Eel River Basin Research Articles

Stream temperature response to climate change and water diversion activities

Stream temperature is an important control of many in-stream processes. There is rising concern about increases in stream temperature with projected climate changes and human-related water activities. Here, we investigate the responses to climate change and water diversions in Eel River basin. The increase in stream temperatures is considered to be the result of changes in air temperature, the proportion of base flow and the amount of stream flow derived from historical and future simulations using the integrated VIC hydrologic model and ANN stream temperature model. The results show that stream temperature will increase throughout the basin in the future under two climate change representative concentration pathways (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5) and will also be influenced by the water diversion activities schedules. Specifically, the stream temperature increases, in the late twenty-first century under RCP8.5 scenarios, from 1.20 to 2.40 °C in summer and from 0.58–3.46 °C in winter respectively; Water diversion activities in Eel River Basin can increase nearly 1 °C in stream temperature. Therefore, both climate change and water diversion activities can substantially cause the rise of more than 2 °C in stream temperature. In conclusion, stream temperature is mainly sensitive to the proportion of base flow in summer, but also the change of the amount of stream flow in winter in our case study area. In addition, it should be noted that the low intensity irrigation schedule has lower impacts on increasing stream temperature, whereas the high intensity irrigation schedule will further exacerbate the rise of stream temperature. Understanding the different impacts of climate change scenarios and irrigation schedules on stream temperature can help identify climate-sensitive regions, climate-sensitive seasons and water diversion schedules as well as assist in planning for climate change and social adaptive management.

Comparison of Archaeal and Bacterial Diversity in Methane Seep Carbonate Nodules and Host Sediments, Eel River Basin and Hydrate Ridge, USA.

Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) impacts carbon cycling by acting as a methane sink and by sequestering inorganic carbon via AOM-induced carbonate precipitation. These precipitates commonly take the form of carbonate nodules that form within methane seep sediments. The timing and sequence of nodule formation within methane seep sediments are not well understood. Further, the microbial diversity associated with sediment-hosted nodules has not been well characterized and the degree to which nodules reflect the microbial assemblage in surrounding sediments is unknown. Here, we conducted a comparative study of microbial assemblages in methane-derived authigenic carbonate nodules and their host sediments using molecular, mineralogical, and geochemical methods. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene diversity from paired carbonate nodules and sediments revealed that both sample types contained methanotrophic archaea (ANME-1 and ANME-2) and syntrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria (Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfobulbaceae), as well as other microbial community members. The combination of geochemical and molecular data from Eel River Basin and Hydrate Ridge suggested that some nodules formed in situ and captured the local sediment-hosted microbial community, while other nodules may have been translocated or may represent a record of conditions prior to the contemporary environment. Taken together, this comparative analysis offers clues to the formation regimes and mechanisms of sediment-hosted carbonate nodules.

A novel sister clade to the enterobacteria microviruses (family Microviridae) identified in methane seep sediments.

Methane seep microbial communities perform a key ecosystem service by consuming the greenhouse gas methane prior to its release into the hydrosphere, minimizing the impact of marine methane sources on our climate. Although previous studies have examined the ecology and biochemistry of these communities, none has examined viral assemblages associated with these habitats. We employed virus particle purification, genome amplification, pyrosequencing and gene/genome reconstruction and annotation on two metagenomic libraries, one prepared for ssDNA and the other for all DNA, to identify the viral community in a methane seep. Similarity analysis of these libraries (raw and assembled) revealed a community dominated by phages, with a significant proportion of similarities to the Microviridae family of ssDNA phages. We define these viruses as the Eel River Basin Microviridae (ERBM). Assembly and comparison of 21 ERBM closed circular genomes identified five as members of a novel sister clade to the Microvirus genus of Enterobacteria phages. Comparisons among other metagenomes and these Microviridae major-capsid sequences indicated that this clade of phages is currently unique to the Eel River Basin sediments. Given this ERBM clade's relationship to the Microviridae genus Microvirus, we define this sister clade as the candidate genus Pequeñovirus.

