Bacterial hydrocarbon seepage structures with a cone-in-cone texture in the rocks of the Taurian series of the Mountain Crimea (South Coast of Crimea)

Research subject. Paleogeographic conditions for the formation of structures with cone-to-cone textures by living organisms.

Methods. The morphology of polished sections was studied using an Olympus BX 5 microscope equipped with an Olympus DP 12 camera. Geochemical analysis was performed using an ICP ELAN 9000 (Perkin Elmer). Carbon isotope composition was determined by mass spectrometry on a Deltaplus Advantage device.

Results. The structures were formed on solid ground. They had several growth phases. The tree-like skeleton of the cone-to-cone structures has a modular structure. Micron-thick laminae extended from its walls. They formed rolls of cones, fused petals with a corrugated surface. The upper surface of the structures is covered with lamina petals and calcite spherulites. Their mineral composition is represented by columnar anthraconite with the presence of rhodochrosite, quartz, and pyrite framboids. The isotopic composition of carbon in carbonate structures varied from –19.14 to –13.59‰, and that of its biogenic material δ13С = –36.64‰. The relationship between carbonate formation and chemosynthesis of archaea and prokaryotes is indicated by the results of carbon isotope composition, δ13C isotope difference between carbonate and biogenic matter, presence of carbonate spherulites, pyrite framboids, biomarkers, light and heavy oil. High contents of lithophile, chalcophile, rare earth elements in the material of the structures, as well as the isotope composition of sulfur (+11.28; +1.72‰), carbon (from –19.14 to –13.59‰) and oxygen (from –14.52 to –13.45‰) confirm the use of deep volcanic fluids by living organisms.

Conclusions. Structures with cone-to-cone textures were created by protozoa in symbiosis with prokaryotes and archaea, which processed hydrocarbon volcanic fluids into organic matter and carbonate. The presence of large fauna near the biocenosis structures and other features allow us to attribute the cone-to-cone formations to ancient hydrocarbon seepage carbonates or Triassic methane-liths. Postmagmatic hydrocarbon fluids, which have fed the microorganisms, have a deep genesis.

1. Aharon P. (1994) Geology and biology of modern and ancient submarine Hydrocarbon seeps and vents: an introduction. Geo-Marine Lett., 14(2), 69-73. http://doi.org/10.1007/BF01203716

2. Arslanov H.A. (1987) Radiocarbon: geochemistry and geochronology. Leningrad, LGU, 300 p. (In Russ.)

3. Balashov Yu.A. (1976) Geochemistry of rare earth elements. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 267 p. (In Russ.)

4. Bogoyavlenskaya O.V. (2007) Devonian stromatoporates (morphology, systematics, stratigraphic and paleogeographic distribution). Lithosphere (Russia), (1), 109-122. (In Russ.)

5. Buczynski C., Chafetz H.S. (1992) Bacterially Induced Lithification of Microbial Mats. PALAIOS, 7(3), 277-293. http://doi.org/10.2307/3514973

6. Butterfield D.A., Massoth G.J. (1994) Geochemistry of north Cleft segment vent fluids: Temporal changes in chlorinity and their possible relation to recent volcanism. J. Geophys. Res., 99(B3), 4951-4968. http://doi.org/10.1029/93JB02798

7. Campbell K.A. (2006) Hydrocarbon seep and hydrothermal vent paleoenvironments and paleontology: Past developments and future research directions. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol., 232(2-4), 362-407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.06.018

8. Campbell K.A., Bottijer D.J. (1993) Fossil cold seeps. National Geographic Research & Exploration, 9(3), 326-343.

9. Dubinin A.V. (2004) Geochemistry of rare earth elements in the ocean. Litologiya i Polez. Iskopaemye, (4), 339-358. (In Russ.)

10. Ernst W. (1976) Geochemical analysis of facies. Leningrad, Nedra Publ., 127 p. (In Russ.) Fore G. (1989) Fundamentals of isotope geology. Moscow, Mir Publ., 590 p. (In Russ.)

11. Gilman R.A., Metzger W.J. (1967) Cone in cone concretions from Western New York. J. Sediment. Petrol., 37, 87-95.

12. Hesse R., Fong C., Schumann D. (2019) Origin of spherulitic and cone-in-cone concretions in Cambro-Ordovician black shales, St Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada. Geol. Mag., 156(10), 1793-1804. https://doi.org/10.1017/ S0016756819000128

13. Interpretation of geochemical data. (2001) (Ed. by E.V. Sklyarov). Moscow, Intermet Inzhiniring Publ., 288 p. (In Russ.)

14. Katchenkov S.M. (1959) Minor chemical elements in sedimentary rocks and oils. Leningrad, Gostoptekhizdat Publ., 271 p. (In Russ.)

15. Kholodov V.N., Nedumov R.I. (2005) On the application of the molybdenum module to the reconstruction of the gas composition of the waters of the Cretaceous Atlantic. Dokl. AN, 400(2), 250-253. (In Russ.)

