著者
松本 良 奥田 義久 蛭田 明宏 戸丸 仁 竹内 瑛一 山王 梨紗 鈴木 麻希 土永 和博 石田 泰士 石崎 理 武内 里香 小松原 純子 Antonio Fernando FREIRE 町山 栄章 青山 千春 上嶋 正人 弘松 峰男 Glen SNYDER 沼波 秀樹 佐藤 幹夫 的場 保望 中川 洋 角和 善隆 荻原 成騎 柳川 勝則 砂村 倫成 後藤 忠則 廬 海龍 小林 武志
出版者
公益社団法人 東京地学協会
雑誌
地学雑誌 (ISSN:0022135X)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.118, no.1, pp.43-71, 2009-02-25 (Released:2010-04-05)
参考文献数
46
被引用文献数
65 59

A number of extensive methane plumes and active methane seeps associated with large blocks of methane hydrates exposed on the seafloor strongly indicate extremely high methane flux and large accumulations of methane hydrate in shallow sediments of the Umitaka spur and Joetsu knoll of the Joetsu basin 30 km off Joetsu city, Niigata Prefecture. Crater-like depressions, incised valleys, and large but inactive pockmarks also indicate methane activities over the spur and knoll. These features imply strong expulsions of methane gas or methane-bearing fluids, and perhaps lifting and floating-up of large volumes of methane hydrate to the sea surface. High heat flow, ∼100 mK/m, deposition of organic-rich strata, ∼1.0 to 1.5%TOC, and Pliocene-Quaternary inversion-tectonics along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea facilitate thermal maturation of organic matters, and generation and migration of light-hydrocarbons through fault conduits, and accumulation of large volumes of methane as methane hydrate in shallow sediments. Microbial methane generation has also contributed to reinforcing the methane flux of the Joetsu basin. Regional methane flux as observed by the depth of the sulfate-methane interface (SMI) is significantly high, < 1 m to 3 m, when compared to classic gas hydrate fields of Blake Ridge, 15 to 20 m, and Nankai trough, 3 to 15 m. δ13C of methane hydrate and seep gases are mostly within -30 to -50‰, the range of thermogenic methane, while dissolved methane of the interstitial waters a few kilometers away from seep sites are predominated by microbial with δ13C of -50 to -100‰. Seismic profiles have revealed fault-related, well-developed gas chimney structures, 0.2 to 3.5 km in diameter, on the spur and knoll. The structures are essential for conveying methane from deep-seated sources to shallow depths as well as for accumulating methane hydrate (gas chimney type deposits). The depth of BSR, which represents the base of gas hydrate stability (BGHS), on the spur and knoll is generally 0.20 to 0.23 seconds in two-way-travel time, whereas the BSRs in gas chimneys occur at 0.14 to 0.18 seconds, exhibiting a sharp pull-up structure. The apparent shallow BGHS is due to the accumulation of large volumes of high-velocity methane hydrate in gas chimneys. The depth to BGHS is estimated to be 115 m on an experimentally determined stability diagram, based on an observed thermal gradient of 100 mK/m. Then the velocity of the sediments on the Umitaka spur is calculated to be 1000 m/s, which is anomalously low compared to normal pelagic mud of 1600-1700 m/s. This exciting finding leads to the important implication that sediments of the Umitaka spur contain significant amounts of free gas, although the sediments are well within the stability field of methane hydrate. The reasons for the existence of free gas in the methane hydrate stability field are not fully explained, but we propose the following possible mechanisms for the unusual co-existence of methane hydrate and free-gas in clay-silt of the spur. (i) High salinity effect of residual waters, (ii) degassing from ascending fluids, (iii) bound water effect and deficiency of free-waters, and (iv) micro-pore effect of porous media. All of these processes relate to the development of gas hydrate deposits of the Umitaka spur.(View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)
著者
佐藤 時幸 中川 洋 小松原 純子 松本 良 井龍 康文 松田 博貴 大村 亜希子 小田原 啓 武内 里香
出版者
日本地質学会
雑誌
地質學雜誌 (ISSN:00167630)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.110, no.1, pp.38-50, 2004-01-15
参考文献数
25
被引用文献数
5 10

沖縄本島南部のうりずん露頭とそれに近接する守礼ゴルフ場露頭における知念層の石灰質ナンノ化石および浮遊性有孔虫化石生層序を検討した.その結果,知念層基底の地質時代は両露頭とも1.97 Maよりやや古い鮮新世末に対比されるが,うりずん露頭における知念層の基底の地質年代は,守礼ゴルフ場露頭の同基底年代よりやや古い.また,うりずん露頭および守礼ゴルフ場露頭のいずれにも時間間隙が認められたが,うりずん露頭では知念層下部に約30万年の時間間隙が,守礼ゴルフ場では新里層と知念層の境界に若干の時間間隙が推定され,両露頭は近接するにもかかわらず,時間間隙の層準および規模が異なることが明らかとなった.本研究の結果は,琉球列島が現在のようなサンゴ礁の広がる海域へと姿を変えた過程を復元するためには,知念層およびその上下層の岩相層序と微化石層序との関係を解明することが,重要であることを示唆している.