Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit Research Articles

Sampling of basement fluids via Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits (CORKs) for dissolved gases, fluid fixation at the seafloor, and the characterization of organic carbon

The advanced instrumented GeoMICROBE sleds (Cowen et al., 2012) facilitate the collection of hydrothermal fluids and suspended particles in the subseafloor (basaltic) basement through Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits (CORKs) installed within boreholes of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. The main components of the GeoMICROBE can be converted into a mobile pumping system (MPS) that is installed on the front basket of a submersible or remotely-operated-vehicle (ROV). Here, we provide details of a hydrothermal fluid-trap used on the MPS, through which a gastight sampler can withdraw fluids. We also applied the MPS to demonstrate the value of fixing samples at the seafloor in order to determine redox-sensitive dissolved iron concentrations and speciation measurements. To make the best use of the GeoMICROBE sleds, we describe a miniature and mobile version of the GeoMICROBE sled, which permits rapid turn-over and is relatively easy for preparation and operation. Similar to GeoMICROBE sleds, the Mobile GeoMICROBE (MGM) is capable of collecting fluid samples, filtration of suspended particles, and extraction of organics. We validate this approach by demonstrating the seafloor extraction of hydrophobic organics from a large volume (247L) of hydrothermal fluids.•We describe the design of a hydrothermal fluid-trap for use with a gastight sampler, as well as the use of seafloor fixation, through ROV- or submersible assisted mobile pumping systems.•We describe the design of a Mobile GeoMICROBE (MGM) that enhances large volume hydrothermal fluid sampling, suspended particle filtration, and organic matter extraction on the seafloor.•We provide an example of organic matter extracted and characterized from hydrothermal fluids via a MGM.

Development and Application of Techniques for Borehole Observation of Fluids under the Seafloor

Fluid is ubiquitous under the seafloor, which is important to the geochemical and biogeochemical interactions and the processes such as the transportation of matter and energy across the seafloor. Sub-seafloor fluid is paid attention to by many studies, and drilling the seafloor provides good opportunities to observe it. Techniques and instruments for in-situ observation of sub-seafloor fluid will be reviewed in this paper, including Packer, Simple Cabled Instrument for Measuring Properties in situ (SCIMPI), and especially Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK), and their implication and scientific results related will also be introduced briefly.

Simple, affordable, and sustainable borehole observatories for complex monitoring objectives

Abstract. Seafloor drill rigs are remotely operated systems that provide a cost-effective means to recover sedimentary records of the upper sub-seafloor deposits. Recent increases in their payload included downhole logging tools or autoclave coring systems. Here we report on another milestone in using seafloor rigs: the development and installation of shallow borehole observatories. Three different systems have been developed for the MARUM-MeBo (Meeresboden-Bohrgerät) seafloor drill, which is operated by MARUM, University of Bremen, Germany. A simple design, the MeBoPLUG, separates the inner borehole from the overlying ocean by using o-ring seals at the conical threads of the drill pipe. The systems are self-contained and include data loggers, batteries, thermistors and a differential pressure sensor. A second design, the so-called MeBoCORK (Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit), is more sophisticated and also hosts an acoustic modem for data transfer and, if desired, fluid sampling capability using osmotic pumps. In these MeBoCORKs, two systems have to be distinguished: the CORK-A (A stands for autonomous) can be installed by the MeBo alone and monitors pressure and temperature inside and above the borehole (the latter for reference); the CORK-B (B stands for bottom) has a higher payload and can additionally be equipped with geochemical, biological or other physical components. Owing to its larger size, it is installed by a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) and utilises a hot-stab connection in the upper portion of the drill string. Either design relies on a hot-stab connection from beneath in which coiled tubing with a conical drop weight is lowered to couple to the formation. These tubes are fluid-saturated and either serve to transmit pore pressure signals or collect porewater in the osmo-sampler. The third design, the MeBoPUPPI (Pop-Up Pore Pressure Instrument), is similar to the MeBoCORK-A and monitors pore pressure and temperature in a self-contained manner. Instead of transferring data on command using an acoustic modem, the MeBoPUPPI contains a pop-up telemetry with iridium link. After a predefined period, the data unit with satellite link is released, ascends to the sea surface, and remains there for up to 2 weeks while sending the long-term data sets to shore. In summer 2012, two MeBoPLUGs, one MeBoCORK-A and one MeBoCORK-B were installed with MeBo on RV Sonne, Germany, in the Nankai Trough area, Japan. We have successfully downloaded data from the CORKs, attesting that coupling to the formation worked, and pressure records were elevated relative to the seafloor reference. In the near future, we will further deploy the first two MeBoPUPPIs. Recovery of all monitoring systems by a ROV is planned for 2016.

