Giant Underwater Sand Mounds Discovered, Challenging Earth’s Subsurface structure & Impacting Carbon storage Potential
MANCHESTER, UK – Researchers from the University of Manchester and their industrial partners have identified massive underwater sand mounds, some stretching several kilometers wide, that are overturning geological layers in a phenomenon previously unseen on such a large scale. The discovery, published in the Journal of Communications Earth & Environment, is prompting a re-evaluation of subsurface geological structures and could substantially impact strategies for underground carbon dioxide storage.
The mounds, dubbed “Sinkits” by the team, are characterized by sinking sand pushing upwards on older, lighter sediment - a process called stratigraphic inversion. While stratigraphic inversion has been observed before,it was typically limited to smaller areas.
“This discovery shows a geological process that has never been seen on a scale of this size,” explained Professor Mads Huuse, the lead author from the University of Manchester. “We found a structure where solid sand sank into a lighter sediment. The sediment was actually pushed up,so that it reversed the geological layer that was supposed to and formed a large mound under the sea.”
Researchers estimate the Sinkits formed millions of years ago, during the late Miocene to Pliocene periods, potentially triggered by earthquakes or sudden shifts in underground pressure causing sand to liquefy and flow through seabed cracks. This movement resulted in the rise of porous, rigid material composed of microscopic sea fossils, termed ”floatite.”
The findings have implications for locating oil and gas reserves,and crucially,for assessing the safety and efficacy of underground carbon dioxide storage.
“this study shows that fluid and sediment can move in the earth’s crust in an unexpected way,” Professor Huuse stated. “Understanding of the process of forming sinks can significantly change the way we assess underground reservoirs, seal systems, and fluid movement pathways.All of thes are very important for capture and carbon storage activities.”
The research team is currently working to document further examples of this process and determine its broader impact on understanding subsurface geology. While the new model is generating both support and skepticism within the scientific community, Professor Huuse acknowledges that “further time and research will determine the extent to which this model can be applied.”
(Source: sciencedaily)
