Uncovering the temporal carbon isotope (δ13C) heterogeneity in seep carbonates: a case study from Green Canyon, northern Gulf of Mexico

Authigenic carbonates that form at hydrocarbon seeps, known as seep carbonates, are direct records of past fluid flow close to the seafloor. Stable carbon isotopes of seep carbonates (delta C-13(carb)) have been widely used as a proxy for determining fluid sources and seepage mode. Although the spatial heterogeneity of delta C-13 in seep carbonates is increasingly understood, the temporal heterogeneity of delta C-13 in seep carbonates is not well studied. In this study, we report delta C-13 values of different components (clasts, matrix, and pore-filling cements) for 124 subsamples drilled across an authigenic carbonate block from Green Canyon block 140 (GC140) of the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope. High-Mg calcite is the dominant mineral regardless the types of components. The delta C-13(carb) values range from -39.6 parts per thousand to 3.6 parts per thousand, indicating multiple dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) sources that include methane carbon (C-13-depleted), seawater DIC, and residual CO2 from methanogenesis (C-13-enriched). Specifically, the clasts show large variability in delta C-13 values (-39.6 parts per thousand to 2.3 parts per thousand; mean: -27.6 parts per thousand, n = 71), demonstrating the dominance of methane-derived fluids during formation at the initial seepage stage. The delta C-13 values of the matrix vary between -29.4 parts per thousand and 3.4 parts per thousand (mean: -11.6 parts per thousand, n = 21). The carbon isotopes of pore-filling cements that formed most recently vary narrowly, with delta C-13 values of -3.2 parts per thousand to 3.6 parts per thousand (mean: 1.7 parts per thousand, n = 28). Isotopic variations within individual samples were observed in seep carbonate. However, common trends occur across components of carbonates that formed during different seepage stages. This suggests that the temporal evolution of local fluid sources may play an important role in determining carbonate isotope geochemistry. Studies regarding seeps must take into account the highly variable fluids that leave their geochemical imprints on the seep carbonate.

Automated summary

This study analyzes over 120 samples from the northern Gulf of Mexico and finds that the carbon isotopes in seep carbonates formed from hydrocarbon seepage vary over time, confirming the impact of multiple sources of dissolved inorganic carbon on carbonate formation. Additionally, there are common trends in the carbon isotopes of carbonates formed during different stages, suggesting the importance of the temporal evolution of fluid sources in carbonate isotope geochemistry.