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Geochemical and magnetic signals for the mud volcano-induced methane seepage in the core sediments of Shenhu area, northern South China Sea

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Abstract

The Shenhu Area of the northern South China Sea (SCS) has been regarded as a promising area for gas hydrate exploration. In this research, the petrography and stable isotopic composition of authigenic carbonates within a core of shallow sediment from Site 08CF7 in the Shenhu area have been studied. Based on the results of grain sizes, magnetic susceptibility, carbonate contents, textural characteristics, the age constrains of the core and the tectonic setting of the study area, it can be inferred that the core may represent the subsurface sediment in a mud volcano area within the gas hydrate system. Core sediments below 188 cm in the core may be associated with the in situ mud volcano activity. The authigenic carbonates (calcite, aragonite and dolomite) in fine size fraction below 188 cm indicate the mud volcano-induced methane seepage and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), and their carbon source was mainly biogenic methane. In addition, the variation in magnetic susceptibility corresponds with in situ mud volcano sediments and associated methane seepage. These signals provide new methods of identifying AOM and application prospect for the exploration of seepage gas hydrates in SCS.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported financially by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-GJ03), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41176052, 41276050, 40976028), and the National Basic Research Program of China (973) (2009CB219502).

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  1. Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, People’s Republic of China

    Han Chen, Shuhong Wang, Zhong Chen, Wen Yan & Gang Li

  2. Island Research Center, State Oceanic Administration (SOA), Pingtan, 350400, People’s Republic of China

    Han Chen

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  1. Han Chen
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  2. Shuhong Wang
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  3. Zhong Chen
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Correspondence to Shuhong Wang.

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Chen, H., Wang, S., Chen, Z. et al. Geochemical and magnetic signals for the mud volcano-induced methane seepage in the core sediments of Shenhu area, northern South China Sea. Environ Earth Sci 73, 6365–6378 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3860-y

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