16. Kirkham A., Tucker M.E. (2018) Thrombolites, spherulites and fibrous crusts (Holkerian, Purbeckian, Aptian): Context, fabrics and origins. Sediment. Geol., 374, 69-84. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2018.07.002

17. Kolokoltsev V.G. (2002) Cone-in-cone texture and its origin. Litologiya i Polez. Iskopaemye, (6), 612-627. (In Russ.)

18. Letnikova E.F. (2005) Geochemical specificity of carbonate deposits of different geodynamic settings of the northeastern segment of the Paleoasian ocean. Lithosphere (Russia), (1), 70-81. (In Russ.)

19. Logvinenko N.V. (1961) On flysch textures of Triassic deposits of Crimea. Izv. Vuzov. Geologiya i Razvedka, (3), 16-28. (In Russ.)

20. Lysenko V.I. (2019а) Characteristics of the Upper Triassic volcanic strata in the southwestern part of Mountainous Crimea. Uch. zap. Krymskogo federal’nogo universiteta im. V.I. Vernadskogo. Geografiya. Geologiya, 5(71), 230-253. (In Russ.)

21. Lysenko V.I. (2019б) Experimental work on the revival of Miocene archaeal and bacterial communities from Heraclites. Тр. Карадагской научной станции им. Т.И. Вяземского – природного заповедника РАН, 11(3), 17-41. (In Russ.)

22. Lysenko V.I., Sadykov S.A., Mikhailichenko M.V. (2022) Hydrothermal-bacterial constructions with brachiopod fauna on the surface of the Tessel paleovolcano (South Coast of Crimea). Lithosphere (Russia), 22(4), 497-511. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24930/1681-9004-2022-22-4-497-511

23. Maher H., Ogata K., Braathen A. (2017). Cone-in-cone and beef mineralization associated with Triassic growth basin faulting and shallow shale diagenesis, Edgeøya, Svalbard. Geol. Mag., 154(2), 201-216. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756815000886

24. Mizens G.A., Stepanova T.I., Kucheva N.A., Sapurin S.A. (2014) Geochemical features of limestones and sedimentation conditions on an isolated carbonate platform in the late Devonian and early Carboniferous on the eastern margin of the Urals. Lithosphere (Russia), (6), 53-76. (In Russ.)

25. Muratov M.V. (1959) On the stratigraphy of Triassic and Lower Jurassic deposits of Crimea. News of Universities. Izv. Vuzov. Geologiya i Razvedka, (11), 31-41. (In Russ.)

26. Shnyukov E.F., Sheremet’ev V.M., Maslakov N.A., Kutnii V.A., Gusakov I.N., Trofimov V.V. (2005) Mud volcanoes of the Kerch-Taman region. Krasnodar, GlavMedia Publ., 176 p. (In Russ.)

27. Shumilov I.Kh. (2020) Cone-in-cone texture: new data. Lithosphere (Russia), 20(1), 76-92. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24930/1681-9004-2020-20-1-76-92

28. Sonin G.V. (2007) Facies conditions of distribution and ecological morphogenesis of Permian stromatolites. Upper Paleozoic of Russia: stratigraphy and paleogeography: Proceedings of the All-Russian scientific conference. Kazan, KazGU, 306-309. (In Russ.)

29. Stavskiy A.P., Kazantsev A.V. (1973) Some features of “conein-cone” textures in rocks of the Tauride series of Crimea. Izv. Vuzov. Geologiya i Razvedka, (6), 199-201. (In Russ.)

30. Tarr W.A. (1922) Cone-in-cone. Amer. J. Sci., 4(21), 199-213.

31. Teis R.V., Naidin D.P. (1973) Paleothermometry and isotopic composition of oxygen in organogenic carbonates. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 254 p. (In Russ.)

32. Tugarova M.A. (2014) Triassic microbiolites of the Spitsbergen archipelago. Tr. VNIIOkeangeologiya, vyp. 227. Saint Petersburg, VNIIOkeangeologiya, 198 p. (In Russ.)

33. Valyaev B.M. (1997) Hydrocarbon degassing of the Earth and genesis of oil and gas fields. Geologiya Nefti i Gaza, (9), 1-6. (In Russ.)

34. Yarkov A.A. (2015) Zarizinlaminata – royal plates. Modern problems of geography. Collection of scientific papers based on the materials of the Scientific practical conference dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Volgograd branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Moscow, Planeta Publ., 55-104. (In Russ.)

35. Yudovich Ya.E., Ketris M.P. (2011) Geochemical indicators of lithogenesis (lithological geochemistry). Syktyvkar, GeoPrint Publ., 742 p. (In Russ.)

36. Zharkov R.V., Kozlov D.N., Degterev A.V. (2011) Modern fumarole and hydrothermal activity of Sinarka volcano (Shiashkotan Island, Kuril Islands). Vestn. KRAUNTs. Nauki o Zemle, 1(17), 179-184. (In Russ.).