scholarly journals Sulfate reduction and anaerobic oxidation of methane in sediments of the South-Western Barents Sea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Argentino ◽  
Kate Alyse Waghorn ◽  
Stefan Bünz ◽  
Giuliana Panieri

Abstract. Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in marine sediments strongly limits the amount of gas reaching the water column and the atmosphere but its efficiency in counteracting future methane emissions at continental margins remains unclear. Small shifts in methane fluxes due to gas hydrate and submarine permafrost destabilization or enhanced methanogenesis in warming Arctic continental shelves may cause the redox boundary in which AOM occurs, known as Sulfate-Methane Transition Zone (SMTZ), to move closer to seafloor, with potential gas release to bottom waters. Here, we investigated the geochemical composition of pore water (SO42− and DIC concentration, δ13CDIC) and gas (CH4, δ13CCH4) in eight gravity cores collected from Ingøydjupet trough, South-Western Barents Sea. Our results show a remarkable variability in SMTZ depth, ranging from 3.5 m to 29.2 m, and that all methane is efficiently consumed by AOM within the sediment. From linear fitting of the sulfate concentration profiles, we calculated diffusive sulfate fluxes ranging from 1.5 nmol cm−2 d−1 to 12.0 nmol cm−2 d−1. AOM rates obtained for two cores using mixing models are 6.5 nmol cm−2 d−1 and 6.7 nmol cm−2 d−1 and account for only 64 % and 56 % of total sulfate reduction at the SMTZ (SRRtot), respectively. The remaining 36 % and 44 % SRRtot correspond to organoclastic sulfate reduction with rates of 3.7 nmol cm−2 d−1 and 5.3 nmol cm−2 d−1. The shallowest SMTZs ( 20 m. This study provides new insights into the dynamic and biogeochemistry of the SMTZ in marine sediments of continental margins and may help predict the response of the microbial methane filter to future increase in methane fluxes due to ocean warming.

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 1231-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Kallmeyer ◽  
Antje Boetius

ABSTRACT Rates of sulfate reduction (SR) and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in hydrothermal deep-sea sediments from Guaymas Basin were measured at temperatures of 5 to 200°C and pressures of 1 × 105, 2.2 × 107, and 4.5 × 107 Pa. A maximum SR of several micromoles per cubic centimeter per day was found at between 60 and 95°C and 2.2 × 107 and 4.5 × 107 Pa. Maximal AOM was observed at 35 to 90°C but generally accounted for less than 5% of SR.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1400-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peer HA Timmers ◽  
Diego A Suarez-Zuluaga ◽  
Minke van Rossem ◽  
Martijn Diender ◽  
Alfons JM Stams ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 2868-2879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina J. Knab ◽  
Barry A. Cragg ◽  
Christian Borowski ◽  
R. John Parkes ◽  
Richard Pancost ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kseniya Mikhailova ◽  
Victoria Ershova ◽  
Mikhail Rogov ◽  
Boris Pokrovsky ◽  
Oleg Vereshchagin

<p>Glendonites often used as paleoclimate indicator of cold near-bottom temperature, as these are calcite pseudomorphs of ikaite, a metastable calcium carbonate hexahydrate, precipitates mostly under low temperature (mainly from 0-4<sup>o</sup>C) and may be stabilized by high phosphate concentrations that occurs due to anaerobic oxidation of methane and/or organic matter; dissolved organic carbon, sulfates and amino acid may contribute ikaite formation as well.  Therefore, glendonites-bearing host rocks frequently include glacial deposits that make them useful as a paleoclimate indicator of near-freezing temperature.</p><p>Our study is based on material collected from five wells drilled in eastern Barents Sea: Severo-Murmanskaya, Ledovaya – 1,2; Ludlovskaya – 1,2. The studied glendonites, mainly represented by relatively small rhombohedral pseudomorphs (0,5-2 cm) and rarely by stellate aggregates, collected from Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous shallow marine clastic deposits. They scattered distributed throughout succession. Totally 18 samples of glendonites were studied. The age of host-bearing rocks were defined by fossils: bivalves or ammonites, microfossils or dinoflagellate. Bajocian-Bathonian glendonites were collected from Ledovaya – 1 and Ludlovskaya – 1 and 2 wells; in addition to these occurrences Middle Jurassic glendonites are known also in boreholes drilled at Shtockmanovskoe field. Numerous ‘jarrowite-like’ glendonites of the Middle Volgian (~ latest early Tithonian) age were sampled from Severo-Murmanskaya well. Unique Late Barremian glendonites were found in Ledovaya – 2 well.</p><p>δ<sup>18</sup>O values of Middle Jurassic glendonite concretions range from – 5.4 to –1.7 ‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB); for Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous δ<sup>18</sup>O values range from – 4.3 to –1.6 ‰ VPDB; for Lower Cretaceous - δ<sup>18</sup>O values range from – 4.5 to –3.4 ‰ VPDB. Carbon isotope composition for Middle Jurassic glendonite concretions δ<sup>13</sup>C values range from – 33.3 to –22.6 ‰ VPDB; for Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous δ<sup>13</sup>C values range from – 25.1 to –18.4 ‰ VPDB; for Lower Cretaceous - δ<sup>13</sup>C values range from – 30.1 to –25.6 ‰ VPDB.</p><p>Based on δ<sup>18</sup>O data we supposed that seawater had a strong influence on ikaite-derived calcite precipitation. Received data coincide with δ<sup>18</sup>O values reported from other Mesozoic glendonites and Quaternary glendonites formed in cold environments. Values of δ<sup>13</sup>C of glendonites are close to bacterial sulfate reduction and/or anaerobic oxidation of methane or organic matter. Glendonites consist of carbonates forming a number of phases which different in phosphorus and magnesium content. Mg-bearing calcium carbonate and dolomite both include framboidal pyrite, which can indicate (1) lack of strong rock transformations activity and (2) presence of sulfate-reduction bacteria in sediments.</p><p>To conclude, Mesozoic climate was generally warm and studied concretions indicate cold climate excursion in Middle Jurassic, Upper Jurassic-Early Cretaceous and Early Cretaceous.</p><p> </p><p>The study was supported by RFBR, project number 20-35-70012.</p>


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document