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Volcanoes in the Gulf

Professors MacDonald and Naehr discovery published in major science journal

Drs. Ian MacDonald and Thomas Naehr, professors of physical and life sciences at A&M-Corpus Christi, were part of an international expedition that discovered asphalt “volcanoes” which indicate that the southern Gulf of Mexico may support a much more diverse range of sea life than previously believed. The discovery could also be an indication of untapped oil reserves in the southern Gulf.

  

Dr. Ian MacDonald
Dr. Ian MacDonald

Dr. Thomas Naehr
Dr. Thomas Naehr
The professors described their findings in an article, titled “Asphalt Volcanism and Chemosynthetic Life in the Campeche Knolls, Gulf of Mexico,” in the May 14, 2004 issue of Science, the publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Naehr and MacDonald were part of a German, Mexican and U.S. expedition aboard the German ship RV Sonne when the discovery was made on Nov. 1, 2003 in a region called Campeche Knolls, northwest of the Yucatan Peninsula. They found huge lava-like flows of asphalt in a site dubbed “Chapopote,” the Aztec word for tar. Dense colonies of tubeworms grew in faults and fissures throughout the asphalt, and abundant mussels, clams and crustaceans rounded out a thriving community which derives its life from the chemical energy associated with the asphalt.

“Prior to our discovery of ‘Chapopote,’ nobody knew that asphalt volcanism even existed in the deep sea,” said Naehr. “Our findings illustrate how geologically diverse and active our planet is and how many discoveries are still waiting for scientists in the Gulf and elsewhere.”

Science magazine coverAsphalt, an overcooked petroleum substance, is prominent in the area. The asphalt deposits in the Campeche offshore oil fields are the result of a violent expulsion of hydrocarbons and indicate untapped deep-water oil reserves. Currently, the Mexican oil industry has limited its offshore activity to shallow-water drilling, but that could change with this discovery.

“In stark contrast to Mars, where scientists are looking for evidence of past life, our planet is still evolving and in the grip of the geologic process,” said MacDonald. “The deep sea has an endless capacity to surprise us, and we are finding new styles of geology, new biological processes and new habitats for life.

“Violent asphalt volcanism in a region of the southern Gulf of Mexico that was believed to be relatively stable shows how much more there is to learn about the deep sea. The abundance of animal life is more proof of the adaptability of marine organisms.”

“The typical idea is that the ocean is the most boring place on earth–no light, precious little food, and no geologic processes except for the incredibly slow accumulation of sediments,” MacDonald said. “Yet, in ‘Chapopote’ we see hills literally split by energetic events that spewed great sheets of asphalt and continue to leak oil out to the surface waters. ‘Chapopote’ is more evidence that this planet is alive from top to bottom. There is no place on Earth where life is absent; wherever life gets the slightest foothold, it will adapt and blossom.”

Naehr, an assistant professor of geology and environmental science, is an authority on gas hydrate deposits and natural hydrocarbon seepage along continental margins. He has participated in numerous research expeditions, including two research cruises of the Ocean Drilling Program and several deployments of deep-diving submersibles. In 1995, he was part of the first successful attempt to drill a series of deep holes through a gas hydrate deposit into the sediment below.

MacDonald is an internationally recognized expert on the ecology and geology of natural marine hydrocarbon seeps and chemosynthetic communities. He is the author of more than 30 peer-reviewed articles as well as numerous reports and popular articles, including articles in National Geographic and Scientific American. MacDonald’s research, which has entailed the extensive use of deep-diving submarines, includes the application of advanced imaging technology to marine research.

The findings could greatly expand the catalogue of marine life when the updated U.S. Fish and Wildlife bulletin titled The Gulf of Mexico–Its Origin, Waters and Marine Life is published by A&M-Corpus Christi’s Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies within the next two years. This effort is part of a worldwide project called the Census of Marine Life.

The discovery of asphalt volcanoes in the Campeche Knolls of the southern Gulf of Mexico suggests that the area may sustain a diverse range of sea life.The discovery of asphalt volcanoes in the Campeche Knolls of the southern Gulf of Mexico suggests that the area may sustain a diverse range of sea life.
A topographic map pinpoints the location of the underwater asphalt volcanoes which could also indicate untapped oil reserves.
A topographic map pinpoints the location of the underwater asphalt volcanoes which could also indicate untapped oil reserves.

A piece of asphalt collected from the site dubbed “Chapopote” supports thriving plant and marine life.
A piece of asphalt collected from the site dubbed ?Chapopote? supports thriving plant and marine life.

 


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