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Kordella, Stavroula
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Kordella, Stavroula
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- PublicationRestrictedMethane flux and origin in the Othrys ophiolite hyperalkaline springs, Greece(2013)
; ; ; ; ; ; ;Etiope, G.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia ;Tsikouras, B. ;Kordella, S. ;Ifandi, E. ;Christodoulou, D. ;Papatheodorou, G.; ; ; ; ;The occurrence and origin of methane (CH4) generated by serpentinization of ultramafic rocks is of current timely interest in planetary geology, astrobiology and energy resource exploration, as it may contribute, in particular, to decipher the source of methane on Mars, the origin of life and the potential of abiotic hydrocarbon synthesis. Methane of dominant abiotic origin in serpentinized peridotites on continents (ophiolites or igneous intrusions) has been documented so far, with complete carbon and hydrogen isotope composition, in six countries, in the Philippines, Turkey, Oman, New Zealand, Japan and Italy. We report the discovery of two new sites in Greece, at Archani and Ekkara, located in the Othrys ophiolite massif. Portable sensors based on Fourier Transform InfraRed spectrometry (FTIR) and Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) allowed to realize that out of 21 ophiolitic springs, methane is released only by four hyperalkaline (pH from 10.7 to 11.3) and calcium hydroxide (Ca–OH) type waters; all other 17 springs with pH b 8.7 and magnesium-rich waters in the Pindos, Vourinos and Veria ophiolites, do not show methane. This correlation between gas occurrence and water type seems to occur worldwide; accordingly, CH4 production appears to be intimately related to the depth and residence time of the circulating meteoric waters. Methane is emitted into the atmosphere also from the soil surrounding the hyperalkaline springs, with fluxes of the same order of magnitude (~102–103 mg m−2 day−1) of seepage typically observed over conventional petroleum systems. Othrys CH4 has an isotopic composition (δ13C from −27‰ to −37.3‰ VPDB, δ2H from −250‰ to −311‰ VSMOW) similar to that reported in ultramafic rocks in New Zealand and Japan, and in Precambrian crystalline shields, which were considered dominantly abiotic and probably derived from Fischer–Tropsch Type reactions. The paucity of CO2, which is the norm in hyperalkaline waters, and of other hydrocarbons prevents from evaluating possible mixing of gas of different sources, including microbial methanogenesis. Also the H2 content is trivial, notwithstanding it being a typical product of serpentinization; this could be due to complete H2 consumption by CO2 reduction in a limited or decreased H2 production system due, for example, to a late stage of increased silica activity, as suggested by preliminary petrographic observations. The low geothermal gradient of the area and the present-day serpentinization imply that,whatever the CH4 production mechanism, it took place at temperatures below those traditionally considered for the origin of abiotic methane in hydrothermal systems.196 58 - PublicationOpen AccessGas Seepage-Induced Features in the Hypoxic/Anoxic, Shallow, Marine Environment of Amfilochia Bay, Amvrakikos Gulf (Western Greece)(2021-01-05)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Amfilochia Bay (Eastern Amvrakikos Gulf, Western Greece), a complex marine area affected by tectonism, was investigated for seabed seepage manifestations and for possible inter-relationships between shallow gas accumulations and hypoxia. For this purpose, an integrated research methodology that combined geophysical, geochemical, and hydrographic surveys was applied. Marine geophysical and bathymetric surveys led to the discovery of a gas-induced pockmark group in the study area. Oceanographic surveying confirmed that the bay is hypoxic/anoxic below a depth of 15 m (dissolved oxygen from ~4 to 60 μM). Very weak CH4 seepage was detected in correspondence to the pockmark group that seemed to slightly enhance the hypoxic environment locally and close to the seabed, with no effect in shallower waters and the oxycline. Methane isotopic analysis showed variable carbon isotopic composition (from −41‰ to −86‰) which could be either related to differential CH4 oxidation or mixing between microbial and thermogenic gas. However, the pathway of degassing is clearly related to the fault-controlled pockmark group. A protrusion mound, which has erroneously been reported as a submarine “volcano” since 1876, could be the result of mud volcanism based on the geophysical data of this study.174 46 - PublicationRestrictedOffshore and onshore seepage of thermogenic gas at Katakolo Bay (Western Greece)(2013-02-15)
; ; ; ; ; ;Etiope, G.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia ;Christodoulou, D.; Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography, Department of Geology, University of Patras, Greece ;Kordella, S.; Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography, Department of Geology, University of Patras, Greece ;Marinaro, G.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia ;Papatheodorou, G.; Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography, Department of Geology, University of Patras, Greece; ; ; ; Considerable seepage of natural gas occurs throughout the Katakolo Bay, both at sea and on land, along the Ionian coast of Peloponnesus (Western Greece). Explosive levels of CH4 and toxic concentrations of H2S accumulating in the ground, pose a severe hazard for humans and tourist infrastructures. A wide offshore and onshore gas survey, including marine remote sensing, underwater exploration by a towed instrumented system, compositional and isotopic analyses, and flux measurements of gas, allowed us to assess that: (a) gas seepage takes place along two main normal faults; (b) offshore side-scan sonographs recorded at least 823 gas bubble plumes over an area of 94,200 m2, at depths ranging from 5.5 to 16 m; (c) offshore and onshore seeps release the same type of thermogenic gas (δ13CCH4~−34 to −36‰); (d) offshore gas showed increased stable carbon isotopic ratio of CO2 and propane, which suggests enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbons; (e) isotopic data combined with thermogenic gas generation modeling and maturity plots, suggest that the gas is related to a deep Petroleum System with Jurassic carbonate reservoirs, Triassic source rocks, and Triassic evaporites; (f) H2S (δ34S: +2.4‰) is produced by thermochemical sulfate reduction in deep anhydrites, in contact with hydrocarbon-rich carbonates; (g) due to the shallow depth, more than 90% of CH4 released at the seabed enters the atmosphere, consistent with theoretical bubble dissolution models, with a mean plume output of 0.12 kg d−1; total offshore CH4 output was estimated in the range of 33 to 120 t y−1; and (h) in the onshore area at least 50 gas vents in the harbor and a large seep on the adjacent Faros hill, emit in total about 89 t CH4 y−1. Katakolo results to be one of the biggest thermogenic gas seepage zones in Europe.688 80 - PublicationRestrictedIncreased methane emission from natural gas seepage at Katakolo Harbour (Western Greece)(2020)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Geological gas seepage in petroleum-bearing sedimentary basins is an important natural source of atmospheric methane. In methane budget models geological emissions are generally considered constant over time, not affecting decadal atmospheric methane changes. Here, we report the case of a considerable sub-decadal variation of methane seepage from one of the largest thermogenic gas seep sites in Europe, Katakolo Harbour (Western Peloponnese, Greece). Based on gas flux measurements by accumulation chamber performed in 2010 and 2018, methane emission from cracks and fissures throughout the asphalt and concrete pavement of the harbour increased about four times (from 57 to 225 kg d 1) with emission factor changing from ~4,000 to 15,000 t km 2 y 1. Multiple lines of evidence, including mechanical deformation and fissuring of concrete and asphalt pavement, increased exhalation with constant fissure conditions, and no significant cracking with operating corrosion from 2004 to 2010, suggest that the methane emission increase is mainly due to intensification of subsurface gas flow (seepage) after 2010. Deep gas pressure and fault permeability variations, likely induced by the numerous earthquakes of the region, might have played a role. We estimate that if similar short-term variations of emission factor occur in large seepage areas worldwide, the global geological methane emission can significantly change, contributing to decadal changes of atmospheric methane budget.137 2