Nitrate-based niche differentiation by distinct sulfate-reducing bacteria involved in the anaerobic oxidation of methane

Diverse associations between methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacterial groups (SRB) often co-occur in marine methane seeps; however, the ecophysiology of these different symbiotic associations has not been examined. Here, we applied a combination of molecular, geochemical and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) coupled to nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (FISH-NanoSIMS) analyses of in situ seep sediments and methane-amended sediment incubations from diverse locations (Eel River Basin, Hydrate Ridge and Costa Rican Margin seeps) to investigate the distribution and physiology of a newly identified subgroup of the Desulfobulbaceae (seepDBB) found in consortia with ANME-2c archaea, and compared these with the more commonly observed associations between the same ANME partner and the Desulfobacteraceae (DSS). FISH analyses revealed aggregates of seepDBB cells in association with ANME-2 from both environmental samples and laboratory incubations that are distinct in their structure relative to co-occurring ANME/DSS consortia. ANME/seepDBB aggregates were most abundant in shallow sediment depths below sulfide-oxidizing microbial mats. Depth profiles of ANME/seepDBB aggregate abundance revealed a positive correlation with elevated porewater nitrate relative to ANME/DSS aggregates in all seep sites examined. This relationship with nitrate was supported by sediment microcosm experiments, in which the abundance of ANME/seepDBB was greater in nitrate-amended incubations relative to the unamended control. FISH-NanoSIMS additionally revealed significantly higher (15)N-nitrate incorporation levels in individual aggregates of ANME/seepDBB relative to ANME/DSS aggregates from the same incubation. These combined results suggest that nitrate is a geochemical effector of ANME/seepDBB aggregate distribution, and provides a unique niche for these consortia through their utilization of a greater range of nitrogen substrates than the ANME/DSS.

Method for Assessing Mineral Composition-Dependent Patterns in Microbial Diversity Using Magnetic and Density Separation

This study introduces a new method for characterizing mineral-associated microbial diversity in sedimentary environments, a habitat that has been intrinsically challenging to study in regard to microbe-mineral interactions. Mineral components were enriched from bulk environmental samples by magnetic susceptibility or density separation techniques and used in subsequent molecular and microscopic analyses. Testing and optimization of the method was performed on geochemically-distinct sediment horizons from Eel River Basin methane seeps and pyrite and sphalerite-rich hydrothermal vent samples from the Lau Basin. Initial results show reproducible variations in microbial diversity between mineral fractions from marine sedimentary environments enriched in authigenic pyrite and/or transition metal-bearing clay minerals. Specifically, different archaeal clades associated with the anaerobic oxidation of methane and putative sulfate-reducing deltaproteobbacteria show preferential colonization patterns, suggesting potential ecophysiological differences between closely-related taxa. These results indicate that mineral colonization may influence the extent and distribution of microbial diversity throughout unconsolidated sediments of the marine subsurface. The combination of mineral separation and molecular analyses introduced here provide a new approach for revealing previously concealed patterns of mineral-associated microbial diversity across a wide range of environments, from hard rock habitats to fine-grained lithologies.

The significance of deep-water cryptic bioturbation in slope-channel massive sand deposits of the lower Rio Dell Formation, Eel River basin, California

Deep-water massive (featureless) sands are commonly interpreted as indicators of flow conditions during or shortly after deposition and are almost never interpreted to reflect post-depositional homogenization due to bioturbation. Deep-water deposits of the lower Rio Dell Formation (Pliocene), Eel River basin (NW California), however, reveal previously unrecognized cryptically bioturbated fabrics in massive sandstone and mudstone. This study represents the first detailed documentation of cryptically bioturbated massive-appearing sandstone in deep-water channelized environments. Although fluid escape contributed to some of the massive-appearing textures in the Rio Dell Formation, we present criteria for recognizing cryptic bioturbation fabrics: (1) tubes with lithologically distinctive concentric linings or infillings, (2) meniscate backfill in burrows, (3) lithologically distinctive spreite, (4) concentric grain orientations, and (5) grains realigned adjacent to tubular structures. Using biostratigraphic data, detailed stratigraphic descriptions, core photos, and photomicrographs, we document ichnofabrics associated with two main lithofacies and their bounding surfaces: (1) diffuse muddy siltstone lithofacies (e.g. Planolites, Phycosiphon, Schaubcylindrichnus), (2) massive sandstone lithofacies (e.g. cryptic bioturbation , Planolites), (3) lithofacies crossers, (4) burrows that prefer the top-of-sand/base-of-mud interface (e.g. Planolites, Skolithos), and (5) a Glossifungites-demarcated discontinuity at the base of the massive sand lithofacies. We also establish two main lithofacies associations with characteristic sedimentologic traits. We use relative percentages of the lithofacies associations to interpret slope-channel depositional facies: distal channel margin, proximal channel margin, and channel axis. By comparing ichnologic characteristics to depositional facies, we conclude that proximity to the channel axis appear to control the degree and type of bioturbation observed in the massive-appearing deposits. Distal channel margin deposits preserve the smallest burrows, highly developed cryptic bioturbation fabrics, and the most complete sequence of background bioturbation. Proximal channel margin and channel axis deposits record larger burrows but incomplete cryptic bioturbated fabrics and an overall smaller proportion of preserved background bioturbation.

