Diverse Origins of Gases From Mud Volcanoes and Seeps in Tectonically Fragmented Terrane

Abstract

Abstract Identification of methane origins remains a challenging work as current diagnostic signals are often not sufficient to resolve individual formation and post‐formation processes. To address such a knowledge gap in a tectonically active and fragmented terrain, samples from mud volcanoes, gas seeps, and springs distributed along structural features onshore and offshore of Taiwan were analyzed for their isotopic compositions of methane, nitrogen, helium, dissolved inorganic carbon, CO2, and water. Our analyses yielded Δ13CH3D and Δ12CH2D2 values ranging between +1.9‰ and +7.8‰ and between +3.0‰ and +19.9‰, respectively. A portion of the samples were characterized by values that represent the thermodynamic equilibrium at temperatures of 99°–260°C. These temperature estimates, together with the bulk isotopic compositions and local geothermal gradients (25°–30°C/km), suggest that methane was formed by thermal maturation of organic matter at depths of 2–9 km below the land surface and channeled upward along faults. Other samples were found to deviate from equilibrium by varying degrees. Considering the geological background, helium isotopic ratios, and nitrogen isotopologue compositions, and methanogens detected at some sites, these gases are either abiotic in origin or a mixture of microbial and thermogenic sources. Regardless of whether the equilibrium of methane isotopologues was reached, few sites hosted by sedimentary formations were characterized by mantle‐like helium signatures, indicating decoupled origins and potential degassing of helium from the relic igneous source. Overall, these results suggest the extraction of methane and other gases from multiple depths from strata fragmented by fault displacement in an active orogenic belt.

Keywords

• methane isotopologue
• helium isotope
• mud volcano
• seep
• active tectonic regime