Slow and delayed deformation and uplift of the outermost subduction prism following ETS and seismogenic slip events beneath Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Two ODP CORK (Ocean Drilling Program circulation obviation retrofit kit) borehole hydrologic observatory sites deployed in 2002 at the toe of the subduction prism off Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica were visited in December 2013. The five years of seafloor and formation fluid pressure data collected since the previous visit include clear signals associated with an episodic tremor and slip (ETS) event off the coast of Nicoya Peninsula in 2009, and a Mw 7.6 subduction thrust earthquake beneath the Peninsula in 2012. Formation pressure anomalies associated with the ETS event are similar to ones observed following ETS events observed previously here, as well as ones following very low frequency earthquake swarms within the Nankai accretionary prism off southwestern Japan. Positive and negative impulsive transients in the hanging wall and foot wall of the subduction thrust, respectively, suggest contractional and dilatational strain generated by local slip propagating up the thrust fault beneath the outermost prism. In the case of the 2009 event, the transients occurred roughly two weeks after the initiation of slip observed at GPS sites along the adjacent coast. At the same time, a decrease in seafloor pressure at the prism site relative to the subducting plate was observed, indicating concurrent uplift of the prism of 1.2 cm. Other events at the prism toe following ETS events closer to the coast are seen in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. The time between the initiation of ETS slip constrained by GPS and the onset of the prism toe transients suggest up-dip “rupture” propagation along the seaward part of the subduction thrust at rates of a few km/day. In the case of the 2009 event, the slip at the prism toe (c. 11 cm), estimated from the 1.2 cm uplift and the local dip on the decollement (6°), is roughly a factor of 5 greater than the slip further landward estimated from GPS data by Dixon et al. (in press). In other cases, slip at the toe is less or unresolvable. Similar uplift and formation fluid pressure transients occurred two days after the 2012 Nicoya thrust earthquake, then episodically (unrelated to aftershocks) every 1–3 weeks over the next few months. Slip rates at the prism toe, estimated from the magnitude and duration of these and ETS-related uplift events, are roughly 5 cm/day. Such rates are much too slow for tsunamigenesis or seismogenesis. Total slip of the outermost prism after the 2012 earthquake, determined from the uplift accumulated until the end of the observation period and the estimated local fault dip, is roughly 75 cm, a significant fraction of the seismogenic slip of the Mw 7.6 earthquake itself (a maximum of over 3 m). Negative steps in formation pressure are observed at both the prism and subducting plate sites simultaneous with the 2012 thrust earthquake. The sign of these steps is inconsistent with the contractional deformation predicted by an elastic fault-dislocation model with slip limited to the seismogenic zone. Highly compliant (low shear modulus) sediment below the decollement, or very low-stress deformation along splay faults, may be responsible for the co-seismic dilatation observed in the outermost prism and incoming plate.