A geometric framework for channel network extraction from lidar: Nonlinear diffusion and geodesic paths

A geometric framework for the automatic extraction of channels and channel networks from high‐resolution digital elevation data is introduced in this paper. The proposed approach incorporates nonlinear diffusion for the preprocessing of the data, both to remove noise and to enhance features that are critical to the network extraction. Following this preprocessing, channels are defined as curves of minimal effort, or geodesics, where the effort is measured on the basis of fundamental geomorphological characteristics such as flow accumulation area and isoheight contours curvature. The merits of the proposed methodology, and especially the computational efficiency and accurate localization of the extracted channels, are demonstrated using light detection and ranging (lidar) data of the Skunk Creek, a tributary of the South Fork Eel River basin in northern California.

Pseudofossils in relict methane seep carbonates resemble endemic microbial consortia

Pleistocene-age methane seep carbonates from the Eel River Basin, California contain aggregate-like structures composed of tightly-packed hollow spheres that morphologically resemble syntrophic archaeal–bacterial consortia known to catalyze the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Tetragonal microstructures also present in the carbonates resemble seep-endemic Methanosarcinales cell clusters. Despite morphological similarities to the seep-endemic microbes that likely mediated the authigenesis of Eel River Basin carbonates and sulfides, detailed petrographic, SEM, and magnetic microscopic imaging, remanence rock magnetism, laser Raman, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, suggest that these microstructures are not microfossils, but rather mineral structures that result from the diagenetic alteration of euhedral Fe-sulfide framboids. Electron microscopy shows that during diagenesis, reaction rims composed of Fe oxide form around framboid microcrystalites. Subsequent dissolution of greigite or pyrite crystals leaves behind hollow cell-like casings (external molds) — a transformation that occurs on timescales of ∼100 kyr or less. Despite their superficial resemblance to morphologically-distinctive extant microbes in local sediments, the presence of acellular precursor grains, as well as of partially-altered transitional forms, complicate the interpretation of these and other framboidal microstructures that have been reported from the rock record.

Extensive carbon isotopic heterogeneity among methane seep microbiota

To assess and study the heterogeneity of delta(13)C values for seep microorganisms of the Eel River Basin, we studied two principally different sample sets: sediments from push cores and artificial surfaces colonized over a 14 month in situ incubation. In a single sediment core, the delta(13)C compositions of methane seep-associated microorganisms were measured and the relative activity of several metabolisms was determined using radiotracers. We observed a large range of archaeal delta(13)C values (> 50 per thousand) in this microbial community. The delta(13)C of ANME-1 rods ranged from -24 per thousand to -87 per thousand. The delta(13)C of ANME-2 sarcina ranged from -18 per thousand to -75 per thousand. Initial measurements of shell aggregates were as heavy as -19.5 per thousand with none observed to be lighter than -57 per thousand. Subsequent measurements on shell aggregates trended lighter reaching values as (13)C-depleted as -73 per thousand. The observed isotopic trends found for mixed aggregates were similar to those found for shell aggregates in that the initial measurements were often enriched and the subsequent analyses were more (13)C-depleted (with values as light as -56 per thousand). The isotopic heterogeneity and trends observed within taxonomic groups suggest that ANME-1 and ANME-2 sarcina are capable of both methanogenesis and methanotrophy. In situ microbial growth was investigated by incubating a series of slides and silicon (Si) wafers for 14 months in seep sediment. The experiment showed ubiquitous growth of bacterial filaments (mean delta(13)C = -38 +/- 3 per thousand), suggesting that this bacterial morphotype was capable of rapid colonization and growth.

