Strike-slip faults mediate the rise of crustal-derived fluids and mud volcanism in the deep sea.

Hensen, Christian , Scholz, Florian, Nuzzo, Marianne, Valadares, V., Gracia, E., Terrinha, P., Liebetrau, Volker, Kaul, N., Silva, S., Martinez-Loriente, S., Bartolome, R., Pinero, Elena, Magalhaes, V. H., Schmidt, Mark , Weise, S. M., Cunha, M., Hilario, A., Perea, H., Rovelli, L. and Lackschewitz, Klas (2015) Strike-slip faults mediate the rise of crustal-derived fluids and mud volcanism in the deep sea. Open Access Geology, 43 (4). pp. 339-342. DOI 10.1130/G36359.1.

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Abstract

We report on newly discovered mud volcanoes located at ∼4500 m water depth ∼90 km west of the deformation front of the accretionary wedge of the Gulf of Cadiz, and thus outside of their typical geotectonic environment. Seismic data suggest that fluid flow is mediated by a >400-km-long strike-slip fault marking the transcurrent plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia. Geochemical data (Cl, B, Sr, 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δD) reveal that fluids originate in oceanic crust older than 140 Ma. On their rise to the surface, these fluids receive strong geochemical signals from recrystallization of Upper Jurassic carbonates and clay-mineral dehydration in younger terrigeneous units. At present, reports of mud volcanoes in similar deep-sea settings are rare, but given that the large area of transform-type plate boundaries has been barely investigated, such pathways of fluid discharge may provide an important, yet unappreciated link between the deeply buried oceanic crust and the deep ocean.

Document Type: Article
Additional Information: WOS:000352097900022
Keywords: AUV Abyss; RV METEOR; M86/5; IBERIAN MARGIN; CADIZ; GULF; RIDGE; CHEMISTRY; DIAPIRISM; EVOLUTION; ISOTOPE; AFRICA; WATERS
Research affiliation: HGF-UFZ
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry > FB2-MG Marine Geosystems
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB4 Dynamics of the Ocean Floor > FB4-MUHS
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: GSA (Geological Society of America)
Related URLs:
Projects: TRANSFLUX, SHAKE, SWIMGLO, MODELINK, FLOWS
Expeditions/Models/Experiments:
Date Deposited: 30 Mar 2015 08:04
Last Modified: 24 Oct 2019 11:09
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/28379

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