The enrichment and accumulation of natural gas hydrates depend on sufficient gas supply and effective migration pathways. The upward migration of deep thermogenic gases through fault systems is critical for seepage-type hydrate formation. This study aims to elucidate the developmental characteristics of Cenozoic fault systems in the eastern offshore area of Dongsha Island and their influence on natural gas hydrate formation. Utilizing high-resolution 3D seismic data, this study conducted a detailed structural interpretation and seismic attribute analysis to systematically investigate the spatial distribution, developmental stages, and dynamic mechanisms of the Cenozoic fault systems in this region. In addition, this study explored the role of these fault systems in facilitating the migration of deep thermogenic gases to the shallow strata. The study area is dominated by extensional and transtensional normal faults characterized by inherited development and relatively small fault displacements. The Cenozoic strata exhibit a tectonic framework of block-faulted uplift and subsidence with alternating highs and lows. Faults on either side of the central uplift dip in opposite directions and commonly exhibit parallel, step-like patterns. Differences in fault system attitudes were observed between the southern and northern parts of the study area. In the south, fault strikes remained consistent from deep to shallow levels, predominantly trending NE and NEE. In the north, fault strikes varied significantly with depth, transitioning from predominantly NEE in deeper strata to EW and NWW in shallower strata. The study identifies two distinct phases of Cenozoic fault activity: (1) 66–10 Ma, a regional extensional tectonic regime controlled fault development, resulting in the formation of NEE-trending normal faults; (2) 10–2.6 Ma, the Dongsha Movement influenced fault activity, during which EW- and NW–W-trending transtensional faults with dextral strike-slip characteristics developed in the Miocene strata of the northern region. The Cenozoic fault system played a significant positive role in facilitating the migration of deep thermogenic gas to shallow levels, thereby enabling the formation of natural gas hydrates.

Offshore carbon dioxide (CO2) geological storage is a promising strategy for reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainable development in coastal regions within a carbon neutrality framework. However, only a few works have focused on offshore basins in China. To address this gap, this study established a dual indicator system that comprises necessary and critical indices and is integrated with the analytic hierarchy process. A coupled analysis was then performed to evaluate the suitability of 10 offshore sedimentary basins in China for CO2 geological storage. The necessary indicator system focuses on storage potential, geological conditions, and engineering feasibility. Meanwhile, the critical indicator system emphasizes the safety of storage projects and the viability of drilling operations. Evaluation results revealed that China’s offshore basins have undergone two geological evolution stages, namely, the rifting and post-rifting phases, leading to the formation of a dual-layer structure characterized by faulted lower layers and sagged upper layers. These basins have thick and widespread Cenozoic strata, generally low seismic activity, and medium-to-low geothermal gradients. They form five reservoir-caprock systems with favorable geological conditions for CO2 storage. The Pearl River Mouth, East China Sea Shelf, and Bohai Basins emerged as primary candidates that offer substantial storage potential to support carbon neutrality goals in the Bohai Rim Economic Zone, Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Beibu Gulf and South Yellow Sea Basins were identified as secondary candidates, and the Qiongdongnan and Yinggehai Basins were considered potential alternatives.

The elemental and isotopic compositions and abundance of carbonates in marine sediments are used to recon-struct ancient climate and ocean conditions. These carbonates usually include biogenic and authigenic carbon-ates in origin, which are controlled by sedimentary and diagenetic processes, respectively. However, the specific mechanisms involved in controlling the origin of biogenic and authigenic carbonates are still unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed core CSHC-4 sediment from the Okinawa Trough to examine the elemental and isotopic compositions of carbonates and their relationship to methane seepage and sea-level changes. Our results indicate that high-Mg calcite is the dominant authigenic carbonate, indicating moderate methane seep intensity. Negative carbon isotope values as low as -4.06%o V-PDB of the bulk sediments deposited in the glacial period suggest a connection between the formation of authigenic carbonates and methane seepage. Negative oxygen isotope values as low as-2.6%o V-PDB may be attributed to the input of 18O-depleted fluids influenced by gas hydrate formation. Biogenic carbonates contribute the majority (96.3%) of the total carbonate contents in sediments. Biogenic carbonate contents are lower during glacial periods and higher during interglacial periods. The reduced carbonate content during glacial periods may be due to lower export productivity influenced by the deepening of North Pacific Intermediate Water, as well as terrestrial inputs and anoxic conditions during low sea level periods. Our findings highlight the importance of considering both biogenic and authigenic carbonates when reconstructing paleoclimate and paleoceanography based on their geochemical characteristics.

The geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in offshore saline aquifers stands as a primary option for reducing CO2 emissions in coastal regions. China’s coastal regions, particularly Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, face significant challenges in CO2 reduction. Therefore, evaluating the feasibility of CO2 geological storage in the adjacent seas is critical. To assess the suitability of a CO2 storage site, understanding its structural and reservoir characteristics is essential to mitigate injection and storage risks. In this study, we analyzed the structural characteristics and potential traps of the Yantai Depression in the South Yellow Sea Basin based on seismic data interpretation. We further conducted well logging analysis and post-stack seismic inversion to obtain lithological data, including acoustic impedance and sandstone content percentages from the Cenozoic Funing Formation, Dainan–Sanduo Formation, and Yancheng Formation. Our findings highlight that the Yantai Depression in the South Yellow Sea Basin exhibits diverse structural traps and favorable reservoir–caprock combinations, suggesting promising geological conditions for CO2 storage. This area emerges as a suitable candidate for implementing CO2 geological storage initiatives.

Air gun arrays are designed to generate strong energy pulses of less than 100 Hz for offshore oil and gas exploration. In shallow seas, due to the directivity of air gun arrays, the complex propagation conditions and the limitations of acquisition methods, it is difficult to accurately evaluate the spatial time and frequency transmission characteristics of airguns. To alleviate the existing lack of knowledge about the transmission characteristics of air gun pulses in the shallow waters of the Bohai Sea, we analysed three‐dimensional ocean bottom cable seismic data collected during a seismic survey in the Bohai Sea, China, in June 2017, which were used to evaluate the reception level, frequency domain characteristics and spatial distribution characteristics within a 5.55 × 5.575 km area. The results showed that in shallow water, multipath propagation causes downfrequency chirplike sounds and an increased sound field. Within 0.3 km, the transmission model follows a cylindrical diffusion, and the sound loss rate decreases as the transmission distance increases until reaching 8 km. Signal capture by the sound channel results in a high transmission loss frequency band, whereas multimode interference weakens the transmission loss. The gun array directivity and the transmission channel are the two main factors affecting the acoustic field. This research provides an improved understanding of the acoustic field of airguns in the Bohai Sea, which can benefit the acoustic modelling of air gun arrays, the design of future seismic exploration projects and the conservation of marine life.

天然气水合物地质调查中通常采用地质、地球物理、地球化学等多种调查方法获得各类地质资料,而海洋地质取样可直接获得海底实物样品,是海洋地质调查中的重要手段.浅表层天然气水合物赋存于近海底沉积物中,利用合适的地质取样方法,在勘探目标区可以直接获得水合物样品及其存在的标志.基于浅表层水合物的存在指示标志和赋存特征,结合前期调查的成功经验,总结了适用于浅表层水合物的地质取样技术方法,主要有海底表层取样、重力柱状取样、海底钻探和保温保压取芯等,不同的取样方法所取的样品类型也有差异,应根据实际地质特征做出优选.针对浅表层天然气水合物的赋存特征,建立了一套海洋天然气水合物取芯样品现场处理和分析方法.水合物采集样品回收到甲板后快速处置分析是水合物调查的重要环节,而正确的现场处理方法是保证样品测试准确的关键.

出于对全球气候变化的担忧和资源探测的需要,海洋天然气水合物富集区的甲烷排放已逐步引起了全社会重视.目前,关于水合物富集区的甲烷排放的调查研究仍处于初级阶段,一方面在于对海洋天然气水合物分解释放机理仍不甚清晰;另一方面,深海甲烷排放活动的监测技术仍有待于成熟完善,导致迄今对全球海洋甲烷循环甚至碳循环过程难以把握.自2013年起,面向国家重大需求和科学研究的需要,青岛海洋地质研究所依托一系列地质调查国家专项,创新建立了海底甲烷排放、运移、消耗及相关水合物资源成藏理论模式,自主研发了一系列海洋甲烷排放监测装备,逐步掌握了海底甲烷过程的精细探测能力,实现了水合物富集区关键界面甲烷排放活动的监测,连续实施了多个航次的系统调查,在新区发现大量海底甲烷排放系统,同时建立了海洋天然气水合物资源开发环境监测技术体系,支撑了我国天然气水合物产业化,获得了显著的技术进步和社会效益.