Biogeochemical processes and microbial diversity of the Gullfaks and Tommeliten methane seeps (Northern North Sea)

Abstract. Fluid flow related seafloor structures and gas seeps were detected in the North Sea in the 1970s and 1980s by acoustic sub-bottom profiling and oil rig surveys. A variety of features like pockmarks, gas vents and authigenic carbonate cements were found to be associated with sites of oil and gas exploration, indicating a link between these surface structures and the underlying, deep hydrocarbon reservoirs. In this study we performed acoustic surveys and videographic observation at Gullfaks, Holene Trench, Tommeliten, Witch's Hole and the giant pockmarks of the UK Block 15/25, to investigate the occurrence and distribution of cold seep ecosystems in the Northern North Sea. The most active gas seep sites, i.e. Gullfaks and Tommeliten, were investigated in detail. At both sites, gas bubbles escaped continuously from small holes in the seabed to the water column, reaching the upper mixed surface layer. At Gullfaks a gas emitting, flat area of 0.1 km2 of sandy seabed covered by filamentous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria was detected. At Tommeliten, we found a patchy distribution of small bacterial mats indicating sites of gas seepage. Below the patches the seafloor consisted of sand from which gas emissions were observed. At both sites, the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to sulfate reduction (SR) was the major source of sulfide. Molecular analyses targeting specific lipid biomarkers and 16S rRNA gene sequences identified an active microbial community dominated by sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) as well as methanotrophic bacteria and archaea. Stable carbon isotope values of specific, microbial fatty acids and alcohols from both sites were highly depleted in the heavy isotope 13C, indicating that the microbial community incorporates methane or its metabolites. The microbial community composition of both shallow seeps shows high similarities to the deep water seeps associated with gas hydrates such as Hydrate Ridge or the Eel River basin.

Geomicrobial characterization of gas hydrate-bearing sediments along the mid-Chilean margin

Bacterial diversity in eight sediment cores from the mid-Chilean margin was studied using length heterogeneity (LH)-PCR, and described in relation to in situ geochemical conditions. DNA from the sulfate-methane transition (SMT) of three cores [one containing methane gas; two proximal to a gas hydrate mound (GHM)] was cloned and sequenced. Clones related to uncultured relatives of Desulfosarcina variabilis were found in all clone libraries and dominated one. Desulfosarcina variabilis related clones were similar to phylotypes observed at the SMT in association with anaerobic methane oxidation in the Eel River basin, Cascadia margin and the Gulf of Mexico. The LH-PCR amplicon associated with D. variabilis clones matched the amplicon that dominated most SMT samples, indicating environmental selection for D. variabilis relatives. Clones related to the Verrucomicrobia dominated the library for the methane gas-containing core. Uncultured Treponema relatives dominated the library for the core obtained on the edge of a GHM. Statistical analysis using geochemical data to describe variance in LH-PCR data revealed that stable carbon isotope ratios of dissolved inorganic carbon are the principal structuring factor on SMT communities. These data suggest that D. variabilis relatives are involved in anaerobic oxidation of methane at the SMT in Chilean margin sediments.

Methyl sulfides as intermediates in the anaerobic oxidation of methane

While it is clear that microbial consortia containing Archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can mediate the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), the interplay between these microorganisms remains unknown. The leading explanation of the AOM metabolism is 'reverse methanogenesis' by which a methanogenesis substrate is produced and transferred between species. Conceptually, the reversal of methanogenesis requires low H(2) concentrations for energetic favourability. We used (13)C-labelled CH(4) as a tracer to test the effects of elevated H(2) pressures on incubations of active AOM sediments from both the Eel River basin and Hydrate Ridge. In the presence of H(2), we observed a minimal reduction in the rate of CH(4) oxidation, and conclude H(2) does not play an interspecies role in AOM. Based on these results, as well as previous work, we propose a new model for substrate transfer in AOM. In this model, methyl sulfides produced by the Archaea from both CH(4) oxidation and CO(2) reduction are transferred to the SRB. Metabolically, CH(4) oxidation provides electrons for the energy-yielding reduction of CO(2) to a methyl group ('methylogenesis'). Methylogenesis is a dominantly reductive pathway utilizing most methanogenesis enzymes in their forward direction. Incubations of seep sediments demonstrate, as would be expected from this model, that methanethiol inhibits AOM and that CO can be substituted for CH(4) as the electron donor for methylogenesis.

