Abstract
Recent findings of high heat flow and gas vents in the Wagner-Consag basins support the hypothesis of active hydrothermal activity in the area. Chemical studies of the sediments from the Wagner Basin show that they have been subject to alteration of the sediment organic matter due to hydrothermal activity, similar to what has been reported in the Central Gulf of California (Guaymas Basin), where high heat flow has been related to hydrocarbon generation and thermogenic methane abundance. Organic matter in the sediment provides evidence of maturation related to elevated temperatures in the ocean bottom nearby the gas-venting features. The presence of specific organic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), mono- and dimethylated alkanes and naphthalene trimethylated isomers, in addition to the large sulfur content of the sediments, indicates hydrothermal alteration of the sediment organic matter (SOM). Identification of the isoprenoid (PM1) related to the phylum Crenarchaeota is evidence of high temperature (75 to 105° C) as this is the optimal temperature for those organisms. This coincides with identification of Archea by DNA sequencing from the sediments surrounding the gas vents. High variability was observed in the maturity of organic matter in the sediments of the basins in correlation with the presence of hydrothermal activity.
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