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Geochemistry and mineralogy of sediments and authigenic carbonates from the Malta Plateau, Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean): Relationships with mud/fluid release from a mud volcano system

TitleGeochemistry and mineralogy of sediments and authigenic carbonates from the Malta Plateau, Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean): Relationships with mud/fluid release from a mud volcano system
Publication TypeArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsCangemi, M., Di Leonardo R., Bellanca A., Cundy A., Neri R., and Angelone Massimo
JournalChemical Geology
Volume276
Pagination294-308
ISSN00092541
KeywordsActivity distribution, Anaerobic methane oxidations, anoxic conditions, Anoxic sediments, Authigenic, Authigenic carbonates, Background value, Bacteria (microorganisms), Bacteriology, Beggiatoa, carbonate group, Carbonate minerals, Carbonation, Central Mediterranean, Core sediments, Crystallography, Geochemistry, High concentration, Isotopes, isotopic composition, Lead, Mediterranean Sea, Messinian, methane, Methane oxidation, mineralogy, Minerals, mud volcano, Mud volcano fields, Mud volcanoes, oxidation, Oxygen, Oxygen isotopic composition, rare earth element, Rare earth elements, sediment chemistry, Sedimentology, Seep carbonates, Seepage, stable isotope, Stable isotopes, Strait of Sicily, trace element, Trace elements, Underwater mineralogy, Volcanoes, Water depth
Abstract

A mud volcano field was recently discovered within the Malta Plateau in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). Box-core sediments and associated authigenic carbonates have been collected in water depths of 140-170m from two distinctive sectors of the area, and analyzed for major, trace and rare earth elements, stable isotopes, and mineralogy. Relative homogeneity in the mineralogy and geochemistry of bulk sediments, and 210Pb activity distributions, argue against an active mud ejection activity. In the Malta Plateau western sector, the sediments show high concentrations of Fe, As, Sb, and Mo, exceeding the background values estimated for the Strait of Sicily. Active fluid seepage in this area is thought to be responsible for these enrichments and for the formation of authigenic carbonate crusts. Evidence of bacterial involvement in carbonate (mainly aragonite) formation is recorded in the authigenic crusts, which contain flat and spiralled filaments resembling Beggiatoa-like sulphide oxidising bacteria and biofilm-like remains which occur inside the interspaces. Carbonate crusts consistently show extremely negative δ13C values (down to -49%) that suggest contribution of carbon originating from anaerobic methane oxidation. Heavy oxygen isotopic compositions of the authigenic carbonates (2-3% higher than those in box-core sediments) are interpreted as due to precipitation from fluids enriched in 18O due to seepage of deep, isotopically-heavy, relict Messinian brines. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

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URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77956172357&doi=10.1016%2fj.chemgeo.2010.06.014&partnerID=40&md5=d9359229a523bc070eac848ed5936e2c
DOI10.1016/j.chemgeo.2010.06.014
Citation KeyCangemi2010294