The occurrence of seep carbonates is one of the characteristic features for cold seep sites at continental margins.The carbonates documented the venting history of methane-rich fluid.Compared to the chemoherm carbonates and carbonate pavements which formed on the sediment-water interface,chimney-like seep carbonates precipitated around fluid conduits below the sediment-water interface therefore better recording information of the past fluid flow and composition.Here the chimney-like seep carbonate samples from the northeastern Dongsha area of the South China Sea were studied to understand the origin and nature of the venting fluids and their potential relationship with gas hydrate deposits underneath the seafloor.Based on the occurrence,morphology,petrology,mineralogy and C-and O-isotope compositions,combined with present and past bottom water temperatures and the timing of methane release events,the oxygen isotopic fractionation between calcite and water were used to estimate the equilibriumδ18O values of the precipitating fluids.Theδ13C values ranging from 56.33‰to 42.70‰V-PDB and thus clearly show that the studied chimneys were mainly derived from biogenic methane oxidation.The calculated equilibriumδ18O values of the precipitating fluids ranged from 1.9‰0.3‰to 0.6‰0.3‰V-SMOW,with an average of 1.4‰0.3‰V-SMOW which is heavier than those of seawater even at the last glacial maximum.It is considered that the formation of chimney-like carbonates was closely related to methane hydrate dissociation in the area.The methane hydrates contributed as much as45.7%of water to the venting fluids.It is suggested that the climate and environmental changes(e.g.sea-level lowering,down-cutting canyons and mass wasting)are the major mechanisms maybe responsible for the destabilization of methane hydrates in the study area.The extensive occurrence of seep carbonates indicates that a large amount of the methane released from methane hydrate dissociation has been effectively captured and sequestered by microbial
大陆边缘海底冷泉活动区往往赋存有大量的冷泉碳酸盐岩,冷泉碳酸盐岩的类型和地球化学特征记录了过去海底富甲烷冷泉流体活动的状况.相对于在海水-沉积物界面上生长的化学礁灰岩和碳酸盐结壳等冷泉碳酸盐岩类型,形成于海底以下流体通道周围的烟囱状冷泉碳酸盐岩能更忠实地反映过去海底冷泉流体的信息.本文对采集自南海东沙东北的高镁方解石质烟囱状冷泉碳酸盐岩进行了详细研究,在定量分析碳酸盐物相及其碳氧同位素组成的基础上,结合产出环境特征和年龄对其形成温度进行约束,利用高镁方解石-水体系氧同位素分馏方程计算沉淀流体的氧同位素组成,研究古富甲烷冷泉流体的来源与性质,并探讨其与海底天然气水合物藏之间潜在的成因联系.研究认为,南海东沙东北陆坡烟囱状冷泉碳酸盐岩的碳源自生物成因甲烷,它的形成与海底天然气水合物藏的破坏密切相关.古冷泉流体的δ18O值为(1.9‰±0.3‰)^(0.6‰±0.3‰)V-SMOW(Vienna standard mean ocean water)之间变化,平均1.4‰±0.3‰ V-SMOW.经估算,水合物分解释放出来的流体在冷泉流体中的贡献最高可达45.7%.分析认为,古海平面下降和陆缘海底峡谷的下切,以及海底滑坡等气候与环境变化因素是导致南海东北陆坡水合物藏曾经遭受破坏的主要原因.研究区广泛分布的烟囱状冷泉碳酸盐岩指示水合物分解释放的甲烷在渗漏出海底之前已经有相当一部分被硫酸盐-甲烷转换带附近的微生物捕获和消耗转化,最终以冷泉碳酸盐岩形式实现了永久封存.