宽拖多源双传感器拖缆多方位采集与成像技术已成功引入商业地震勘探项目,提高了近海底地层和深部地震图像的分辨率.本文详细阐述了这项新型采集和成像技术,总结了其在北海、马来西亚近海以及巴伦支海等海域识别近海底地层和深层目标地质体的应用效果.在采集方面,该方案创新地将双传感器拖缆、宽拖多源、不同长度拖缆排列与新型多方位采集相结合;在成像方面,全波场成像方案则融合了反射层析成像、全波形反演以及分离波场成像等算法.其优势主要包括:① 能够明显减弱粗糙海面反射的影响,拓宽地震频带;② 提高信噪比、空间采样密度、采集效率以及速度模型精度;③ 实现了近偏移距均匀覆盖和经济高效的多方位照明,可对近海底地层以及深部地质目标进行高分辨率成像,尤其适合浅海环境条件,为不同深度地质体的成像提供了一种经济高效的解决方案.

Identifying seafloor methane seepage efficiently has important implications for assessing environmental impact, reducing the uncertainty of top seal integrity, understanding the petroleum system, and mitigating the drilling hazards due to shallow gas influx. Pore water geochemistry analyses suggest that the study area has an extremely high methane seepage flux and active methane anaerobic oxidation processes. However, geochemical data cannot provide details about the internal seepages. The geophysical dataset from the Western slope of Okinawa Trough, including 2D high-resolution seismic, sub-bottom profiles, and bathymetry, gives us a good opportunity to understand the detailed characteristics of methane seepages in this study. Geophysical data have revealed numerous methane seepage-related features such as seismic chimneys, pockmarks, submarine domes, and amplitude anomalies, including bright spots and enhanced reflections. Pockmarks and domes are often associated with seismic chimneys, indicating that fluid migration is important in their formation. The various geophysical expressions may represent different stages of methane seepage. Fluid quickly drains, causing severe sediment deformation and forming pockmarks, whereas domes may indicate the early stages of fluid discharge. Chimneys that do not extend to the seafloor may indicate that the venting is gradual and focused. Flares linked to domes or pockmarks may indicate that the fluid migration is active. Several factors triggered the existence of methane seepages on the Western slope of the Okinawa Trough, including tectonic setting, overpressure and rapid sedimentation.

海底水合物丘与泥火山均属于不同相态流体向上运移排出至地表过程中的产物,与这2种特殊地质体相关的浅表层天然气水合物具有独特的成藏过程和赋存规律,同时,它们也都是富碳流体排放的重要途径.然而,由于对这2种地质体缺少系统的调查,加之对浅表层天然气水合物资源和碳泄漏过程的研究程度不高,当前在海底水合物丘与泥火山特征刻画及准确甄别上还存在障碍,导致难以科学地评价与其伴生的水合物资源的聚集过程及环境效应.通过总结已有海底水合物丘与泥火山的阶段性研究工作,对该2种特殊地质体从地貌特征、内部结构、形成机制等方面开展比较研究,系统分析了二者的演化过程以及对与之相关的天然气水合物聚集过程的影响,并讨论了2种地质体的区别与联系.本研究可为理解全球海底富碳流体的排放及其对海洋碳循环的贡献以及海底浅表层天然气水合物资源量的评价提供参考.

Methane trapped in marine sediments surrounding continental margins can be driven by tectonic stress to escape into the oceans. What geological processes control their spatial occurrences in an extension-dominated tectonic setting is not fully understood. Here we use the multibeam echo-sounder (MBES) and the multichannel seismic (MCS) data to reveal the distribution of the gas seeps in the back-arc basin of the Mid-Okinawa Trough in the years 2013-2016. They are manifested by (a) the gas plumes in the water column, occurring either in isolation or as clusters; (b) the irregularly shaped areas of the medium- to the high-backscatter intensity at the level of the seabed and (c) some seismic gas chimneys below these areas. The spatial combination of these signature points toward the widespread upward migration of the gas-rich pore fluids. Two types of gas seeps (A and B) sustained by methane supply have been proposed. The results of the isotopic analysis (delta C-13(CH4) and delta D-CH4) show that methane having a mixture of thermogenic and microbial sources migrated upwards along the faults to feed type A gas seeps, while in type B ones the thermogenic methane preferentially migrated through the fracture clusters embodied as the seismic gas chimneys. The tensile faults formed during the ongoing rifting episode of the incipient back-arc basin and provided the permeable migration conduits for the gases trapped in the shallow subsurface. We propose that this faulting driven by back-arc extension determines, to a large extent, the potential locations of the temporal gas seeps in the Mid-Okinawa Trough. Some of the other free gases accumulated in the less faulted sediments and the spatial distribution of their seepage is controlled by the topographic high. Tensile faulting can disturb the overpressure build-up within the shallow sediments by releasing it prior to the seal failure in the extension-dominated regime.

