scholarly journals Characteristics of Authigenic Minerals around the Sulfate-Methane Transition Zone in the Methane-Rich Sediments of the Northern South China Sea: Inorganic Geochemical Evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (13) ◽  
pp. 2299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daidai Wu ◽  
Tiantian Sun ◽  
Rui Xie ◽  
Mengdi Pan ◽  
Xuegang Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Transition Zone ◽  
South China ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Cold Seep ◽  
Anaerobic Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
Authigenic Minerals ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Methane Seepage ◽  
The Impact

Sediments at marine cold seep areas provide potential archives of past fluid flow, which allow insights into the evolution of past methane seepage activities. However, signals for anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) might be obscured in bulk sediments in cold-seep settings due to several factors, especially flood and turbidite deposition. Comprehensive inorganic data were gathered in this study to explore the availability of related records at cold seeps and to provide insights into the evolution of past methane seepage activities. Sediments collected from the site 973-4 in the Taixinan Basin on the northern slope of the South China Sea were characterized in terms of total carbon and sulfur, δ13C values of total organic carbon (δ13CTIC), δ34S values of chromium reducible sulfur (δ34SCRS), and foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopes. The results confirmed a strong correlation between formation of authigenic minerals and AOM. Moreover, the 34S enrichments and abundant chromium reducible sulfur (CRS) contents in the authigenic sulfides in the sulfate–methane transition zone (SMTZ) within 619–900 cm below seafloor (cmbsf) reflected past high methane fluxes supported by constant methane seepages. Lithological distribution and AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectra) 14C dating of planktonic foraminifera show that the turbidite (~35.14 ka) was related to a foraminifera-rich interval (Unit II: 440-619 cmbsf) and increased carbonate productivity during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Enrichment of Mo and U was observed accompanied by low contents of nutrient metals (Al, Ti, V, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Cu) in Unit II. The foraminifera-rich interval (Unit II) of cold seep sediments was probably linked to the phenomenon of inconsecutive sedimentary sequence due to the turbidites, which resulted in the lack of Fe, Mn, and Ba enrichment. There is no U enrichment but only Mo enrichment within Unit III, which might be related to H2S produced by AOM during the methane seepages. Based on the above results, it can be speculated that this area has experienced multiple-episodes of methane seep events. Further exploration of AOM should focus on the risks of rapid deposition, especially the impact of turbidity current on sediments.

Biogeochemical processes in continental slope sediments of the Dongsha Area, South China Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiantian Sun ◽  
Daidai Wu ◽  
Ying Ye
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
South China ◽  
Planktonic Foraminifera ◽  
Major And Trace Elements ◽  
Cold Seep ◽  
Biogeochemical Processes ◽  
Methane Seep ◽  
China Sea ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Last Glacial

<p>Serving as an indicator or fluid seepage from seabed sediments, cold seeps are ubiquitous along continental margins worldwide. In this study, a 14 m long sediment core (# 973-4) from the Dongsha Area on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea, was investigated to trace the cold seep activity and sedimentary paleo-environmental changes and its consequence for sediment mineralogy, contents of major and trace elements, total organic and inorganic carbon and total TRIS (total reducible inorganic sulfur) and δ<sup>34</sup>S of sulfide minerals. In addition, planktonic foraminifera were selected for accelerator mass spectrometer carbon 14 (AMS<sup>14</sup>C) dating [1]. Furthermore, we identified the strength and effects of cold seep activity and its impact on the underlying seawater redox condition, and finally elucidated the derived force and paleoenvironment constraints of cold seep activity. C-S-Fe geochemistry, δ<sup>34</sup>S of sulfide minerals and major and trace elements suggest that anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) occurred at 619-900 cmbsf (centimeters below seafloor). The <sup>34</sup>S enrichments (up to 23.6 ‰), abundant TRIS contents, high S/C ratios close to the seawater, together with high enrichments of Mo indicate temporal sulfidic methane seep events. Lithological distribution and AMS<sup>14</sup>C dating of planktonic foraminifera show that a turbidite (~35ka) is related to a foram-rich interval (440-619 cm) and increased carbonate productivity during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). An enrichment of Mo and U was observed accompanied by low contents of other trace and major (Al, Ti, V, Ni, Fe, Mn and Cu) in this interval. The foram-rich interval of cold seep sediments was probably linked to the phenomenon of inconsecutive sedimentary sequence due to the turbidites, which resulted in the lack of Fe, Mn and Ba. Based on the new results, it can be speculated that this area has experienced several episodes of methane seep activity and aerobic oxidation occurring alternatively in the last glacial period which may have been caused by fluctuating non-steady conditions. Further exploration of AOM should focus on the impact of rapid deposition, especially the impact of turbidites on sedimentary biogeochemical processes.</p><p><sup>[1]</sup> Zhang Bidong, Pan Mengdi, Wu Daidai etc. Distribution and isotopic composition of foraminifera at cold-seep Site 973-4 in the Dongsha area, northeastern South China Sea. J. Asian Earth Sciences.</p><p> </p><p>The research supported by the Institution of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (no. ISEE2018YB03) and the special project for marine economy development of Guangdong Province (no. GDME-2018D002).</p>

scholarly journals Deeply Buried Authigenic Carbonates in the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea: Implications for Ancient Cold Seep Activities