Dissolved hydrogen and methane in the oceanic basaltic biosphere

The oceanic basaltic crust is the largest aquifer on Earth and has the potential to harbor substantial subsurface microbial ecosystems, which hitherto remains largely uncharacterized and is analogous to extraterrestrial subsurface habitats. Within the sediment-buried 3.5 Myr old basaltic crust of the eastern Juan de Fuca Ridge flank, the circulating basement fluids have moderate temperature (∼65 °C) and low to undetectable dissolved oxygen and nitrate concentrations. Sulfate, present in high concentrations, is therefore expected to serve as the major electron acceptor in this subsurface environment. This study focused on the availability and potential sources of two important electron donors, methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2), for the subseafloor biosphere. High integrity basement fluids were collected via fluid delivery lines associated with Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits (CORKs) that extend from basement depths to outlet ports at the seafloor. Two new CORKs installed during IODP 327 in 2010, 1362A and 1362B, were sampled in 2011 and 2013. The two CORKs are superior than earlier style CORKs in that they are equipped with coated casing and polytetrafluoroethylene fluid delivery lines, reducing the interaction between casing materials with the environment. Additional samples were collected from an earlier style CORK at Borehole 1301A.The basement fluids are enriched in H2 (0.05–1.8 μmol/kg), suggesting that the ocean basaltic aquifer can support H2-driven metabolism. The basement fluids also contain significant amount of CH4 (5–32 μmol/kg), revealing CH4 as an available substrate for subseafloor basaltic habitats. The δ13C values of CH4 from the three boreholes ranged from −22.5 to −58‰, while the δ2H values ranged from −316 to 57‰. The isotopic compositions of CH4 and the molecular compositions of hydrocarbons suggest that CH4 in the basement fluids is of both biogenic and abiotic origins, varying among sites and sampling times. The δ2H values of CH4 in CORK 1301A fluid samples are much more positive than found in all other marine environments investigated to date and are best explained by the partial microbial oxidation of biogenic CH4. In conclusion, our study shows that CH4 and H2 are persistently available to fuel the deep biosphere and that CH4 is both produced and potentially consumed by microorganisms in the oceanic basement.

IODP Expedition 336: initiation of long-term coupled microbiological, geochemical, and hydrological experimentation within the seafloor at North Pond, western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Abstract. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 336 addressed questions concerning subseafloor microbial life and its relation to seawater circulation and basalt–seawater reactions in the basaltic ocean crust. Sediment and basement samples were recovered at three drill sites located in the North Pond area, an 8 × 15 km large sediment pond on the 8 Ma western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge around 22°45' N and 46°05' W in roughly 4450 m water depth. The average core recovery rate in basement was approx. 31%. The subseafloor depth of the basement holes ranges from 90 to 332 m; sediment thickness is between 36 and 90 m. Two of the holes (U1382A, and U1383C) were equipped with advanced Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK) observatories, employing – for the first time – fiberglass casing. Another CORK string was deployed in Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Hole 395A, but the wellhead broke off upon final installment. Nonetheless, the North Pond observatory is fully operational and post-cruise observatory research is already underway. Combined geochemical and microbiological studies of the drill core samples and experimental CORK materials will help understand (1) the extent and activity of microbial life in basalt and its relation to basalt alteration by circulating seawater, and (2) the mechanism of microbial inoculation of an isolated sediment pond.

Phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms in subseafloor crustal fluids from Holes 1025C and 1026B along the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank.

To expand investigations into the phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms inhabiting the subseafloor biosphere, basalt-hosted crustal fluids were sampled from Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits (CORKs) affixed to Holes 1025C and 1026B along the Juan de Fuca Ridge (JdFR) flank using a clean fluid pumping system. These boreholes penetrate the crustal aquifer of young ocean crust (1.24 and 3.51 million years old, respectively), but differ with respect to borehole depth and temperature at the sediment-basement interface (147 m and 39°C vs. 295 m and 64°C, respectively). Cloning and sequencing of PCR-amplified small subunit ribosomal RNA genes revealed that fluids retrieved from Hole 1025C were dominated by relatives of the genus Desulfobulbus of the Deltaproteobacteria (56% of clones) and Candidatus Desulforudis of the Firmicutes (17%). Fluids sampled from Hole 1026B also contained plausible deep subseafloor inhabitants amongst the most abundant clone lineages; however, both geochemical analysis and microbial community structure reveal the borehole to be compromised by bottom seawater intrusion. Regardless, this study provides independent support for previous observations seeking to identify phylogenetic groups of microorganisms common to the deep ocean crustal biosphere, and extends previous observations by identifying additional lineages that may be prevalent in this unique environment.

Episodic deformation and inferred slow slip at the Nankai subduction zone during the first decade of CORK borehole pressure and VLFE monitoring

