Gas Type of the Paperhydrate 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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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:1891d0498d6f488a81d3b5ad437c457b 2023-05-15T13:45:53+02:00 Gas Type of the Paperhydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction Lucía Villar-Muñoz Iván Vargas-Cordero Joaquim P. Bento Umberta Tinivella Francisco Fernandoy Michela Giustiniani Jan H. Behrmann Sergio Calderón-Díaz 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://doaj.org/article/1891d0498d6f488a81d3b5ad437c457b EN eng MDPI AG http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/9/1/28 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3263 2076-3263 doi:10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://doaj.org/article/1891d0498d6f488a81d3b5ad437c457b Geosciences, Vol 9, Iss 1, p 28 (2019) BSR gas hydrate methane seepage active margin Chile Triple Junction Geology QE1-996.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010028 2022-12-30T20:46:45Z 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 Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Geosciences 9 1 28 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
BSR gas hydrate methane seepage active margin Chile Triple Junction Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
BSR gas hydrate methane seepage active margin Chile Triple Junction Geology QE1-996.5 Lucía Villar-Muñoz Iván Vargas-Cordero Joaquim P. Bento Umberta Tinivella Francisco Fernandoy Michela Giustiniani Jan H. Behrmann Sergio Calderón-Díaz Gas Type of the Paperhydrate 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 Geology QE1-996.5 |
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 |
Lucía Villar-Muñoz Iván Vargas-Cordero Joaquim P. Bento Umberta Tinivella Francisco Fernandoy Michela Giustiniani Jan H. Behrmann Sergio Calderón-Díaz |
author_facet |
Lucía Villar-Muñoz Iván Vargas-Cordero Joaquim P. Bento Umberta Tinivella Francisco Fernandoy Michela Giustiniani Jan H. Behrmann Sergio Calderón-Díaz |
author_sort |
Lucía Villar-Muñoz |
title |
Gas Type of the Paperhydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_short |
Gas Type of the Paperhydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_full |
Gas Type of the Paperhydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_fullStr |
Gas Type of the Paperhydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_full_unstemmed |
Gas Type of the Paperhydrate Estimate in an Area of Deformation and High Heat Flow at the Chile Triple Junction |
title_sort |
gas type of the paperhydrate estimate in an area of deformation and high heat flow at the chile triple junction |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://doaj.org/article/1891d0498d6f488a81d3b5ad437c457b |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
Geosciences, Vol 9, Iss 1, p 28 (2019) |
op_relation |
http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/9/1/28 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3263 2076-3263 doi:10.3390/geosciences9010028 https://doaj.org/article/1891d0498d6f488a81d3b5ad437c457b |
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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1766231961235357696 |