Authigenic carbonate formation at hydrocarbon seeps in continental margin sediments: A comparative study

Authigenic carbonates from five continental margin locations, the Eel River Basin, Monterey Bay, Santa Barbara Basin, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the North Sea, exhibit a wide range of mineralogical and stable isotopic compositions. These precipitates include aragonite, low- and high-Mg calcite, and dolomite. The carbon isotopic composition of carbonates varies widely, ranging from −60‰ to +26‰, indicating complex carbon sources that include 13C-depleted microbial and thermogenic methane and residual, 13C-enriched, bicarbonate. A similarly large variability of δ18O values (−5.5‰ to +8.9‰) demonstrates the geochemical complexity of these sites, with some samples pointing toward an 18O-enriched oxygen source possibly related to advection of 18O-enriched formation water or to the decomposition of gas hydrate. Samples depleted in 18O are consistent with formation deeper in the sediment or mixing of pore fluids with meteoric water during carbonate precipitation. A wide range of isotopic and mineralogical variation in authigenic carbonate composition within individual study areas but common trends across multiple geographic areas suggest that these parameters alone are not indicative for certain tectonic or geochemical settings. Rather, the observed variations probably reflect local controls on the flux of carbon and other reduced ions, such as faults, fluid conduits, the presence or absence of gas hydrate in the sediment, and the temporal evolution of the local carbon reservoir. Areas with seafloor carbonates that indicate formation at greater depth below the sediment–water interface must have undergone uplift and erosion in the past or are still being uplifted. Consequently, the occurrence of carbonate slabs on the seafloor in areas of active hydrocarbon seepage is commonly an indicator of exhumation following carbonate precipitation in the shallow subsurface. Therefore, careful petrographic and geochemical analyses are critical components necessary for the correct interpretation of processes related to hydrocarbon seepage in continental margin environments and elsewhere.

A study of the chemistry of pore fluids and authigenic carbonates in methane seep environments: Kodiak Trench, Hydrate Ridge, Monterey Bay, and Eel River Basin

Analyses of the chemical and isotopic composition of carbonates rocks recovered from methane seepage areas of the Kodiak Trench, Hydrate Ridge, Monterey Bay Clam Flats, and the Eel River Basin, coupled with the studies of the chemistry of the pore fluids, have shown that these carbonates have grown within the sediment column. Geochemical profiles of pore fluids show that, in deep water seeps (Kodiak Trench—4450 m; Monterey Bay—1000 m; Hydrate Ridge—650 m), δ 13C (DIC) values are low (isotopically light), whereas in the Eel River area (∼ 350–500 m), δ 13C (DIC) values are much higher (isotopically heavier). In all cases, the δ 13C values indicate that processes of methane oxidation, associated with sulfate reduction, are dominant in the shallow sediments. Data on the isotopic composition of authigenic carbonates found at sites in Kodiak Trench, Eel River Basin South, and Eel River Basin North indicate a variable composition and origin in different geochemical environments. Some of the authigenic carbonates from the study sites show a trend in their δ 13C values similar to those of the pore fluids obtained in their vicinity, suggesting formation at relatively shallow depths, but others indicate formation at greater sediment depths. The latter usually consist of high magnesium calcite or dolomite, which, from their high values of δ 13C (up to 23‰;) and δ 18O (up to 7.5‰), suggest formation in the deeper horizons of the sediments, in the zone of methanogenesis. These observations are in agreement with observations by other workers at Hydrate Ridge, in Monterey Bay, and in the Eel River Basin.

River sediment flux and shelf sediment accumulation rates on the Pacific Northwest margin

