skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: CO 2 Release From Pockmarks on the Chatham Rise‐Bounty Trough at the Glacial Termination

Journal Article · · Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019PA003674· OSTI ID:1580153

Abstract Seafloor pockmarks of varying size occur over an area of 50,000 km 2 on the Chatham Rise, Canterbury Shelf and Inner Bounty Trough, New Zealand. The pockmarks are concentrated above the flat‐subducted Hikurangi Plateau. Echosounder data identify recurrent episodes of pockmark formation at ~100,000‐year frequency coinciding with Pleistocene glacial terminations. Here we show that there are structural conduits beneath the larger pockmarks through which fluids flowed upward toward the seafloor. Large negative Δ 14 C excursions are documented in marine sediments deposited next to these subseafloor conduits and pockmarks at the last glacial termination. Modern pore waters contain no methane, and there is no negative δ 13 C excursion at the glacial termination that would be indicative of methane or mantle‐derived carbon at the time the Δ 14 C excursion and pockmarks were produced. An ocean general circulation model equipped with isotope tracers is unable to simulate these large Δ 14 C excursions on the Chatham Rise by transport of hydrothermal carbon released from the East Pacific Rise as previous studies suggested. Here we attribute the Δ 14 C anomalies and pockmarks to release of 14 C‐dead CO 2 and carbon‐rich fluids from subsurface reservoirs, the most likely being dissociated Mesozoic carbonates that subducted beneath the Rise during the Late Cretaceous. Because of the large number of pockmarks and duration of the Δ 14 C anomaly, the pockmarks may collectively represent an important source of 14 C‐dead carbon to the ocean during glacial terminations.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1580153
Journal Information:
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, Journal Name: Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Vol. 34 Journal Issue: 11; ISSN 2572-4517
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 13 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (66)