海底泥底辟和泥火山对研究海底深部地球化学过程与全球碳循环、油气与天然气水合物资源勘查和新构造运动等具有重要的意义.利用高分辨率多道地震、浅地层剖面以及多波束等地球物理数据,对冲绳海槽西部陆坡泥底辟和泥火山的特征进行了分析和总结.冲绳海槽西部陆坡发育大量的泥底辟和泥火山,多发育于断裂活动强烈的区域,随着泥底辟的活动和甲烷流体的运移,在海底形成泥火山和气烟囱,因此,泥火山和气烟囱多发育于泥底辟上部,两翼存在强振幅异常,内部表现为低频特征,证明泥底辟和泥火山与甲烷流体活动存在密切联系.冲绳海槽西部陆坡泥火山和泥底辟的形成演化的动力学过程与成因主要包括3个方面,即区域拉张作用形成的构造薄弱带、快速沉积造成的超压和浮力作用以及流体的驱动作用.

Gas emissions from the seabed are favored by tectonically active settings and their distribution is often linked to the nearby faults. Here we use the multi-beam echo-sounder (MBES) and the multi-channel seismic (MCS) data and a sediment core to show multiple gas emissions near the fault complex out of the shelf of the Mid-Okinawa Trough. The features indicating the gas emissions include 1) a set of the conical positive reliefs at the seabed, 2) the bundle-shaped clusters of the high-backscattering intensities in the water column, and 3) the sub-circular medium-to high-backscattering patches at the level of the seabed. These features together show that the free gases can escape from the marine sediments then rise in the water column at present, while some other gases trapped in the sub-seafloor sediment might contribute to the precipitation of the authigenic carbonates in the past. The spatial relationship between the gas emissions and the faults suggests that the faulting driven by the back-arc extension should provide the permeable migration pathways for the gas emissions to operate, and thus determines where most of them could potentially occur. The area surrounding the restraining bend concentrates part of the gas emissions rather than along the fault lines, due to the lateral compression and the structural complexity. This is demonstrated by the results of the numerical model of finite element method (FEM), which shows two gas emissions are within the compressed zone of the modeled restraining step-over. This study provides new evidence of the role of the tectonic stresses in determining the sites of degassing of marine sediments.

为揭示南海北部东沙海底峡谷沉积演化及其资源效应,利用高分辨率二维多道地震与多波束测深数据,对该峡谷中-上游段的沉积层序、地貌特征及沉积构型展开剖析.东沙海底峡谷上游段表现为6个分支峡谷,中游段则汇聚为2条主峡谷,峡谷头部广泛发育分支水道.峡谷中游段于早中新世晚期开始发育,处于岩浆岩体和构造凸起之间;上游段分支峡谷形成于晚中新世以来,其与峡谷头部分支水道的形成分别受断裂体系和底流作用影响较大.东沙海底峡谷演化分为3个阶段:(1)早中新世晚期-中中新世,峡谷初始发育阶段;(2)晚中新世,峡谷拓展阶段;(3)上新世以来,现代峡谷发育阶段.东沙海底峡谷向马尼拉海沟提供了充足的富有机质沉积物,构成了马尼拉海沟增生楔天然气水合物形成的重要物质基础.

浅表层天然气水合物具有埋藏浅、厚度大、纯度高等特点.现有的评价方法多针对于具有明显BSR反射特征的中深层天然气水合物,而对浅表层天然气水合物的相关研究鲜有发表.本研究通过对国内外浅表层水合物发育区广泛调研,以浅表层水合物的形成机理为基础,探究水合物资源评价方法的选择;以水合物空间展布规律为参考,明确评价范围界定条件;以综合指示特征为参考,分析评价参数的选取依据.并在此基础上,与中深层天然气水合物进行对比,提出浅表层天然气水合物资源刻度区选取及解剖的初步建议,引出评价中存在的问题,梳理出浅表层天然气水合物的资源评价方法的关键问题.

深海环境泥火山活动为甲烷从深部向浅部迁移提供了搬运介质和通道,泥火山附近天然气水合物成藏具有独特的形成过程和富集规律.泥火山型水合物资源潜力和环境影响的理论假设已被提出,而在工程实施阶段的论述相对较少.本次研究通过调研世界范围内典型海域泥火山-天然气水合物系统研究进展和赋存规律,结合我国海域泥火山的调查成果,归纳出泥火山型天然气水合物赋存地质模型.之后分析该模型组成要素的地质记录,获得识别泥火山型天然气水合物的3G异常标志,总结出该类型水合物实用的勘探思路.

