01 , Vol. 9 , N. 1 , P. 28 (15p.) BSR gas hydrate methane seepage active margin Chile Triple Junction text Publication info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2019 ftarchimer https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010028 2021-09-23T20:31:56Z Large amounts of gas hydrate are present in marine sediments offshore Taitao Peninsula, near the Chile Triple Junction. Here, marine sediments on the forearc contain carbon that is converted to methane in a regime of very high heat flow and intense rock deformation above the downgoing oceanic spreading ridge separating the Nazca and Antarctic plates. This regime enables vigorous fluid migration. Here, we present an analysis of the spatial distribution, concentration, estimate of gas-phases (gas hydrate and free gas) and geothermal gradients in the accretionary prism, and forearc sediments offshore Taitao (45.5°–47° S). Velocity analysis of Seismic Profile RC2901-751 indicates gas hydrate concentration values <10% of the total rock volume and extremely high geothermal gradients (<190 °C·km−1). Gas hydrates are located in shallow sediments (90–280 m below the seafloor). The large amount of hydrate and free gas estimated (7.21 × 1011 m3 and 4.1 × 1010 m3; respectively), the high seismicity, the mechanically unstable nature of the sediments, and the anomalous conditions of the geothermal gradient set the stage for potentially massive releases of methane to the ocean, mainly through hydrate dissociation and/or migration directly to the seabed through faults. We conclude that the Chile Triple Junction is an important methane seepage area and should be the focus of novel geological, oceanographic, and ecological research. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) Antarctic Geosciences 9 1 28 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) |
op_collection_id |
ftarchimer |
language |
English |
topic |
BSR gas hydrate methane seepage active margin Chile Triple Junction |
spellingShingle |
BSR gas hydrate methane seepage active margin Chile Triple Junction Villar-muñoz, Lucía Vargas-cordero, Iván Bento, Joaquim Tinivella, Umberta Fernandoy, Francisco Giustiniani, Michela Behrmann, Jan Calderón-díaz, Sergio Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
topic_facet |
BSR gas hydrate methane seepage active margin Chile Triple Junction |
description |
Large amounts of gas hydrate are present in marine sediments offshore Taitao Peninsula, near the Chile Triple Junction. Here, marine sediments on the forearc contain carbon that is converted to methane in a regime of very high heat flow and intense rock deformation above the downgoing oceanic spreading ridge separating the Nazca and Antarctic plates. This regime enables vigorous fluid migration. Here, we present an analysis of the spatial distribution, concentration, estimate of gas-phases (gas hydrate and free gas) and geothermal gradients in the accretionary prism, and forearc sediments offshore Taitao (45.5°–47° S). Velocity analysis of Seismic Profile RC2901-751 indicates gas hydrate concentration values <10% of the total rock volume and extremely high geothermal gradients (<190 °C·km−1). Gas hydrates are located in shallow sediments (90–280 m below the seafloor). The large amount of hydrate and free gas estimated (7.21 × 1011 m3 and 4.1 × 1010 m3; respectively), the high seismicity, the mechanically unstable nature of the sediments, and the anomalous conditions of the geothermal gradient set the stage for potentially massive releases of methane to the ocean, mainly through hydrate dissociation and/or migration directly to the seabed through faults. We conclude that the Chile Triple Junction is an important methane seepage area and should be the focus of novel geological, oceanographic, and ecological research. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Villar-muñoz, Lucía Vargas-cordero, Iván Bento, Joaquim Tinivella, Umberta Fernandoy, Francisco Giustiniani, Michela Behrmann, Jan Calderón-díaz, Sergio |
author_facet |
Villar-muñoz, Lucía Vargas-cordero, Iván Bento, Joaquim Tinivella, Umberta Fernandoy, Francisco Giustiniani, Michela Behrmann, Jan Calderón-díaz, Sergio |
author_sort |
Villar-muñoz, Lucía |
title |
Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_short |
Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_full |
Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_fullStr |
Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_full_unstemmed |
Gas Hydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_sort |
gas hydrate estimate in an area of deformation and high heat flow at the chile triple junction |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/61173.pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/ |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
Geosciences (2076-3263) (MDPI AG), 2019-01 , Vol. 9 , N. 1 , P. 28 (15p.) |
op_relation |
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/61173.pdf doi:10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00475/58678/ |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010028 |
container_title |
Geosciences |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
28 |
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1766254167530143744 |