Reconstructing Last Glacial Maximum bottom water salinities from deep-sea sediment pore fluid profiles journal November 2003
Simulated Last Glacial Maximum Δ 14 C atm and the Deep Glacial Ocean Carbon Reservoir journal January 2013
Variation of atmospheric CO 2 by ventilation of the ocean's deepest water journal October 1999
The carbon isotope geochemistry of mantle xenoliths journal October 2002
Seafloor doming driven by degassing processes unveils sprouting volcanism in coastal areas journal March 2016
Deep sea corals off Brazil verify a poorly ventilated Southern Pacific Ocean during H2, H1 and the Younger Dryas journal May 2010
The role of deep ocean circulation in setting glacial climates: DEEP CIRCULATION REVIEW journal September 2013
Expelled subsalt fluids form a pockmark field in the eastern Red Sea journal May 2016
Southwest Pacific Ocean surface reservoir ages since the last glaciation: Circulation insights from multiple-core studies: SW Pacific Paleosurface Reservoir Ages journal February 2016
The significance of pockmarks to understanding fluid flow processes and geohazards journal May 2002
Radiocarbon evidence for a possible abyssal front near 3.1 km in the glacial equatorial Pacific Ocean journal September 2015
Wind-Driven Upwelling in the Southern Ocean and the Deglacial Rise in Atmospheric CO2 journal March 2009
Volumetric contraction during the compaction of mudrocks: a mechanism for the development of regional-scale polygonal fault systems journal June 1996
Pockmarks in the Witch Ground Basin, Central North Sea journal April 2019
The release of 14C-depleted carbon from the deep ocean during the last deglaciation: Evidence from the Arabian Sea journal September 2010
Extreme lowering of deglacial seawater radiocarbon recorded by both epifaunal and infaunal benthic foraminifera in a wood-dated sediment core journal January 2018
Rotation and offset of the Gondwana convergent margin in the New Zealand region following Cretaceous jamming of Hikurangi Plateau large igneous province subduction journal August 2014
Simulation of gas hydrate dissociation caused by repeated tectonic uplift events: Gas Hydrate Dissociation by Uplift journal May 2016
Isotope-Ratio and Background Corrections for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Radiocarbon Measurements journal January 1990
Ventilation of the Glacial Deep Pacific Ocean journal November 2004
Paleo-fluid expulsion and contouritic drift formation on the Chatham Rise, New Zealand journal March 2017
Breakup of last glacial deep stratification in the South Pacific journal February 2018
Review—calcination and carbonation of limestone during thermal cycling for CO2 sequestration journal November 2005
Glacial to interglacial changes in non-carbonate and carbonate accumulation in the SW Pacific Ocean, New Zealand journal October 2000
Giant depressions on the Chatham Rise offshore New Zealand – Morphology, structure and possible relation to fluid expulsion and bottom currents journal May 2018
A Synthesis of Deglacial Deep-Sea Radiocarbon Records and Their (In)Consistency With Modern Ocean Ventilation journal February 2018
Massive blow-out craters formed by hydrate-controlled methane expulsion from the Arctic seafloor journal June 2017
Two contributors to the glacial CO 2 decline journal November 2015
Enhanced East Pacific Rise hydrothermal activity during the last two glacial terminations journal January 2016
Seafloor mounds, craters and depressions linked to seismic chimneys breaching fossilized diagenetic bottom simulating reflectors in the central and southern Scotia Sea, Antarctica journal December 2014
East Pacific Rise Core PS75/059‐2: Glacial‐to‐Deglacial Stratigraphy Revisited journal April 2019
Contribution of Vertical Methane Flux to Shallow Sediment Carbon Pools across Porangahau Ridge, New Zealand journal August 2014
Distinct roles of the Southern Ocean and North Atlantic in the deglacial atmospheric radiocarbon decline journal May 2014
An extensive pockmark field on the upper Atlantic margin of Southeast Brazil: spatial analysis and its relationship with salt diapirism journal February 2017
Does sea level influence mid-ocean ridge magmatism on Milankovitch timescales?: SEA LEVEL AND MID-OCEAN RIDGE MAGMATISM journal December 2011
Upper-ocean-to-atmosphere radiocarbon offsets imply fast deglacial carbon dioxide release journal August 2010
The Southern Ocean's Role in Carbon Exchange During the Last Deglaciation journal December 2011
Hydrothermal carbon release to the ocean and atmosphere from the eastern equatorial Pacific during the last glacial termination journal February 2019
Increased ventilation age of the deep northeast Pacific Ocean during the last deglaciation journal October 2011
Reduced deep ocean ventilation in the Southern Pacific Ocean during the last glaciation persisted into the deglaciation journal March 2016
Uncertainties due to transport-parameter sensitivity in an efficient 3-D ocean-climate model journal February 2005
Ventilation of the Deep Southern Ocean and Deglacial CO2 Rise journal May 2010
Climate and atmospheric history of the past 420,000 years from the Vostok ice core, Antarctica journal June 1999
Rhizon Sampling of Pore Waters on Scientific Drilling Expeditions: An Example from the IODP Expedition 302, Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) journal January 2007
Atmosphere‐Ocean CO 2 Exchange Across the Last Deglaciation From the Boron Isotope Proxy journal October 2019
Old radiocarbon ages in the southwest Pacific Ocean during the last glacial period and deglaciation journal June 2000
Near constancy of the Pacific Ocean surface to mid-depth radiocarbon-age difference over the last 20 kyr journal October 2008
Delayed CO 2 emissions from mid-ocean ridge volcanism as a possible cause of late-Pleistocene glacial cycles journal January 2017
Ages of 24 widespread tephras erupted since 30,000 years ago in New Zealand, with re-evaluation of the timing and palaeoclimatic implications of the Lateglacial cool episode recorded at Kaipo bog journal August 2013
High-resolution record of displacement accumulation on an active normal fault: implications for models of slip accumulation during repeated earthquakes journal July 2006
The Salinity, Temperature, and delta 18O of the Glacial Deep Ocean journal November 2002
Analysis of methane and sulfate flux in methane-charged sediments from the Mississippi Canyon, Gulf of Mexico journal November 2008
Gas escape features off New Zealand: Evidence of massive release of methane from hydrates: MASSIVE NZ GAS ESCAPE FEATURES journal November 2010
Southern Hemisphere westerlies as a driver of the early deglacial atmospheric CO2 rise journal June 2018
Enhanced δ 13 C and δ 18 O Differences Between the South Atlantic and South Pacific During the Last Glaciation: The Deep Gateway Hypothesis : Dueling Transects: The Deep Gateway journal October 2017
The role of ocean transport in the uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 journal January 2009
Submarine venting of liquid carbon dioxide on a Mariana Arc volcano: SUBMARINE VENTING OF LIQUID CO journal August 2006
Marine geochemical data assimilation in an efficient Earth System Model of global biogeochemical cycling journal January 2007
Radiocarbon age anomaly at intermediate water depth in the Pacific Ocean during the last deglaciation: RADIOCARBON AGE ANOMALY journal June 2009
Deep Sediment-Sourced Methane Contribution to Shallow Sediment Organic Carbon: Atwater Valley, Texas-Louisiana Shelf, Gulf of Mexico journal February 2015
Discussion Reporting of 14 C Data journal January 1977
Geostatistical analysis of seafloor depressions on the southeast margin of New Zealand's South Island — Investigating the impact of dynamic near seafloor processes on geomorphology journal February 2015
Reduced ventilation and enhanced magnitude of the deep Pacific carbon pool during the last glacial period journal February 2015
Spatial variation in shallow sediment methane sources and cycling on the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Shelf/Slope journal August 2013
Neodymium isotope evidence for glacial-interglacial variability of deepwater transit time in the Pacific Ocean journal November 2018
Marine Radiocarbon Evidence for the Mechanism of Deglacial Atmospheric CO2 Rise journal June 2007

Similar Records

An integrated view of the methane system in the pockmarks at Vestnesa Ridge, 79°N
Journal Article · Sat Jul 08 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Marine Geology · OSTI ID:1580153

Origin and Transformation of Light Hydrocarbons Ascending at an Active Pockmark on Vestnesa Ridge, Arctic Ocean
Journal Article · Mon Jan 13 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth · OSTI ID:1580153

Seafloor pockmarks as possible indicators of paleoseismicity
Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) · OSTI ID:1580153

Related Subjects