Organic geochemistry of sediment samples from Prydz Bay

High molecular weight aliphatic hydrocarbons were extracted from sediments at two sites (741 and 742) drilled during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 119 in Prydz Bay, a major embayment on the continental shelf of East Antarctica. The distributions of n-alkanes and triterpenoid and steroid hydrocarbons su...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kvenvolden, Keith A, Hostettler, Frances D, Rapp, John B, Frank, Tamara J
Format: Dataset
Language:English
Published: PANGAEA 1991
Subjects:
119-741A
119-742A
DRILL
Drilling/drill rig
Joides Resolution
Leg119
Ocean Drilling Program
ODP
Prydz Bay
East Antarctica
Antarc*
Antarctica
Online Access:https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.759888
https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.759888
Description
Summary:High molecular weight aliphatic hydrocarbons were extracted from sediments at two sites (741 and 742) drilled during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 119 in Prydz Bay, a major embayment on the continental shelf of East Antarctica. The distributions of n-alkanes and triterpenoid and steroid hydrocarbons suggest that the n-alkanes and steranes are mainly of terrestrial origin and that the hydrocarbons are immature to slightly mature in the Lower Cretaceous sediments and immature to mature in the Tertiary sediments. At Site 741, the Lower Cretaceous depositional sequence, which is generally characterized by immature hydrocarbons, is interrupted by sediment having more mature components, suggesting a change of source during part of Early Cretaceous time. At Site 742, the mature geochemical parameters of a Pliocene sample correlate with results reported elsewhere for Site 739. In all but one of the other Tertiary samples, the geochemical parameters indicate intermediate maturity. The Lower Cretaceous and Pliocene sediments average about 1.9% organic carbon, a value of interest from the point of view of potential sources of petroleum offshore from Antarctica.

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