Subsea Gas Emissions from the Barbados Accretionary Complex

Abstract:

We study newly identified gas plumes in the water column from the Barbados Accretionary Complex using multibeam echo soundings from cruise AT21-02. The multibeam data were used to define a region with several ~600 – 900 m tall gas plumes in the water column directly above cratered hummocky regions of the sea floor that have relatively high backscatter, at a water depth of ~1500 m. The natural gas hydrate stability zone reaches a minimum depth of ~600 m in the water column, similar to that of the tallest imaged bubble plumes, implying hydrate shells on the gas bubbles. Maximum tilt of the plume shows current shear in a direction from northwest to southeast (~128°), similar to the transport direction of North Atlantic Deep Water. The source of hydrocarbons, determined from existing geochemical data, suggests the gas source was subjacent marine Cretaceous source rocks. North-south trending faults, craters and mud volcanoes associated with the gas plumes point to the presence of a deep plumbing system and indicate that gas is a driver of mud volcanism. The widespread occurrence of seafloor morphology related to venting indicates that subsea emissions from the Barbados Accretionary Complex are substantial.