With new data recovered in December 2011 and November 2012 from two Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) CORK (circulation obviation retrofit kit) borehole observatories in the toe of the Nankai subduction zone accretionary prism (Hole 808I) and in the subducting Philippine Sea plate (Hole 1173B) off Southwestern Japan, records of formation fluid pressure now span over 10yr. Over nearly this same period of time the Japanese terrestrial HiNet array has enabled detection of small earthquakes across the breadth of the accretionary prism. The records include several formation fluid pressure anomalies and concurrent local very-low-frequency earthquake (VLFE) swarms. In the subducting plate, pressure anomalies are most commonly slow negative steps that are inferred to reflect dilatational strain associated with slow slip on the subduction thrust fault in the areas of VLFE activity. In three instances, concurrent positive impulsive anomalies are observed in the prism; these are inferred to reflect contraction when slip reaches the location of Hole 808I. The spatial distribution of VLFEs suggests that slow slip may occur in patches that cumulatively span the seaward half of the subduction prism. Two anomalies occurred at times of the largest earthquakes in the region, the September 2004 Mw 7.7 off-Kii earthquake 220km to the northeast, and the March 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake roughly 900km to the northeast. In the subducting plate, the observed changes in pressure are abrupt and consistent in sign with the expected coseismic strain (contractional and dilatational, respectively). In the case of the Tohoku earthquake, the co-seismic pressure decrease was followed 12 days later by an additional but slow decrease, and by an impulsive but complex and long-lived increase in the accretionary prism Hole 808I. In this instance, co-seismic cross-strike stress may have triggered post-seismic slip and the deformation seen in the plate and prism. Given the great distance from the Tohoku epicenter and small change in stress estimated at the Nankai observatory sites (ca. 7kPa shear stress), triggering of local slip would require the outer subduction thrust and overlying prism in this region to be very fragile. To what degree this state might vary with time is not known, but tracking episodic slip in the seaward part of this and other subduction zones using formation-fluid-pressure and VLFE monitoring may provide valuable clues about the evolution of subduction faults through their thrust earthquake cycles.

Scientific Drilling

No abstract available. doi:10.2204/iodp.sd.14.05.2012

Scientific Drilling

The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is a major long-term drilling project designed to investigate the seismogenic behavior of subduction zone plate boundaries. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 332 deployed a long-term borehole monitoring system (LTBMS), an advanced Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK)-type observatory. The recovery of pressure and temperature data from a temporary observatory (SmartPlug) deployed during IODP Expedition 319 helped prove the SmartPlug concept. The permanent LTBMS was deployed n the upper 1000 m of Site C0002, while the SmartPlug was recovered from Site C0010 and replaced with a more capable "GeniusPlug", incorporating an extension with a geochem-ical sampler and biological experiment to the original SmartPlug design. SmartPlug pressure and temperature data showed signs of transient pressure events. doi:10.2204/iodp.sd.14.04.2012

The IODP Expedition 332 : Eyes on the Prism, The NanTroSEIZE Observatories

The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is a major long-term drilling project designed to investigate the seismogenic behavior of subduction zone plate boundaries. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 332 deployed a long-term borehole monitoring system (LTBMS), an advanced Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK)-type observatory. The recovery of pressure and temperature data from a temporary observatory (SmartPlug) deployed during IODP Expedition 319 helped prove the SmartPlug concept. The permanent LTBMS was deployed n the upper 1000 m of Site C0002, while the SmartPlug was recovered from Site C0010 and replaced with a more capable "GeniusPlug", incorporating an extension with a geochem-ical sampler and biological experiment to the original SmartPlug design. SmartPlug pressure and temperature data showed signs of transient pressure events. <br><br> doi:<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2204/iodp.sd.14.04.2012" target="_blank">10.2204/iodp.sd.14.04.2012</a>

Microbial diversity within basement fluids of the sediment-buried Juan de Fuca Ridge flank

Despite its immense size, logistical and methodological constraints have largely limited microbiological investigations of the subseafloor basement biosphere. In this study, a unique sampling system was used to collect fluids from the subseafloor basaltic crust via a Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK) observatory at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program borehole 1301A, located at a depth of 2667 m in the Pacific Ocean on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Here, a fluid delivery line directly accesses a 3.5 million years old basalt-hosted basement aquifer, overlaid by 262 m of sediment, which serves as a barrier to direct exchange with bottom seawater. At an average of 1.2 × 10(4) cells ml(-1), microorganisms in borehole fluids were nearly an order of magnitude less abundant than in surrounding bottom seawater. Ribosomal RNA genes were characterized from basement fluids, providing the first snapshots of microbial community structure using a high-integrity fluid delivery line. Interestingly, microbial communities retrieved from different CORKs (1026B and 1301A) nearly a decade apart shared major community members, consistent with hydrogeological connectivity. However, over three sampling years, the dominant gene clone lineage changed from relatives of Candidatus Desulforudis audaxviator within the bacterial phylum Firmicutes in 2008 to the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group in 2009 and a lineage within the JTB35 group of Gammaproteobacteria in 2010, and statistically significant variation in microbial community structure was observed. The enumeration of different phylogenetic groups of cells within borehole 1301A fluids supported our observation that the deep subsurface microbial community was temporally dynamic.

