_version_ 1867169039165423616
author Han, Xiqiu
Suess, Erwin
Huang, Yong-Jiang
Wu, Nengyou
Bohrmann, Gerhard
Su, Xin
Eisenhauer, Anton
Rehder, Gregor
Fang, Yinxia
author_facet Han, Xiqiu
Suess, Erwin
Huang, Yong-Jiang
Wu, Nengyou
Bohrmann, Gerhard
Su, Xin
Eisenhauer, Anton
Rehder, Gregor
Fang, Yinxia
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents Chemoherm carbonates, as well as numerous other types of methane seep carbonates, were discovered in 2004 along the passive margin of the northern South China Sea. Lithologically, the carbonates are micritic containing peloids, clasts and clam fragments. Some are highly brecciated with aragonite layers of varying thicknesses lining fractures and voids. Dissolution and replacement is common. Mineralogically, the carbonates are dominated by high magnesium calcites (HMC) and aragonite. Some HMCs with MgCO3 contents of between 30–38 mol%–extreme-HMC, occur in association with minor amounts of dolomite. All of the carbonates are strongly depleted in d13C, with a range from -35.7 to -57.5 per mil PDB and enriched in d18O (+ 4.0 to + 5.3 per mil PDB). Abundant microbial rods and filaments were recognized within the carbonate matrix as well as aragonite cements, likely fossils of chemosynthetic microbes involved in carbonate formation. The microbial structures are intimately associated with mineral grains. Some carbonate mineral grains resemble microbes. The isotope characteristics, the fabrics, the microbial structure, and the mineralogies are diagnostic of carbonates derived from anaerobic oxidation of methane mediated by microbes. From the succession of HMCs, extreme-HMC, and dolomite in layered tubular carbonates, combined with the presence of microbial structure and diagenetic fabric, we suggest that extreme-HMC may eventually transform into dolomites. Our results add to the worldwide record of seep carbonates and establish for the first time the exact locations and seafloor morphology where such carbonates formed in the South China Sea. Characteristics of the complex fabric demonstrate how seep carbonates may be used as archives recording multiple fluid regimes, dissolution, and early transformation events.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_771248
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2008
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle (Table 2) Mineralogy, stable isotopes, and mineral percentages of the carbonate fraction of samples from the South China Sea
Han, Xiqiu
Suess, Erwin
Huang, Yong-Jiang
Wu, Nengyou
Bohrmann, Gerhard
Su, Xin
Eisenhauer, Anton
Rehder, Gregor
Fang, Yinxia
Aragonite; Calculated, see reference(s); Description; Dolomite; Elevation of event; Event label; High magnesium calcite; IFM-GEOMAR; Latitude of event; Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften, Kiel; Longitude of event; Low magnesium calcite; Mass spectrometer, Finnigan, MAT 252; Sample code/label; SIGER; SO177/1; SO177/1-28; SO177/1-29; SO177/1-30; SO177/1-50; SO177/1-51; SO177/1-52; SO177/1-53; SO177/1-72; SO177/2; SO177/2-91; SO177/2-92; Sonne; Television-Grab; TVG; TVG-1; TVG-11; TVG-13; TVG-14; TVG-2; TVG-3; TVG-6; TVG-7; TVG-8; TVG-9; δ13C, carbonate; δ18O, carbonate
Chemoherm carbonates, as well as numerous other types of methane seep carbonates, were discovered in 2004 along the passive margin of the northern South China Sea. Lithologically, the carbonates are micritic containing peloids, clasts and clam fragments. Some are highly brecciated with aragonite layers of varying thicknesses lining fractures and voids. Dissolution and replacement is common. Mineralogically, the carbonates are dominated by high magnesium calcites (HMC) and aragonite. Some HMCs with MgCO3 contents of between 30–38 mol%–extreme-HMC, occur in association with minor amounts of dolomite. All of the carbonates are strongly depleted in d13C, with a range from -35.7 to -57.5 per mil PDB and enriched in d18O (+ 4.0 to + 5.3 per mil PDB). Abundant microbial rods and filaments were recognized within the carbonate matrix as well as aragonite cements, likely fossils of chemosynthetic microbes involved in carbonate formation. The microbial structures are intimately associated with mineral grains. Some carbonate mineral grains resemble microbes. The isotope characteristics, the fabrics, the microbial structure, and the mineralogies are diagnostic of carbonates derived from anaerobic oxidation of methane mediated by microbes. From the succession of HMCs, extreme-HMC, and dolomite in layered tubular carbonates, combined with the presence of microbial structure and diagenetic fabric, we suggest that extreme-HMC may eventually transform into dolomites. Our results add to the worldwide record of seep carbonates and establish for the first time the exact locations and seafloor morphology where such carbonates formed in the South China Sea. Characteristics of the complex fabric demonstrate how seep carbonates may be used as archives recording multiple fluid regimes, dissolution, and early transformation events.
title (Table 2) Mineralogy, stable isotopes, and mineral percentages of the carbonate fraction of samples from the South China Sea
topic Aragonite; Calculated, see reference(s); Description; Dolomite; Elevation of event; Event label; High magnesium calcite; IFM-GEOMAR; Latitude of event; Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften, Kiel; Longitude of event; Low magnesium calcite; Mass spectrometer, Finnigan, MAT 252; Sample code/label; SIGER; SO177/1; SO177/1-28; SO177/1-29; SO177/1-30; SO177/1-50; SO177/1-51; SO177/1-52; SO177/1-53; SO177/1-72; SO177/2; SO177/2-91; SO177/2-92; Sonne; Television-Grab; TVG; TVG-1; TVG-11; TVG-13; TVG-14; TVG-2; TVG-3; TVG-6; TVG-7; TVG-8; TVG-9; δ13C, carbonate; δ18O, carbonate
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.771248