The role of giant drifts as gas hydrate reservoirs on the Argentine contourite depositional system

• Main Authors: Hernández Molina, F. J., Somoza, L., Paterlini, M., Violante, R., Rebesco, M., Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele, Arecco, M. A., de Isasi, M.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Antarctic; Argentine; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/22751/; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.35445

Partially buried giant drifts are located in the southern-most sector of the Argentine continental margin. They are characterised as giant, asymmetrical elongated, mounded contourite drifts, and are described by bathymetric and multichannel seismic reflection data. Based on their position, morphology and internal characteristics, it has been deduced that thees giant-drifts were generated by Antarctic Bottom Deep Water, from the Eocene-Oligocene boundary until the middle Miocene. However, after a major palaeoceanographic change in the mid-to-late Miocene a new oceanographic scenario was established which fossilised these giant drifts. These giant drifts show strong seismic evidence of hydrates and free gas that are ripe for energy resources exploration, thus demonstrating the economic potential of contourite deposits in deep marine environments.