IODP Expedition 327 and Atlantis Expedition AT 18-07:Observatories and Experiments on the Eastern Flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

Abstract. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 327 (summer 2010) was designed to resolve the nature of fluid-rock interactions in young, upper volcanic crust on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Expedition 327 drilled, cased and cored two new basement holes, conducted hydrogeologic experiments, and installed subseafloor borehole observatories (Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits, CORKs). These CORKs were intended to allow borehole conditions to recover to a more natural state after the dissipation of disturbances caused by drilling, casing, and other operations; provide a long-term monitoring and sampling presence for determining fluid pressure, temperature, composition, and microbiology; and facilitate the completion of active experiments to resolve crustal hydrogeologic conditions and processes. Expedition 327 was followed (summer 2011) by R/V Atlantis Expedition AT18-07, with the remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) Jason, to service these CORKs, collect subseafloor pressure data, recover and deploy autonomous fluid and microbial samplers, collect large volumes of borehole fluids, and initiate a cross-hole hydrogeologic experiment using an electromagnetic flow meter. In addition, Atlantis Expedition AT18-07 refurbished an old CORK that could not be replaced during IODP Expedition 327, completing a critical part of the three-dimensional observation network that is currently being used to monitor a large-scale, directional formation response to long-term fluid flow from the crust. doi: 10.2204/iodp.sd.13.01.2011

IODP Expedition 328: Early Results of Cascadia Subduction Zone ACORK Observatory

Abstract. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 328 was devoted to the installation of an Advanced CORK (Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit) in the Cascadia subduction zone accretionary prism to observe the physical state and properties of the formation as they are influenced by long-term and episodic deformation and by gas hydrate accumulation. Pressures are monitored at four levels on the outside of a standard 10 3/4-inch casing string, two above and two below the base of the gas-hydrate stability zone at 230 mbsf (m below seafloor). The casing was sealed at the bottom, leaving the inside open down to 302 mbsf for installation of a tilt meter, seismometer, and thermistor cable (scheduled for 2013). The initial data, recovered in July 2011, document an initially smooth recovery from the drilling perturbation followed by what may be a sequence of hole-collapse events. Pressure at the deepest screen is roughly 40 kPa above hydrostatic; higher pressures (80 kPa) are observed at the two screens close to the level of hydrate stability. Tidal variations at the deepest screen are in phase with ocean tides, and define a loading efficiency of 0.6, which is reasonable in light of the consolidation state of the for-mation (porosity ~0.5). Tidal signals near the level of gas hydrate stability display large phase lags, probably as a consequence of hydraulic diffusion stimulated by the large contrast in interstitial fluid compressibility at the gas-hydrate boundary. The degree of isolation among the screens, the anticipated good coupling, and the estimated strain-to-pressure conversion efficiency (~5 kPa μstrain−1) indicate that this installation will serve well to host a variety of hydrologic, seismic, and geodynamic experiments. doi: 10.2204/iodp.sd.13.02.2011

IODP Expedition 328: Early Results of Cascadia Subduction Zone ACORK Observatory

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 328 was devoted to the installation of an "Advanced CORK" (Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit) in the Cascadia subduction zone accretionary prism to observe the physical state and properties of the formation as they are influenced by long-term and episodic deformation and by gas hydrate accumulation. Pressures are monitored at four levels on the outside of a standard 10 3/4-inch casing string, two above and two below the base of the gas-hydrate stability zone at 230 mbsf (m below seafloor). The casing was sealed at the bottom, leaving the inside open down to 302 mbsf for installation of a tilt meter, seismometer, and thermistor cable (scheduled for 2013). The initial data, recovered in July 2011, document an initially smooth recovery from the drilling perturbation followed by what may be a sequence of hole-collapse events. Pressure at the deepest screen is roughly 40 kPa above hydrostatic; higher pressures (80 kPa) are observed at the two screens close to the level of hydrate stability. Tidal variations at the deepest screen are in phase with ocean tides, and define a loading efficiency of 0.6, which is reasonable in light of the consolidation state of the for-mation (porosity ~0.5). Tidal signals near the level of gas hydrate stability display large phase lags, probably as a consequence of hydraulic diffusion stimulated by the large contrast in interstitial fluid compressibility at the gas-hydrate boundary. The degree of isolation among the screens, the anticipated good coupling, and the estimated strain-to-pressure conversion efficiency (~5 kPa μstrain<sup>−1</sup>) indicate that this installation will serve well to host a variety of hydrologic, seismic, and geodynamic experiments. <br><br> doi:<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2204/iodp.sd.13.02.2011" target="_blank">10.2204/iodp.sd.13.02.2011</a>