To test the generality of insight obtained from recent STRATAFORM studies of northern California's Eel margin, river sediment sources and continental shelf sinks were examined on the Pacific Northwest margin from 38° to 44.5°N. River discharge and sediment concentration data acquired by the US Geological Survey were used to update long-term annual suspended-sediment loads for 17 rivers that range in basin area from 635 to ∼22,000 km 2. Resulting annual load estimates vary over 3 orders of magnitude (0.065–18×10 9 kg/yr), with major suspended-sediment fluxes supplied by, in decreasing order, the Eel, Klamath/Trinity, Mad, Rogue, Umpqua and Russian rivers. Down-core profiles of excess 210Pb and 137Cs were used to estimate sediment accumulation rates (SARs) at prescribed depths (70 and 110 m) and distances (0–40-km north and south along-shelf) from each of the major rivers. SARs were found to vary much less than the river flux estimates, and are mostly in the range of 1.5 to 6 mm/yr. Most significantly, shelf SARs on the other Pacific Northwest margins are only slightly less than those observed on the Eel shelf, implying that much higher proportions of riverine sediment are retained on those shelves. Likely reasons that the Eel dispersal system exhibits greater off-shelf transport are (1) the narrower and steeper shelf geometry, and (2) the existence of a newly documented cross-isobath sediment transport mechanism that involves wave-modulated fluid mud flows. Testing whether the fluid mud flows are a consequence of the Eel River basin's high sediment yield, and are thus unique to the Eel, or are caused by intense wave energy during discharge events, and hence are operative on many other margins, awaits future bottom-boundary layer measurements.

Geological, geochemical, and microbiological heterogeneity of the seafloor around methane vents in the Eel River Basin, offshore California

Marine methane vents and cold seeps are common features along continental margins worldwide, serving as localized sites for methane release and colonization by microbial and chemosynthetic megafaunal communities. The Eel River Basin (ERB), located on the continental slope off Northern California, contains active methane vents and seep-associated chemosynthetic biological communities (CBC) on the crests of anticlines in ∼520-m water depth. Seep-related features on the seafloor have a patchy distribution and include active bubbling vents, chemosynthetic clam beds, and sulfide-oxidizing bacterial mats. Methane sources supplying local seeps are heterogeneous on all spatial scales and support a large and diverse microbial assemblage involved in the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). To develop a comprehensive understanding of the complex biological, geochemical and physical processes associated with, and influencing seafloor methane seepage, a multidisciplinary approach is required. Here we present an integrative, multidisciplinary study that illustrates the diverse processes associated with seafloor methane seepage within the Eel River Basin and the complex interactions defining the geochemistry, mineralogy and microbiology within this environment.

Effects of triple junction migration and glacioeustatic cyclicity on evolution of upper slope morphologies, offshore Eel River Basin, northern California

The upper continental slope of the Eel River Basin is affected both by uplift and seismicity associated with the northward-migrating Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) and by glacioeustatic fluctuations. As a result, seismically imaged slope sequences vary dramatically along strike. The southern slope is dominated by the Humboldt Slide, a stack of nine deformed sequences. Older, undeformed sequences thicken landward, while slide sequences maintain a constant travel-time thickness. Onset of deformation was abrupt. Within the slide, reflector amplitudes alternate: high-amplitude reflectors are wavy to shingled, and suggest increasing deformation with depth. Low-amplitude reflectors are sub-parallel to wavy throughout. High- and low-amplitude sequence ‘couplets’ suggest repetitive deposition of contrasting lithologies, a response we ascribe to late Pleistocene glacioeustatic cyclicity. If each ‘couplet’ represents a ∼100 kyr late Pleistocene sea-level cycle, then Humboldt Slide deformation began ∼450 ka. This is approximately coeval with onset of deformation on the adjacent shelf ∼500 ka, previously attributed to uplift and seismicity associated with northward encroachment of the MTJ. We believe migration of the MTJ triggered the slide, and is the cause for continuing deformation today, by sediment creep along internal glide planes. North of the Humboldt Slide, we interpret an upper slope anticline as a seaward extension of the Little Salmon Fault Zone (LSFZ) previously identified landward. Both faulting and folding extend to the seafloor, indicating that deformation continues. An adjacent buried anticline suggests that deformation has also jumped northward within the LSFZ on some parts of the upper slope. North of the LSFZ, the slope is dominated by downslope-trending channels and gullies. These features are v-shaped, vertically stacked, and increase in depth downslope. They are mostly infilled; their physiographic expression is generally subdued by sediment draping. Channel fills generally consist of basal high-amplitude reflectors, overlain by reflectors of lower amplitudes. Several large channels on older surfaces are concentrated near the northern end of the seismic coverage; smaller channels are more evenly distributed along the margin on younger surfaces. Channels also extend increasingly landward on progressively younger surfaces, indicating migration in that direction with time. These incisions are clearly inactive during highstands, as at Present; slope deposition today is dominated by draping of hemipelagic sediments. Channels form and migrate landward through headward erosion during base-level changes, when both shoreface and fluvial sediment sources are more proximal to the upper slope. The increasing lateral distribution of channels through time supports an increase in shoreface erosion north of the LSFZ. A possible explanation is a known decrease in fluvial sediment input from the north, combined with MTJ-related uplift in the south. Along-strike contrasts in upper-slope sequence morphology in the southern Eel River Basin are clearly a function of both regional tectonism and proximity to sediment sources, influenced by base-level changes. Humboldt Slide sequences, while deformed, are continuously influenced by systematic lithological variations occurring as a result of glacioeustatic cycles. Effects of base-level changes similarly control the distribution and fill of incisions on the northern slope. All of these observations reinforce previous seismic investigations of the offshore Eel River Basin shelf, and confirm that the competing effects of tectonism and glacioeustacy on the preservation of continental margin stratigraphy can be differentiated.

