Abstract
The Sorokin Trough (Black Sea) is characterized by diapiric structures formed in a compressional tectonic regime that facilitate fluid migration to the seafloor. We present acoustic data in order to image details of mud volcanoes associated with the diapirs. Three types of mud volcanoes were distinguished: cone-shaped, flat-topped, and collapsed structures. All mud volcanoes, except for the Kazakov mud volcano, are located above shallow mud diapirs and diapiric ridges. Beyond the known near-surface occurrence of gas hydrates, bottom simulating reflectors are not seen on our seismic records, but pronounced lateral amplitude variations and bright spots may indicate the presence of gas hydrates and free gas.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the scientists and crew of cruise TTR-6 and Meteor cruise M52/1 for their help in collecting the data. Comments by S. De Beukelaer, R. Kutas, and C. Moore significantly improved this paper. Our research was funded by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Kr 2222/4-1) and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. This is publication GEOTECH-30 of the program GEOTECHNOLOGIEN of the BMBF and DFG (grant 03G0566A; collaborative project OMEGA) and publication RCOM0089 of the DFG-Research Center “Ocean Margins” (University of Bremen).
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Krastel, S., Spiess, V., Ivanov, M. et al. Acoustic investigations of mud volcanoes in the Sorokin Trough, Black Sea. Geo-Mar Lett 23, 230–238 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-003-0143-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-003-0143-0