Multimineral coupling reveals the iron–sulfur cycle in a receding methane seep ...

• Main Author: Qinyi Zhang
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Mendeley 2023
• Subjects: Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17632/jw72x8pxn5; https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/jw72x8pxn5

Many studies have aimed to establish various minerals as archives of paleo- and modern methane seeps. Furthermore, the Fe-S cycle in methane seeps has attracted attention for a long time. The predominant biogeochemical reaction in methane seeps is sulfate reduction coupled with the anaerobic oxidation of methane, which mainly occurs in the sulfate–methane transition zone (SMTZ). The H2S generated from this reaction combines with active iron in the sediments and eventually forms pyrite (FeS2). Here, we studied a core with a length of 14 m sampled from the Shenhu area, South China Sea, via multiple methods, such as SEM and EDS tests and AMS 14C dating of planktonic foraminifera. By evaluating the presence of various minerals, we found two paleo-SMTZs, which means that there were two methane seepage events. AMS14C dating and the carbon and oxygen isotopic test for planktonic foraminifera indicated successive sedimentation from MIS3 to MIS1. The low correlations between pyrite and TOC and δ13CTOC indicated that ...