Marine Geophysics

The distribution and provenance strata of mud volcanoes in the waters southwest of the Dongsha Islands

  • ZHAO Xu ,
  • YAN Pin ,
  • WANG Yanlin ,
  • ZHENG Hongbo
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  • 1. Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; 2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Received date: 2015-11-12

  Online published: 2016-09-22

Supported by

Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41376062, 91328205, 41349908); Security Project of Marine Geology (GHZ20110205)

Abstract

A few mud volcanoes were found in the Dongsha waters according to reconnaissance multi-channel seismic (MCS) and Chirp sub-bottom profiles. Denser MCS and sub-bottom survey lines were run in the area in 2014. Blanking zones under submarine mounds and rimmed depression were revealed by the MCS section, while locally enhanced seafloor reflection and gas plumes, by Chirp sub-bottom data. Correlation of MCS profiles and sub-bottom profiles shows these mud volcanoes sit in the NWW-SEE. The largest mud volcano there is ~15 km long, ~8 km wide, and ~285 m high. The steep slopes of mud volcanoes ranged from 5.5° to 15.9°. Correlated with the interpreted MCS profiles nearby, the provenance strata of some mud volcanoes there is of Mesozoic, considering that the tectonic deformation and reflection blanking zone under mud volcanoes extends at least 5.5 km below seafloor.

Cite this article

ZHAO Xu , YAN Pin , WANG Yanlin , ZHENG Hongbo . The distribution and provenance strata of mud volcanoes in the waters southwest of the Dongsha Islands[J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2016 , 35(5) : 88 -96 . DOI: 10.11978/2015138

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