IODP Expedition 327 and <i>Atlantis</i> Expedition AT 18-07: Observatories and Experiments on the Eastern Flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 327 (summer 2010) was designed to resolve the nature of fluid-rock interactions in young, upper volcanic crust on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Expedition 327 drilled, cased and cored two new basement holes, conducted hydrogeologic experiments, and installed subseafloor borehole observatories (<i>Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits</i>, CORKs). These CORKs were intended to allow borehole conditions to recover to a more natural state after the dissipation of disturbances caused by drilling, casing, and other operations; provide a long-term monitoring and sampling presence for determining fluid pressure, temperature, composition, and microbiology; and facilitate the completion of active experiments to resolve crustal hydrogeologic conditions and processes. Expedition 327 was followed (summer 2011) by R/V <i>Atlantis</i> Expedition AT18-07, with the remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) <i>Jason</i>, to service these CORKs, collect subseafloor pressure data, recover and deploy autonomous fluid and microbial samplers, collect large volumes of borehole fluids, and initiate a cross-hole hydrogeologic experiment using an electromagnetic flow meter. In addition, <i>Atlantis</i> Expedition AT18-07 refurbished an old CORK that could not be replaced during IODP Expedition 327, completing a critical part of the three-dimensional observation network that is currently being used to monitor a large-scale, directional formation response to long-term fluid flow from the crust. <br><br> doi:<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2204/iodp.sd.13.01.2011" target="_blank">10.2204/iodp.sd.13.01.2011</a>

Inorganic chemistry, gas compositions and dissolved organic carbon in fluids from sedimented young basaltic crust on the Juan de Fuca Ridge flanks

The permeable upper oceanic basement serves as a plausible habitat for a variety of microbial communities. There is growing evidence suggesting a substantial subseafloor biosphere. Here new time series data are presented on key inorganic species, methane, hydrogen and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in ridge flank fluids obtained from subseafloor observatory CORKs (Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kits) at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) boreholes 1301A and 1026B. These data show that the new sampling methods (Cowen et al., 2012) employed at 1301A result in lower contamination than earlier studies. Furthermore, sample collection methods permitted most chemical analyses to be performed from aliquots of single large volume samples, thereby allowing more direct comparison of the data. The low phosphate concentrations (0.06–0.2μM) suggest that relative to carbon and nitrogen, phosphorus could be a limiting nutrient in the basement biosphere. Coexisting sulfate (17–18mM), hydrogen sulfide (∼0.1μM), hydrogen (0.3–0.7μM) and methane (1.5–2μM) indicates that the basement aquifer at 1301A either draws fluids from multiple flow paths with different redox histories or is a complex environment that is not thermodynamically controlled and may allow co-occurring metabolic pathways including sulfate reduction and methanogenesis. The low DOC concentrations (11–18μM) confirm that ridge flank basement is a net DOC sink and ultimately a net carbon sink. Based on the net amounts of DOC, oxygen, nitrate and sulfate removed (∼30μM, ∼80μM, ∼40μM and ∼10mM, respectively) from entrained bottom seawater, organic carbon may be aerobically or anaerobically oxidized in biotic and/or abiotic processes.