Natural supply of oil-derived hydrocarbons into marine sediments along the California continental margin during the late Quaternary

Sediment samples from three Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 167 sites, representing a south–north transect along the California continental margin and covering the last 160 ky—with selected samples extending in age to 950 ka—were analyzed for their bulk and molecular biomarker compositions. The aliphatic/alicyclic hydrocarbon fractions revealed clear evidence of a largely uniform natural supply of petroleum hydrocarbons during the entire time period. The mature fossil hydrocarbons in the sediments from the southern-central and central California continental margin can be related to the oil-prone rocks of the Monterey Formation in that area. The petroleum hydrocarbon signal on the northern California continental margin differs significantly from that of the two southern sites indicating another, presumably more northern source of the oil-type hydrocarbons. Their distribution pattern matches those of Eel River basin oils and, thus, suggests these oils or their source rocks to be the most likely origin of the hydrocarbons.

Effect of the northward-migrating Mendocino triple junction on the Eel River forearc basin, California: Structural evolution

Offshore northern California, the Gorda plate is subducting obliquely beneath North America; the resulting complicated tectonic setting forms the southern end of the Cascadia subduction zone. The southern Cascadia subduction zone and overlying Eel River forearc basin lie just north of the unstable Mendocino triple junction. The Neogene strata of the Eel River basin record structural deformation caused by the underthrusting of the Gorda plate as well as deformation generated by northward migration and encroachment of the Mendocino triple junction. Three distinct deformation regimes are present in the Eel River forearc basin. (1) Along the western margin of the forearc basin and within the foreslope of the accretionary prism, thrust faults and anticlines record Pliocene– Pleistocene shortening caused by subduction of the Gorda plate. (2) The southern part of the basin rotated counterclockwise in the late Pleistocene, resulting in modern transpressional deformation offshore Humboldt Bay. The rotation and deformation are caused by north-south convergence across the boundary between the Pacific plate and the southernmost part of the forearc basin at the triple junction. (3) The northeastern margin of the Eel River basin is deformed by high-angle faults with a component of strike-slip motion that may represent the incipient northward propagation of the Pacific–North American transform system north of the triple junction.

Tracking California seafloor seeps with bathymetry, backscatter and ROVs

The California (USA) margin includes two different tectonic regimes: subduction north of the Mendocino Triple Junction and translation south. Both margins include seeps, and their distribution can be inferred using seafloor bathymetry and backscatter as well as subsurface seismic data. Anomalous bathymetric and backscatter features related to fluid expulsion include headless submarine canyons, fault zones, anticlines, pockmarks, and mud volcanoes. Anomalous backscatter may be caused by authigenic carbonate (related to the bacterial oxidation of methane) or cold seep clams—both have an impedance and roughness that may be higher than the surrounding seafloor. Remote-operated vehicle (ROV) dives to such suspect seep sites document the presence of extensive authigenic carbonate, areally restricted cold seep communities, carpets of chemoautotrophic bacteria, and bubbling gas. Our operations in the Monterey Bay, on the translational California margin, and the Eel River basin, on the convergent margin, indicate that bathymetric and backscatter maps of the seafloor, if sufficiently high resolution, can be used to map seep sites, and that the distribution of such seeps can be used to constrain subsurface conduits of fluid flow. ROVs, due to their combination of visualization, propulsion, manipulation, sonar, and navigation, provide an excellent platform for ground-truthing, mapping, and sampling seafloor seeps.