Research Article| October 01, 2000 Pulsed oil discharge from a mud volcano Ian R. MacDonald; Ian R. MacDonald 1Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David B. Buthman; David B. Buthman 2Unocal Corp., 909 West 9th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99519, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar William W. Sager; William W. Sager 3Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Michael B. Peccini; Michael B. Peccini 1Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Norman L. Guinasso, Jr Norman L. Guinasso, Jr 1Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2000) 28 (10): 907–910. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<907:PODFAM>2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 17 Mar 2000 rev-recd: 11 Jul 2000 accepted: 17 Jul 2000 first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Ian R. MacDonald, David B. Buthman, William W. Sager, Michael B. Peccini, Norman L. Guinasso; Pulsed oil discharge from a mud volcano. Geology 2000;; 28 (10): 907–910. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<907:PODFAM>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract In this paper we document instances where change in the magnitude of natural oil seepage coincided with fluctuations of fluid temperature in a seafloor mud volcano. Oil slicks were detected floating near commercial oil fields in the northern Gulf of Mexico in a time series of six satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images collected over a 10 month interval. The oil escaped naturally from a complex of fluid expulsion features at seafloor depths of about 600 m. One of these features was a 50-m-wide, mud- and brine-filled crater. Temperature in the crater fluctuated rapidly during an interval of ∼1 yr (minimum 6.1 °C, maximum 48.3 °C, mean 26.1 °C, standard deviation 9.07). The areas of the oil slicks in the SAR images fluctuated repeatedly between <10 and >1000 ha. The largest oil slicks detected by SAR occurred along with the fastest increase in fluid temperature. You do not currently have access to this article.