Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation
The anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with sulfate reduction (AOM-SR) is a major microbially-mediated methane consuming process in marine sediments including methane seeps. The AOM-SR can lead to the formation of methane-derived authigenic carbonates which entrap sulfide minerals (pyrite) and c...
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ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:100382 2023-05-15T15:39:06+02:00 Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation Crémière, Antoine Pellerin, André Wing, Boswell A. Lepland, Aivo 2020-02-15 application/msword https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100382/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100382/2/1-s2.0-S0012821X19306855-mmc1.docx https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191219-112735657 en eng Elsevier https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100382/2/1-s2.0-S0012821X19306855-mmc1.docx Crémière, Antoine and Pellerin, André and Wing, Boswell A. and Lepland, Aivo (2020) Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 532 . Art. No. 115994. ISSN 0012-821X. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115994. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191219-112735657 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191219-112735657> other Article PeerReviewed 2020 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115994 2021-11-18T18:53:13Z The anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with sulfate reduction (AOM-SR) is a major microbially-mediated methane consuming process in marine sediments including methane seeps. The AOM-SR can lead to the formation of methane-derived authigenic carbonates which entrap sulfide minerals (pyrite) and carbonate-associated sulfate (CAS). We studied the sulfur isotope compositions of the pyrite and CAS in seafloor methane-derived authigenic carbonate crust samples from the North Sea and Barents Sea which reflect the time-integrated metabolic activity of the AOM-SR community as well as the physical conditions under which those carbonates are formed. In these samples, pyrite exhibits δ³⁴S values ranging from -23.4‰ to 14.8‰ and Δ³³S values between −0.06‰ and 0.16‰, whereas CAS is characterized by δ³⁴S values ranging from 26.2‰ to 61.6‰ and Δ³³S mostly between −0.05‰ and 0.07‰. Such CAS sulfur isotope compositions are distinctly lower in δ³⁴S-Δ³³ space from published porewater sulfate values from environments where the reduction of sulfate is mostly coupled to sedimentary organic matter oxidation. Mass-balance modelling suggests that (1) AOM-SR appears to cause rapid carbonate precipitation under high methane flux near or at the sediment-water interface and (2) that the precipitation of pyrite and carbonates are not necessarily synchronous. The sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite is interpreted to reflect more variable precipitating conditions of evolving sulfide with porewater connectivity, fluctuating methane fluxes and oxidative sulfur cycle. Taken together, the multiple isotopic compositions of pyrite and sulfate in methane-derived authigenic carbonates indicate protracted precipitation under conditions of non-steady state methane seepage activity. Article in Journal/Newspaper Barents Sea Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) Barents Sea Earth and Planetary Science Letters 532 115994 |
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Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
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English |
description |
The anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with sulfate reduction (AOM-SR) is a major microbially-mediated methane consuming process in marine sediments including methane seeps. The AOM-SR can lead to the formation of methane-derived authigenic carbonates which entrap sulfide minerals (pyrite) and carbonate-associated sulfate (CAS). We studied the sulfur isotope compositions of the pyrite and CAS in seafloor methane-derived authigenic carbonate crust samples from the North Sea and Barents Sea which reflect the time-integrated metabolic activity of the AOM-SR community as well as the physical conditions under which those carbonates are formed. In these samples, pyrite exhibits δ³⁴S values ranging from -23.4‰ to 14.8‰ and Δ³³S values between −0.06‰ and 0.16‰, whereas CAS is characterized by δ³⁴S values ranging from 26.2‰ to 61.6‰ and Δ³³S mostly between −0.05‰ and 0.07‰. Such CAS sulfur isotope compositions are distinctly lower in δ³⁴S-Δ³³ space from published porewater sulfate values from environments where the reduction of sulfate is mostly coupled to sedimentary organic matter oxidation. Mass-balance modelling suggests that (1) AOM-SR appears to cause rapid carbonate precipitation under high methane flux near or at the sediment-water interface and (2) that the precipitation of pyrite and carbonates are not necessarily synchronous. The sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite is interpreted to reflect more variable precipitating conditions of evolving sulfide with porewater connectivity, fluctuating methane fluxes and oxidative sulfur cycle. Taken together, the multiple isotopic compositions of pyrite and sulfate in methane-derived authigenic carbonates indicate protracted precipitation under conditions of non-steady state methane seepage activity. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Crémière, Antoine Pellerin, André Wing, Boswell A. Lepland, Aivo |
spellingShingle |
Crémière, Antoine Pellerin, André Wing, Boswell A. Lepland, Aivo Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation |
author_facet |
Crémière, Antoine Pellerin, André Wing, Boswell A. Lepland, Aivo |
author_sort |
Crémière, Antoine |
title |
Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation |
title_short |
Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation |
title_full |
Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation |
title_fullStr |
Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation |
title_sort |
multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100382/ https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100382/2/1-s2.0-S0012821X19306855-mmc1.docx https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191219-112735657 |
geographic |
Barents Sea |
geographic_facet |
Barents Sea |
genre |
Barents Sea |
genre_facet |
Barents Sea |
op_relation |
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/100382/2/1-s2.0-S0012821X19306855-mmc1.docx Crémière, Antoine and Pellerin, André and Wing, Boswell A. and Lepland, Aivo (2020) Multiple sulfur isotopes in methane seep carbonates track unsteady sulfur cycling during anaerobic methane oxidation. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 532 . Art. No. 115994. ISSN 0012-821X. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115994. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191219-112735657 <https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191219-112735657> |
op_rights |
other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115994 |
container_title |
Earth and Planetary Science Letters |
container_volume |
532 |
container_start_page |
115994 |
_version_ |
1766370548339703808 |