Asphalt volcanism and chemosynthetic life in the Campeche Knolls, Gulf of Mexico

MacDonald, I.R.; Bohrmann, G.; Escobar, E.; Abegg, F.; Blanchon, P.; Blinova, V.; Bruckmann, W.; Drews, M.; Eisenhauer, A.; Han, X.; Heeschen, K.; Meier, F.; Mortera, C.; Naehr, T.; Orcutt, B.; Bernard, B.; Brooks, J.; de Farago, M.. 2004 Asphalt volcanism and chemosynthetic life in the Campeche Knolls, Gulf of Mexico. Science, 304 (5673). 999-1002. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1097154

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract/Summary

In the Campeche Knolls, in the southern Gulf of Mexico, lava-like flows of solidified asphalt cover more than 1 square kilometer of the rim of a dissected salt dome at a depth of 3000 meters below sea level. Chemosynthetic tubeworms and bivalves colonize the sea floor near the asphalt, which chilled and contracted after discharge. The site also includes oil seeps, gas hydrate deposits, locally anoxic sediments, and slabs of authigenic carbonate. Asphalt volcanism creates a habitat for chemosynthetic life that may be widespread at great depth in the Gulf of Mexico.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1097154
ISSN:	0036-8075
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date made live:	04 Jul 2006 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/140540

Actions (login required)

View Item

Document Downloads

More statistics for this item...