Seafloor pockmarks are important indicators of submarine methane seepages and slope instabilities.In order to promote the understanding of submarine pockmarks and their relationship with sediment instabilities and cli...Seafloor pockmarks are important indicators of submarine methane seepages and slope instabilities.In order to promote the understanding of submarine pockmarks and their relationship with sediment instabilities and climate changes,here we summarize the research results of pockmarks in the spatio-temporal distributions and shaping factors.Most of pockmarks occur along active or passive continental margins during the last 25 kyr B.P..Circular and ellipse are the most common forms of pockmarks,whereas pockmarks in a special crescent or elongated shape are indicators of slope instabilities,and ring-shape pockmarks are endemic to the gas hydrate zones.Further researches should be focused on the trigger mechanism of climate changes based on the pockmarks in the high latitudes formed during the deglaciation periods,and the role of gas hydrates in the seafloor evolution should be elucidated.In addition,the feature of pockmarks at their early stage(e.g.,developing gas chimneys and gas driving sedimentary doming)and the relations between pockmarks and mass movements,mud diapirs could be further studied to clarify the influences of rapid methane release from submarine sediments on the atmospheric carbon contents.展开更多
Comprehensive qualitative and semi-quantitative seismic analysis was carried out on 3-dimensional seismic data acquired in the deepwater compressional and shale diapiric zone of the Niger Delta Basin using an advanced...Comprehensive qualitative and semi-quantitative seismic analysis was carried out on 3-dimensional seismic data acquired in the deepwater compressional and shale diapiric zone of the Niger Delta Basin using an advanced seismic imaging tool. The main aim of this work is to obtain an understanding of the forming mechanism of the gas hydrate system, and the fluid migration paths associated with this part of the basin. The results showed the presence of pockmarks on the seafloor and bottom simulating reflectors(BSRs) in the field, indicating the active fluid flux and existence of gas hydrate system in the area. In the area of approximately 195 km^2 occupying nearly 24% of the entire study field, three major zones with continuous or discontinuous BSRs of 3 to 7 km in length which are in the northeastern, southern and eastern part of the field respectively were delineated. The BSR is interpreted to be the transition between the free gas zone and the gas hydrate zone. The geologic structures including faults(strike-slip and normal faults), chimneys and diapirs were deduced to be the main conduits for gas migration. It is concluded that the biogenic gases generated in the basin were possibly transported via faults and chimneys by advection processes and subsequently accumulated under low temperature and high pressure conditions in the free gas zone below the BSR forming gas hydrate. A plausible explanation for the presence of the ubiquitous pockmarks of different diameters and sizes in the area is the transportation of the excessive gas to the seafloor through these mapped geologic structures.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41606044 41906068+3 种基金 91 858208) the National Key Research and Development Program (No. 2018YFC031000303) the Taishan Scholar Special Experts Project (No. ts201712079)the Marine Geological Survey Program of China Geological Survey (No. DD20190819)
文摘Seafloor pockmarks are important indicators of submarine methane seepages and slope instabilities.In order to promote the understanding of submarine pockmarks and their relationship with sediment instabilities and climate changes,here we summarize the research results of pockmarks in the spatio-temporal distributions and shaping factors.Most of pockmarks occur along active or passive continental margins during the last 25 kyr B.P..Circular and ellipse are the most common forms of pockmarks,whereas pockmarks in a special crescent or elongated shape are indicators of slope instabilities,and ring-shape pockmarks are endemic to the gas hydrate zones.Further researches should be focused on the trigger mechanism of climate changes based on the pockmarks in the high latitudes formed during the deglaciation periods,and the role of gas hydrates in the seafloor evolution should be elucidated.In addition,the feature of pockmarks at their early stage(e.g.,developing gas chimneys and gas driving sedimentary doming)and the relations between pockmarks and mass movements,mud diapirs could be further studied to clarify the influences of rapid methane release from submarine sediments on the atmospheric carbon contents.
文摘Comprehensive qualitative and semi-quantitative seismic analysis was carried out on 3-dimensional seismic data acquired in the deepwater compressional and shale diapiric zone of the Niger Delta Basin using an advanced seismic imaging tool. The main aim of this work is to obtain an understanding of the forming mechanism of the gas hydrate system, and the fluid migration paths associated with this part of the basin. The results showed the presence of pockmarks on the seafloor and bottom simulating reflectors(BSRs) in the field, indicating the active fluid flux and existence of gas hydrate system in the area. In the area of approximately 195 km^2 occupying nearly 24% of the entire study field, three major zones with continuous or discontinuous BSRs of 3 to 7 km in length which are in the northeastern, southern and eastern part of the field respectively were delineated. The BSR is interpreted to be the transition between the free gas zone and the gas hydrate zone. The geologic structures including faults(strike-slip and normal faults), chimneys and diapirs were deduced to be the main conduits for gas migration. It is concluded that the biogenic gases generated in the basin were possibly transported via faults and chimneys by advection processes and subsequently accumulated under low temperature and high pressure conditions in the free gas zone below the BSR forming gas hydrate. A plausible explanation for the presence of the ubiquitous pockmarks of different diameters and sizes in the area is the transportation of the excessive gas to the seafloor through these mapped geologic structures.