按照天然气水合物形成的气体疏导方式划分,渗漏系统是海洋浅表层天然气水合物藏形成的主要模式.关键成藏要素包括温压场、气源等,温压场主要控制天然气水合物成藏的平面分布和纵向分布;海底热流低值区有利于形成天然气水合物,但在海底热流超高的海域,只要有充足的气源供给,在高甲烷通量区深海浅表层也可以形成天然气水合物藏,而且往往与泥火山、气烟囱等特殊地质体伴生,形成致密的数米厚层状天然气水合物藏.浅表层天然气水合物藏气源主要是有机热解成因气,一般其深部均发育有成熟的含油气盆地,有烃源层广泛分布,并且干酪根发生过明确的生烃过程,形成的热解甲烷气通过断层、气烟囱等破碎带垂向运移通道渗漏上升,在温压场控制的相平衡区形成天然气水合物藏,因此,海底热流值较高的海盆也是浅表层天然气水合物藏形成的有利海域.

浅表层天然气水合物资源勘查是天然气水合物资源勘查的重要组成部分,对深水地质灾害预测和评价、气候变化等都具有重要的指导意义.地震勘探是天然气水合物勘探的重要手段,但浅表层天然气水合物赋存于近海底沉积物中,埋深一般小于海底以下60 m,对地震浅层分辨率具有较高的要求,常规地震勘探方法难以满足以高频信号为主的浅表层天然气水合物勘探的需要.针对浅表层天然气水合物的特点,充分利用小道距高分辨率多道地震电火花震源气泡效应小、可重复性好,激发频率高、接收系统动态范围大等特点,结合参量阵浅地层剖面,形成了一套高分辨率地震勘探方法,提高了浅部地层的地震分辨率,满足了浅表层天然气水合物勘查对资料分辨率的要求.浅表层天然气水合物似海底反射(BSR)不明显,通常与海底甲烷渗漏密切相关,因此海底气体渗漏相关的地形地貌、气体运移通道、速度异常和振幅异常等特征是浅表层天然气水合物的重要识别标志.

Sedimentological study into the architecture of continental margins reveals its importance in predicting the partition of sediment budget between the shelf and the deep‐water settings. The sediment delivery towards the deep‐water basin during sea‐level lowstands can be hindered along rift margins. Here we use a 2D seismic survey from the northern Okinawa Trough to identify a set of clinoform seismic units elongating along the western slope, where the rifting activity occurred later than the late Pleistocene. The clinoform units are interpreted as a shelf‐margin delta complex based on the following observations: (a) the sediments clearly prograde across the eroded paleo‐shelf on the dip‐oriented sections; (b) there is some negative relief along two extensively traceable reflections, indicating the probable existence of paleo‐channels working as the potential pathways of sediment delivery for the shelf‐margin deposits; and (c) an eroded surface is easily recognized in the seismic data, possibly marking the sea‐level lowstand during which the shelf‐margin delta formed. The oxygen isotopes of the core QZ01 are taken as a proxy for the variation of the relative sea level and indicate its fast fluctuation in the past 180 kyr. We interpret how the shelf‐margin delta evolved during the late Pleistocene and propose that the subsidence and the rift faulting lead to the starvation of sediments near the shelf edge. As a result, there could be more sediments depositing along the active rift margin, while few of them would be transported to the deep‐water basin and re‐deposit as turbidites.

高沉积速率、构造活动发育和高热流值3个重要地质条件促使了冲绳海槽广泛发育泥火山、气烟囱等烃类流体渗漏构造,前人对该类泥火山及气烟囱的地球物理特征做过较多的研究,但是鲜有研究从地球化学角度揭示渗漏流体来源及形成机制.本研究通过对东海冲绳海槽中部泥火山发育区2个泥火山站住开展海底钻探取样,获取浅表层60 m沉积物并开展孔隙水烃类浓度、甲烷稳定碳、氢同位素研究.通过分析发现,18-01孔孔隙水顶空烃类比值C1/C2为960.53～1 120.75,甲烷稳定碳同位素(813CCH4)为-36.07‰～-56.60‰V-PDB,甲烷稳定氢同位素(δDCH4)为-163.94‰～-237.81‰V-SMOW;在18-05孔,孔隙水顶空烃类比值C1/C2为1 064.66～1 546.74,δ1aCcH4为-36.10‰～-62.92‰ V-PDB,δDCH4为-122.86‰～-282.09‰ V-SMOW.系统分析2个站位甲烷气源均为热解成因或以热解成因为主的混合成因.综合分析2个站位泥火山及气烟囱发育的地质背景以及高通量甲烷渗漏的特征认为,深部地层中有机热解成因甲烷流体是通过断层、气烟囱等运移通道,在流体超压的驱动下渗漏、扩散至浅表层地层中,并在海底形成了泥火山以及羽状流等构造.