Abstract
Interpretation of a three-dimensional (3-D) seismic dataset from offshore of Mauritania reveals a shear zone at the base of a partially developed slope failure. The shear zone is at a depth of ~ 220 m below the seabed, immediately above a hydrate bottom simulating reflector (BSR). We propose that a paleo-gas accumulation trapped below hydrate was the primer for what would have been a substantial submarine slope failure of ~ 220 m thickness, covering ~ 50 km2. This is based on the following observations: (a) the shear surface is, at the level of seismic resolution, coincident with some present gas accumulations located immediately below sediment that hosts hydrate; (b) there are remnants of a more extensive paleo gas accumulation that would have generated sufficient buoyancy pressure for the shear surface to be critically stressed and therefore primed the failure; (c) seismic pipes are a common seismic feature within the studied succession but absent in the area of the shear zone, which supports the hypothesis that a high gas column could have existed. This is a rare example of a shear zone that did not lead to the complete development of a slope failure. It provides the first seismic evidence that the buoyancy effect of gas below the hydrate rather than the hydrate dissociation is also a viable mechanism for large-scale slope failures.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 264-271 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Marine Geology |
Volume | 380 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oceanography
- Geology
- Geochemistry and Petrology
Keywords
- BSR
- Buoyancy
- Gas accumulation
- Gas hydrate
- Submarine failure