TY - JOUR
T1 - High heat flow and ocean acidification at a nascent rift in the northern Gulf of California
AU - Prol-Ledesma, Rosa Ma
AU - Torres-Vera, Marco Antonio
AU - Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo
AU - Ángeles, Catalina
AU - Lechuga Deveze, Carlos H.
AU - Villanueva-Estrada, Ruth Esther
AU - Shumilin, Evgueni
AU - Robinson, Carlos
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The prevailing tectonic setting in the Gulf California suggests the presence of an undetermined number of short spreading centres with associated hydrothermal systems. However, to date, active seafloor spreading phenomena have been documented in only three of the eight tectonically active basins. Here we report heat flow values as high as 15,436 mW m-2 in two of the northernmost basins of the Gulf of California, providing evidence of intense hydrothermal activity associated with the transition from continental rifting to seafloor spreading. The mean heat flow for the Wagner and Consag basins area is 1,875 mW m-2, more than 15 times higher than the mean value for oceanic crust (105.4 mW m-2). Additional evidence for vigorous hydrothermal circulation and a shallow heat source includes intense gas discharge (CO 2 and CH 4), widespread low pH (average 7.7), locally high 222 Rn concentrations in the bottom water and a high extent of organic matter maturation in the sediments.
AB - The prevailing tectonic setting in the Gulf California suggests the presence of an undetermined number of short spreading centres with associated hydrothermal systems. However, to date, active seafloor spreading phenomena have been documented in only three of the eight tectonically active basins. Here we report heat flow values as high as 15,436 mW m-2 in two of the northernmost basins of the Gulf of California, providing evidence of intense hydrothermal activity associated with the transition from continental rifting to seafloor spreading. The mean heat flow for the Wagner and Consag basins area is 1,875 mW m-2, more than 15 times higher than the mean value for oceanic crust (105.4 mW m-2). Additional evidence for vigorous hydrothermal circulation and a shallow heat source includes intense gas discharge (CO 2 and CH 4), widespread low pH (average 7.7), locally high 222 Rn concentrations in the bottom water and a high extent of organic matter maturation in the sediments.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879153147&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/ncomms2390
DO - 10.1038/ncomms2390
M3 - Artículo
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 4
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
M1 - 1388
ER -