Nouze, Herve and Baltzer, Agnes (2003): Shallow bottom-simulating reflectors on the Angola margin, in relation with gas and gas hydrate in the sediments

Leg/Site/Hole:
ODP 175
ODP 175 1076
Identifier:
2004-078149
georefid

Creator:
Nouze, Herve
Centre IFREMER de Brest, Departement Geosciences Marines, Plouzane, France
author

Baltzer, Agnes
University of Adelaide, Australia
author

Identification:
Shallow bottom-simulating reflectors on the Angola margin, in relation with gas and gas hydrate in the sediments
2003
In: van Rensbergen, Pieter (editor), Hillis, Richard R. (editor), Maltman, Alex J. (editor), Morley, Christopher K. (editor), Subsurface sediment mobilization
Geological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
216
191-206
Acoustic facies interpretation, high-resolution velocity analysis and amplitude versus offset modelling have been performed on high resolution seismic data acquired on the West African margin offshore Angola, in water depths of about 2000 m. The area has a complex structural, thermal and fluid-flow setting, in which sediments are affected by salt diapirism and faulting associated with sediment compaction. A discontinuous bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) at a depth of about 200 m below sea floor could mark the base of the gas hydrate occurrence zone, which does not always coincide with the top of the free gas zone. Within the gas hydrate stability zone, a shallow bottom-simulating reflector is observed at a depth of about 75 m below seafloor. This shallow bottom simulating reflector, that is termed "sheep back reflector" (SR), correspond to a small amount of gas being trapped in the sediments. It could mark the top of the gas hydrate occurrence zone, where gas hydrate dissociation may occur. A reversed polarity reflector (R1) is also observed about 25 m below the sea floor. This reflector could correspond to a limit between normally compacted and underconsolidated sediments, possibly related to a permeability change in the sediments. Thus, the occurrence of excess pore pressure generated during gas hydrate dissociation could explain some subsurface sediment mobilization processes.
English
Coverage:Geographic coordinates:
North:-4.3000
West:9.3000East: 12.0000
South:-6.0000

Oceanography; Applied geophysics; acoustical methods; aliphatic hydrocarbons; alkanes; Angola Basin; Atlantic Ocean; AVO methods; body waves; bottom features; bottom-simulating reflectors; diapirs; echo sounding; elastic waves; gas hydrates; gases; geophysical methods; geophysical profiles; geophysical surveys; high-resolution methods; hydrocarbons; Leg 175; marine sediments; methane; Ocean Drilling Program; ocean floors; ODP Site 1076; organic compounds; P-waves; physical properties; porosity; reflection methods; S-waves; saturation; sediments; seismic methods; seismic migration; seismic profiles; seismic stratigraphy; seismic waves; South Atlantic; surveys; velocity; well logs;

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