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1135
Author(s):  
Jiangong Wei ◽  
Tingting Wu ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Yinan Deng ◽  
Rui Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
South China ◽  
Methane Flux ◽  
Qiongdongnan Basin ◽  
Cold Seep ◽  
Carbonate Precipitation ◽  
Methane Seep ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Methane Seepage ◽  
Sediment Layers

Cold seep carbonates are important archives of pore water chemistry and ancient methane seepage activity. They also provide an important contribution to the global carbon sink. Seep carbonates at three sediment layers (3.0, 52.1, and 53.6 mbsf) were collected at site W08B in the Qiongdongnan Basin of the South China Sea. This study investigated the mineralogy, microstructure, stable carbon and oxygen isotopes, trace elements, and U-Th dates of these carbonates to identify the relationship between methane flux and authigenic carbonate precipitation. The results showed that the δ13C and δ18O values of all carbonates are similar, indicating that the carbon source for shallow carbonates and deep carbonates has remained constant over time and included biogenic and thermogenic methane. Although carbonates were found in three sediment layers, the two main stages of methane seepage events were discernible, which was likely caused by the dissociation of gas hydrates. The first methane seep took place at 131.1–136.3 ka BP. During a dramatic drop in the sea level, the seep carbonate at 52.1 mbsf formed at 136.3 ka BP through the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). The carbonate at 53.6 mbsf resulted from the vertical downward movement of the sulfate-methane transition zone with decreasing methane flux at 131.1 ka BP. This is the reason for the age of carbonates at 52.1 mbsf being older than the age of carbonates at 53.6 mbsf. The second methane seep took place at 12.2 ka BP. Shallow carbonate formed at that time via AOM and is now located at 3 mbsf. Moreover, thin-section photomicrographs of deep carbonate mainly consisted of matrix micrite and biological debris and acicular aragonite occurred as vein cement filling the pore spaces between the matrix micrite. The acicular aragonite was mainly influenced by the timing of the carbonate precipitation of minerals. This research identified a long history of methane seep activity reflected by the vertical distribution of carbonates.

scholarly journals A Quantitative Assessment of Methane-Derived Carbon Cycling at the Cold Seeps in the Northwestern South China Sea

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junxi Feng ◽  
Niu Li ◽  
Min Luo ◽  
Jinqiang Liang ◽  
Shengxiong Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
South China ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Cold Seep ◽  
Anaerobic Oxidation Of Methane ◽  
Cold Seeps ◽  
Dissolved Carbon ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Seafloor Observation ◽  
Gas Hydrate Formation

Widespread cold seeps along continental margins are significant sources of dissolved carbon to the ocean water. However, little is known about the methane turnovers and possible impact of seepage on the bottom seawater at the cold seeps in the South China Sea (SCS). We present seafloor observation and porewater data of six push cores, one piston core and three boreholes as well as fifteen bottom-water samples collected from four cold seep areas in the northwestern SCS. The depths of the sulfate–methane transition zone (SMTZ) are generally shallow, ranging from ~7 to <0.5 mbsf (meters below seafloor). Reaction-transport modelling results show that methane dynamics were highly variable due to the transport and dissolution of ascending gas. Dissolved methane is predominantly consumed by anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) at the SMTZ and trapped by gas hydrate formation below it, with depth-integrated AOM rates ranging from 59.0 and 591 mmol m−2 yr−1. The δ13C and Δ14C values of bottom-water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) suggest discharge of 13C- and 14C-depleted fossil carbon to the bottom water at the cold seep areas. Based on a two-endmember estimate, cold seeps fluids likely contribute 16–26% of the bottom seawater DIC and may have an impact on the long-term deep-sea carbon cycle. Our results reveal the methane-related carbon inventories are highly heterogeneous in the cold seep systems, which are probably dependent on the distances of the sampling sites to the seepage center. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative study on the contribution of cold seep fluids to the bottom-water carbon reservoir of the SCS, and might help to understand the dynamics and the environmental impact of hydrocarbon seep in the SCS.

Deepwater Steel Catenary Riser System Design for Lingshui 17-2 Project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning He ◽  
Hu Yang ◽  
Fanli Xu ◽  
Yongming Cheng
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
System Design ◽  
South China ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Northern South China Sea ◽  
Steel Catenary Riser ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Scr System ◽  
The Impact

Abstract A riser is a key component for transporting produced oil and gas from the subsea wells to the surface production vessel. Through nearly 30 years of design and implementation, Steel Catenary Risers (SCRs) have been found to have the advantages of relatively low cost and good adaptability to floating platform’s motion. This paper investigates deepwater SCR system design for the Lingshui 17-2 (termed LS17-2) project. This paper first introduces a SCR system for the LS17-2 project. The field for this project is located in the northern South China Sea, with water depth of 1220m to 1560m. LS17-2 consists of a subsea production system, a deep-draft semi-submersible (SEMI), and an export riser/pipeline. The platform was designed to have a large storage capacity with a variable draft during its operation. Based on deepwater SCR engineering experience, the key SCR design challenges are summarized from the engineering executive perspective. The challenges to the SCR system design for the LS17-2 project include harsh environment condition in South China Sea and the impact on fatigue design for the requirement of 30-years’ service life. They call for design optimization and innovative ideas. The engineering design and analysis are discussed together solutions. To demonstrate the deepwater SCR system design for LS17-2 project, examples are provided to illustrate the challenges and solutions. The experience learned from this paper should have significant relevance to future SCR design.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document