HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT HYDROCARBONS IN GULF OF MEXICO CONTINENTAL-SLOPE SEDIMENTS Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Sediments on the Gulf of Mexico continental slope contain a mixture of terrigenous, petroleum and planktonic hydrocarbons. The relative amount of these three inputs varies as a function of location, water depth, and time of sampling. The hydrocarbon concentrations measured are generally lower than those previously reported for shelf and coastal Gulf of Mexico sediments. The influence of land-derived material decreases from the central to the western to the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Petroleum inputs are measurable at all sites sampled. Natural seepage was considered to be a significant source of hydrocarbons to slope sediments. Hydrocarbon concentrations vary by 1-2 orders of magnitude along a given isobath due to changes in sediment texture and hydrocarbon inputs. Variability along an isobath is as great if not greater than that seen over a depth range of 300-3000 m along a single transect. In general, the highest aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations are associated with the more clayish/organic-rich sediments. Aromatic hydrocarbons are below gas chromatographic detection limits at all sites (<5 ppb), but their presence is inferred from spectrofluorescence analyses, confirming the presence of petroleum-related hydrocarbons at all sites. 1987.

published proceedings

  • DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART A-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS

author list (cited authors)

  • KENNICUTT, M. C., SERICANO, J. L., WADE, T. L., ALCAZAR, F., & BROOKS, J. M.

citation count

  • 34

complete list of authors

  • KENNICUTT, MC||SERICANO, JL||WADE, TL||ALCAZAR, F||BROOKS, JM

publication date

  • March 1987