Advanced instrument system for real-time and time-series microbial geochemical sampling of the deep (basaltic) crustal biosphere

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program borehole CORK (Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit) observatories provide long-term access to hydrothermal fluids circulating within the basaltic crust (basement), providing invaluable opportunities to study the deep biosphere. We describe the design and application parameters of the GeoMICROBE instrumented sled, an autonomous sensor and fluid sampling system. The GeoMICROBE system couples with CORK fluid delivery lines to draw large volumes of fluids from crustal aquifers to the seafloor. These fluids pass a series of in-line sensors and an in situ filtration and collection system. GeoMICROBE's major components include a primary valve manifold system, a positive displacement primary pump, sensors (e.g., fluid flow rate, temperature, dissolved O2, electrochemistry-voltammetry analyzer), a 48-port in situ filtration and fluid collection system, computerized controller, seven 24V–40A batteries and wet-mateable (ODI) communications with submersibles. This constantly evolving system has been successfully connected to IODP Hole 1301A on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Also described here is a mobile pumping system (MPS), which possesses many of the same components as the GeoMICROBE (e.g., pump, sensors, controller), but is directly powered and controlled in real time via submersible operations; the MPS has been employed repeatedly to collect pristine basement fluids for a variety of geochemical and microbial studies.

DARTs and CORK in Cascadia Basin: High-resolution observations of the 2004 Sumatra tsunami in the northeast Pacific

[1] We report unique deep-sea recordings of the Sumatra tsunami of December 2004 by high-resolution DART® (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami) and CORK (Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit) bottom pressure sensors deployed at depths of ∼1500–3500 m in Cascadia Basin in the northeast Pacific. The simultaneous records from these sites establish the first-ever regional-scale tsunami detection array for the open ocean, enabling us to resolve both seafloor and crustal tsunami signals and to determine fundamental properties of the waves following their 22,000 km journey from the source region. Waves reaching the basin had mean amplitudes of ∼5 mm with energy spread over a broad frequency band from 0.4 to 7 cph. Peak tsunami energy was in the 0.8 to 2 cph (75 to 30 min) band. Leading waves from the event arrived 34–35 h after the earthquake, roughly 7 h later than expected, suggesting that the tsunami mainly propagated by the “most economic” (minimum energy loss) path along mid-ocean ridge wave-guides rather than taking the direct and fastest path across the ocean. Motions within the peak energy band comprise roughly 50% coherent progressive waves propagating from the south at longwave phase speeds of ∼150 ms−1 and 50% random waves scattered from the coast and bottom irregularities. Tsunami amplitudes in the borehole were one-third those on the seafloor. The extensive “ringing” and anomalously slow (3.5-day) e-folding decay time of the tsunami wave energy indicates long duration energy flux radiating from the Indian Ocean via the Southern Pacific Ocean.

海洋地殻内流体の熱水循環に伴う物質フラックス

The recent Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and submersible studies have verified the importance of fluid circulation below the seafloor and exchanges of water between the crust and the oceans. Heat flow data indicate the important contribution of low-temperature hydrothermal systems on ridge flanks, which transport more than 70% of global convection heat loss (= hydrothermal flux) from the seafloor. Global water mass flux of hydrothermal fluid on ridge flanks is estimated to be 4.8 × 1015 kg/year, which is much larger than the high-temperature hydrothermal fluid flux on the ridge axis. Chemical exchanges between oceanic crust and oceans through low-temperature hydrothermal processes on ridge flanks are important in the context of global geochemical budgets. The first opportunity to collect samples of formation fluid circulating within the oceanic crust was provided by the discovery of low-temperature hydrothermal fluid emanating from an outcrop located at the 3.5 Ma ridge flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Drilling into basement oceanic crust and deploying Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK) facilities on the drilled holes provided another opportunity for directly sampling formation fluid. Based on the database of the chemical composition of these fluids, coupled with the estimated global water mass flux through the ridge flank region, global geochemical fluxes can be calculated. An alternative estimation can be obtained by a mass balance calculation between the chemical composition of altered and unaltered oceanic crust samples obtained by ODP drillings. Both estimations demonstrate that uptake of Mg, K, Li, Rb, and C from seawater and addition of Ca, Si, Mn, and other metals to seawater contribute to globally significant geochemical fluxes. Hydrothermal processes at the ridge flank region enhance axial fluxes of some elements, but offset and cancel the axial fluxes of others, which is comparable to riverine inputs into the oceans for some chemical species. Hydrothermal fluid circulation at the ridge flank region represents a habitat that could potentially host a significant and unique subseafloor biosphere. Microbial activities in the deep sediment layer may be stimulated by the upward diffusion of formation fluid from the underlying basement. Several microbiological studies provide evidence for a unique microbial community within the subseafloor basement.